Oh, this was not good.
She stomped harder on the brake and nothing happened. The truck didn’t stop.
Her heart stalled in her chest.
“Stay calm,” she told herself, gripping the wheel, fighting to keep the truck on the road through the curve. When she was back on straight even road, she tried the brake again, sure it was some temporary malfunction, and still nothing. Fear gripped her when she realized she really had no brakes. She had no way to stop, and in another few miles she would run out of road. She would either have to turn right, or left, which would be virtually impossible at this speed. She had to try to slow down. She had to calm down and think.
The ignition! She fumbled for the key, but at the last second hesitated. With the car off, would she lose steering? If she couldn’t stop or steer she’d really be in trouble. Instead, she grabbed the gearshift and popped it into neutral. The truck instantly began to slow, but at this rate she still wouldn’t stop soon enough. Fences spanned either side of the road so running off into a field and coasting to a stop wouldn’t work.
She knew that whatever she did, she could not let herself panic.
On her belt, her phone started ringing. Probably Connor, calling to chew her a new one. She wasn’t exactly in the mood to chat so she let it go to voice mail. Less than a minute later, as she was scrambling to decided what to do next, it rang again.
She tore it from the case and flipped it open, telling him, “Now’s really not a good time.”
“Put the truck in neutral.”
It was Connor. What the—? “How did you know—?”
“Just do it. Now.”
“I did already. Where are you?”
“Behind you. Now, pull on the parking brake.”
She looked in the rearview mirror, stunned to see Connor’s car. How the heck did he—
“Nita! Listen to me. You are running out of road.”
She looked out the windshield and could see the intersection where she would have to turn looming ahead. At the speed she was going she would flip the truck. If she went straight, through the fence, she would mow down a couple of grazing horses. Definitely not an option.
“Use the parking brake. You’re going to have to pull hard, and don’t let go.”
She dropped the phone on the seat and grabbed the lever for the brake, pulling with all her strength. The truck began to slow in short, jerky spurts. She saw Connor zip past her, then pull in front of the truck.
Was he nuts? She was going to run right into him!
Nita pulled harder on the brake, until her arm began to tremble. In front of her Connor gradually slowed until she felt her bumper tap the back of his car, then he applied his own brakes. She realized, he was helping her stop. She watched the needle on the speedometer gradually fall. It seemed to happen in slow motion, but they finally rolled to a complete stop about a hundred feet from the intersection.
Talk about cutting it close.
With a trembling hand, she put the truck in Park and killed the engine. The reality of what just happened hit her like a horse kick to the belly. She leaned back against the headrest and tried to tame her wildly pounding heart.
Connor’s car door flew open and he got out. The second she saw him she knew he was furious. Radical plastic surgery couldn’t make the lines in his face any tauter. She could just imagine the lecture she was going to get from this one. Not that she didn’t deserve it. She’d been dumb with a capital D.
He stalked to the truck and yanked the door open. She braced herself for the explosion, for the reaming she knew was coming. The one she’d more than earned. Instead Connor just looked at her for a second, then he grabbed her and pulled her from the seat and straight into his arms.
Chapter Ten
When her boots hit the road Nita’s legs buckled underneath her but Connor caught her and lifted her. She wrapped her legs around his waist, clinging to him, and he hugged her tight against his chest. He carried her away from the truck and sat on the hood of his car with her still wrapped around him. Now that it was over, and she was safe, her entire body began to tremble and she felt dizzy and fuzzy-headed, as if she might pass out.
Adrenaline.
This had happened once before when she’d been thrown by a stallion and almost trampled. Afterward she’d felt weak and shaky. But not like this.
Connor stroked her back, her hair. “Are you okay?”
She nodded against his shoulder.
“Don’t you ever, ever pull a stunt like that again, you hear me?” Intermingled with the anger in his voice, she could swear she heard fear. Which meant he still cared about her, despite how he’d been acting lately. Nothing like a near-death experience to make someone admit he liked you.
Well, hell, if she’d known this was all it would take, she’d have staged her near-death weeks ago.
She heard another vehicle approaching, knew from the squeal of the brakes as it slid to a stop that it was the other farm truck. For the first time in her life she didn’t care what the boys would think seeing her this way. She didn’t care about being in control. She didn’t even care if she looked weak. She just wanted Connor to hold her.
She heard doors open and slam shut, then Jimmy’s voice. “She okay?”
“Yeah,” Connor said. “Just scared.”
“I called the sheriff like you asked. He’s on his way.”
“Thanks, Jimmy. Make sure the boys know not to touch anything.”
“Will do. If you don’t need us here, I’m gonna get back. Her daddy is worried something fierce. I want to let him know she’s okay.”
“We’re going to wait here for the sheriff,” Connor said, still rubbing her back in slow, soothing circles.
She heard the scuffle of boots, then the truck doors opened and closed. The engine roared to life and she heard them pull away in the opposite direction.
“You okay now?” Connor asked.
“I’m okay,” she said, but he didn’t let go, didn’t even loosen his grip on her.
“How did you know about the brakes?”
“There was brake fluid all over the driveway where the truck was sitting.”
“But your car? I took your keys.”
“I keep a spare in my wallet.”
She gave a shaky laugh. “Not much of an escape artist, am I?”
And thank God for that. Connor didn’t even want to consider what might have happened had he not gotten to her in time. He never would have forgiven himself if she’d been hurt.
He closed his eyes and breathed in her scent, felt her warm, moist breath caressing the side of his neck. He was so relieved, so grateful she was safe, he felt weak-kneed. And he wanted to get his hands on whoever had done this. He wanted to rip them to pieces.
“Did I hurt your car?” she asked.
“I don’t give a damn about the car.” He’d have happily totaled it if it meant she was okay.
“I really screwed up.” Her voice sounded stronger now and she’d stopped trembling.
“Yep.”
“I thought you would be mad at me.”
He had been. As soon as his car came to a stop his