Cody sat up with a jerk. “What? What’s happening?”
Stevie pointed across the room. “The sun is shining. Look!”
He tilted his head to one side and frowned, then got up, put on his boots and coat, and headed out into the barn. “Do you hear that? Am I imagining things?”
“What?” She followed him to the door. “Is that what I think it is?”
“It’s equipment of some kind,” Cody said, and nodded. “And it’s getting louder. I’m hoping it’s Jesse in one of the ranch tractors.”
“What makes you think it’s Jesse?” she asked.
“Because the folks at the ranch are the only ones who know where we are. It could be the county workers trying to clear some of the roads, so we can’t get too excited,” he said.
Stevie heard what he said, but the words had little effect on her hope. They had been stranded since sometime Wednesday, and this was Saturday. She wanted to go home to her own bed, eat some chocolate, drink real coffee first thing in the morning—enjoy all the luxuries she had taken for granted in the past.
She rushed across the room, righted the sofa, and shoved everything into her go bag together. “We need to get a box ready for the cats, just in case. We can’t leave them behind. What do we do with the water to keep the pipes from freezing? Should we leave the fire burning in the stove?”
“Slow down, Stevie.” Cody removed his coat and hung it back on a nail. “We’ll take care of all that when we figure out if it’s really Jesse.”
“But we should be ready,” she said.
“All right, then.” He glanced around the room. “We haven’t cooked yet, so everything is in place. Skillet back where we found it. Dishes on the workbench, which is fine. I’ll turn the water to the sink and toilet off at the wall and then drain the pipes. Since the well is under the barn, the pipes should be fine. And if it is Jesse, I can put out the fire with what water is in the coffeepot. Satisfied now?”
“I do feel better,” she admitted and went to the window. “Cody, it is a tractor. I can see the sunlight bouncing off the windshield. It’s coming down the lane, so it’s got to be more than just a county vehicle. They wouldn’t plow anything but the roads.”
“You’re sure eager to get out of here,” Cody said.
“Aren’t you?” she asked.
“I’ve learned to make the best of whatever situation I’m in,” he answered. “Truth is, I’ve kind of enjoyed being stranded. No technology. Living on what we can find.”
“Weren’t you bored at times?” Stevie asked.
“Sure, but life isn’t all happy times. You got to have some rain before you can fully appreciate the rainbow,” he said with a grin.
“Well, I’ve survived the rain, even if it was frozen, and now I’m ready for the rainbow, which in my mind is shampoo, a long bath, a candy bar, something other than tuna fish for breakfast, and my own bed with real pillows,” she told him.
Cody peeked out the window and then crossed the room to the bathroom. “Looks like your rainbow will be here in about five minutes. That’s a Sunflower Ranch tractor and that’s Jesse in the driver’s seat. I’ll take care of the water, and we can dump the cat food into a bucket and use that box for the cats.”
Stevie sucked in a lungful of air and let it out in a whoosh. When she heard the barn doors open over the top of the noise of the tractor’s engine, she was busy making sure Dolly and the kittens were all accounted for.
“Hey, anybody home?” Jesse slung open the tack room door. “Y’all both alive or did one of you kill the other?”
Cody met him in one of those man hugs that ended with both of them patting each other on the back. Jesse was a little taller than Cody, and his jet-black hair glistened in the sunlight coming through the window above the stove. His green eyes sparkled with humor when he said, “Well, I guess that answers my question. You’ve survived being stranded together for several days and no murder has been committed.”
“It’s a miracle,” Stevie told him. “Thank you, thank you for coming to our rescue.” She patted his brother on the back several times.
“Yep, it is,” Cody agreed. “But now we’re ready to go home.”
“I saw Stevie’s van. I can tow it and y’all to the ranch, but you”—Jesse took a step back and nodded toward Stevie—“will be staying at the ranch for a while. Trees are down between us and town, and we’re just as stranded as you have been. I had to take a couple of dirt roads to get here, and what should have taken an hour took more than two.”
“What about my truck?” Cody asked.
“I saw it in the ditch, but, brother, there’s a tree lying across the hood right now. It’ll be a few days before we can get to it. I think it’s totaled anyway, so it won’t matter if it sits right there?” Jesse asked.
“Even if it wasn’t,” Cody said, “it’s more important that we get Stevie’s van to the ranch anyway. Her supplies are in it.”
“What can I do to help y’all get ready to go?” Jesse asked.
“We’ve got to…” Stevie started to say and then shook her head. “If you’re going to tow my van, I can put the cria and the cats in it. They’ll be far happier if they’re together.”
“Cats?” Jesse asked.
“Long story,” Cody chuckled. “I’ll tell you on the way home,” he said, and then focused on Stevie. “I guess your rainbow isn’t so bright, but there is coffee and chocolate in the bunkhouse, and you can have my room for privacy. It’s got a big bed and a bathroom with a tub.”
“Thank you.” Stevie was a bit disappointed, but hey, like Cody had said earlier, she would make the best of the situation. She practically drooled at the idea of a cup of coffee waiting on the other end of the trip to the ranch.
They loaded the cats and Dixie into the van. Stevie tossed her go bag into the front seat and made sure all the doors were closed. Then Jesse and Cody hooked the vehicle up to the back of the tractor and Jesse pulled it out of the barn.
“You ready?” Cody asked Stevie.
“For a cup of coffee, I’d walk from here to the ranch,” she said as she climbed up into the cab of the tractor.
“I wasn’t talking about getting out of here.” Cody followed right behind her. “I meant, are you ready to share the seat with me? This tractor only has two seats.” He picked her up and set her in his lap. “Unless you want me to sit in your lap, this is where you’ll be for the next two hours.”
“You did say there was chocolate at the end of the road, right?” Stevie wasn’t quite ready for the sizzle the contact with his thighs made her feel, but she was determined not to let him know that he affected her so much.
“Yep, and about five miles down the road, we will probably have cell service. Mama and Addy are putting supplies in the bunkhouse for you—girl stuff,” Jesse said. “She said that if you think of anything special, to call her.” He drove the tractor slowly down the lane. “She and Addy were making cookies and talking about what to fix for lunch when I left. I reckon there’ll be a hot meal waiting for y’all.”