The last thing, ex-football player Gage Everette wanted to do was go back to Montana and the Cold Blazes Ranch. But now he is back and he is hurt, lonely and angry. Jasmine Cole is running with her daughter Kleo. She is hurt, afraid and alone. Now she has to deal with her fear of men to save Gage and to make matters worse, Kleo is missing. Both Jasmine and Kleo has to face their demons and deal with two best friends that doesn’t seem to know the phrase “give up.”
Thunder sounded outside like a curse and lightening lit up the sky and the room that they stood in. A dark figure hovered in the path as she tried to get out. Something heavy in her arms caught her attention and she looked down.
A little girl?
Her daughter, it had to be.
He was drunk again. She could smell the rich scent of alcohol on his breath when he screamed into her face and grabbed her wrists. She quickly tried to lower the little girl gently to the ground but the little one slipped and scurried off into her room. The man yanked the woman forward, causing her to slam into his chest. The air left her lungs for a bit and she gasped to try and breathe again before she passed out.
The figure that was man-handling her was angry again. He was always angry, and when he got angry he lashed out to hurt her the only way he knew he could. By screaming and punishing her child. She dragged herself from him and picked up her daughter then bolted from the room.
There really wasn’t anywhere to run to. He would find them. She ran into the child’s room and pressed her back against the wall. She held the little girl protectively against her chest as the dark figure advanced on her. “No!” she said turning her back against him and pressing her daughter’s face against her neck. “Leave her alone!”
The figure began prying the girl from her arms. “No!” she cried in vain and the girl began crying. “Don’t take her away! No!”
Pushing hard backwards, she escaped and a cloud of smoke appeared around them. She screamed holding the bundle in her arms close to her body.
Then they were struggling through the dark eeriness of what looked to be a forest. The sound of barking could be heard off in the distant and she couldn’t see very far ahead of her. Branches tore at her skin and ripped her clothes. The small body in her arms slid down but she held on tightly.
“Mommy I’m scared,” the little voice called then shrieked as things that resembled bats but were too big flew directly at their heads. Using one hand as a shield for her baby she glanced over her shoulder. Her body slammed into a tree as a reward and the tiny girl began screaming in pain.
“Shh,” she whispered to the little girl as she kept going, “it’s alright sweetie…we’re almost there.”
But almost where?
She thought she would tell the child that to ease her cries but in truth it was partially for her own benefit. She didn’t even believe herself.
Then it happened. The thing she dreaded more than anything else in her life. He was there and he was taking her baby away from her. She held on tight, “Please! No! She’s mine! You can’t take her!”
“Come on, princess,” a voice called soothingly, “wake up.”
The cool, smooth voice floated in to her consciousness and she gravitated toward it. It seemed like the only light in her otherwise dark and conflicting head. She held on to the voice as though it was life itself. The voice was something tangible to her and she wanted nothing more than to just bury herself in it and stay there forever. Had he just called her princess? No one had ever called her that since her father’s death. Hands began gently shaking her.
“Come on, wake up now,” the voice pleaded.
Her eyes fluttered open but everything was blurry to her. She blinked a few times to get things into focus.
“That’s it,” the voice encouraged. “That’s it. You gave me a scare there for a minute. Didn’t think you would ever wake up.”
“W-Where am I?” she stuttered and tried to sit up but her head floating made her lay back down before she could even say another word.
“Cold Blazes Ranch,” he told her as he removed the towel from her forehead and replaced it with another cold one.
She moaned. “Cold Blazes Ranch,” she repeated with her eyes closed as the cold towel sucked some heat from her. “How did I get here?”
The towel on her forehead hit the ground as tried to sit up and the man simply placed it back against her forehead and pressed her back into the sofa. She wanted to fight him but she could barely lift her arms and keep her eyes open as is.
“I don’t know,” he sat back a little to give her some space, “I was hoping you would tell me who you are. You knocked on my door, soaking wet.”
She opened terrified eyes and looked up at him, “Where is my daughter?” she asked trying to sit up. “Kleo?” she began screaming.
“What daughter?” he was confused. “You were alone when I opened the door.”
“Alone?” she wanted to know as she fought him. “I couldn’t have been alone! I have a daughter, damn it! Where is she? What have you done with her? Give her back! Kleo!”
“Look lady,” he growled backing away slowly as the tender grip that he had on his temper began to slip, “I don’t know what kind of joke this is, or who put you up to it, but you did not come here with a child. You knocked on my door, fell into my arms unconscious and I felt it was my duty to take care of you until you can do so yourself and I take strong offence to you saying that I am some kind of pervert.”
It was as though her next words were frozen in her throat. “I-I’m sorry,” she said, settling back reluctantly. “I am so sorry but I have to find my daughter. Damn! I am so weak!”
“Stay here,” he ordered in an irritated voice. “I am going to take a look around outside. Keep the wet towels on your skin you have a slight fever now and I don’t have any ice packs in the house. I’ll be right back.”
Opening her mouth to tell him off, she quickly clamped it shut as she remembered that her mind may be as strong as nails but her body would betray her as soon as she even lifted her head. She felt so helpless and out of control that she wanted to scream at the sky but she couldn’t even do that. That caused her to frown and swear a couple of profanities that she had heard before and a few that she made up special for that one occasion; but those didn’t help the situation and she pressed her lips into a thin determined line. Giving up, she nodded numbly and pressed back against the sofa to show her utter defeat.
As she lay there and thought about it, she felt safe with this stranger. She made a mental note to ask him his name as she drifted off into a very frightful sleep.
Excerpt
"Brain surgery is hard," John said, "this is a no brainer."
