by Laura Marie
She felt the bitter cold smack against her face. It burned against her skin. Then, she recalled the extra pair of gloves and goggles she had in the glove compartment. She made her way around the back tailgate of the truck. She grabbed onto the corner of the metal bumper, her gloved hand slipping and almost causing her to lose her balance. She recalled a ditch on the side of the road which was now covered in snow. Using a lot of strength to walk around to the passenger side of the truck, she passed by the tire jack. The truck was still sitting up higher on one side as she headed towards the passenger door.
The wind howled, the cold air penetrated through her coat, and as she reached for the handle, she stepped on the deep snow, landing on something long and hard. She lost her balance, she wobbled on her feet as the door swung open, and the gust of wind blew her forward.
Her feet came out from under her, and she lunged toward the ground, her temple slamming against the metal step rail then the bottom corner of the door.
The pain was instant, then the wetness as it hit her cheeks and froze in place. She was lying on the ground, her cheek against the snow as her head began throbbing. The coldness of the snow against her cheek tingled through her skin. Her teeth chattered, and as she opened her eyes in a daze, she saw red.
The realization hit her that she was bleeding, but then the white snow around the red blood started moving. Her vision blurred before enveloping into a sea of darkness.
* * * *
“Calm down, Ellie. When did she call you last?”
“Oh my god, Sheriff. Over an hour ago?” Ellie Palmer was crying hysterically.
“Where did she say she was?”
“About forty minutes outside of the county. Roy thinks she’s close to your place by now.”
Just then Roy took the receiver from Ellie.
“Sheriff. You have to go find her. I can’t get out with any of the trucks, and the horses can’t travel in this weather.”
“Don’t even think about it, Roy. I’ll get out there and start looking. I have the chains on my tires because of the distance from town to my house. Don’t worry. I’ll find her.”
“Sheriff.” Johnny listened, waiting for Roy to continue. The silence rolled on for a minute as Roy sighed a few times.
“She may be in danger,” Roy stated then Ellie cried out in the background. Johnny could have sworn he heard Ellie telling Roy not to talk.
“There’s this man back in New York.”
Johnny felt the tightness reach his chest. Could that piece of shit have traveled here to get to Julianna? He could sense the worry and hesitation in Roy’s voice as he asked for help.
“Roy, I know. I’ll find her. He won’t get her.”
Johnny hung up the phone and grabbed his shotgun and gear from the shelf.
* * * *
“Calm down, Ellie, the sheriff is going to find her. He’s leaving right now.”
“You told him? What if he’s connected?” Ellie stated.
“Connected to what?” Rooster asked.
They looked at the two men then back at one another.
“He said he already knew about it then promised to find her.”
“If anyone can find her, Sheriff Black can. That man survived the war and the rodeo circuit. They don’t come any tougher than that,” Rooster stated.
Ellie pushed the window curtains wider to look outside. She prayed she would see Julianna’s truck any second.
The snow continued to fall at record speed. They would be trapped inside for days, and normally she’d embrace the relaxation and quiet. She couldn’t help but worry about her niece or shake the bad feeling that she was hurt.
Ellie felt Roy’s hands on her shoulders.
“He’ll find her. She’ll be safe with Johnny.”
The tears rolled down Ellie’s cheeks.
* * * *
A half hour later, Johnny passed his house and the main entrance to the property. A normal ten minute ride turned into three times longer a trip.
His heart raced, and his mind traveled over a thousand scenarios, all of which ended badly.
He was determined to find Julianna and get her to safety.
He cursed the weather then he cursed the chains on his tires and their inability to get him past town more quickly. The tires were helping him make good time, but his heart made him feel that he just wasn’t getting to her fast enough. He had no idea how far outside of Claire County Julianna was, but he was determined to find her. Thank heavens there was only one way into town and one way out.
Twenty minutes later he reached the long stretch of highway past the main road leading into Claire County.
Nothing but fields of ranch land bordered either side.
He could hardly see more than five feet in front of the windshield when he came upon Julianna’s black truck. Only a small bit of black revealed itself, and a minute later it was covered in white.
He might have passed right by it if it weren’t for that second.
She was nowhere in sight, and the tightness in his belly intensified.
He stopped the truck and quickly got out, opening the driver side door.
It was empty, and his heart beat faster.
He noted the envelope on the seat and the words urgent. He picked it up and noticed the passenger side door was ajar, and he headed around the other side of the truck to look.
It was apparent that Julianna tried to change a flat tire. The tire jack was still attached to the vehicle.
He shoved the envelope into his jacket and moved closer. He nearly lost his balance trying to remain on level ground and not fall into the ditch on the side of the road.
There was a large mound by the door. He could barely make out what it was through the fierce wind and falling snow. Johnny moved closer. He saw something red then brown curls.
The panic set in as his stomach clenched, and he quickly brushed off the snow and discovered Julianna.
Frost covered her eyebrows and eyelashes, blood sat frozen against her forehead and temple.
He quickly picked her up. She was heavy and limp in his arms, and she was barely breathing. “Come on, baby. Come on and wake up.” He called to her then pressed her cold body against his chest. He could feel his heart pounding. The worry, the fear that he was too late. The sight of the blood and an unconscious Julianna brought flashbacks of the war to mind. Injured soldiers just waiting to be found and rescued, but the troops couldn’t make it to them in time. He was determined to save her.
He got her inside his truck, laying her body across the front seat. She was unconscious but had a weak pulse.
Quickly he turned up the heat, got into the driver’s seat, and turned the truck around.
How the hell did she get injured? What was she thinking driving in these conditions?
He needed to get her to shelter, get her out of the cold wet clothes, and warm before hypothermia set in. The ride back towards Claire County seemed to take forever. He nearly lost control of the truck numerous times. He needed to get her to shelter fast.
He caressed her face, feeling the ice cold skin, knowing she needed warmth and medical attention.
Twenty minutes later he reached the entrance to his property.
He had to take care of her. There was no way he could make it to the hospital in town or to Palmer Place.
* * * *
“I have her at my place. We barely made it here,” Johnny told Roy over the phone. The static increased.
“This storm is a bad one. I’ll keep her here. She’s safe and warm. No use in trying to travel. The phones may go out along with the electricity, so just know I have her and she’ll be fine. You can reach me on the CB radio.”
“Oh thank god, Johnny, thank god. We’ll talk to you soon,” Roy stated, and Johnny hung up the phone.
Johnny walked over towards the bed preparing to sit down in a recliner he dragged across the room to be closer to Julianna.
He stood over her and caressed her hair and checked the bandage over
her forehead and temple. He wasn’t certain whether she would need stitches or not.
The thought made him cringe. The image of the scar just below her waist and belly gave him mixed emotions.
Julianna was a gorgeous woman, with voluptuous curves and soft, supple skin. He had no choice but to remove her cold, wet garments. But he did it as quickly as he could despite his body’s reaction to her nakedness. He was in full medic mode at the time, and the sight of her scar from her injury upon losing the baby brought tears to his eyes.
Johnny moved the blankets closer against her body.
Earlier he added more wood to the fire and increased the heat temperature to the room. Even if the electricity went out, he was sure he could keep her warm.
In Claire County one had to be prepared for weather like this.
His thoughts and his eyes remained on Julianna and her youthfulness. At twenty-four she had sustained more than her share of bad luck, heartache, and betrayal. Why any man wouldn’t want to stay faithful to a woman as perfect as Julianna, he couldn’t understand. Then the fact that such an evil man wouldn’t want her child was despicable.
Johnny felt an overwhelming urge to protect Julianna from Lawrence Irving or any other man with intentions to do her harm.
He thought about the guys in town and their attraction to Julianna.
Bets were on as to who would be staking their claim first. He hoped he had made his message clear that she was his.
He made the statement in anger and jealousy, but at least it would keep her safe.
He looked her over before he sat down in the chair, and he felt the exhaustion kick in. He had been going nonstop, the adrenaline rush was long gone, and now his body was aching with exhaustion.
He closed his eyes, and despite his rumbling belly, he fell asleep in seconds.
Chapter 8
The first thing Julianna smelled was an amazing aroma of food. In an attempt to open her eyes, she cringed in pain. Her head was throbbing, her eye felt swollen shut, and her body ached something terrible. A chill went through her then disappeared. The surrounding warmth made her feel as if she were wrapped in some kind of cocoon.
Bacon. Definitely, I smell bacon.
The smell made her stomach growl. She was starving. She forced her eyes open, recalling her last memory of snow, freezing cold wind, and her lying deep in the white stuff.
The room was aglow by the light of the flames. But the fireplace was so large it illuminated it nicely.
How did I get here?
Where is here?
She glanced around the room, her mind still fuzzy and her vision blurry as she attempted to focus on objects around her.
An enormous stone fireplace roared with fire and warmth. She embraced it along with the rustic yet exquisite décor of the log home.
There were lambskin rugs, leather furniture, and the bed she lay in was at minimum king size and elaborate in its solid oak posts and frame.
Whose house is this?
The fear set in as she absorbed the fact that she was in someone’s bed, someone’s home she didn’t know.
She panicked then. She lifted the sheets and gasped at the oversized, black thermal underwear she was wearing. She had purple thermal underwear, not black.
Her heart raced and the tears threatened to escape her eyes.
She heard a door open and her heartbeat increased.
Sheriff Black entered the bedroom holding a lantern.
* * * *
The light helped to distinguish his features, and he ducked ever so slightly as he entered the doorway. A warm sensation traveled through her body. He was the most handsome man she had ever seen.
Long, muscular legs wrapped in dark blue jeans quickly made their way towards her. She pulled the blankets tighter against her body while she absorbed his approach.
The dark blue button shirt accentuated his wide shoulders, and in the light of the fire, he appeared monstrously large.
That was until he spoke. The deep warmth of his voice sent more waves of heat through her body, and a sensation of primal need.
She swallowed hard at her reaction. The man could be the one to send her to her maker and merely his entrance into the room was sexually arousing her.
“Don’t be afraid, darling. You’re safe.”
She watched him set the lantern down on the bedside table. Her eyes ached, her head throbbed, and her throat felt like sandpaper.
When he gently placed the palm of his hand against her forehead, she felt flushed and needy.
“How do you feel?”
She dare not speak knowing how shaky and fearful her voice would surely sound.
He smiled at her.
An actual smile from the mean, dangerous sheriff?
She must be hallucinating.
Her body filled with desire at the sight of his upturned grin. She must have banged her head good.
“Now, if I’m gonna be doctoring ya all up the best I can, I’ll need your cooperation, Miss Julianna.”
She swallowed hard at the sound of her name coming from his incredible lips.
She watched his tongue move over the bottom one, and she found herself moisturizing her own lips in response.
He sat down next to her and leaned one hand over her side against her left hip while the other felt her head again.
His closeness made her want to shed the sheets and dunk her head in the snow outside.
A chill ran through her body and she shook.
“You still cold? Your head feels a little warm, maybe a slight fever startin’.”
He reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a bottle of Ibuprofen.
“How about some food then a couple of these?” he asked, and she nodded her head “yes.”
He placed the bottle back into his pocket but didn’t get up from the bed.
His arm still straddled over her waist, and his hand gently pushed a strand of hair away from her ear.
He had the sexiest voice she had ever heard. Her heart pounded inside her chest.
“Do you remember what happened to you, darlin’? How you fell and got that nice bump on your head?”
She went to speak, but her mouth was dry as she coughed and cleared her throat.
The sheriff reached over to the table by the bed and grabbed the bottle of water.
He helped her to sit up, and her head ached and throbbed from the movement. She squeezed her eyes closed in pain.
Carefully, he placed the bottle to her lips and she drank. She hadn’t realized how thirsty she was nor how badly she needed to use a restroom until the water slid down her throat and hit her hollow stomach.
The sound of a fierce growl made the sheriff laugh as she lay back down against the pillow and he placed the water bottle on the table.
“You hungry?”
“Yes.”
“Good. But first, do you remember what happened?”
She knew he was concerned she may have a concussion, but she knew she didn’t. More than likely she was a little brain-dead, considering her massive sexual attraction to the cowboy sitting next to her. The fact that she was in his bed, the bed he slept in and did whatever he did in. She winced at the thought of him with another woman. The jealous feeling was instant and natural.
Definitely brain-dead. No doubt about it now.
“Your cheeks are flushed. Don’t be embarrassed, tell me what you remember.”
“Tire blew out.” She sighed, trying to speak through the pain in her head. “Tried fixing it, but the bolt was stuck.”
“Hate when that happens,” Johnny added with a small grin as he caressed her hair. She froze at his gentle touch and stared down at the buttons on his chest.
“I was gonna wait it out in the truck. The engine blew or something.”
She felt his hand cup her chin to tilt it up toward his eyes.
“I found you outside of the truck, half dead. What exactly were you planning on doing, Miss Julianna? Putting on those silly skis of yours?”
Anger and annoyance replaced the warm fuzzy feelings. The damn man even in her time of injury was reprimanding her like some child.
“I had no choice, Sheriff…”
“Hush now. You need to rest.”
Julianna attempted to sit up, her anger getting the best of her. The man was heartless, a mean S.O.B., and she wanted to go home.
He placed his hand against her shoulder and held her in place.
“Quit moving around so much. You’re banged up pretty good and there’s no place to get to.”
“I want to leave.” It was difficult to act so tough when tears were threatening to escape her eyes. The man made her mind spin and was helping to turn her headache into a migraine.
This emotional roller coaster of horny one minute and contemplating murder the next was too much to handle in her current condition.
She wasn’t going to let him have the last word.
“I didn’t finish telling you what happened.”
“You don’t have to.”
Julianna started explaining despite the sheriff’s direct order to speak no further. She wasn’t some criminal or one of his lower ranking deputies.
She told him everything that happened then recalled the file in the truck and how it was all about him. Instantly her anger turned into complete fear. She stopped dead short and stared at the sheriff. Then unaware of her own body’s reaction, she attempted to inch her body away from him and hit the headboard of the bed.
If Lawrence hired him by some chance, then she was as good as dead.
“How did you find me? How did you know I was out there?”