“Ma’am, are you okay?” he repeated, and his strong voice propelled her into action. She turned on the motor and reached for the window button, but nothing happened. The window wouldn’t move. She had no choice but to open the door.
As she got out, he stepped back and she realized he was tall. Even in her heels she had to look up.
“What are you doing out here?” His voice was deep, masculine and irritated.
“I’m lost,” she admitted. “I was headed to Horseshoe.”
“You’re miles away from Horseshoe.”
She knew that. “I was hoping to find a house and get directions, but there don’t seem to be any homes nearby.”
“No.” He pointed. “Across that fence line is the McCray property and you’re standing on Rebel Ranch. The cattle guard is a back entrance in case we need it. If you turn around and follow the track, it will lead you to a road. You should be able to find your way then.”
“That’s the problem. Something’s wrong with my car. It started making funny noises and now I can’t turn the steering wheel. And the windows won’t work, either.” She looked into those beautiful eyes. “Do you know anything about cars?”
He placed his rifle against the vehicle. “Unlatch the hood and I’ll take a look.”
Unlatch the hood? “Uh...” She had no idea what he was talking about, and it was no use pretending that she did. “This is a rental and I don’t know anything about cars.”
He didn’t roll his eyes or anything like that. He just reached inside her car and pulled something. A pop sounded. He walked to the front of the car and with both hands lifted the hood. Peering over, she watched as he looked around.
He finally straightened. “Your serpentine belt is broken. It controls a lot of the extras on your car, like power steering, power windows and AC. I’m not sure about this model, but it can also control the water pump, which means driving could be dangerous.” He slammed the hood shut.
“Do you live nearby?” she asked with a hopeful note.
“Miles away. I’m out tracking feral dogs.”
“What?” Had she heard him correctly? She had this eerie feeling she’d stepped back into the 1800s.
“Dogs are killing our calves on the ranch.” When he sensed she wasn’t following him, he waved his hand. “You can just follow the track to the road. It’ll take you an hour or so, but someone will eventually find you.”
She looked down at her heels.
“Do you have other shoes?” That note of irritation was back in his voice.
“In my suitcase.”
“My suggestion is you change and start moving, because it’s going to be dark soon.”
The thought of walking alone at night filled her with a claustrophobic feeling. “I really don’t want to walk alone. I’ll pay you if you help me get to Horseshoe.”
He sighed. “Ma’am, I don’t need your money. I just need to get back to doing my job before any more calves die on the ranch.”
“You can’t just leave me out here. I know there are wild animals and no telling what else. It’s dangerous.”
“And that didn’t cross your mind when you were traveling miles and miles without a sign of life?”
“I was looking for Cutoff 149.”
“They changed that many years ago. The roads now have county numbers so it’s easier for emergency vehicles and firefighters.”
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been to Horseshoe.”
“Then why not stay on 77?”
He was annoyed and he was making her annoyed. She placed her hands on her hips. “Are you going to help me or not?”
He glanced off to the woods and then at her. “Looks like I don’t have any choice, and I lost the tracks a while ago. If we walk directly east, it should take about two hours to reach a spot where we can get cell phone reception. Then I can call the ranch and someone can meet us in an all-terrain vehicle. Change clothes. I’ll give you a few minutes.” He strolled away without a backward glance.
Goose bumps popped up on her skin. He wouldn’t leave her here, would he? Her gut instinct said no. She didn’t know anything about him, but she sensed he was a man she could trust. Climbing into the backseat, she took a long breath and did a quick change. She felt like Houdini.
This was all her fault and she was angry at herself. She was glad she hadn’t called her father or her brother to let them know she was coming home. They would be worried sick when she didn’t show up. Now they were really going to be surprised. How could one day go so wrong?
* * *
EGAN GAVE THE WOMAN a few minutes, wondering how he’d gotten himself into this mess. He didn’t have time to fool with some ditzy blonde. Being judgmental wasn’t part of his nature, so he should give the woman the benefit of the doubt. But she was far from civilization and it was going to take a big chunk out of his workday to help her. It all depended on how fast she could walk. If he had to guess, he would say it was going to be a slow go.
When he returned to the car, she was standing outside. He took one look and wondered if this woman had any sense at all. She wore short jeans. They had a name, but for the life of him he couldn’t think of it. She had a pink-and-white layered top and pink-and-white sneakers.
He motioned toward the jeans. “Do you have longer ones?”
“No. It’s spring so I brought spring and summer clothes. These are capris.”
“And unsuitable for hiking through the woods.”
Her face crumpled like a little kid’s and he thought she was going to cry. “It’s all I have besides shorts and another dress.”
“It will have to do. Do you have a long-sleeved blouse or a sweater? It’ll get chilly in these hills as it grows darker.”
“I have a lime-green lightweight sweater that goes with my dress, but it doesn’t match what I have on.”
He laughed. He couldn’t help himself. He’d gotten himself involved with a city diva.
Her face broke into a smile. “That was silly.”
“Yes, it was. We’re not going to a party. We’ll be hiking through rough terrain and trying to avoid every pesky critter we can. There will be thick woods, brambles, snakes, bugs and every animal from field mice to whitetail deer to bobcats. And believe me, they won’t care what you’re wearing.”
“I assure you I’m not a weak woman. I can handle this.”
“You’ll pardon me if I don’t quite believe that. You’re a city girl.”
She lifted her chin with determination. “I’m a city woman and I’m stronger than I look.”
“Well, city woman, let’s go. Just follow me and don’t complain and don’t ask questions.”
“Wait.” She grabbed her purse and the sweater from the car. She tied the sweater around her neck and slung the purse over her shoulder. Then she got in line behind him as if they were going on a march or something. He shook his head and started off.
For the first thirty minutes she followed on his heels, but the longer they walked, the farther she trailed behind. She was getting tired and wouldn’t admit it, so he slowed down to give her a break. The problem was, they wouldn’t make it far enough to get cell reception before dark.
The woods were beautiful this time of year. The browns of fall and winter had turned to lively shades of green. New life. New season. New beginnings.