Excerpt: MOUNTAIN BLAZE by Debby Grahl

 

Rodeo star Dillon McCoy comes home to the mountains of North Carolina to lick his wounds and take over running the family ranch, the Lazy M, unaware danger awaits. Diana Thompson is having doubts about her engagement to Trent Sawyer. Needing time away, she agrees to leave Chapel Hill and spend Thanksgiving with her friend Jenn at her ranch. When Diana and Dillon meet, neither can deny their attraction, but both must resolve past relationships before giving in to their desire. Danger lurks after Dillon turns down an anonymous offer to purchase the ranch. And when a body is found, Dillon is determined to discover who wants the McCoy land bad enough to commit murder. Can he and Diana elude the killer while the sparks of their newfound love grow?

 

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Diana ran to the bedroom. She closed and locked the door behind her and hurried to the sliding doors leading onto the deck. She slid them open and ran.

Once she made it to the trees, the snow was deeper. Sinking to her knees, Diana struggled to move quickly. Knowing her trail would be easily followed, she pushed on. Not having a clue where she was going, Diana hoped to spot a landmark she’d recognize from their trail rides.

Was Dillon coming? Did he know she was missing? Surely by now he was looking for her. But how long would it take for him to realize she was at the ranch?

Breathless, her hands and feet numb, she wiped tears from her cheeks. Stop it. You have to remain strong to survive. She gritted her teeth. Why had she changed from her sturdy boots to these fancy leather ones. She could almost hear Jenn now, “Girl, what’s the matter with you?”

None of this made any sense. What in the world was she doing lost in the woods in the snow running from a killer?

Diana, her teeth chattering and her cheeks raw from the cold, let out a little sob. How long had she been wandering in the woods? She thought she’d been heading down hill, but she couldn’t be sure. She blinked. Had she seen something move? She listened, but neither the sound of a bird or the chatter of a squirrel could be heard. Unease crawled up her spine when a shadow a few feet ahead flickered through the trees. Okay, it’s probably an animal who’s as afraid of you as you are of them. She started forward. A scream lodged in her throat when the image of a woman formed before her. She floated above the ground and motioned for Diana to follow.

Mesmerized, Diana couldn’t move. Upon the wind, a lilting voice said, “I will not harm you. I will lead you to safety. You must hurry.”

“Who are you?” Diana whispered.