Peppermint Creek Inn Read Free Page A

cheek and disappeared into the thick mat of his mangy beard. The way he swayed slowly back and forth made her realize he was hurt.
    Bad.
    Like any wounded animal, he was extremely dangerous. And unpredictable.
    “Do you know me?” The soothing sound in his voice had disappeared, replaced with a raw tension that frightened Sara.
    Quickly she backed away from his menacing figure.
    The kitchen countertop crashed painfully into the small of her back, stopping her dead in her tracks. With trembling hands she reached out behind her in a desperate effort to clutch the countertop for support as her paralyzed knees threatened to buckle.
    “Sure I know you,” she said and swallowed the bitter fear threatening to suck away her remaining strength.
    His eyes took on a flickering of hope. “Who am I? What’s my name?”
    Was he kidding? Confused? Crazy?
    Desperation tinged his voice and she sensed the fear overwhelming him. Compassion edged away her fright, but she quickly tempered it when she spotted the gun dangling in his trembling hand.
    Plans quickly formulated in her mind. “I know who you are,” she spat as her frantic fingers scoured the countertop behind her for the steak knives she kept in the knife holder. If only she could get to one of those knives. She’d use it to gouge out his eyes or stab him in the ear.
    Something cold and velvety brushed against her fingertips. The rat! She could throw the rat at him! Surprise him. Give her a second to get away. That’s all the time she needed.
    She swallowed hard and willed herself to pick up the dead animal. But her hand just wouldn’t cooperate. She continued groping madly behind her and prayed the darkness would conceal her search.
    “I’ve told the police your description,” she lied. “They’ll be looking for you if something happens to me.”
    He recoiled in horror and truly looked shocked. “I told you I won’t hurt you, I just—” He stopped suddenly, clutched his gun hand to his chest and bowled over, cutting loose with a series of raspy coughs. The sounds of which led Sara to again feel a momentary compassion for the man.
    She pushed her sympathy aside and shot like a bullet past him and through the open doorway, bursting out onto the veranda into the fury of the storm. Pouring rain arrowed beneath the porch, poking her with icy fingers.
    Suddenly a fiery bolt of lightning forked out of the heaving black sky stopping her cold in her tracks. It zeroed in on the romance tree as if it was a heat-seeking missile, hitting with an explosion like nothing she’d ever imagined could exist.
    Brilliant white sparks sizzled wildly in every direction making her catch her breath. Above the shrieking wind and pelting rain, she barely heard the sharp cracking sound of the tree breaking.
    A tingling sensation darted up her spine making the hairs on her neck stand in warning. Her head snapped upward. To her horror, the enormous tree swayed dangerously. Then it tipped precariously and began its descent. It hurtled toward her home.
    And toward her!
    She stood stock-still, mesmerized by the immenseness of the tree. Could this be the way it would end? Struck dead by Peppermint Creek Inn’s romance tree?
    God, she missed Jack. Missed the way he’d laughed, the way she’d felt so safe and loved in his arms. Maybe it would be better this way. Maybe—
    Two strong hands curled over her shoulders and hurled her back through the open doorway as if she was a mere a rag doll, shoving her quickly onto the kitchen floor.
    Then he flew on top of her, groaning as he landed. Squashing her beneath his heavy weight.
    At that instant, a tremendous crash shook the house. She screamed as glass shattered and wood splintered. Automatically her eyes closed and her hands flew up to protect her head. It was all over in a split second.
    Eerie silence followed.
    She opened her eyes to complete utter blackness.
    The truck’s headlight beams were gone and most likely her truck, too. With a sinking