In the Rancher’s Protection, page 1
She thought she’d be safe in the mountains...
But the past is not so easily escaped!
Carrie French is escaping an abusive husband when she seeks refuge at the Double M Ranch. There, she forms a friendship with Luke Wright, a ranch hand dealing with his own tragic past. But after they end up trapped on a mountainside, on the run from Carrie’s armed ex, their deepening connection could be the only thing that saves them.
A car behind them honked its horn, and Luke raised his gaze to his rearview mirror to frown at the impatient driver.
After checking for traffic, he pulled onto the crossroad, and his brow beetled. “And the adventure trip? How does that figure into your situation?”
Carrie wet her lips. “Well, Nina suggested that. I guess she thought that making me face some physical challenges would help build my confidence in the other battles I was facing. For me, it’s just an opportunity to...escape my situation for a few days. Hit Pause. Take a breath.”
The muscles in his jaw flexed as he, apparently, meditated on her answer. Then with a quick nod, he met her gaze again. “Then that’s what it will be. I’ll make sure these next few days are a relaxing, confidence-building escape for you. Okay?”
She exhaled heavily. Escape. The word taunted her. If only it could be a permanent escape, instead of just a few days. But for now, a few days of safety would be a gift. “I like that deal.”
* * *
Be sure to check out the other stories in
The McCall Adventure Ranch series!
* * *
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Dear Reader,
Welcome back to Boyd Valley, Colorado, and the Double M Ranch! I couldn’t resist the opportunity to peek in on the McCall family and the new ranch hands one more time. I checked in with Nina Abshire, who was introduced to readers in Christmas Rodeo Rescue, an online read at Harlequin.com, in November 2018, and renewed acquaintances with the characters from the previous four books in The McCall Adventure Ranch series. In this story, you meet a new hire, ranch hand Luke Wright, who has a tragic history and a penchant for wanting to be a knight in shining armor wherever he sees a need.
Carrie French might be in danger, but she doesn’t want Luke getting involved in her plight. While Carrie hides out at the Double M, she’s startled by the sizzling chemistry she shares with Luke. But someone dangerous is following Carrie, and she doesn’t want anyone else put in harm’s way—especially not the handsome and kind ranch hand with soul-piercing gray eyes!
Another special character in this story is Lylah Grace Douglas, named by Mickie Douglas, who won the chance to use her own name for a character of her choice through a fund-raising auction benefiting community projects in my hometown. Thanks, Mickie!
As always, I hope you enjoy this story and Carrie’s journey to self-discovery, freedom and hope—and, of course, true love!
Happy reading,
Beth
IN THE RANCHER’S PROTECTION
Beth Cornelison
Beth Cornelison began working in public relations before pursuing her love of writing romance. She has won numerous honors for her work, including a nomination for the RWA RITA® Award for The Christmas Stranger. She enjoys featuring her cats (or friends’ pets) in her stories and always has another book in the pipeline! She currently lives in Louisiana with her husband, one son and three spoiled cats. Contact her via her website, bethcornelison.com.
Books by Beth Cornelison
Harlequin Romantic Suspense
The McCall Adventure Ranch
Rancher’s Deadly Reunion
Rancher’s High-Stakes Rescue
Rancher’s Covert Christmas
Rancher’s Hostage Rescue
In the Rancher’s Protection
Colton 911
Colton 911: Deadly Texas Reunion
Cowboy Christmas Rescue
“Rescuing the Witness”
Rock-a-Bye Rescue
“Guarding Eve”
The Mansfield Brothers
The Return of Connor Mansfield
Protecting Her Royal Baby
The Mansfield Rescue
Black Ops Rescues
Soldier’s Pregnancy Protocol
The Reunion Mission
Cowboy’s Texas Rescue
Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com for more titles.
Author’s Note
Domestic abuse is a far-too-common reality in the United States. Statistics from the CDC’s National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) indicate that one in four women and one in ten men experience some form of physical, emotional or sexual abuse or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime. If you or someone you love is experiencing abuse of any form from an intimate partner, help is available by contacting the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or visiting www.thehotline.org.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Excerpt from Rescue from Darkness by Bonnie Vanak
Excerpt from No One Saw by Beverly Long
Chapter 1
He’d found her. Again.
Carrie French stared out the dirty window of the hole-in-the-wall motel where she’d been hiding for the past week. Frustration and fear bit her stomach. Acid climbed her throat until she thought she might vomit.
Instead, she pulled a deep breath in through her nose and blew it out slowly through pursed lips, seizing her composure with both hands. If she panicked, she’d hurt her ability to think clearly. She had a few precious moments before Joseph would discover her here in room four. She could picture him flashing a wad of hundred-dollar bills to the front-desk clerk as he presented her picture and demanded to know where Carrie was.
Because she was used to having to run on a moment’s notice, Carrie had kept her bag packed, her shoes lined up and ready to stuff on her feet, her burner phone fully charged. With a few quick motions, her cell was unplugged, her feet covered, her bag in hand and she was scrambling to the door. She cracked it open, peeked out.
Joseph was still in the small office, his back to the window. She had no time to waste.
Covering her head with the hood of her jacket, she jammed her sunglasses in place, shouldered the strap of her canvas bag and fled the room. She didn’t bother closing the door, didn’t look back. She ran for the car she’d parked around the corner, out of view of the office, and whispered a prayer for divine intervention. Help me get out of here. Don’t let him see me. Please!
“Hey! Carrie? Stop!”
Her heart sank as she pushed her legs to go faster, fumbled the ignition key one-handed while she tossed her bag on the back seat. So much for not being seen.
She locked the doors, and tears blurred her vision as she cranked the engine. He was at her window in seconds, pounding his fist on the glass. “Damn it, Carrie! Get out of the car!”
She tried to ignore his presence, his feral growl as he shouted at her. With trembling hands, she shifted the transmission to Reverse. Twisted to look behind her as she backed out of the lot.
A loud thump and sound of glass cracking drew a startled gasp from her. She spun to see what he’d done. Her windshield had a spiderweb break and a long fissure snaking across the driver’s side. He held a rock, his arm raised, ready to smash it against her window again.
Carrie stomped the gas pedal. The car rocketed backward. The rock he held slammed down on her hood, leaving a dent, then tumbled to the ground. Joseph made a grab for the door handle as she wheeled a hasty Y-turn and raced out of the side parking lot.
A car horn blasted as she cut into traffic and sped away, and from the motel parking lot, she could hear him scream, “Give up, Carrie! I will always find you!”
Carrie shuddered. Five years ago, that promise might have sounded like a romantic movie line. Now, after sixty months of watching everything she’d believed about the man she’d married melt away, she knew the shouted vow for what it was. A threat.
And all the reason she needed to keep running. Keep hiding. Because if Joseph ever caught her, she knew he would kill her.
* * *
Hours later, when she felt certain she’d escaped Joseph, Carrie stopped at a fast food restaurant in a tiny Oklahoma town and released a shuddering breath. Once she’d thought she could flee her abusive and manipulative husband simply by leaving him, filing for divorce and getting on with her life. Now she knew Joseph was a bad dream that would keep returning, no matter the lengths she went to. Desolation sat on her chest, suffocating her. What hope she’d had for a fresh start h
She smacked her hand on the steering wheel, bitter tears stinging her eyes. How in the hell did he keep finding her? She didn’t use credit cards. She changed burner phones every time he found her. She didn’t use her real name when she paid cash and checked into motels at night. She’d driven hundreds of miles, randomly picking small towns or thriving cities to stop. She’d dyed her hair so many times, all the conditioner in the world would never rescue it from the brittleness and split ends. She glanced in the rearview mirror, reminding herself what color she’d last used. That’s right...a boring shade of light brown.
But no matter how smart she thought she was being, no matter how far she drove or how random her path, Joseph always showed up within days. Then he’d gloat. And he’d try to drag her back to Aurora, Colorado, with him. Often, he’d smack her around, taking out his frustrations over her determination to be free of him. One time, he forced her back to their sprawling estate outside Aurora, and she’d had to devise a new plan to slip away undetected.
The process was physically exhausting, emotionally draining and increasingly challenging. She had to find new ways to dodge him. New places to hide. And she felt herself becoming more and more isolated as she cut off contact with more and more of her friends.
The few friends that had a hint of her predicament had offered to take her in, but she refused to put them in danger, drawing them or their families into the line of fire. Joseph was too well connected, too cold and calculating.
Earlier in their marriage, when Carrie had confided in her best friend, Hanna, and taken refuge at Hanna’s house after an argument with Joseph turned violent, Joseph had taken his revenge by getting Hanna fired from her management job and kidnapping Hanna’s Yorkie from the doggie day care. Peanut had never been found.
Besides, Joseph knew most of the same people she did, so she didn’t see those friends and business associates as safe places. She was one of the few who knew Joseph’s dark side. He was good at presenting a charming, confident and gracious facade. After all, he’d fooled her before they were married, hadn’t he?
Now, she sat at the edge of the gas station/minute market parking lot and stared through her cracked windshield at the rural Oklahoma terrain. She felt conspicuous in her black BMW M4 coupe with the broken windshield, as if she had a neon arrow pointing to her. Flash. Out of place. Flash. On the run. Flash. Sore thumbsville. She shrank down in the driver’s seat, wishing she could simply disappear.
She watched a teenage couple climb out of a pickup truck, laughing and playfully poking at each other before exchanging a sloppy kiss and entering the store. Next came the man in the Sooners T-shirt, then a petite woman with two small children who were begging her in loud voices to buy them each a sugary frozen drink. Ordinary people with ordinary lives. She envied them. They had a place to go home at night. No one chasing them, wanting to hurt them. Or did they?
She knew that, to outsiders, she probably looked like the normal one. Appearances meant nothing. Just like wild animals, people learned to hide their vulnerabilities, their wounded hearts.
As she cranked her engine, preparing to get back on the road, a billboard across the road advertising the local rodeo snagged her attention. The ad featured pictures of both a cowboy and a cowgirl competing, and her thoughts flashed to a friend from high school who’d been a rodeo champion—until a car accident had left her severely injured and relearning how to walk. For years, she and Nina had stayed in touch. Carrie had visited Nina several times through her rehabilitation and cheered the progress of Nina’s recovery. How long had it been since she’d heard from her old friend? Two years? Three? Since she’d broken ties with so many of her old friends, deleted her Facebook and Twitter accounts, and essentially erased her past connections—to protect them from Joseph.
A sharp pang for her former life, for her dear high school and college friends, for days when her biggest worry was whether the Taylor Swift concert would sell out before she and her gal pals could land tickets. Carrie huffed a sigh of resentment toward Joseph and all the ways he’d wrecked her life. Taylor Swift concerts being the least of those ways. He’d stolen her freedom, her happiness, her peace of mind.
Blinking back tears, she continued to stare at the rodeo billboard, remembering how inspirational Nina’s attitude and determination to heal from her setback had been. Nina had stayed so positive. She buoyed those around her as much as her friends had encouraged and comforted her. Carrie missed that mettle. Missed Nina.
Her heart beat faster as an idea tickled. Last she’d heard, Nina was in Colorado. Colorado was within a day’s drive of here. Joseph didn’t know Nina. Not well, anyway. She’d talked to him about her friend’s remarkable accident recovery, but she’d given him few details.
She’d give almost anything to spend a few days with Nina and pretend for a short while that she was eighteen and carefree again. Too risky. The warning whispered in her head, while a desperate longing and nostalgia wrenched in her chest.
She dug her burner cell out of her bag and stared at it while she debated. Could she maybe just call Nina, hear her voice, receive the sort of pep talk Nina did so well? Before she could talk herself out of it, she was looking up the number for Zoe’s Diner in Boyd Valley, the eatery that Nina’s mother owned. Zoe would know how to reach Nina.
“Zoe’s Diner, how can I help you?”
A smile spread across Carrie’s face as the familiar maternal voice filled her ear—and her heart. She passed the next few minutes with generalized small talk with Zoe before getting Nina’s phone number.
She stared at the number she’d inked on the palm of her hand but only debated for a moment before calling her friend. One phone call on a burner cell couldn’t hurt. Could it? She prayed it wouldn’t. Nina answered on the third ring, her voice sounding dubious—and who doesn’t sound wary when they take a call from an unfamiliar phone number?
“Nina, it’s Carrie French. Your mom gave me your number. How are you?”
“Carrie! Oh my gosh! It’s so great to hear from you! How the heck are you? Where are you? Please tell me you are in town and can come by for a visit. We have so much to catch up on!”
“Well, I’m not in town. I just saw a rodeo billboard that made me think of you, and...” She paused for a deep breath before her voice could crack. “I wanted to hear your voice. See how you were.”
“I’m good. Well, great, actually. I have a new job working at a ranch in Boyd Valley, and...wait for it...I’m getting married in six weeks!” Nina’s happiness filled her voice and lifted Carrie’s spirits.
“Married?” A double-edged pang slashed through her. Joy for her friend along with grief for her own lost dream of marital bliss. “Wow, that’s fantastic! Who? How? I want details.”
Nina explained how she’d been buried in her car by an avalanche just before Christmas a year and a half ago. Something special had sparked between her and the emergency operator who’d stayed on the line with her until she was rescued, and they’d been dating ever since.
“Buried by an avalanche?” Carrie shook her head. “You have the worst luck in cars!”
“Oh, I don’t consider the accidents bad luck. Between the two, they brought me to Steve. I wouldn’t change that for all the world.” Nina paused, then said, “Gosh, I wish you were in town. I’d love for you to meet him.”
“I’d like that, too. I hope someday I will.”
“What about you? I’m not sure we’ve talked since your wedding. How’s married life treating you?”
“Oh, uh...” Carrie opened her mouth to give the routine lie, the false cheer to hide her misery. But something made her stop. Nina had been too good of a friend in the past to feed her the fake sunshine and roses.
“Uh-oh,” Nina said.
“What?”
“You hesitated. If things were hunky-dory, you wouldn’t have needed time to consider how to answer.”
“I, um...”
“It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me. I didn’t mean to pry if—”
“I left him. We’ll be divorced soon, but I...”
