One man shouted in Julia’s face, angry that his camping plans were canceled. “Listen here, little girl, I reserved a camping spot and drove all the way here from—”
Julia cut him off, stood her ground. “There won’t be a campground by tonight, sir, so I suggest you find another place to camp. Colorado is a big state, and there are plenty of options.”
Five big Ford F-150s pulled up to the roadblock, hauling horse trailers. The trucks stopped, and Nate West stepped out of the first one. Kenzie had gone to school with him, though they hadn’t been in the same class. The Wests were one of the wealthiest families in the state and owned the biggest ranch in Forest County.
The tourist went back to shouting. “I want your badge number. I’m going to call your—”
“Is this guy giving you a hard time?” Nate walked up to Julia, cowboy hat on his head, jeans slung low on his hips.
“No. He was just leaving.”
“Bitch.” The man turned to go, his face red with rage.
Nate stopped him with a palm to the chest. “Apologize to Deputy Marcs.”
Kenzie found herself holding her breath as the tourist turned a brighter shade of red.
Perhaps sensing Nate’s resolve or intimidated by his height or his scarred face, the jerk backed down. “Sorry.”
Nate stepped aside, his gaze meeting Kenzie’s. “Hey, Kenzie. Are you okay?”
“I will be. I have some clients whose pets are trapped at home in the evacuation zone. Julia sent some officers to get them.”
“We’ve got some extra help today from some Denver cops and a couple of guys from the US Marshals Service,” Julia explained.
Nate grinned. “I know those guys. They’re good people. They won’t let you down. I’m here to evacuate horses.”
“Sheriff Pella told me you’d be coming.” Julia reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded sheet of paper. “Here are the addresses of the horse owners who called in.”
“Thanks. We’ll find them and bring them to safety at the Boulder County Fair Grounds.”
“Thanks, Nate—and be careful up there.”
“No thanks are necessary. We’re happy to help.” Nate gave Kenzie a nod. “Take care, Kenzie. I hope you get those pets to safety.”
“You stay safe, too. Good luck with the horses.” Kenzie watched him climb behind the wheel of his truck.
After what had happened to him, how could he stand to be near fire?
Some people are just brave.
Chapter 9
Gabe helpedChaska put away the ropes, harnesses, and other gear. All of it would have to be inspected before the next camp session began, but they didn’t need to deal with that today.
Gabe zipped a gear bag. “Are you excited about becoming a father?”
Chaska got a worried look on his face. “Yes, though it doesn’t feelrealyet.”
“It will feel real enough soon.” Gabe couldn’t help but grin at the worried frown on Chaska’s face. “The moment you see that newborn in Naomi’s arms, the first time you hold your baby, you’ll feel a kind of love you’ve never felt before, like your heart just grew.”
“Yeah?”
“You’ll see.”
That’s how it had been for Gabe. He had never planned on getting married or having kids—not until he’d met Kat. He’d been a closed-off and angry man, but she had broken through all of the barriers he had erected around himself and set him free. Now, he couldn’t imagine his life without her or their three children.
The men walked together to the Dining Hall, where the kids were finishing their lunch of grilled cheese sandwiches, watermelon, and carrot sticks, and filled their plates. He walked past Dean, the kid who’d fallen and gotten into a fight this morning, and held out his fist. “Way to crush the ropes course, buddy.”