Tears pricked the back of her eyes. Please, say it isn’t so.
Moisture dampened her cheeks. She swiped at the tears. For a normally reserved person who only cried on a director’s cue, Serena wasn’t used to a spontaneous rush of emotions. Realizing she couldn’t just stand there, she swallowed hard and then moved forward, wondering what she would find.
On legs that felt like gelatin, she moved across the road. Realizing the driver’s-side door was pinned by a tree trunk, she approached the passenger side and yanked open the door.
A snapping and popping sound emanated from the car. Serena didn’t even want to imagine what that might be. Still, she glanced around for any sign of fire.
Not finding any flames, Serena knelt down to get a better look. There in the driver’s seat was a man with dark brown hair. His head was leaned back against the seat. His eyes were shut. His dark lashes and brows gave his face a distinctive look. There was something familiar about him, but in her frantic state, she couldn’t make any connections. Right now, she had to get this man to safety in case his car went up in flames.
Even though she’d played a nurse once in a movie, she didn’t know much about first aid. The movie had been a stalker/thriller type. The medical aspects were minimal. She reached for the cell phone in her back pocket. She pulled it out, but there was no signal. This wasn’t good—not good at all.
“There...there was a dog...”
The deep male voice startled Serena. His voice wobbled as though he was still dazed. She glanced up to find a pair of dark brown eyes staring back at her. Her heart lodged in her throat. Was it wrong that she found his eyes intriguing? And dare she say it, they were quite attractive. They were eyes that you couldn’t help staring into and losing yourself.
The man’s gaze darted around as though trying to figure out what had happened. And then he started to move. A groan of pain immediately followed.
“Stop,” Serena called out. “Stay still.”
The man’s confused gaze met hers. “Why? Is there something the matter with me?”
She could feel the panic swelling between them. “I’m not sure.” She drew in a calming breath. Getting worked up wouldn’t help either of them. She drew on her lifetime of acting. “I don’t know the extent of your injuries. Until we know more, you shouldn’t move.” Which was all well and good until the car caught fire. But she could only deal with one catastrophe at a time. “I’m going to call for help.”
“You already tried that. It didn’t work.” His voice was less frantic and more matter-of-fact.
She swallowed hard. So he’d seen that. Okay. Don’t freak out or he’ll panic. Without a cell signal, their choices were diminishing. And the car was still popping and fizzing. She didn’t want to tell this injured man any of this. Nor did she want to admit that the dog that created this horrific event was hers. The backs of her eyes burned with unshed tears. And that her poor sweet puppy could very well be—
No. Don’t go there. Focus on getting this man help.
The man released his seat belt. The only way out for him was to crawl over the passenger seat. But he shouldn’t be moving around until a professional looked at him.
“Don’t move,” she said as he pushed aside the seat belt. “I’ll go and get help.”
“I’m fine.” His voice took on a firm tone.
He was sounding better, but it could just be shock. What if he got out of the car and collapsed in the middle of the road? She certainly couldn’t lift him, much less carry him. Even with him being seated, she could see that he was over six feet tall and solidly built. Why did he have to be so stubborn?
The man leaned toward the passenger seat.
“I’m serious. You shouldn’t be moving.” She swiped her hair out of her face. It was wet from melting snowflakes. It was coming down so hard that she couldn’t see much past the other side of the road. “You could make your injuries worse.”
As though transforming her concerns into reality, he groaned in pain. Serena’s heart lurched. She automatically leaned forward, placing a hand against the man’s biceps, helping to support him.
“What is it? What hurts?” Her gaze scanned his body looking for blood or any possible injury, but she didn’t spot any.
His breathing was labored. “It’s my leg.”
“What’s wrong with it?”
“I can’t move it.”
Not good. Not good at all.
And as if matters weren’t bad enough, a white cloud billowed out from under the hood. Her heart pounded. What was she supposed to do now?
SERENA CRAWLED OVER the passenger seat, making her way to the driver’s side. “We have to get you out of here. Quickly.”
“Don’t worry,” the man said. “It’s just steam.”
She wanted to believe him. She really did. But she wasn’t sure if the man was totally lucid. For all she knew, he could have a head injury or be in shock or both.
She refused to abandon him. She prayed the car didn’t explode into flames before she freed him. With the man slouched over, he was in her way.
With her hand still on his shoulder, she pushed with all her might. He didn’t budge. The man was built like a solid rock wall.
“I need you to sit up,” she said.
“What?” His voice was a bit groggy. His gaze zeroed in on her. “What are you doing?”
“I need you to move so I can see what’s going on with your leg.”
“You don’t know what you’re doing. You’re going to make it worse. Go away!”
His harsh words propelled her back out of the car. What was up with this guy? Maybe it was the shock talking.
“I’m trying to help you. Now quit being difficult.” She took a calming breath and knelt down again. “Move! Now!”
The man’s dark brows rose.
It appeared her brusque words had finally gained his full attention. The man muttered something under his breath. At last, he started to move. He was almost upright when he let out a grunt of pain.
“Is it your leg?”
He nodded as he drew in one deep breath after the other.
She glanced between him and the dash. There just might be enough room for her to wiggle in there. It’d help if she had a flashlight. And then remembering her cell phone, she grabbed it from her pocket and turned on the light.
Her gaze met his. “I’m going to try not to hurt you,
