When Danger Comes To Town

Sophia McClellan looked at the phone in her hand. There was no signal whatsoever since she was in the middle of nowhere. It was just her luck to break down along a deserted road with no way to get help.

She sighed, getting out of her car. She couldn’t just sit here waiting for someone to come to her rescue. Didn’t things like that only happen in fairy tales? She was completely stranded with no place to go.

Sophia looked up at the sky, taking a deep breath. What was she going to do now? Her friends were waiting for her to show up at the cabin they had rented for the weekend. She didn’t even know how far it was from her current location. Not that it mattered any if she couldn’t get there.

She really didn’t like being alone like this. Maybe she should have rode with her friends? She had decided to work an extra day and then meet them at the cabin. It hadn’t been her wisest decision at the time, but she needed the money.

Sophia stared up and down the empty road. She would certainly be in trouble if he showed up here. No, she couldn’t think of that monster right now. This weekend was all about getting away from the trouble that followed her everywhere.

She sat back down inside the car, grabbing her purse. She could try to make it to a gas station if she knew where she was at. Unfortunately, she had no clue where anything was around here. All she knew for sure was she was somewhere in Texas.

She pulled the map from the side of her purse, trying to find her bearings. She hated being in strange places like this. It made her nervous not knowing where she was.

Her gaze moved to the mirror when she heard the vehicle pull to a stop. Who on earth could this be? She had always been a city dweller, this person obviously lived in the country. The old beat-up pickup just screamed country.

A man got out, making his way to her car. How did she know he wasn’t going to hurt her? She may be in serious danger here, and not even know it.

“Do you need some help?” He was standing at the driver’s side door.

“My car won’t start.” Sophia looked up at the man.

“That explains why you’re parked in the middle of nowhere.” He smiled. “I can try to see what the problem is.”

“Thanks.” She chewed her lip, following him to the front of the car.

He was definitely from the country. The jeans, cowboy boots, and Stetson were proof of that, as was the truck. Could he really fix her car?

Sophia watched him look under the hood of her Lexus. She had no clue what could be wrong with it. If she were home, she could just call her mechanic.

“Well…” She leaned against the car.

“I think it’s your starter.” He closed the hood. “I can call a tow truck for you.”

“There’s no signal here.” She frowned. “I already tried.”

“I can drive you to town so you can get some help.” He offered.

Sophia felt her heart start to race. How did she know she could trust this stranger? He seemed nice enough, but what if he was a murderer?

She looked at him again. His brown hair seemed a little long for the guys she knew, but it was probably perfect for this place. Her gaze moved to his eyes, a shade of brown a little lighter than his hair.

It was either trust this man, or be stuck here for who knew how long. She grabbed her purse and overnight bag, locking her car up. She hoped they could find a tow truck soon so she could get back on the road.

“My name’s Kade Hollander.” He got into the truck.

“I’m Sophia McClellan.” She fastened her seatbelt. “I appreciate the help.”

“It’s no problem.” Kade started the truck. “My ranch is just up the road a bit.”

“Is that where we’re going.” Sophia swallowed hard. “I thought you said you were going to take me into town?”

“It’s the closest place from here.” He told her. “We could go to town, but it’s about ten miles back that way.”

Sophia remembered the town. She had driven through it a little while ago. It had been a pretty small town from what she had seen.

Maybe they should go there instead? She wasn’t too comfortable going to this man’s house. She knew nothing about him, except his name. What other choice did she have though?

They drove for about five minutes before they pulled onto a dirt road. He really did live out by himself. Did he have a problem with the people in the town?

She looked out the window on her side. This place was so quiet compared to her apartment building, and she hadn’t even seen a house yet.

Why would anyone live so far from everyone else? He must really like his privacy. She didn’t like the thoughts going through her mind. What if he wanted to get her out here to kill her?

Sophia leaned back against the seat. She had to get a grip on her fear. He was helping her, not planning to murder her.

“I take it you don’t live around here.” Kade turned into his driveway.

“What gave it away?” She looked up at the house. “My car, or that I’m totally lost?”

“The car.” He opened his door. “Well, that and the way you’re dressed. Not too many people around here where boots like that.”

Sophia looked down at the leather high heeled boots she had chosen to wear. She supposed he was right about no one here wearing them. The girls most likely wore boots similar to his.

She had felt she should wear these since her friend had bought them for her. Now she was glad she hadn’t needed to walk anywhere.

“There’s a phone in the kitchen.” Kade led her through the house. “I had a landline put in just in case my cell wouldn’t work here.”

“Why do you live out here in the middle of nowhere?” She picked the phone up.

“The ranch belonged to my grandfather.” Kade took two sodas from the refrigerator, handing her one. “He left it to me when he died.”

“How long have you lived here?” Sophia took a drink of her soda.

“A few years.” Kade dialed a number for her. “It took me about a year to get it fixed up.”

Sophia talked to the mechanic on the other end of the line. They were going to pick her car up and take it to the garage. She could pick it up the next day.

That was one problem taken care of, now she had to find a place to stay for the night. Did the town have any hotels, or anything close to one? She couldn’t stay in her car in a garage.

She looked around the kitchen, taking a deep breath. It was a nice house if you liked being out in the country. The walls were painted a light shade of yellow. The table looked like it had been in the house for about ten years.

She had wanted to take a vacation in the country, but hadn’t thought it was the best idea. She didn’t think she could live in a place like this with snakes and bugs.

“Is there a hotel in town?” Sophia chewed her lower lip. “Or maybe a bed and breakfast?”

“There’s a motel, but I think it’s all full.” Kade leaned against the counter. “It usually is this time of year.”

“So, there’s no place I can stay for the night?” She sank down onto a chair. “That’s wonderful.”

“You could stay here.” Kade shrugged his shoulders. “There’s plenty of room.”

“I don’t know.” She frowned.

“I get it, you don’t trust me.” He sat the soda down. “There’s nothing wrong with that. I’m a complete stranger. I would be the same way.”

“I’m sorry.” Sophia scratched her forehead. “I sound really ungrateful. This is a lot better than sleeping in a car, or along the road.”

“There’s food and water.” Kade smiled. “Plus a bed to sleep in.”

“Thank you so much for helping me out.” Sophia shook her head. “I guess my friends will have to have fun without me.”

She could only hope they didn’t get mad about her not showing up. It wasn’t like she had done something to the car to make it break down. Unfortunately, she was stuck here for the time being so she should make the most of it.

She had to admit that her curiosity was getting the better of her. She wanted to see what the rest of the place looked like.

Kade had said it was a ranch. Did that mean there were horses here? She had always loved riding horses as a kid. Her parents had paid for her to take lessons when she was five.

He was watching her, making her feel uncomfortable again. Of course, she was staring at his furnishings like a kid in a candy store.

“You said this is a ranch, right?” Sophia tried to break the awkward silence between them.

“It is, just not a working ranch.” Kade took a deep breath. “I’m trying to fix that.”

“So, you don’t have horses?” She looked at her feet.

“I didn’t say that.” He smiled again.

Sophia’s breath caught in her throat. She really liked this man’s smile. He wasn’t bad looking either, not for a country boy.

There was also something about his eyes. When she looked at his eyes she saw a gentleness there. It was as if this man was the sweetest man in the world.

She had to get control of herself. He could be married for all she knew, even though he wasn’t wearing a ring. Not all men wore wedding bands these days.

“So, you want to see the horses?” Kade started out the back door.

“Yes, please.” She let out a breath.

She sounded like a kid on her birthday. She really shouldn’t be so excited about seeing animals, especially when she was with a man who was a complete stranger.

Sophia followed Kade to the barn, practically skipping to keep up with his much longer legs. She didn’t think any of the men she spent time with regularly were that tall.

She looked around at the area surrounding his house and the barn. There were woods behind the house, and on the other side of the barn. The other side of the house lead off into a field that seemed to go on forever. It was completely fenced in.

“Do you let the horses run free?” Sophia stopped just outside the barn. “Is that what the field is for?”

“Actually, it’s supposed to be for cattle.” Kade shrugged his shoulders. “I haven’t had the time for that part of being a rancher yet. To answer your question, yes they do run free.”

That was a lot of room to run, but it was good for the horses. She knew they needed to get out of their stalls once in a while. It was great exercise for them, wasn’t it?

She remembered when she was taking lessons she would walk the horses, after they had been riding. She had spent so much time at the stables that her father joked he was turning it into a house for her.

Did Kade ride very often? He seemed to fit this place so perfectly, so him riding was probably a given.

“Do you ride?” Kade walked over to one of the stalls on the left side, “This is Buttercup.”

“She’s beautiful.” Sophia put her hand out, letting the animal nudge it with her nose. “What kind of horse is she?”

“A mustang.” Kade smiled, handing her a curry comb. “I’m guessing you know what to do with this.”

She nodded, taking the comb from his hand. It had been a while since she had done this. Her father had stopped paying for her lessons when she turned eighteen. He thought if she wanted to continue with horseback riding, she could pay for it herself.

Thinking back on it now she wished she had done just that. It would have saved her from the horrible time she had at college.

Sophia leaned her head against the mustang’s neck. If only they could live as carefree as these animals did, the world would be perfect.

Her thoughts strayed to the man who had haunted her dreams for the last six years. He had been the reason she had ultimately quit school. She couldn’t let him ruin the peace she felt being here with this man.

“So…” Kade interrupted her thoughts. “Do you ride?”

“I used to.” She handed the comb back to him. “I haven’t for a long time.”

“I try to ride as much as I can, but it’s hard to do when you have to rebuild the ranch.” Kade walked back to the door. “Are you hungry?”

“A little.” Sophia admitted, following him outside.

She would owe this man her life if she didn’t leave soon. She had no intention of getting indebted to anyone she would never see again.

She sighed, looking up at the night sky. If she didn’t leave he could be in trouble when her favorite stalker showed up, as he had a habit of doing. Sophia would never put another person in harm’s way.