Page 37 of Hung Up
“I feel relieved. I hope it will get him off my back. Part of me wishes Huck would have been there so I could see the look on his face when he realized they lost. But truthfully, I’m glad he wasn’t there,” she replies.
I feel my jaw clench when I think about him being anywhere near her. I tried to be the nice guy with him but I’m threw with that shit. Something in me feels protective over Sorrel now. I probably don’t have the right to be but I can’t deny the feeling. If he comes near her, I don’t know what I’ll do next.
“Honestly, Sorrel, if he doesn't quit harassing you, I think you might have to file a restraining order.”
“Look, Denton, I don’t need you to get involved in my drama any more than you already have. I’m a big girl and I can handle myself.”
My grip tightens on the steering wheel. Her reaction confuses me.
“Hey, I got involved by default and I’m not trying to tell you what to do. Just trying to give you some advice, Sorrel.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t—do you see that smoke?”
We’re curving around the last bend of the mountain, and down in the valley is a cloud of smoke growing bigger by the minute.
“That’s the ranch! Hurry up! Drive faster!”
I put my foot to the floorboard driving as fast as I can down the dirt road. The gate is open to the ranch, which is strange this time of night. There’s a small fire in one of the fields and the hands are already working on putting it out. They have the water truck in the field spraying water all over the fire. It looks like they have it under control but I still wonder if I should call for help.
“Oh thank God,” Sorrel says, putting her hand to her heart. “Drive up to the barn. I want to check on the horses.”
As we veer around to the barn, Sorrel opens up the truck door before I can even blink and jumps out while we’re still driving. I slam on the brakes. She’s frantically screaming for help as she runs but no one is around to hear. All of the hands are in the west field putting out the first fire we saw.
I throw the truck in park, running after Sorrel. She’s almost to the barn. The building is engulfed in flames. She runs straight in before I can stop her.
I follow her in shielding my face from the smoke and flames.
“SORREL! Where are you? Sorrel!” I scream for her but I can’t see her through the smoke.
Clint's office is to my right, and I try to turn the door handle, but the knob singes the skin on my palm. I kick with the heel of my boot over and over again until I kick the door down.
The fire hasn’t spread to the office but Sorrel isn't in there. Fear pierces my chest—if anything happens to her—I can’t let my mind go there right now. Staying cool under pressure is what I do.
I can do this.
I spot the red fire extinguisher and grab it before running farther into the flames.
I spray at the flames trying to clear a path. The smoke drifts away for a mere second. At the other opening of the barn is thesilhouette of a figure in black wearing a cowboy hat. I can’t see who it is.
“Help! Please help!” I beg.
They take off running in the opposite direction.
Smoke begins to fill the barn again. I continue spraying, running through the barn looking in each stall when I finally see Sorrel. She’s in Duke's stall trying to coax him out. It looks like she got all of the other horses out, but he’s spooked and won’t leave his stall.
I run over to them still spraying with the fire extinguisher. Sorrel is trying to lead Duke by his jowls and I spray at the fire around them. Breathing is becoming difficult and I can feel myself losing oxygen.
Duke rears back as I spray and it all happens so fast. The fire extinguisher goes empty. Duke is on his hind legs, and when he rears back, he hits Sorrel in the head knocking her unconscious. He runs over her limp body, missing her by an inch. I crouch down to try and pick her up but I feel so weak. I take cover over her as pieces from the barn begin to fall.
“Sorrel…” I wheeze and begin coughing. I can’t get enough air into my lungs.
Next thing I know the world goes black.
17
SORREL
Beep..beep..beep.
