Page 176 of We Drank the Dawn

“Oh, no.” The dread in Harlan’s voice was palpable as he put two and two together. “I think he was reading.”

I swore and bolted back through the bunkhouse door, catching myself on the railing as I stumbled over the threshold. Yelling his name, I neared the barn doors, only hesitating long enough to establish that the fire was at the front of the barn, climbing up the wall of the grooming wing on the right side.

That meant I should be able to use the ladder.

Which was right next to my barrel.

I knew exactly how many steps were required.

Counting aloud, I plunged through the doors. Four steps deep, ten steps down the left wing. My fingers immediately found purchase on the ladder and I threw myself up the rungs, shouting his name the entire time. The grooming wing shared a wall with Tillie’s stall and, based on where Cooper typically moved around when he was reading, I gauged his favorite spots to be right above Tillie’s stall and right at the opening of the loft doors.

Either way, depending on how big this fire was, Cooper was close.

Too close.

Didn’t Ben tell me once that toxic fumes put people into a deeper sleep? And smoke inhalation was the leading cause of fire-related deaths?

The idea of Cooper sound asleep above a raging fire…

I climbed faster.

Finding the loft floor, I pushed up, launching myself in. The smoke up there was dense, and I wished I’d put my hoodie back on so I could use it to protect my airway. All I could do was hold my breath, taking little sips of air only when absolutely necessary.

“Cooper! Where are you?” Staying low, I crawled on all fours, swiping the hay as I beelined across the empty space, angling my trajectory toward the front of the loft. “Cooper!” The boards beneath my hands grew hot, vibrating. The air scorched my skin, beading sweat around my neck. I didn’t sense any active flames in the loft yet, but I knew the moment the fire reached the hay, the entire top half of the barn would instantly engulf in flames.

Swallowing me and Cooper with it.

My throat began to tickle.

I forced myself to just focus. “Cooper!”

Shouts gathered near the door of the barn. I recognized Harlan’s voice barking orders.

A stall door banged open and then came a yah! yah!

Hooves pounded.

I started to cough.

My hand struck a boot, and my fingers instantly curled around it, not wasting any precious seconds trying to rouse him. I found Cooper’s other boot then moved my hands to his knees, dragging him backward to the ladder.

Sarah yelled my name.

Harlan’s voice materialized at the bottom of the ladder. “Peter, I’m right here!”

I nearly melted with relief.

“Three more steps,” Harlan said.

One…two…three.

I stopped, dropping Cooper’s knees and Harlan tugged from his stance on the ladder, easily pulling Cooper down and easing him to someone below. I realized Rudy was down there, too. I followed them down and out into the barnyard where I took a deep breath of fresh air as they laid Cooper flat on the gravel.

Sarah rushed forward and dropped to his side.

Bea and Hollie were both there, each talking on the phone.

Bea said, “It looks like he fell asleep. No—no, I don’t see any burns⁠—”