Paradise Peak (New Americana 5)

The officer nodded. “You’ll have lights, running water, and phone lines in working order, but the rest . . .” He looked away, his eyes, full of exhaustion, scanning the landscape. He shook his head slightly, faced them again, and tapped the top of the truck. “Good luck to you, and call if you need us.”

Hannah thanked him, then drove on. Red and Margaret followed.

The next few miles seemed to stretch on forever and the view from the truck’s windows didn’t change. Burned, broken trees stabbed high into the air above the blackened ground, their trunks rocking slightly when the breeze picked up speed.

The truck cleared another tight curve, and then a familiar gravel driveway appeared.

Hannah slowed the truck and turned onto the graveled path. “Please let there be something left. Please, please, please . . .”

Smoky, gray mist thinned as they drove further up the driveway, and then—

“Look.” Travis pointed at the wooden sign by the driveway, its post still strong and sturdy. Other than singed edges, the wording, PARADISE PEAK RANCH, remained untouched.

Hannah gripped the steering wheel with one hand and latched on to Travis’s knee with the other, squeezing tight. “And the cabins . . .”

Along the driveway, all three cabins—save for a bit of roof and porch damage—were in great shape, too.

“Oh, thank God,” Hannah whispered, releasing his knee and pointing at the main lodge. “It’s still standing.” Her pointing finger moved to the right of the lodge and shook in the direction of the stable. “And the stable and paddock fence are still there. Look at the ground, Travis. Not an inch of it is singed.”

And it wasn’t. The dormant grass, still brown and unmarred by flames, stretched in every direction. The wooden fences stood sturdy with the exception of several burned and broken rungs along the dirt path leading to Hannah’s cabin.

“Come on.” Hannah parked the truck in front of the lodge, opened her door, and hopped out. “Let’s take a look at our cabins.”

Travis followed, shutting his door and waiting by the truck. He smiled as the sound of a car door slamming and Red’s joyful bellow echoed across the landscape.

“Would ya look at that?” Red shouted, waving an arm toward the undamaged lodge. “You’ll still be able to wallpaper to your heart’s content, Margaret!”

Standing beside her parked car, Margaret laughed as she took in the view, tears streaming down her face and amazement shining in her eyes. “It’s unbelievable. Just unbelievable . . .”

Travis scanned the grounds of the ranch, the once neglected-looking cabins appearing pristine against the backdrop of the singed mountain range, and the shabby walls of the stable a welcoming haven nestled below the charred tree line.

“Unbelievable,” Travis echoed, a smile spreading across his face.

“Oh, but the horses.” Hannah, jogging ahead, stopped dead in her tracks, then spun around slowly, scanning the empty landscape. She looked over her shoulder at Travis, her blue eyes widening with fear. “What if—”

“Call them,” he said softly. He walked over to her and, standing behind her, slid his arms around her waist. “Let them know we’re here.”

Mouth trembling, Hannah lifted her hand, slipped her thumb and index finger between her lips, and whistled. The high-pitched sound pierced their silent surroundings and echoed against the black mountains in the distance.

There was no movement in the distance. Only silence.

Hannah’s shoulders fell as she slumped back against him.

“Again.” Jaw clenching, Travis squeezed her waist and touched his lips to the soft shell of her ear. “Call them again.”

Her upper body trembled on a heavy inhale, and she whistled a second time.

Travis closed his eyes and listened intently, a silent refrain moving his lips. Please let them be okay. Send them back to her. Please . . .

The silence continued, but then a soft rumble echoed across the grounds as hooves struck the earth in rapid succession.

“There!” Hannah bounced with her excited shout, her soft cheek pressing against Travis’s.

He opened his eyes and there they were—all three. Ruby, Juno, and the mare emerged from the damaged tree line in the distance and galloped across the field in front of them, their hooves kicking up bits of dry earth as they ran.

Hannah reached out, her palms running gently over Ruby’s and Juno’s dusty hides, checking their faces, necks, and legs for injuries, murmuring gentle words of praise as she moved from one horse to the next.

The new mare sidestepped the trio and walked slowly to Travis, dipped her head, and nudged his middle.