Gold in the Fire and Light in the Storm (7 page)

“No frowns allowed tonight,” Joshua said.

“Sorry about that. Just thinking of all the preparation that goes into selling the horses.”

“That’s this weekend, isn’t it?”

“Yes. Dad’s beside himself. He’s angry that he doesn’t feel one hundred percent yet, so he has to rely on me to do some of the things he’s always done.”

“He’s a proud man. His illness has been difficult on him.”

“Why is it so hard for some people to accept help?”

He flashed her grin. “Beats me. I accept all kinds of help. For instance, I need an assistant to help me with my Sunday school class for the rest of the summer. Marge had a family emergency and will be gone quite a bit.” He waggled his brows. “Any takers in this truck?”

Darcy twisted around, checking the cab out. “I don’t see any.” She paused, then added, “Unless you’re referring to me.”

“How about it?”

“I won’t be able to this weekend. I’ll be so involved with the horse auction that I’m sure I’ll meet myself coming and going.”

“You can start the next Sunday, then. I’m not picky.”

“Gee, I’m not sure I shouldn’t be offended.”

“Will it make things better if I tell you that you were the first and only person I thought to ask?”

“Now, flattery works much better.”

“I aim to please.” Joshua pulled into the hotel parking garage and found a place immediately on the ground level. “A good sign. This will be a nice evening.”

“Of course it will, I’m your date.” As they left the garage, she linked her arm through his, her spirits lifted at the prospects of spending an evening with Joshua. She wouldn’t think about the farm for the next few hours. Tomorrow would be here soon enough and all the problems she’d left behind would still be there.

Darcy marveled at the beautifully decorated ballroom of the hotel. It was a study in gold and glittering crystal. Elegant. Richly ornate. “You didn’t tell me half the population of Kentucky was going to be here.”

“This is an annual event. The governor honors certain people who have done extraordinary things, from research scientists at the university to police officers.”

“To you.”

He leaned close to her ear, his breath tickling her neck. “I think you’re trying to get me to blush again.”

They were escorted to a table at the front of the room and seated with a police officer from Lexington and his wife, a businesswoman who financed a relief program for a small town that had suffered from a devastating tornado, and a minister and his wife who ran a program for the needy in eastern Kentucky. Darcy felt honored to be among such people.

Listening to them talk put some of Darcy’s problems in perspective. Even though she was only going to be in Sweetwater for a while longer, there wasn’t any reason not to become involved in the community. And she knew where she wanted to start—with Tanya and Crystal Bolton. Tanya needed help and a friend. She could do both.

By the time the awards dinner was over, Darcy had a plan. She and Joshua, plaque in hand, left the hotel after being bombarded by the press and people who wanted to congratulate Joshua for his rescue. Noticing that he blushed and continually ran his thumb over his fingers, she smiled to herself. He wasn’t comfortable with all this attention, but she was glad she had come. She had seen another side of Joshua. Usually he was so self-assured, but up at the podium he was out of his element. He’d said a few words of thanks but had sat down almost immediately, having given the shortest speech of the evening.

“If I hadn’t seen it with my own two eyes, I wouldn’t have believed you were shy, Joshua Markham.”

“I don’t like crowds and I certainly don’t like to give a speech in front of strangers. If you hadn’t agreed to come, I’m not sure I would have shown up.”

She stopped, facing him. “Not come? You’re kidding! The governor was giving you a plaque honoring your heroism and you weren’t going to come?”

He shrugged and reached around her to open the passenger door of his truck. “What can I say? I was a nervous wreck all day. The guys at the station were ready to demand I go home early from work.”

“Going into a burning building doesn’t scare you, but getting up in front of a crowd of strangers does?”

“Yep. That about sums it up.”

Darcy shook her head. “I don’t understand you. You get up in church and with the kids in your Sunday school class.”

“That’s different. I know those people and it’s never about me.”

“Ah, I see. So if the church gave you an award for your work you wouldn’t be embarrassed?”

He nodded. “I don’t do these things to call attention to myself or for any kind of reward.”

“Why do you do them?”

“Because God gave me a gift and I’m using it the way He wants me to. Someone’s gotta fight fires and work with the kids at church.”

Darcy climbed into the cab of the truck and waited until Joshua rounded the front and slipped behind the steering wheel before saying, “I have a favor to ask.”

He started the engine. “What?”

“I want to build some ramps for Crystal in her backyard so she can enjoy going outside, and I need help to do that.”

“I’d love to. Have you asked Tanya and Tom?”

“Well, no, not yet, but Tanya mentioned she needed some ramps built. Do you think Tom will mind if I offer?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. I haven’t seen him in months, and the stories I’ve heard lead me to believe he might.”

“That’s what Tanya thought. She said something
about Tom wanting to build them himself but never getting around to it. I guess all I can do is ask. Maybe he’ll surprise us all and agree.”

Darcy settled in the seat and leaned her head back. Joshua switched on some soft, classical music, and the peaceful strains tempted her to close her eyes—just for a few minutes, she thought. The next thing she knew, Joshua was shaking her awake, his deep voice whispering to her.

She bolted upright, noticing he was driving down the lane that led to her house. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep. You should have said something. I’ve been functioning for the past week on about half the sleep I require. I guess it finally caught up with me.”

He breathed a deep sigh of relief. “Good. For a while there I thought it might be a statement about my scintillating conversation.”

The teasing tone in his voice relaxed her. “You can drop me off at the far barn.”

“Surely you aren’t going to work tonight?”

“I need to check on a mare. I promised Dad I would when I came home. It was either that or
he
would have, and he was exhausted.”

“And you aren’t?”

“I just had an hour nap. I’m refreshed and ready to go. Besides, it should only take a minute to make sure she didn’t go into labor.”

“Then I’ll wait for you and drive you up to the house.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“Yes, I do.” As he stopped the truck in front of the barn, his gaze met hers.

In the yard light she saw the gleam in his eyes and the look of determination in his expression. He wouldn’t take no for an answer. “Okay. I won’t be long.”

She slid from the cab, and as he started to open his door, she said, “Stay. You won’t even know I’m gone.” And she hurried toward the barn.

Inside she made her way toward the second-to-last stall as quickly as possible in three-inch high heels. After checking on the mare, who was doing fine, she closed the door and started back toward the entrance. A noise to the left of her caught her attention. She halted, suddenly wondering where the guard was. Scanning the barn, she realized she was the only other person here. The noise was probably the cat in the tack room, she thought and resumed walking.

A
crash
had her spinning around and rushing toward the tack room, heedless of the danger she might be in. Approaching the door, she lifted her arm to push it open. Suddenly it banged open and she came face to face with a short man in dirty clothes and a shaggy beard that obscured his features. But the pale blue of his eyes imprinted itself on her brain. She screamed.

He shoved past her, sending her flying back. She hit the hard-packed dirt with a
thud
. She was scrambling to her feet when she heard Joshua running toward her.

“Are you all right? What happened?”

She waved her hand toward the rear of the barn. “He went that way.”

Without another word Joshua sprinted toward the back and disappeared from view. Darcy pushed herself to her feet, vaguely aware that her beautiful new silk dress was probably ruined. She kicked off her high heels, then headed after Joshua. She ran into him—literally—just outside the barn.

“Did you see the man?”

“No, he was gone. Did you know him?”

“No, he was a stranger.”

“Where’s your father’s guard?”

“Probably making his rounds—at least, I hope so. What if something’s happened to the man? What if that was the arsonist and—” She shuddered; she didn’t like the direction her thoughts were taking.

Joshua drew her into his embrace. “Let’s check the barn and make sure the man didn’t leave anything behind. Then let’s go find the guard.”

“You mean that man might have rigged the barn to burn?”

Joshua gripped her hand. “Yes. On second thought, I want you to go around to my truck and wait until I check everything out.”

“
No
.”

“W
hat do you mean, no?” Anger lines carved into Joshua’s face.

“I mean, no I won’t go and quietly wait for you to inspect the barn for something that might cause a fire.”

He thrust his face within inches of hers. “What if a fire starts while I’m in the barn?”

“Then I’ll be there to help get the horses out. Every second will count if a fire starts.” She tugged her hand from his and put both of hers on her waist. “And let me make it perfectly clear, I will try to save any horses I can.”

“And you call
me
a risk taker. What kind of behavior is that?” He spoke in a very controlled voice while he was stalking toward the rear door of the barn.

Darcy watched him for a few seconds before she hurried after him. “What are we looking for?”

His look conveyed his displeasure at her insistence
on being in the barn. “Anything unusual.” He paused at the tack room door. “He was in here?”

“Yes.”

“You check the stalls while I go through this room and the storage next door.”

Five minutes into the inspection the guard showed up. Darcy sent him to check the other barn with any groom still on duty. She had visions of both barns going up at the same time.

Half an hour later Darcy stood with Joshua next to his truck, staring at the barn. “I’m glad we didn’t find anything. But then, who was that man and why was he in there?”

Raking his fingers through his hair—not for the first time if its disheveled look meant anything—Joshua said, “We need to get a description to the police. He could be the arsonist. Even though we didn’t find anything, maybe you came before he could set the fire.”

“I guess I can’t postpone talking to my father any longer. I told the guard not to say anything, that I would tell Dad. But before I do, I need to check with the guard to make sure the other barn is okay. If I can tell Dad everything’s all right, he might take it better.” Who was she kidding? Her father wouldn’t take this well at all, but getting stressed over it would only make the situation worse.

“I’ll drive you.”

By the time Joshua parked in front of the main house,
Darcy’s shoulders sagged from exhaustion. What had started out as a delightful, fun-filled evening had evolved into a tension-filled nightmare, and she still had to face the worse part of it—her father.

Though it was after midnight, as she had suspected her father was still up in the den, reading a horse magazine. His whole life revolved around his horses and the farm. What would happen to him if the farm was destroyed by an arsonist?

“Did you two have a good time?” Shamus looked up from his magazine as Darcy and Joshua entered.

“The food was good. The people we met were interesting.”

“I hear a ‘but’ in your voice, son.”

Joshua blew out a long breath. “I could have done with a little less pomp and circumstances.”

“He hates to give speeches, but he did a great job. It was short and to the point.” Darcy sat across from her father while Joshua stood next to her, his hand on her shoulder giving her silent support.

“I’ve got the feeling you want to tell me something.”

“Dad, I checked on Dragonfly and she’s doing fine.” Her throat parched, Darcy tried to coat it but failed. Her mouth felt stuffed with cotton. “As I was leaving, I heard something in the tack room. When I went to investigate, a man rushed out and ran me down.”

Her father surged to his feet and started for the door.

“Dad, wait!”

He pivoted, anger darkening his features, his deep
gray eyes boring into her. His jaws clenched, he spoke through gritted teeth. “Where is he?”

“Gone, sir. I ran after him, but he disappeared.”

“Did you know him?” Shamus asked Joshua.

“I didn’t get a look at him. I was outside by my truck when I heard Darcy scream.”

Her father shifted his attention to her. “Did you know him?”

She shook her head.

“What did he look like?”

“Short, dirty with a shaggy beard. His hair was dark and his eyes were a pale blue.”

“Angus Feehan. That’s got to be him. The last time I saw him he was growing a beard.” Her father walked to the phone, put his hand on the receiver. “Did you check the barn?”

“Yes, sir. There was nothing. The guard and the groom on duty at night inspected the other one just to make sure. They even checked the new barn under construction.”

Some of the tension seemed to leave Shamus as he picked up the receiver and placed a call to the police. While her father talked to the authorities, Joshua’s hand on her shoulder squeezed gently, his gaze locking with hers as they walked from the room.

“I’d better go. I’m on duty tomorrow.”

“Are you going to be able to come to the fairgrounds this weekend for any of the festivities?” Darcy asked when they were out in the entry hall.

“On Saturday. I’ll stop by and see you. Tomorrow I’ll
talk with the police about Angus and see if he has a connection to the recent fires.”

“It sure would be nice to find the person before anything else happens.”

“Good night, Darcy.” He leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek.

As he exited, her hand came up to touch the place where his lips had been only a few seconds before. The casual gesture left her weak and shaken. It was the kind of kiss that might transpire between two friends, and yet…

It felt so good to sit for a few minutes, Darcy thought as she eased into a lawn chair under the maple tree. Shade stretched out in a large circle offering a reprieve from the heat of a late June afternoon. People milled around, looking at the horses up for sale. The crowd’s murmurs vied with the sounds coming from the fairway. The aroma of popcorn and grilled meat spiced the air, chasing away the scents of horses, sweat and hay.

Her father made his way toward her, taking the empty lawn chair nearby. He moaned as he sat. “I’m sure glad this will be over soon. We’ve done well.” He stretched his long legs out in front of him and crossed them at the ankles. “I appreciate all your work, Darcy.”

For a few seconds it seemed as if her heart had stopped beating. Maybe she hadn’t heard her father correctly.

He reached over and patted her arm. “You did good.”

A rush of emotions swamped her, robbing her of anything like a coherent reply. She fixed her gaze on a
little boy running his hand over a mare’s coat, a huge grin on his face.

“Child, did you hear me?”

“Yes,” she finally replied, her voice heavy and full of those emotions she was trying to get under control. Here in a crowd of people, her father was telling her she’d done a good job. A rare occurrence. “Thanks. I think the sales have gone well.”

“One of the best years we’ve had, in spite of losing the barn a few weeks ago.”

We?
Not
I?
Again his statement produced a tightness in her throat that cut off the flow of words.

“I think we make a good team.”

“Dad, are you all right?”
That’s it. He’s ill and trying to break the news gently
.

“Except for probably overdoing it today and yesterday, I’m fine. I’m nearly one hundred percent. Give me a few more weeks and there will be no stopping me.” He twisted in the chair so he was looking at her. “Can’t a person express their gratitude without you thinking there’s something wrong?”

“Not when it’s out of character.”

“I realize I don’t tell you how much I appreciate your efforts, but I do.”

“Why now?”

“Why not?”

“That’s not an answer, Dad.”

“Okay, if you must know, Lizzy pointed out to me all you’ve been doing and that I haven’t said anything
to you. I realize you have given up your summer vacation to work on the farm, putting in twelve-hour days.”

Ah, Lizzy. That explained everything. Disappointment surged within her. Someone had to tell him he should appreciate her efforts. Why couldn’t he see that on his own?

“That’s not to say I haven’t seen all that you’ve been doing. I have. You know, girl, I’m not very good with words.”

An understatement. “I’ll stay this summer as long as you need me.”

“Things should calm down some until fall, now that the big horse sale is over. I’ll be able to work with Sean some more on riding. By the way, where is he?”

“He went with Nate to go on some of the rides. He has enough money for five of them, so he shouldn’t be gone too long.”

“Heard back from the police. They are charging Angus with trespassing but that’s all. There isn’t enough evidence for an arson charge.”

“Maybe he didn’t set the fires.”

“Do you really believe he came back to the barn to retrieve some tack he left behind—what, three months ago?” Her father snorted. “He’s lying.”

“Dad, a groom found the tack he was talking about. He might not be lying.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I’m keeping the extra guard until this is resolved. In fact, I’m hiring another one. We have too many barns for just one. That became obvious with
Angus’s little escapade.” He snorted again. “Tell me, child, if he’d left tack and was so concerned about it, why didn’t he just come and get it during the day?”

“From what I understand, he didn’t leave the farm under the best of circumstances. Didn’t you physically throw him out?”

“He was smoking in the barn! What would you have me do?” Her father rose, scanning the area. “I see some buyers over there. I’m gonna have a word with them.”

He stalked off toward a group of four men near the second barn at the fairgrounds. Tact had never been her father’s strong suit, Darcy thought, realizing she might have sneaked back in the dead of night for something she’d left behind, too.

“Haven’t you heard frowning causes wrinkles?”

Joshua’s question startled her, but she recovered quickly. “So does smiling and the sun.”

He sat where her father had been only a moment before. “You know, I could stay right here and not move and probably enjoy what I like the most about the county fair.”

“What?”

“People watching. People fascinate me. Like your father over there with those men. He knows them well. Even though they aren’t from around here, he must see them every year at this horse auction.”

“How do you know that?”

“Your father isn’t a man who pats very many people on the back, but he greeted the taller man that way.
That’s familiarity, and because it is unusual for your father, the relationship must be one that’s developed over many years.”

“Maybe they live around here.”

“No. I know most of the horse people in the area. Besides, when their car pulled up, the license plate was from Tennessee.”

She playfully slapped him on the arm. “You’re cheating.”

“I never claimed I was Sherlock Holmes.”

“Dad told me the police let Angus go.”

“Yep. Nothing to keep him on.” Joshua settled back in the lawn chair, stretching his legs out in front of him, just as her father had.

“You want to hear something funny? I found myself sticking up for Angus with my dad. Frankly, I don’t know why. Angus could very well be the arsonist.”

“Darcy, isn’t it obvious? You and your dad butt heads. If your father said it was sunny out, I think you would argue it was cloudy.”

Darcy straightened, glaring at Joshua. “I do not. I must admit we often don’t see eye to eye, but—” She couldn’t finish her sentence because she realized Joshua was probably right. When she lived here and when she was married to Clay, she’d kept her opinions to herself. Lately, though, she was learning to speak her mind, which often meant she and her father didn’t agree.

“I didn’t used to be that way. I used to bite my tongue, literally, rather than say anything that might rock the boat.”

His gaze snared hers. “So now you’re standing up for yourself?”

“Yes, but it hasn’t been easy and I still have a long way to go. I know I need to choose the battles I fight with my father and sometimes I don’t choose wisely. I’m learning.”

“That’s what life is all about.”

Darcy lifted her hair from her neck, letting the cool breeze caress her skin. “I suppose you’ve never had that kind of problem.”

“Nope, but I’ve had more than my share of other problems.”

“Hi.”

Approaching them at a fast pace were Crystal and Tanya. The older woman brought the wheelchair to a halt in front of Darcy. “Crystal wanted to see the horses, so I had to wait until Tom was busy judging the pies.”

Darcy stood. “I’ll go get one of the yearlings we have for sale.”

“I’m so glad you suggested we stop by,” Tanya said in a rush, moving around as though she couldn’t keep her body still.

Darcy hurried into the barn and took the nearest horse from its stall, then led her to Crystal. The young girl leaned forward and touched the yearling, her face lit with a smile.

“I’ve missed riding.”

Tanya put a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “She doesn’t blame horses for what happened to her. I have
to sneak in books about horses because her father would throw them away if he found them.”

Darcy blinked, trying to keep up with Tanya’s rapid fire speech. “If Crystal ever wants to ride again, I would be glad to arrange something.”

Crystal dropped her hand away from the animal, shaking her head. “No, that’s not possible. I can’t walk.”

“It’s possible if you want to. People with your kind of injuries do ride.”

Crystal thought for a moment, then shook her head again. “Dad would never let me.”

Tanya scanned the area, her gaze darting from one thing to the next, never still for any length of time. “Speaking of your father, we’d better head back to the pavilion.” She whirled the wheelchair about and started toward the fairway.

Darcy took the yearling back into the barn, then returned. “You know, I’ve never met Tom, but—” She looked toward the area where Joshua was staring. A small man, no more than five and a half feet tall, blocked Tanya’s progress.

“That’s Tom.”

“Oh, no. He doesn’t appear to be too happy.”

“Definitely an understatement. Maybe I should go over there.”

Before Joshua could move, Tom took the wheelchair from Tanya and began to push his daughter toward the parking lot. Tanya followed the pair. Darcy shivered, even though the air was warm.