Wild Fire (The Fairy Tale Match Series) (22 page)

Jake opened his arms and Laura fell
into them, very much needing to feel his strength around her at this time. “I
can’t believe this has happened. It’s like some awful nightmare.”

“We’ll get to the bottom of this,”
Jake assured her. “I won’t rest until I find out who’s done this.  And why.” He
was silent a moment before lifting her gaze to his, his finger under her chin.
He stared into her eyes. “Thank you for your quick thinking. We may never have
worked out where the problem lay without your help. I dread to think what might
have happened if we hadn’t found that plant in Charger’s food.”

Laura blushed under his praise. “My
mother always used to like reading and watching mysteries,” she confessed. “I
used to sit with her for hours reading to her or watching some mystery on TV. I
guess some of the ways of thinking a mystery through stuck.”

Jake laughed softly, kissing her
gently on her lips. “Thank goodness for your mother.” The sound of a loud cough
split them apart, Laura’s face blazing bright red as she turned to see a tall,
well-built man in his early fifties. He had dark brown hair streaked with grey
at the sides. A thick moustache sat on his upper lip, completely obscuring it.
He had a friendly, amiable type of face, until you looked at his steely eyes.
They shone with a sharp intelligence that warned any criminal that they had
just met their match. It would take a lot to get one over on this man, Laura
guessed.

“Came as soon as I got your sister’s
call,” he said, his voice deep and gravely. “Care to fill me in?”

Jake talked the sheriff through the
events of the previous night, along with what had taken place that day. He
showed him the contaminated feed. The sheriff tutted, shaking his head.

“Anyone hold a grudge against you,
enough that they’d want to kill your horse?”

“Not that I know of. Dan thinks it
may not be just me this madman targets. He’s worried it could happen to other
stables nearby.”

“Dan?” The sheriff looked shocked.
“He’s here?”

“Dr Willby’s away. I had no choice!”
Jake sounded very defensive even to Laura.

“Now, now,” the sheriff said, patting
him on the shoulder. “No need to get tetchy. I’m glad you could put aside your
animosity for something so important. Where is he? I’d like to talk to him
about this.”

“He’s checking over the other horses
to make sure none of them have had any contaminated feed today.” Jake replied
gruffly.

“Okay. Connor?” the sheriff raised
his voice. A young man came hurrying over from the side of the stable. Laura
hadn’t even seen him standing there in the shadows. “This here’s my new deputy.
Still breaking him in.” He laughed as if he’d said a great joke. “Bag up some
of that stuff as evidence will you, boy. We need to get it analysed and check
what we’ve got here.”

The young man eagerly followed his
boss’s directions. Dan and Kerry came back over, happy to report no other
horses with problems. The sheriff spent some time with Dan, talking through
what he knew about the incident. As they were finishing, a grim faced Bill
strode over. He held a sack full of feed.

“I found another bag full of poisoned
plants.” He slammed the bag down. “This food was heading for our pregnant mares
when I intercepted it.”

Laura shuddered. Jake’s face went
white. “What the hell is going on here?”

“I will check no other stable is
experiencing this kind of problem. Either way, it would seem someone is out to
get you Jake. You sure you can’t think of anyone with this kind of grudge?” the
sheriff questioned.

“Nope. I’m at a total loss.”

“You’d best take measures to secure
your feed. I would suggest you keep a close watch on your horses too. I could
use a list of anyone that has access to your stables and food supply. We need
to start looking for suspects.”

“That’s just it,” Jake said
exasperated. “This place is crawling with people. We are fully booked for the
barn raising tomorrow. We have extra staff to work for the event, people from
town are coming and going; and the guest cabins are booked solid. There is no
security stopping anyone from going anywhere. It could be almost anyone.”

“I would suggest you take extra
measures or cancel your event.”

“We can’t cancel!” Kerry protested.
“We’d have to refund everyone their tickets and we simply can’t afford to do
that.”

“Maybe that’s the point,” the sheriff
mused to himself. “The timing certainly fits disrupting the barn raising. Could
be someone is trying to put you out of business.”

Jake threw his hands up in
bafflement. “Why? All of a sudden this happens out of nowhere. It makes no
sense.”

“I can send some men to help secure
things at the barn raising, if you want?” the sheriff offered.

“Thanks Reggie, that would be
welcome,” Kerry smiled her gratitude.

Before long the sheriff wrapped
things up and headed back to town. Dan proclaimed his presence no longer was
required.

“I’ll head back home. If you need
anything, just call,” he told Kerry.

“Can you come tomorrow?” she pleaded.
“I really need you there. Besides, I don’t want anyone else to take me.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Dan looked at Jake who stood like an immovable force with his arms crossed over
his chest.

“After everything you’ve done for us,
I think he can swallow his disapproval this once and let you come,” Kerry spoke
to Dan, but her eyes glared at Jake, challenging him to say no.

Laura touched Jake’s arm gently.
“Please let him come, Jake. We wouldn’t have saved Charger without him and
Kerry would love him to be there. There will be so many people, you won’t
notice him. Honest.”

Jake sighed heavily. When had it
happened that he’d lost complete control on any decisions? He glanced at
Laura’s big green eyes, pleading with him. Oh yes, when he’d fallen in love
with a beautiful woman he simply couldn’t say no to.

“Fine,” he growled. “But don’t read
anything into it.” This last was said fiercely at Dan before he stomped off.

“I think he’s softening up!” Kerry
declared, smiling happily. Dan gave her an incredulous look.

“I agree,” Laura concurred, laughing
at Dan’s expression. “If we keep shoving them together, they will be back being
friends again in no time.”

“Am I the only one who heard the
growl?” Dan asked bewildered. Both women threw their heads back and laughed.

*****

“What are you doing here Flo?” Lotta
asked as she appeared before the smaller fairy godmother, who was standing
beside Charger, patting him affectionately on his silky head. “We were meant to
be moving on to new assignments today. Imagine my surprise when I was informed
you were still here.”

“I couldn’t,” Flo announced solemnly.
“I came to check one last time after we left the waterfall and I found poor
Charger in terrible pain. I couldn’t just leave him. He would have died.”

“You didn’t just magic him better did
you?” Lotta asked horrified. “You know we’re not allowed to do that, no matter
how much we would want to. It is a serious violation of protocol. You could
have your wand snapped in two.”

“No, I didn’t,” Flo assured her. “I
just made sure the poison didn’t kill him before Dan could fix him. I would
have liked to have fixed him with magic, but it did occur to me that Dan saving
Charger’s life might begin to heal the rift between Jake and Dan.”

“Poison?” Lotta asked bewildered,
still fixed upon that word, so that she barely registered anything else.

“Someone fed him poison,” Flo said
gravely for once her plump face didn’t hold any smile. Even her cheeks seemed
less rosy.

“Does he know who fed it to him?”
Lotta asked, eyeing Charger with teary eyes. She couldn’t imagine anyone
wanting to hurt such a wonderful creature.

“No,” Flo said sadly. “I think we
ought to stay until things are sorted out, Lotta. Whoever did this may want to
hurt anyone of our charges. How can we turn our back on them?”

“But we aren’t meant to get involved
with anything past getting our couples to fall in love and start a romance.
We’ve done that.” Lotta gazed at Flo’s teary eyes. She looked at Charger, who
seemed to plead with her too. Her own heart twisted at the thought of harm
coming to any of the dear ones they’d been caring for. She gave up. “Oh
alright!”

Flo squealed happily, fluttering off
the floor and zipping round the stable, showers of sparkles trailing her.
Charger whinnied in delight, stomping his great hooves on the stable floor.
Lotta put her face in her hands. They were going to get into so much trouble
for this!

The day of the barn raising dawned
bright and clear; the sky a beautiful soft powder blue. Laura was up before the
first rays of sun cleared the horizon, her workload too big to afford the
luxury of a lie in. She’d managed to get most of the preparation done the
evening before, when Alfie had turned up with the ingredients Martha had
ordered for their spread. He’d stayed until late to help her get things ready
so she had less to do that morning. Martha had also sent a large number of
containers and plates for the various foods that they would be displaying at
their table.

Laura worked hard the whole morning
through, barely having time to lift her head from her tasks. She ate her
breakfast and a snack on the go, leaving food for the others to consume on the
kitchen table, so they wouldn’t bother her. Everyone had tasks to complete
before the guests all started arriving early afternoon. It was a busy, stressed
out mad dash for completion, everything having been put behind from the day
before.

So far nothing new had been reported
regarding the poisoning incident. No other sacks had been contaminated and Bill
was determined to be on horse duty throughout the day, so Jake could be on hand
to host the barn raiser. The small barn had been collapsed the day before, with
the specially made sides stored safely to one side. It wasn’t a technically
completely accurate way for a barn to be raised, Kerry had told her, but it
gave the right feeling and nobody seemed to care. It would have been impossible
to raise a barn every year in the historically accurate way.

Finally, Laura had everything ready
except herself. Kerry bustled in looking stunning in a deep blue dress, her
hair done up in the most popular style from the 1800’s. Laura looked at her
artfully arranged hair then fingered a strand of her own that hung limply
against her cheek where it had come out of her bun. She had no idea how she was
going to get her hair to look anything like Kerry’s.

Her friend eyed her with an amused
smile. “You are going to have to go and take a shower now,” she insisted, her eyes
sparkling with suppressed merriment. “You’re covered in flour and heaven only
knows what else.”

Laura grimaced. She could just
imagine what a state she must look after so long cooking. “I’m going now,” she
grumbled, trudging from the room and heading for the stairs.

“Do you want me to help you dress and
do your hair when you’re done?” Kerry offered.

Laura whirled back around, her face
shining with gratitude. “Would you? Oh thank you Kerry.”

“You’re welcome,” Kerry laughed.
“Just give me a shout when you’re done.”

Before long, Laura was showered and
wore most of her old fashioned underwear. She called Kerry, who came to lace
her into her corset and help her with her dress. She then sat Laura in the dressing
table chair so she could fix her hair.

“How do you feel about today?” Kerry
asked Laura as she brushed out her hair.

“I’m nervous,” Laura admitted. “It’s
the big day for the diner. We’ve been doing really well all things considered,
but this is the event that can put Martha back on the map, so to speak. I
really want it to go well.”

“It will,” Kerry assured her. “I’ve
seen what you’ve made and have no doubt that people will flock to it. Martha
will be raking it in after this.”

“I wish I had your confidence.” Laura
smoothed a hand down her stomach, trying to lessen the nervous butterflies that
were flying around in it. The closer the grand opening time came, the more ill
she felt. “What about you?” she asked Kerry. “Dan’s coming today. You’ll get to
have your first occasion as a couple!”

“I know,” Kerry laughed. “I can’t
believe its happening. And I have you to thank for it.”

“Oh,” Laura waved her off. “You’d
have got there in the end without me you know.”

“No, I don’t think we would have,”
Kerry said seriously. “And I have never seen Jake so happy either. I can’t tell
you how grateful I am that you came to us.”

Laura felt her throat close as she
tried to hold back tears. She laughed through them as she said, “I have a lot
to be thankful for too you know. I have gone from no family at all to all of
you. I think I am the one who should be thanking you.”

They gave each other a brief hug
before Kerry took Laura to her own bedroom to use the full length mirror she
had up on her wall to see herself in.

Laura gasped at the change in
herself. Her dress moulded to her waist, making it look tiny; the colour made
her eyes stand out. Her hair was arranged in such a way that it framed her
face, making it look small and delicate. She looked just like she’d stepped out
of the past. Kerry handed her a pair of shoes to complete the outfit and she
slipped them on. They were a bit snug, but she didn’t think they would cause
her any trouble.

“I can’t wait for Jake to see you!”
Kerry giggled. “You look so beautiful.”

“So do you!” Laura returned the
compliment. They both headed down the stairs, ready to begin a day of
enjoyment. They had all decided not to let the day before ruin what promised to
be a fun day. Arm in arm, they headed out the kitchen door and walked around to
where the small barn sat.

There was a hive of activity taking
place. Tables had been placed on either side of the area the barn raising was
being staged. A platform had been set up where the band was to play, several of
which were setting up their stools and stands for their music. All of them were
in costume. Laura thought they looked wonderful.

For a moment she could fantasize that
she was in the past, at a real barn raising. It must have been an amazing event
for the families in rural areas. A barn was so important to early farming life.
It was a fantastic idea for communities to help each other with such a huge
project and turn it into a social event as well. Laura was glad that Jake and
Kerry gave such an event to celebrate that tradition. No wonder so many people
wanted to come and enjoy it with them.

Her eyes caught on Jake in the middle
of a group of men as he issued orders for the smooth flow of setting up. Her
breath caught at the sight of him. His shirt was hanging partially open, his
deeply muscled chest peeking out from the gap to tempt her hands to dive in and
roam freely. He wore old fashioned trousers that moulded to his legs like a
second skin. Laura’s mouth went dry. She wasn’t sure how long she could keep up
the going slow idea. Right now, if they were alone, she had a horrible feeling
she’d cave in.

At that moment, Jake looked up and
their eyes met. His darkened in response to the desire he could see in her
gaze. The world seemed to vanish for a moment and only the two of them existed.
His eyes slowly took in her costume, running from her head right down to her
toes. Laura felt every inch of his perusal, as if his gaze was an actual
caress. Her insides melted like butter and her legs turned to jelly.

“Wow, should I get the fire
extinguisher?” Kerry commented with a laugh as she fanned herself with her
hand, having caught the exchange between them. Laura’s cheeks went up in
flames. She poked Kerry in the ribs.

“I’ll remember that when Dan gets
here!” she threatened good-naturedly.

Jake finished with his conversation
and headed towards them. His arms snaked around her, pulling her close. “You
look beautiful,” he whispered in her ear, making her shiver. He tipped her head
up and kissed her long and slow, the burn of desire sizzling between them.
Kerry cleared her throat.

“I am standing here too you know!”
she laughed. Jake pulled back eyeing his sister in her costume.

“You look very beautiful too Sis,” He
said with a teasing smile on his lips and a twinkle in his deep blue eyes.
Kerry held her breath, for a moment completely overcome.

“What’s wrong?” Jake asked, seeing
the expression on her face.

“Nothing,” Kerry replied in a
tremulous voice. “I just haven’t seen you look this way for such a long time. I
can’t tell you how wonderful it is.” She sniffed, taking out a tissue to dab at
her eyes. “Have you said anything to mum yet? About Laura? You know she’d want
to know. She’s been wanting this to happen too.”

Jake grimaced. “Not yet. I will, but
knowing her she’d be on the next plane down just to meet Laura. I’m not ready
to give up my time with her just yet. If mum’s here, I won’t get a look in!”
Kerry laughed knowing that was probably true. She hadn’t told their mother
about Dan yet either, for just the same reason.

A loud voice drew their attention,
announcing the arrival of Henry Blankton, shouting orders in his nasally voice,
his balding head gleaming in the sunlight. He was dressed as a very affluent
gentleman, complete with a walking stick. It was clear he didn’t feel he was
playing a part. A short plump woman with dark hair and skin followed him. Laura
assumed that was Rosalie.

Several people trailed back and forth
to the table set up for him, carrying various covered dishes and platters
filled with food. Blankton’s small piggy eyes lit on her and a deeply smug
expression filled his sly face. Laura couldn’t wait to see his expression when
he saw the spread she was laying out for Martha. Her stomach rolled with
nerves. More than anything, she wanted to show that man a thing or two!

“You’ll do fantastic,” Jake assured
her, kissing her neck gently. “Blankton doesn’t stand a chance.”

“I hope not. I really want to do
Martha proud.” She bit her lip, taking a deep breath to try to steady herself.

“You will. Your cooking is something
else. It won’t take people long to realise it either. I’d better get back to
it. Give me a shout if you need any help.”

“Okay, I’ll see you later,” Laura
gave him a brief hug before letting him go. She wished she could keep him with
her. His presence gave her courage.

“I’m going to have to go too,” Kerry
told her. “I’ve got a ton of work still left to do. See you later.” Laura waved
at her, watching her friend weave her way through the chaos.

A tap on her shoulder had her turning
to find Martha and Alfie standing behind her, both looking charming in their
costumes. “He’s really gone to town hasn’t he?” Martha commented, indicating
the loud obnoxious Blankton.

“It doesn’t matter Ma,” Alfie said
reassuringly. “Our spread will knock everyone’s socks off.”

“Well, only if we get it out here.
Can you both help me please?” Laura asked. Nodding, they followed her back to
the ranch house where they began to load up trollies to help them take the food
out to their table. As they worked, people began to arrive. Jake had set up a
ticket stand at the entrance to the ranch. A couple of nearby fields had been
designated as parking lots for those who had travelled some distance to arrive
for the day’s activities. Children were already beginning to run around, excitement
driving some of them wild, while parents shouted to be heard over the noise.

Many people had opted to wear old
fashioned clothing, but some had stuck to modern dress. The atmosphere was full
of anticipation. Laura tried to ignore the stony stare of Blankton, which had
gotten increasingly more irate as she, Martha and Alfie had loaded up the
tables. His gaze turning suspicious, she watched him as he marched over towards
Jake.

“I’ll be back in a minute Martha,”
she called, heading over to Jake before she got a reply.

Blankton got there first. He yanked
on Jake’s arm to get his attention. Jake turned away from a couple he was
greeting to glare at Blankton for his rudeness. Blankton took no notice.
Sticking his nose in the air, he glared up at Jake with furious indignation.

“What is the meaning of this?” he
asked, waving his arm in the direction of Martha’s table, nearly taking Laura’s
head off in the process as she arrived at Jake’s side. Jake looked over to
where Blankton was pointing.

“What is the meaning of what?” he
asked, playing dumb. “You know both diner’s cater the event. That’s hardly
news.”

“You paid them more!” Blankton
accused, his piggy eyes getting even smaller in his temper.

Jake drew himself up to his full
height, his expression turning dangerous. “How dare you accuse me of such a
thing!” he snarled. “Martha has been paid exactly the same amount as you. I
have never favoured one diner over the other. You should know that.”

“Then how is Martha putting on a
spread that size?” glared Blankton, pointing a pudgy finger at Jake’s chest.
“There is no way she could afford that spread on what we were paid. You had to
have paid her more.”

“He didn’t Mr Blankton,” Laura
stepped in. “I paid the extra money needed to do the spread we wanted.”

Blankton sputtered like a landed fish
for several moments. “How dare you!” he gasped. “That is not in the spirit of
fairness. We are meant to use the same budget.”

“Oh really,” she said sarcastically.
“So if you produce receipts for everything on your tables, it won’t exceed what
you’ve been paid? I hardly think so. You changed the goal posts Mr Blankton,
you can hardly complain when we rise to the challenge and do the same.”

His face turned a bright shade of
red. “It won’t make any difference,” he stated. “Your little diner will still
go down. Our food can’t be beaten.” He whirled away and stomped back to his
table, talking furiously with Rosalie.