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The mare rears up, trotting out, ready to bite me. The other foal follows, and I dash outside, where I set the little foal on the ground. Thunder comes roaring out, her teeth bared, but she’s blocked by Storm, who rears up to keep me from being mauled.
“Holy shit!” Nora calls. “What the fuck?—”
“Grab the horses, try to get them to the pasture over there,” I say, gesturing to the closest paddock. We slowly herd them over there. Landon gets one big bite in from Thunder before we put all the horses, Storm included, inside it.
Nora and her father are staring at the flames as they eat away at their barn. Richard’s eyes are wet, and Nora looks like she’s going to throw up.
As the sirens come up, there’s a cracking sound. I grab Nora, tugging her back, just as the roof caves in. When it does, Nora screams, and I hold onto her as she turns into my shoulder and starts sobbing.
Hours later, the sun has long set. We’re all sitting in the Foster living room. Landon disappeared at some point to pick up barbeque from town, but I don’t think any of us want to eat it.
The horses are fine. We moved them over to our barn, and the vet established that each one, including the little foals, is healthy, if a little freaked out. We’ll have to wash them tomorrow to get the smoke smell off of them, but for now, they’re safe.
I made sure that some of the guys we have working for us know that if something happens to our barn, they won’t just be fired. I’ll fucking kill them.
Finally, Landon returns, distributing barbeque that predictably no one really wants. Minutes later, however, the fire department knocks on the door.
Nora stands, going to grab it before I can stop her.
The man, an older guy named Rhett who introduced himself to us earlier, smiles at her. “Hey, Nora.”
“Hi, Mr. Grayson.”
“Can I come in?”
Nora moves aside, and he walks in, smelling like smoke and ash. He looks like he’s probably the fire department chief, from the insignia. He gives a sharp nod to Richard, who weakly returns it.
I frown. Richard doesn’t look good.
I know that Nora said he was sick, and for the first time, I wonder what that means. Because if he had any kind of lung stuff, being exposed to the fire would…
The fire chief plops something hard onto the living room table. “We found this at the base of the barn, on the far side, where it looks like the fire started.”
All of us rise, crowding in to look at it. It looks like a lighter.
I look up. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying, son, that it appears someone might have started this fire on purpose,” the fire chief says.
There’s a stillness in the room.
Richard coughs. “Rhett, you don’t know?—”
“Rich, I’ve been working in fire for nearly thirty years now. You think I don’t know what it looks like when someone starts a fire on purpose?”
“Arson,” Nora says hollowly. “But who would…”
“Is there anyone who would benefit from scaring the two of you off of this farm, Nora?” Rhett says kindly.
My heart feels like it’s going to collapse.
Fuck. As far as I know, we’re the only ones who have expressed any interest in the farm. We’re the only ones who want to buy it, and we’re the only ones who would stand to benefit should they decide to sell the farm.
I wait for Nora’s eyes to jump to us. But they never do.
“No,” she says slowly. “I don’t think so.”
“Well. It could be a random thing. Some drifter coming through who just wanted to start some shit.” Rhett looks around, though, and we all know that seems pretty weak.
