even be in the running for such a prestigious position at the young age of thirty-eight. What was even more incredible was that he had no political experience.
A federal judge. Awesome. His dream come true—if it happened, he reminded himself, jerking the reality chain. But if the cards fell right and he ended up as the president’s chosen one, he would not only make himself proud, but his stepdad, Mason, as well. Collier knew Mason wanted this position for him with every fiber of his being, and Collier feared the consequences if it didn’t come to fruition.
He squirmed against the pinch of guilt that tightened his gut. It should be his stepbrother, Jackson, who was vying for the job, not him. If only Jackson hadn’t been in that accident and lost the use of his legs. If only… There were so many of those in his life that Collier couldn’t begin to sort through them all.
His mind reverted back to his buried skeletons, but he quickly dismissed them again. He refused to dwell on the negative. For the moment he wanted the luxury of indulging himself and basking in his good fortune.
Unable to contain the excitement building inside him, he slapped the steering wheel with one hand, then felt the vehicle swerve.
Sudden fear tightened Collier’s fingers back on the wheel and forced him to pay closer attention to what he was doing. A man couldn’t drive unfocused through these rolling hills, especially with a slow drizzle hitting the windshield and numerous multicolored leaves falling from the trees that surrounded him.
Though it was nearing darkness, he could still see and appreciate the beauty of early fall in Tennessee. Rarely did he get the chance to sneak away from the booming law office where he was a partner and treat himself to a weekend alone in the family’s rustic cabin nestled away from the hectic wear and tear of everyday life.
However, he wasn’t on a pleasure jaunt, he reminded himself, facing reality once again. The high-profile case he’d taken had turned out to be more complicated and demanding than he’d expected. He needed some quiet time to study and prepare.
Too, he needed some space from the woman he’d been seeing for some time now. Lana had been pressuring him to set a wedding date, which would mean an engagement ring, announcement party, the whole nine yards. None of those held any appeal. He wasn’t even sure he loved her. Even if he did, the thought of marriage scared the hell out of him.
Dislodging that unsettling thought, Collier watched the cascading leaves, reminding himself to enjoy that small pleasure. His blue eyes narrowed on a big red leaf stuck on the windshield. He laughed out loud for the pure hell of it, despite the fact the drizzle had turned into a steady rain, making driving that much more treacherous.
Gripping the wheel even tighter, Collier slowed his speed as he rounded a curve. That was when he saw her. Or at least he thought it was a her. With the rain, he couldn’t be sure. What he was sure of, however, was that someone was walking toward him on the side of the road.
Leaning closer to the wheel and further narrowing his eyes, he decided it was definitely a woman and that she seemed to be in a world of hurt.
She was weaving as if she was drunk or completely disoriented. Either way, the situation was dangerous for both of them. Collier’s heart raced, and his palms turned sweaty. If he hadn’t slowed down, he might not have seen her until it was too late.
He could have struck her down.
Cool it, he told himself, breathing deeply to control his erratic pulse. He hadn’t hit her. But what the hell was she doing on this stretch of highway at this time of the evening? And alone, to boot?
He was sure it wasn’t by choice, a thought that made the hair stand up on the back of his neck. Something terrible must have happened, because no one in her right mind would be afoot in these hills in this rain at dusk.
What should he do?
Keep on going, pretending he hadn’t seen her? Stop? He blew out a pent-up breath. Numerous reasons why he shouldn’t stop flooded his mind. He ignored them and pulled off the road. Even though she was bound to have heard the noise behind her, she didn’t so much as turn around. She kept moving forward in that same dazed, weaving motion.
Aiding a stranger was the last thing he needed to be doing, yet how could he just drive away and leave her?
He drove past her onto the shoulder, then opened the door and stepped out, flinching against the bone-chilling rain that struck him in the face. Controlling his growing anxiety and frustration, he caught up with her, stopping short of touching her. “Ma’am?”
Only after he spoke did she halt and turn slowly around.
Collier swallowed a gasp and a curse. Even though the elements were against him, her features were visible. Two things were immediately evident: she was young, and she was hurt. Gut instinct told him she’d been physically assaulted. One side of her face was bruised and swollen. And visible through her torn clothing were signs of other scrapes and bruises on her chest.
If she’d been in an accident of some kind, there would be a vehicle around. As it was, the two of them were alone, the cold rain becoming more of a problem by the second.
The fact that she was shivering and couldn’t seem to stop jolted him into action. He had to get her into his car, then to a hospital. Shock had apparently set in, and that put her in more jeopardy than her wounds.
He suppressed another curse and motioned toward his Lexus. “Come on. Get in my car.”
She didn’t argue, but she didn’t move, either.
“Please,” Collier said, hearing the coaxing note in his voice, something that didn’t come easily to him. “I can help you if you’ll let me.”
She remained motionless. Rounded eyes that seemed to take up more of her small face than necessary were centered directly on him, though he would have bet she wasn’t seeing him at all.
“Please,” he said again, reaching out and lightly touching her arm.
She flinched, and his lips tightened. “Sorry. But you have to get in my car. You need help.”
Though she still remained mute, she took a step toward his vehicle. Careful not to touch her again, he rushed to open the door. Once she was seated, he slammed it shut and strode back to his side, releasing his held breath.
Too close to call. What if she’d refused to get in? What would he have done then? Since that was a moot point, he didn’t have to go there. Now all he had to do was get her to the hospital and his responsibility would end.
Immediately he turned to her. She sat rigid, staring straight ahead. “I have a cell phone,” Collier said in an awkward tone. “Is there someone I can call to meet you at the hospital?”
He had no idea if his words had penetrated, but he had to try. He would have to leave her, the thought of her fending for herself even at the hospital suddenly pricked his conscience, which in turn made him furious at himself.
What the hell was the matter with him? She wasn’t his problem. He’d best remember that. But she was so pitiful, like a helpless, wounded animal or worse, a wounded child.
“Please…”
Her
