Mail Order Bride and The Mix-up (A Western Romance Book)(COMPLETED)

Chapter 10

Belle's hand began to sweat as they ran towards the schoolhouse. Ira would not have pulled away from her even if her hand had been covered in pox marks. Besides, the faster they ran, the more his own hands began to sweat. Gertrude managed to keep up with them, but once they got close enough to actually see the fire, there was no holding Belle back.

Her hand slipped out of his as she entered into a sprint. Her legs kicked out behind her, dust flying up at her feet as she ran as if in a race. The fire was not quite so bad as Ira had envisioned in his mind. The flames were only at one end of the schoolhouse, not engulfing the thing entirely, but the black smoke which poured forth from the roof was another matter altogether.

Ira watched Belle as she ran and realized with horror that she had no intention of stopping. She moved quickly towards the front doors of the schoolhouse, a pack of crying children weaving their way in front of her the only thing that slowed her down. He was grateful for those children; they gave him the chance needed to catch up to her.

He grabbed hold of her waist, his arms slipping easily around her even as her body struggled to free itself from his grasp. "No!" she cried. "Anthony!"

The terror in her voice pulled at Ira's heart. Whatever emotions she felt for the sheriff were real, and they were strong. He heard it in every syllable of her speech. They encompassed every inch of her body and soul. He felt a pang of jealousy rip through him but forced it aside. Now was not the time or place to let his own emotions run wild.

"Let me go!" Belle screamed at him, digging her nails into the hands that held her tightly to him. He accepted the pain her nails caused him without a fight, knowing that if he were to let her go now, she would run into that building and perish while he watched. There was nothing she could do or say that would allow him to let her go.

"Belle, if you go in there, you'll die," he told her. It had no effect. She only fought against him that much more.

Gertrude had run over to Cadence and Austin. The trio stood together as if in conference. They kept glancing at him and Belle, and he wondered if they would come over to him and demands that he free her, but they did no such thing.

The townspeople had all come out to watch the scene unfold before them. The women were grouped to one side attending to the children and anyone else who might have been injured. The men were spread out in smaller groups discussing what to do next. He heard several men discussing water pumps and other such things, but judging from the way the flames were going, the fire would put itself out soon enough.

If Anthony was trapped inside the schoolhouse, it was not the flames causing him damage, it was that thick black smoke rolling out at all angles. The man could probably not even see the exit, let alone make his way towards it, provided that he was still conscious. Ira's throat was already burning, and he was standing several yards away.

"I have to get to him," Belle said. "I can't let him die. I can't let him go."

Ira's eyes stung from the heat of the flames and the smoke that continued to roll towards them in a thick wave. Many of the townspeople had moved further away from it and were moving further still.

"You love him, don't you?" Ira asked, already knowing what her answer would be.

"Yes, I love him."

Ira hated hearing the words come out of her mouth, but the sincerity behind them left no doubt in his mind that despite any feelings he had for her, she did not share them. That was probably what she'd been trying to tell him when Gertrude had shown up. She'd wanted to tell him that although she cared for him, her heart belonged to Anthony through and through.

The strength of her love for Anthony equaled the strength of Ira's own love for her. It didn't matter that he had met her only a week before, his heart and his mind knew what they wanted, and all that mattered to him now was making Belle happy.

"Austin!" Ira called out, catching the man's attention. He, Cadence, and Gertrude hurried over to them. "Hold her," Ira told the man.

Austin blinked, not comprehending.

"Don't let her go," Ira said, and this time Austin caught on. He readied himself, and when Ira let go of Belle's waist and she attempted to make a run for it, Austin was there to take his place. His hands wrapped quickly around Belle's waist and held her steady. Gertrude and Cadence looked on in astonishment as Ira made a run for the schoolhouse.

He could hear Belle's shrieks, but he knew they were for the man inside rather than himself. He closed his eyes as the smoke burned them and reached blindly out in front of him. His hand pressed against the front door and, thankfully, it opened with ease. Inside, he was forced to open his eyes in search of Anthony, but it was too dark even with the flames for him to see much beyond the foot or two directly in front of him.

"Anthony?" Ira called out.

He heard a strangled voice half choked with smoke call back to him. "Here." Ira moved in its direction. His feet tripped over Anthony's body before his eyes even detected him. His face was caked with soot and tears now and his chest was beginning to ache.

Ira bent over at his waist and lifted Anthony into his arms. The man was heavy, and Ira struggled to keep a hold of him, but he pictured Belle's face and it gave him strength. He turned and moved back for the door. The flames licked at his heels as he crossed the room, but they didn't get far enough to actually hurt him. If only he could see, he would've been out of here ten minutes sooner.

When he finally felt the outside air hit his face, he heard a round of cheers rush at him. He moved quickly toward the sound, his eyes so watery and so on fire he could make out only shadowy outlines of the figures in front of him.

Suddenly someone was there, lifting Anthony from his arms and setting him on the ground. He felt a cool rag touch his face and ease the burning of his eyes. He rubbed the rag all over his face, and when he pulled it away he saw that Austin had been the one to take Anthony from him.

Belle kneeled at Anthony's side on the ground. She was sobbing. "Is he dead?" she cried.

"No," Cadence said, examining him. "He's only passed out. He's inhaled a lot of smoke, but I think he'll live."

Ira's knees buckled under him, and he sank to the ground. Gertrude hurried over to him, putting her hand to his forehead as though checking for a fever. "Are you hurt?" she asked him.

"I'm all right," he said coughing. He was alarmed to find that he could not stop coughing. Suddenly a pair of warm arms came around him, pulling him close. He gasped in surprise, thinking it was Gertrude, but finding Belle instead.

She kissed his mouth with more passion than he'd ever felt before from any woman, even in his youth. Their mouths locked in an embrace that he never wanted to relinquish. She breathed into him and he inhaled her very scent, her very soul. Her body shuddered, and he pressed his hand against the back of her neck.

"Belle..." he whispered, confused by this sudden and unexpected display of affection.

"You saved him," she said. "You saved my brother."

She kissed him again, and Ira's head began to spin. He didn't know whether he was imagining things or not and began to fear that he'd been injured more seriously than he'd realized at first. He blinked several times and inhaled as much air into his lungs as they would permit.

"Belle," he said, reluctant to let her lips go but needing to ask the question. "Did you say that Anthony is your brother?"

She nodded. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I was angry with you and wanted to irritate you.

"Then... you're not engaged to him?"

She laughed. "It would be rather odd if I was, don't you think?" She kissed him again, and this time Ira did not push her away. Even if he was imagining things, it was the sweetest imagining of his life, and he did not want it to end. Ever.

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