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Once he had her out of the building, he scooped her up in his arms. He carried her away from the burning building and the smoke billowing from inside before he laid her on the ground and gently removed the tape covering her mouth.
Immediately, she started coughing.
Nash helped her sit up. He dug out his pocketknife and sliced through the tape wrapped around her wrists and ankles and then pulled her into his arms. “I’m sorry,” he said, burying his face in her smoky hair. “I’m so sorry.”
In between fits of coughing, she said what sounded like, “Three’s a charm.”
He wasn’t sure what that meant and didn’t really care. She was alive.
When she could stop coughing long enough, she pointed to the cabin. “Did they get...Alan...out?”
“They did,” a voice said behind Nash.
Nash turned to find the director, Steven Haynes.
“We didn’t get him out in time.”
Londyn shook her head. “He was dead... before the smoke.”
Haynes frowned. “How?”
“Julia hit him...” Londyn burst into another coughing fit before she could finish with, “crowbar.”
“Julia did this?” Haynes shook his head.
“Don’t let her...get away...with murder.” Londyn coughed again and leaned against Nash’s shoulder.
Haynes face hardened. “We’ll take care of it. And just so you know, we’re putting production on hold until you’re well enough to come back to work.”
Londyn gave the director a weak smile. “Thanks.”
Haynes stared down at her. “I didn’t hire you because of your mother. I hired you because you were exactly who we needed to portray Lana. So, hurry back. We can’t do this movie without you.”
Within fifteen minutes, an ambulance arrived. The paramedics got Londyn on oxygen and stabilized her until a rescue flight arrived to take her to the hospital in Bozeman.
Nash stayed with her, insisting on accompanying her on the helicopter. He almost started a fight in the ER when they refused to let him go back with her because he wasn’t a relative.
One call from Hank Patterson, and he was immediately allowed to go back with Londyn. When they moved her to a private room to monitor her overnight, he was with her the entire time.
Haynes sent him a text to let him know Julia had been arrested for the murder of Alan Sarley and the attempted murder of Londyn.
Nash should have rested easier knowing the woman wouldn’t hurt Londyn ever again. But he didn’t sleep at all that night, plagued by an irrational feeling that if he closed his eyes, something awful would happen.
By sunrise, he was almost delirious with the exhaustion of the trauma to his body and his soul. He’d come so close to losing Londyn, making him realize that not only did he like her, but he had also fallen head over heels in love with her.
As daylight filled the room, Londyn stirred, opened her eyes and smiled up at him.
His heart melted. “Your smile just brightened my world.” His vision blurred as moisture filled his eyes.
Londyn frowned up at him. “Hey,” she said, her voice not much more than a gravelly whisper. “Did you think I was going to let that bitch get away with poisoning my horse?”
He laughed for the first time in what felt like forever. “No way in hell. When you make a promise, I can count on you to keep it.”
Londyn lifted her head off the pillow. “They did catch Julia, didn’t they?”
Nash nodded. “She was arrested for murder and attempted murder.”
Londyn laid back and closed her eyes. “Good. I can’t say that I’m sad she killed Alan. He set the explosives and sabotaged the props. But Julia was the one who poisoned Buttercup. I hope she rots to death in prison.”
