butted a tree trunk full-on. The air whooshed out of her lungs.
She shook herself, dragged in a breath.
Keep going.
Her head spinning, she moved around the tree.
Ran as fast as her legs would go.
She burst free of the woods.
The road.
Where was her car?
She turned around.
Couldn't see it.
Fuck it!
Run!
She didn't know which way she was running. Toward Calderwood Lane or away from it. Was she even on Chapel Trail?
Didn't matter.
Run!
Her feet flew out from under her.
Her ass hit the ground.
She scrambled up.
Keep running.
Faster.
Don't look back.
Listen.
Hold your breath.
Listen!
The only sound was her own steps echoing behind her.
Or was he still coming?
A burst of adrenaline sent fuel to her muscles. She lurched forward, tried to run faster still.
Her feet hit pavement.
She glanced around. Saw the green street sign.
Couldn't read it. Had to be Calderwood Lane.
She lunged left.
Not daring to slow down, she dug her cell from her pocket.
Bars glowed.
Relief burst inside her.
Full service.
All she had to do was put through the call and hide until help arrived. She ducked for cover under a thick evergreen. Pulling up her contact list, she hit C for Conner.
The slap of soles on the pavement in the distance sent fear throttling through her.
He was coming.
Don't even breathe.
CHAPTER 12
Kale drove like a bat out of hell along Calderwood Lane. What in God's name was she doing out here at this time of night? It was twenty degrees! As soon as he found her he would damn sure ask.
This only confirmed his conclusion. People from New York were crazy.
A dark figure appeared in front of his headlights.
He slammed on his brakes.
The Jeep skidded to a stop.
She stood in the center of the road.
Didn't move.
Shit.
He shoved into park and flung his door open.
"What the hell were you thinking?"
She still didn't move.
He stepped between her and the front of the Jeep. His gut roiled at the idea that a few more feet and he would have run her down.
"Thank you for coming." Her voice sounded small and way more humble than usual.
What the hell had happened to her? Before he could shout that and the other questions bombarding his brain, she walked, her movements unnatural, around to the passenger side of the Jeep and climbed in.
Kale threw up his hands, then dropped them to his sides. This was not what he'd signed on for. He was supposed to be a tour guide, not a freaking search-and-rescue service.
Or a peace mediator. Or… whatever the hell else she needed.
He marched to the driver's side door and plopped behind the wheel. "Where's your car?"
"Near the chapel somewhere."
He glanced at her. She sat like a stone, her gaze fixed on the road. Her voice sounded flat.
"Put on your seat belt."
Her hands shook as she followed his order.
He shifted into drive and rolled forward. When he'd located her car and determined it wouldn't block traffic, not that there was much out here, he pointed his Jeep toward home. There hadn't appeared to be any damage to the vehicle so she hadn't run off the road. What he could see of the tires hadn't given the impression she'd had a flat. Maybe the battery had died on her.
She started to shake. The adrenaline he'd heard in her voice when she called was wearing off. Not to mention she was likely freezing. He turned up the heat and drove a little faster.
He didn't ask any more questions. She didn't ask where he was taking her. Shock, he supposed. But from what?
She didn't utter another word until they arrived at his house. "I apologize for the trouble."
"Not a problem." He braced for Angie's attack as he unlocked and opened his front door.
As he'd anticipated, the dog reared up to greet him. "Hey, girl." He scratched her head and ushered her down. He glanced at his guest. "She's harmless, but a little aggressive with her curiosity."
Sarah Newton blinked, still looking damned dazed.
"Down, Angie," he ordered as he opened the door wider for Newton to enter his
She shook herself, dragged in a breath.
Keep going.
Her head spinning, she moved around the tree.
Ran as fast as her legs would go.
She burst free of the woods.
The road.
Where was her car?
She turned around.
Couldn't see it.
Fuck it!
Run!
She didn't know which way she was running. Toward Calderwood Lane or away from it. Was she even on Chapel Trail?
Didn't matter.
Run!
Her feet flew out from under her.
Her ass hit the ground.
She scrambled up.
Keep running.
Faster.
Don't look back.
Listen.
Hold your breath.
Listen!
The only sound was her own steps echoing behind her.
Or was he still coming?
A burst of adrenaline sent fuel to her muscles. She lurched forward, tried to run faster still.
Her feet hit pavement.
She glanced around. Saw the green street sign.
Couldn't read it. Had to be Calderwood Lane.
She lunged left.
Not daring to slow down, she dug her cell from her pocket.
Bars glowed.
Relief burst inside her.
Full service.
All she had to do was put through the call and hide until help arrived. She ducked for cover under a thick evergreen. Pulling up her contact list, she hit C for Conner.
The slap of soles on the pavement in the distance sent fear throttling through her.
He was coming.
Don't even breathe.
CHAPTER 12
Kale drove like a bat out of hell along Calderwood Lane. What in God's name was she doing out here at this time of night? It was twenty degrees! As soon as he found her he would damn sure ask.
This only confirmed his conclusion. People from New York were crazy.
A dark figure appeared in front of his headlights.
He slammed on his brakes.
The Jeep skidded to a stop.
She stood in the center of the road.
Didn't move.
Shit.
He shoved into park and flung his door open.
"What the hell were you thinking?"
She still didn't move.
He stepped between her and the front of the Jeep. His gut roiled at the idea that a few more feet and he would have run her down.
"Thank you for coming." Her voice sounded small and way more humble than usual.
What the hell had happened to her? Before he could shout that and the other questions bombarding his brain, she walked, her movements unnatural, around to the passenger side of the Jeep and climbed in.
Kale threw up his hands, then dropped them to his sides. This was not what he'd signed on for. He was supposed to be a tour guide, not a freaking search-and-rescue service.
Or a peace mediator. Or… whatever the hell else she needed.
He marched to the driver's side door and plopped behind the wheel. "Where's your car?"
"Near the chapel somewhere."
He glanced at her. She sat like a stone, her gaze fixed on the road. Her voice sounded flat.
"Put on your seat belt."
Her hands shook as she followed his order.
He shifted into drive and rolled forward. When he'd located her car and determined it wouldn't block traffic, not that there was much out here, he pointed his Jeep toward home. There hadn't appeared to be any damage to the vehicle so she hadn't run off the road. What he could see of the tires hadn't given the impression she'd had a flat. Maybe the battery had died on her.
She started to shake. The adrenaline he'd heard in her voice when she called was wearing off. Not to mention she was likely freezing. He turned up the heat and drove a little faster.
He didn't ask any more questions. She didn't ask where he was taking her. Shock, he supposed. But from what?
She didn't utter another word until they arrived at his house. "I apologize for the trouble."
"Not a problem." He braced for Angie's attack as he unlocked and opened his front door.
As he'd anticipated, the dog reared up to greet him. "Hey, girl." He scratched her head and ushered her down. He glanced at his guest. "She's harmless, but a little aggressive with her curiosity."
Sarah Newton blinked, still looking damned dazed.
"Down, Angie," he ordered as he opened the door wider for Newton to enter his
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