their comfort zones for the sake of a good time. Gil watched them dance about, some with real zeal. When it came time for him to crash his plate to the floor, he splayed his arms and kicked his feet with exaggerated flair.
“Opa!” The entire crowd cheered as the china shattered into hundreds of pieces.
FIFTEEN
MATTIE HEARD A CRASH AND OPENED HER EYES TO SEE FLASHING lights against the night sky. She lay flat on her back with an oxygen mask strapped to her face. When her vision cleared, she shifted and saw her clinic in flames. Firemen rushed about, hoses in their hands.
Her own palms and fingers burned like never before. She noted the gauze wrapped around them. Cradled next to her was the stray beagle she’d tried desperately to save from the fire. He licked her arm with his soft tongue. Beside her was her good friend, Clara.
Mattie tried to lift the mask, then coughed, her throat raspy and sore. “What happened? I thought I was going to die in there.”
Clara squeezed her in a warm embrace, her face tear-streaked and pale. “I’ve never been so frightened in all my life. When we saw the animals out here, but not you, the crew went in through the rear. They found you on the floor with this puppy in your arms.”
A paramedic pushed the mask back against Mattie’s skin. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but you’ll have to keep that on.” He shined a bright light in her eyes and checked her blood pressure. When the medic finished his examination, Mattie pushed herself up on her elbows.
“Did they save the other animals?” she asked, not sure she wanted to know the answer.
Clara shook her head. “I’m sorry, I’m just thankful they rescued you. We thought we’d lost you.”
Mattie tried to remember. Her head throbbed, and her body trembled — from the cold night air or shock, she wasn’t sure which. She recalled her futile attempt to save the rest of the animals. How had the fire started?
“Do they know what caused it?” As soon as the words left her mouth, she remembered the microwave and the sparks that had emitted from it only a few hours ago.
“Wouldn’t surprise me if that old house had a short in its wires. I thank God you’re alive.”
The paramedics lifted Mattie onto a stretcher. “We’re going to take you to the hospital to run some tests,” one of them said. “You inhaled a lot of smoke, plus you have first-degree burns on your hands.”
As they wheeled her to the ambulance, Mattie thought of Dusty and panicked. “Clara, I left Gil’s horse in the barn. He’s not tied up or anything, and he’s weak because he hasn’t been eating. Will you call Travis and make sure he looks after him?”
“Sure thing.” Clara squeezed Mattie’s arm and walked beside the gurney. “Don’t worry. As soon as I get a sitter for my kids, I’ll join you at the hospital. We can work out all the details then.” Her friend reached for the young beagle cuddled against Mattie’s hip, but Mattie clung to the warm pup, relishing the gift of life.
“Let me keep him a while longer.”
Clara hesitated. “I’ll take good care of him, don’t worry.”
At Clara’s insistence, Mattie reluctantly let go of the creature. Her arms now cold and empty, like her life. Mattie raised her head and watched as the local fire department worked to put out the blazing inferno. Realizing her home would soon be a pile of smoldering embers, she allowed her emotions to release and a single tear streaked down her cheek.
“WHAT WILL YOU DO NOW?” CLARA SAT NEXT TO MATTIE’S BED IN the hospital the following afternoon.
Mattie had been asking herself the same question. She might run her practice from the barn for a little while, but not for long without equipment and supplies. Another option was to rebuild. Or move a mobile home onto the site. But with what? She didn’t have enough money for a down payment, and unfortunately, her limited insurance coverage would not go far in getting her back on her feet.
Her optimism dwindled.
“Maybe I could rent a place. Work part-time at the meat-packing plant in Emporia.” The pay would help build her savings, but the thought of hiring on as a meat inspector soured her stomach. She’d labored too hard to build her clientele in Charris County to see it fade away.
She thought about Dusty and the few animals she’d saved. Unable to care for them, she would