Finnegan's Gold by Kathryn Imbriani

Author:Kathryn Imbriani
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: romance, canada, western, western adventure, mounties, north west mounted policement
Publisher: Kathryn Imbriani

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The acrid scent of smoke worked its way into Finnegan’s troubled sleep. He sniffed and cracked open an eye. The fire had burned out long ago, reduced now to a pile of glowing embers. No backdraft teased flames to life or scattered ashes across the floor.

He sat up and looked around the shadowy room. Something was wrong. Rising, he padded to Jenny’s bed and looked down where she peacefully slept, the baby tucked in her arms. He smiled and longed to stroke their heads for reassurance. But she got precious little sleep as it was. Better not to awaken her.

A soft crackling caught his attention. Steady and growing in volume, the sound came from above, not the fireplace. Finnegan glanced at the window. The outside was softly illuminated in quivering light.

Dear God. “Jenny. Wake up.” He shook her shoulder. “The cabin’s on fire!”

“What?” She struggled to her elbows even as Finnegan snatched up the baby and grabbed her wrist.

“We have to get out.” He yanked her to her feet. “Get your clothes on quickly.”

He shrugged into his coat with one arm, his thoughts reeling. There was no chance of putting out the fire. Jenny was dressed and hauling her satchel from under the bed as Finnegan grabbed extra blankets, his rifle and Jenny’s revolver from the mantel. He flung open the door and the crackling sound grew deafening.

Tongues of flame licked from the porch roof, showering the floor with hungry sparks from where it had already burned through the boards overhead.

“Jenny!”

“I’m coming.”

He handed her the baby and guided her toward the steps with a hand to her back.

“I have to move the sled,” he shouted over the roar of the fire.

She nodded. He threw the things into his sled and wrestled it away from the house. Jenny hurried toward him, her arms full. He took her satchel and more blankets from her arms as she looked back over her shoulder at the leaping flames.

“Come on.” Finnegan took the baby from her and pulled her across the yard, half dragging her toward the sled and team waiting yards away.

“My house. I have to go back inside.”

“No, you don’t,” he said, tightening his grip on her wrist.

“Yes, I do. She wrenched free and ran toward the cabin, now engulfed in flames.

“Damn it.” Finnegan muttered, looking for someplace safe to lay the baby so he could go after her. “Jenny, come back here!”

She paid him no heed and disappeared into the smoke now rolling out the front door. Afraid to leave the baby alone with the dogs, he started after her, clutching Michael in his arms.

He’d gone halfway across the yard, when she emerged from the house, coughing and stumbling, her face blackened. He rushed to meet her and caught her arm to steady her.

“That was a damned stupid thing to do.”

“I had to go back after my money,” she said between coughs.

“Money wouldn’t have done you much good if that roof had caved in on you.” At that moment, as

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