She jumped a foot when someone tapped on the driver’s side window.
When she looked up, she saw a man peering at her through the glass. For the first time, she wished she had taken her father’s advice and bought a gun to keep in the car. “The way you go gallivantin’ around the country, you might need it someday,” he’d often said.
And now someday had arrived.
“Are you all right?” the stranger asked.
Kadie stared at him, surprised she could hear him so clearly in spite of the rain and the thunder.
“Fine, thank you,” she said. “Except I’m out of gas. Is there a station nearby?”
“Just the one, and it’s out of business.”
Kadie frowned. She’d seen cars in the driveways. Where did they buy gas?
“You’re gonna freeze to death in there,” he said. “There’s a tavern down the street that’s open late. You can warm up inside.”
Kadie shook her head. She wasn’t crazy enough to follow a stranger down a dark street in the middle of the night.
“You’ll be perfectly safe. Cross my heart,” he said, his finger copying his words.
Kadie took a deep breath as she weighed her options. If he meant to do her harm, there was nothing to stop him from breaking into the SUV. And she was cold, and getting colder by the minute. Lightning lanced the clouds. A rumble of thunder shook the car.
“They have hot coffee,” he added.
That did it. Grabbing her purse and the keys, she pulled the hood of her jacket up over her head and unlocked the door.
She was careful not to get too close to him as they walked down the street.
The bar was only half a block from the hotel. Kadie hesitated when the stranger opened the door; then, taking a deep breath, she stepped inside.
Warmth engulfed her. The light from a dozen flickering candles revealed a large room dominated by a bar that ran the length of the back wall. A number of booths lined one side of the room; a dozen small, round tables occupied the other side.
She felt suddenly self-conscious as five men and a woman turned to stare at her.
Ignoring them one and all, she followed her companion to an empty table.
“Here, let me take that,” he said as she shrugged out of her wet jacket.
Kadie murmured her thanks as he draped it over the back of an empty chair, then took the seat across from hers.
A tall, skinny woman who looked almost anorexic approached the table on silent feet.
“Do you want anything besides coffee?” Kadie’s companion asked.
When she shook her head, he ordered a glass of wine for himself and the skinny woman walked away as silently as she had appeared.
Kadie clasped her hands in her lap, looking everywhere but at the man across from her.
“I’m Darrick.”
He had a faint English accent. Dark brown hair brushed the collar of his black shirt and his eyes were a shade lighter than his hair.
“Kadie,” she said.
“What brings you to Morgan Creek?”
“I took a wrong turn,” she admitted, and felt a faint flush of embarrassment warm her cheeks. She had always prided herself on being able to find her way around. “And ended up here.”
“Far off the beaten path, to be sure.”
The silent waitress returned with their drinks, and silently departed.
“Is there something wrong with her?” Kadie asked.
He lifted one brow. “With Frankie? She’s a mute.”
“Oh, how sad.” Kadie watched the waitress move from table to table. The woman never smiled at anyone.
“You’ll be needing a place to spend the night,” Darrick said, drawing Kadie’s attention once more.
“The hotel . . .”
“Out of business. The place is empty. Has been for years. But I’m sure we can find you a bed somewhere.”
She didn’t like the sound of that. “That’s all right. I’ll just sleep in my car. I’ve done it before.”
He shook his head. “Not a good idea.”
The look in his eyes, the underlying warning in his voice, sent a chill down her spine. “Do you have a better one?” She blew on her coffee, then took a sip. It was stronger than she liked and she added a packet of sugar.
“There’s an empty house over on Fifth Street. The people took off in a hurry and left all their furniture behind. You can stay there.”
“You mean, break in?”
“The people aren’t coming back, so the house is just sitting there. You might as well use it.”
Kadie fidgeted in her chair. What he was suggesting didn’t seem right, but it was a lot more