Right. Sure, she was. “Really? Which neighborhood?” he asked, reaching the first fence on the ranch house property. He stopped by the gate and waited.
“Sloan Lake,” she said instantly.
He pressed the remote control and the gate unlocked, swinging open. “That’s a nice area in Denver,” he said calmly. One that’d be easy to confirm on the Internet.
She watched the gate swing inward. “You’re awfully high-tech. I take it we’re on your ranch?”
“It’s not mine. It’s the only patch of the land that already had a house on it, and since I was the first in town, I stayed there while having the clubhouse built. I keep meaning to move out but just haven’t gotten around to it.” He didn’t need a home, since he liked his life the way it was right now. He drove through and waited for the gate to engage behind them.
She looked past the wolf and out the back window as the gate swung shut and locked. Slowly, the color began to drain from her pretty face. She studied the rolling fields, cows, and surrounding mountains.
Although it was a little late for her to realize her precarious position, her current predicament wasn’t all her fault. Though she should’ve been a lot more aware of her options the night before. “If you were mine, we’d be having a difficult conversation right now, sweetheart.”
She jumped, her blue eyes wide.
He sighed and pointed to the glovebox. “There’s a loaded Glock 19 in the glovebox. You can have it if you want.”
She jerked and looked at the glovebox as if something might jump out at her. “Glock 19? Does it have the safety on?”
His chin almost dropped to his chest. “Honey, the Glock doesn’t have a manual safety. Have you ever shot a gun?”
“No,” she whispered.
He exhaled slowly to keep his temper in check. “Then don’t take that one.” What were his options with her? If he took her to town, she’d try to find money to pay for her car and then she’d run. Every protective instinct he had wanted to tuck her away from danger at the ranch, but he didn’t know her. Oh, he knew she was being chased, but by whom? Then she turned toward him, those eyes so blue and terrified.
He was lost. Completely. “All right. Here’s the deal. We’re going to the ranch, you’re going to be safe, and you’re going to tell me what is going on. All right?”
She blinked. “Nothing is going on.”
Terrible liar. Seriously. She couldn’t stop fidgeting. “Who are you running from?” He sped up, and the truck bumped across the muddy road.
“Nobody,” she whispered, still looking pale.
This wouldn’t do. Though he couldn’t blame her for being afraid of him, considering they’d just met. He pulled over and whipped out his phone, opening a video call.
“Trent? Is Wyatt okay?” Austin asked, his face too close to the camera.
“Yeah. He checked in and all is well. Sheriff Austin McDay, this is Hallie. I don’t know her last name, and she’s being stubborn about telling it to me.” He handed the phone over to Hallie.
She swallowed, looking at Austin, who wore a black cowboy hat and a badge hanging from his neck. “Hi.”
“Hi. Do you have something to report?” Austin asked.
“No,” she said, her dark brows drawing down as she looked at Trent.
“What are you doing?” Austin’s question was for Trent.
Trent reclaimed his phone. “I’m taking her to the ranch house, and she seems nervous about it, so I thought I’d let the law know what I was doing. You can call and check on her periodically.” He studied the woman. “Listen, Hallie. This is up to you. If you want me to take you to town, I will. However, I could use some help at my place, as well as the clubhouse, and I’ll pay you. Either way, it’s your choice. I’m not going to force you.” If she refused his help, he’d put some security on her in town until he figured out how much danger she was in.
She swallowed. A slight smile tugged at her bow-shaped bottom lip. “Maybe you and the local law are in cahoots. How do I know I’m safe now?”
Cahoots? Who used the word cahoots these days? Everything in Trent warmed and then heated. If she got any more adorable, he’d just go down on one knee and propose right now—something that was so not going to happen. He had to help her and get her out of town before that kind of idea took