Excerpt of The Rancher Risks It All by Debra Holt

TRUITT TREMAYNE UTTERED another curse word as he used his jacket sleeve to wipe away the moisture gathering inside the windshield. The onslaught of rain pelting the glass was already making it hard enough to progress more than ten miles per hour in the dark without the windows fogging too, and adding to the problem. Even in the enormous ranch truck, which was raised higher off the roadway than most regular vehicles, the water level was still deep enough to make him use caution. Having been born and raised in this part of Texas, he knew quite well what a danger flash flooding was to human life. He had learned that lesson the hardest way possible. As quickly as they threatened to come, he slammed the door shut on those sharp memories. There was nothing to be gained from reliving the past. Nothing that could be changed. 

Pushing the buttons on the radio, trying to find a station that wasn’t just static, he hoped to hear the latest weather report. There was still no reception, and he slapped his hand back on the steering wheel. At the same moment, his eyes caught the flash of his lights reflected in the metal bumper of a dark car that sat at an odd angle…half on, half off the road in front of him. 

Another string of colorful words immediately filled the truck’s cab, along with the swift application of brakes which caused the truck to shudder as the rear end lost traction and began to fishtail. Truitt held on to the wheel and managed to avoid losing control, bringing the vehicle to rest within inches of the rear end of the small car. For a few moments, only the sound of the slapping of the windshield wipers filled the cab along with the incessant beating of rain on the truck’s roof. Truitt took a couple of calming breaths, trying to stuff down a long ago memory of another storm and a stranded car, but the breaths didn’t help much considering the anger taking root in his chest. Jamming his plastic covered Stetson onto his head; he jerked the collar of his rain slicker upward around his neck, grabbed the flashlight from the console beside him, and pushed open his door. 

The water rushing across the pavement covered the top of his boots above the ankle. The rain hit his face with the force of small pellets, leaving a sting in their wake. His flashlight swept over the California license plate. Figures. Texans, and especially local folks, would have more sense than to be out in such a storm, much less put themselves in a fix that made their vehicle a road hazard to others in the low visibility. His jaw clamped down hard as his temper flared at the interruption in his own plans of getting back to the ranch before midnight. First things first…he had to deal with whatever idiot was behind the wheel.

ANNIE HADN’T REALIZED she had dozed off, her forehead against the steering wheel, until a sudden loud banging at the window beside her startled her, making her jump backward in her seat, eyes wide in sudden fear. 

“Who is that?!” Jessie gasped, grabbing Annie’s arm in a vice grip. The rain on the outside and the fog on the inside of the windows combined to make it almost impossible to make out who might be outside the car. 

“Just stay still,” Annie spoke, finding her voice and trying to keep it calm for Jessie’s sake. “Let me do the talking.” Jessie’s only response was to increase the hold she had on Annie’s arm. 

Annie turned the key in the ignition one click, then pushed the button beside her and lowered the window about three inches. She had a sense of a tall figure; face fairly concealed by the brim of a cowboy hat, his chin almost buried in the folds of the collar of his yellow rain slicker. 

“Lady, what the blazes do you think you’re doing? I could have plowed into you. Why don’t you at least have your flashers on to warn other drivers of the hazard?” 

The voice was a deep rumble with nothing remotely kind in it. So much for Texas friendliness. Irritation began to rise as her sense of fear began to subside to a lesser degree. Did he think she wanted to be there? 

“I did have my lights on until I realized they were drawing my battery down. If help came along and we could get unstuck, I knew I needed to be able to move my car. Sorry if we inconvenienced you. If you can tell me where to find the nearest house, I can get help.” 

The word “we” must have registered in the man’s brain, and he moved the flashlight, shining it on her briefly, before moving to the smaller female huddled in the passenger side, her face clearly registering fear, her hands locked on the upper arm of the driver. Was that a hint of remorse flitting across his face for being so heavy-handed with his gruffness? But, almost as soon as she sensed it, it disappeared. Could she really blame him? It was just a miserable evening all the way around. 

“The nearest house happens to be on the Four T Ranch. Even if you found the gate, which is another three miles ahead, you wouldn’t be able to get through it without a code.” 

“My cell has no signal out here. Do you have a radio in your truck by any chance?” 

“No, I don’t,” he replied shortly. “Look, you two can’t stay here like this. Someone else could come along from one of the side roads and hit you or run off the road trying to miss you like I almost did. More importantly, the creek behind you has gone over the banks and blocked the road by now, and the river a few miles in front of you hasn’t even crested yet, but it’s already way past flood stage. You’re essentially cut off.” 

The news was just about the last straw for Annie. She was tired, her bones ached, and her throat was growing more painful by the moment. She had tried to ignore the signs of impending illness for the last two days of their travel, but she could feel her last bit of energy draining away much the same as her car battery might have done. What was she supposed to do? 

The storm, coupled with how terrible she felt physically and how tired she was mentally, was all coming together like a perfect “storm” of its own. She summoned every ounce of strength she had remaining to face the arrogant stranger. 

“Look, Mr. Whoever-you-are, instead of giving me bad news, do you think you might try to act like John Wayne, instead of just dressing like him, and tell me how I can find help?” Her chin came up, as did the tone of her voice. The tall stranger stood silent for a long moment…but only a moment. 

“I’m going to pull my truck closer. Then I’ll get you both inside and take you to the Tremayne Ranch. This storm is going to get worse before it gets better. We need to move. Gather up the things you must have this evening and be ready to move. I’ll be right back for you.” He didn’t wait for a reply but went trudging back through the rain and the deepening water to his truck, his body almost bent double against the howling winds. 

“Are we seriously going with him? Why can’t we just stay here?” Her little sister’s voice ended on a tremble. She was trying to be brave but was having a battle of it. Even Annie was about at her wit’s end. 

“There isn’t much of a choice, Jessie. Just remember our story and let me do the talking when we get there. At the very least, it will be a dry, safe place for a few hours. Get your bag from the back seat.” 

“How do you know it’s a safe place? He could be an axe murderer or something.” 

Annie shook her head. Up until a few weeks ago, she would have asked the girl where she got such ideas in her head or told her she watched too many of the wrong movies on cable. Annie hadn’t been able to protect her from that. 

“Sometimes, you just have to go with gut instincts. For whatever reason, I think this man is a Good Samaritan that was sent our way to help us out of this spot we landed in. Maybe he’s a guardian angel in disguise. We just need to be thankful he came along when he did. We’ll get help for our car and soon be on our way again.” 

The truck pulled beside the driver’s side of the car, leaving enough room for the doors to open and allow him room to maneuver between them. With a movement of his hand, he indicated she needed to unlock her door. Once opened, he leaned in and motioned for her to hand over the two small bags and their purses. With quick steps, he secured them in the back seat of his truck and soon returned. “The water is cold and getting deeper. I’ll carry you over to the truck. Who’s first?” 

Annie turned to Jessie. “Crawl over me and you go first. Be quick. It’s okay.” She reassured the girl with a smile she was far from feeling. 

Jessie moved, hesitantly at first, until the man could get a hold on her and then she was lifted quickly into his arms and carried to the large truck, disappearing into the back seat, the door closing behind her. Her small face appeared at the fog-smeared window. 

Within a matter of moments, he had returned. Two arms reached out for her next, and Annie raised hers and slid them over a pair of solid, broad shoulders, linking her hands around a strong column of a neck. Automatically, with the sting of rain hitting, she buried her face as best she could against a wet shoulder. Reaching the truck, he swung her around to enable her to slide onto the seat just as a loud clap of thunder shook the ground again and lightning lit up the skies, turning the darkness into an almost eerie silver-edged daylight. Annie’s face came up, and her gaze widened in her face as she looked up into the face just inches from hers. 

Darkness filled the eyes set in a strong face of high cheekbones, straight nose, and a squared chin as his gaze bore into hers, equally assessing of her, quietly watchful. Another streak of lightning came, and she saw the scar that arced from just above his right eyebrow downward to disappear into the hair above his ear. It was maybe pencilwidth and jagged. Moving her eyes away from it in a selfconscious sweep, she caught the look in his eyes at that moment, the sardonic twist of his mouth. He dropped her onto the seat and stepped back, his hand going to the door of the truck. 

“Don’t worry.” The door shut between them. She could see him step back to her car, securing the doors. 

“Who is he, Annie?” The small whisper came from the back seat. “Did you see his face? How do you suppose that happened? Maybe a fight?” 

“Shhhhh,” Annie responded, gathering her own composure. “It’s not the outside of someone that matters, remember? It’s none of our business, either. All we need to know about him is that he’s helping us when he doesn’t actually have to do so.” 

“You’re right. I just wish we could go home.” The wistful voice faded into the back seat. 

“So do I, honey… So do I.” Annie whispered the words to herself more than to anyone else. Except, she knew there was no home left to go back to…and none yet in front of them.