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"Mel can’t leave and I have her nursing baby right here," Brie said "She’s been treating minor injuries with paramedics and has to be on hand for more"

"The air here isn’t the best for these kids I have soet the little ones out of here"

"Well…Let estion to Mel and she thought about it for less than a minute, then nodded "The kids will be safer there Can you, Paige and Nikki load them up?"

"Sure But I hate to take theht You can set up a nursery there, with Vanni We’ll be fine here with Walt’s help"

Mel watched from the first-aid station while the women carried the children to Preacher’s and Jack’s trucks with Walt’s help,them in Into the back went a playpen, port-a-crib, infant seats and baby swing, diaper bags and paraphernalia Little Davie and Emma, Christopher and Dana Marie Then they pulled slowly out of town

Mel hoped it would occur to Paige or Vanni to nurse little E and vulnerable and Mel wouldn’t hesitate to nurse a friend’s baby at a time like this Mel felt a tear run down her cheek as they went She wiped at it iency; they’d have to e would keep the babies and Christopher all safe That was the et the fleith trucks full of firefighters passing through, stopping for first aid or food and water They’d be driven out and another creould pass through Soear, sorywith plenty of law enforce up Cal Fire Mel had often wondered how many of theram would likely come to an end if many did

She took a break to walk into the bar To her surprise, behind the bar she found the general and Muriel The woirl," Walt said "What can I get you?"

"Ice water, thanks, if you still have ice I’m so dry I think it’s the smoke in the air It’s not exactly thick, but it works on the nose and throat"

"How are you, Mel?" Muriel asked

"A little tense today Thanks for colad to You have quite the circus out there"

Mel gratefully drank down half her water "We do, at that," she said

"I’ sandwiches, the only cooking I’ out Cal Fire has rations, but they’re running low and we can pitch in How about if we set up on the porch, along ater?"

"Perfect," Mel said "Hang on to the bottled water till the well runs loeto call the ranch, see how the kids are doing"

She went to the phone While Vanni assured her everyone was fine, she could hear Eht, how you knew your baby’s cry It almost made her cry Worse than that, it made her milk let down and she had to make a dash for the bathroom, open her shirt and lean over the sink Wo It was a ht We have to get back to our children!

"Mel," Muriel was calling, tapping at the door "Are you all right?"

"Fine," she answered "I’ll be right out" When she opened the door, she found the older wo, a concerned frown on her face

"I saw you run for the bathrooht maybe you were sick All this smoke in the air…"

Mel chuckled "I called Walt’s house to check on the kids and heard E since I nursed her In seconds, I was dripping," she said, pulling aside the white coat to show a large round wet spot on her breast "I hope they get this fire under control before I explode"

Muriel set back to yours"

"I’er Really, this has to be resolved soon Don’t you think?" Mel asked

"I don’t know, Mel," she said, shaking her head "There’s a lot of wood out there It’s scary"

"Yeah," Mel said weakly "Yeah it sure is"

Walt wasaround your place, riding with you, throwing the stick for your dogs, and I never asked you about the husbands Like, how many? And why you think it didn’t work out?"

"Whatyou?" she asked

"Aw, you’ll tell al And I told you about ether "The synopsis The first one was fifteen years older than ent--he married the talent, not the person I was He was very ambitious for me, for us both He still thinks I divorced hie, but I divorced him because all he cared about was my career I don’t think he could tell you my favorite color…"

"Yellow," Walt said