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.