Combustion: Prequel Novella: Stargazer Ranch Mystery Romance, #0

By Suzanne Cass

A deadly fire and a dangerous attraction.

Cat Lawson loves only two things. Her freedom and her motorcycle. The twelve months she's spent at Stargazer Ranch is the longest she's ever stayed in one place, but when Cat hears screams, she ignores the danger and dashes into a burning building.

Levi Wilson has just moved to the valley, taking up a job as the new park ranger. Seeing smoke coming from a nearby ranch, he arrives to find a log cabin fully alight. But after he risks his own life to dive in and save her, Cat denies she needed rescuing. He decides he's never met a more stubborn, infuriating woman. She decides he's a control-freak with a hero complex.

They discover an arsonist is lighting fires on the ranch, but when Levi becomes the next target of the firebug, will Cat be able to save him from the inferno?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Suzanne Cass
• Release date: Sep 9, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393541028

Suzanne Cass

Suzanne Cass has always had a fascination with the tough resilience of people who live in our amazing red-dirt country of Australia. Much of her adolescence was spent working as a jillaroo in the Snowy Mountains, forming her love of enigmatic, outback heroes in wild, passionate, dangerous stories. When not writing about the characters inhabiting her head, Suzanne can be found roaming the Perth beaches with her border collie, or encouraging her two sons from the sidelines as they play their respective sports. Her debut novel, Island Redemption won the Romance Writers of Australia award for best unpublished romance novel of 2016. Chasing Bullets is her second published book. For more action romance info and upcoming release dates, free books, or to sign up for the latest newsletter: VISIT HER WEBSITE INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK

Book preview

COMBUSTION

Suzanne Cass

Combustion

Storm Cloud Press, Perth Australia

Copyright © 2020 by Suzanne Cass

Cover by Vikncharlie

All rights reserved.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without permission in writing from the publisher.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organisations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Chapter One

Cat

CAT LAWSON SKIDDED to a stop and stared at the flames. They roared almost as high as the fir trees surrounding the small clearing. Mrs. Applegate stood on the front lawn of the tiny cottage screaming and Mr. Applegate ran between the burning building and his wife like a flustered chicken, his grey hair flopping in his eyes.

Thank God you both got out, Cat said, having to bend down and rest her hands on her knees to catch her breath. She’d sprinted all the way up the hill from the machinery workshop when she heard Mrs. Applegate’s distant screams. Are either of you hurt?

No, we’re both fine, Mr. Applegate puffed. His face red and flushed, eyes wide with fear. Cat worried that the elderly man might collapse on the grass at any second.

Jasper, oh my Jasper. He’s still in there, screamed Mrs. Applegate as she caught sight of Cat. You have to go and rescue him. You can’t let him die in there.

Cat looked between the elderly couple and the small, luxury cabin. The two VIP guests were physically unharmed, their mental state, however, was another thing altogether. Did they really expect Cat to run into that raging bonfire?

Jasper. Oh, my Jasper, Mrs. Applegate wailed again. Then she fell to her knees and threw her hands in the air, her face going the color of beetroot.

The main lodge was nearly five minutes’ drive from here. Even if she rang Dean, there was no way he’d get here in time. This was a large ranch, and even the outbuildings were a fair walk from the main hub. Dean and Naomi supplied electric golf carts to the guests to get around on the winding maze of roads that crisscrossed the farm.

Her boss would be getting changed for dinner. Soon the other guests would start to converge for the traditional Stargazer Ranch Sunday roast. Perhaps no one at the lodge had seen the smoke through the trees yet. He needed to know that one of his beautiful cabins was on fire. Cat turned on her booted heel and stared down the hill to see if anyone else was coming. Where were all those bloody ranch hands when you needed them? She snorted with disgust. Looked like she was it. A rescue party of one.

All right, Mrs. Applegate, calm down. I’ll go and get him, Cat said, having to raise her voice over the roaring flames.

One of the small windows at the front of the cottage exploded outward, releasing a gush of flames and Cat flinched. If she didn’t go in right now, Jasper would die. If he wasn’t already dead, she thought darkly.

Where did you last see him? she called to the hysterical woman.

I was taking a nap. He was asleep on the bed with me. But when Frank came rushing in, yelling at me to get out, he disappeared. Mrs. Applegate’s normally immaculately coiffed hair was lying in limp strands around her face, her mascara running down her cheeks in black rivers.

I'll find him. Cat desperately hoped she could live up to her promise. Have you called the fire department? she yelled as she made her way toward the front of the building. The heat radiating from the fire increased with every step. She had on blue jeans and hiking boots, but her long-sleeved plaid shirt was still draped over the front end of the snowmobile she’d been servicing when she heard the screams. Her flimsy white T-shirt wouldn’t be much protection from the terrible heat. How in hell was she going to get in there without being burnt to a crisp?

No, I haven’t, Mr. Applegate replied. I’ll do it right now. Cat could hear him behind her, as he