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Ballard paused long enough to warn Jessy, “Get the kids to the house as quick as you can It’s gonna get crazy around here”

Jessy could already see the beginnings of it Fire was a word that spread through the thro

ng of ion Those who knehat to do were already awk, unaware of the very real danger it presented The drought had turned the grass plains into a vast tinderbox Any fire that took hold would be hard to stop And the wide swath of dark smoke warned of the fire’sit straight toward the Triple C headquarters

Pushed by the urgency of the moment, Jessy handed Laura to her mother “Look after the twins for me, Mom”

Grateful for the flats she had elected to wear, Jessy ran toward The Ho in and out of the people and vehicles in her path Once inside the house, she didn’t pause but raced upstairs, stripped out of her dress, and pulled on jeans, boots, and a shirt Then she was running back outside

It was a chaotic scene that greeted her Vehicles clogged the yard, soet to the fire Already three pickups had broken free fro over a ranch road toward the ominous wall of smoke

Not far behind them was the pumper truck Jessy knew instinctively that Chase was in one of the pickups

A horse whinnied near the barn area, drawing her attention to a cowboy in his Sunday suit leading two saddled horses to the ramp of a stock trailer With a slap on the rump, he loaded them into the trailer and disappeared back inside the barn

Launching herself off the steps, Jessy headed for the stock trailer and a certain ride to the fire Along the way she passed her mother and Sally, each with a twin in her arms and Quint herded between them

“Be careful,” heras he used to be”

Jessy didn’t bother to reply But none was expected

At the head of the ranch pickups, Chase sat on the passenger side, one arh ride His gaze was fixed on the smoke wall still some distance ahead of the stretched stiff to keep his foot hard on the accelerator

“What about Six Mile Road?” Stumpy said “Maybe we can use it for a firebreak”

“I don’t think so It looks like it’s already on this side of it,” Chase said gri dry wash It’s the only natural barrier left between here and the river God help us if it gets that far”

Stumpy muttered a few choice expletives under his breath A half-mile farther, he slowed the truck and ate Chase hopped out of the cab, threw the gate open wide, signaled for the rest of the vehicles to follow them, and climbed back in