Page 2 of Can She Get Home for Christmas?

“That’s good. It won’t be no bother to give you a lift. My name’s James Patton. What’s yours?”

“Samantha Donovan.”

“Irish, huh?”

“Yes. I’d be really grateful for a ride. You’re right. I shouldn’t be out here. But I didn’t want to miss Christmas with the folks. Everybody’s there. My sister and brother and his new girlfriend. Plus my parents.” She knew she was blathering now. He didn’t care about her holiday plans. She dragged in a breath and let it out, wondering how much she could ask of this man. But he’d stopped to help a stranded motorist. Maybe he’d go the extra mile. “Would it be too much of an imposition to take the stuff I’m bringing?”

He hesitated for a moment.

“Everything’s right in the back seat.”

When she saw his uncertain look, she added, “But we don’t have to bring it all. Maybe we can leave the presents. I can put them in the trunk so nobody can see them.”

“Sure. I can do that. Why don’t you get in my car, and I’ll go down there.”

“I have to lock up.”

“I can do that, too. Give me your keys.”

He was being super helpful now, yet there was something in the tone of his voice that set her nerves tingling.

“I’ll wait out here,” she said as she stood shivering in the cold and snow.

“I said get in the car,” he ordered, his voice sharpening.

In the space of a second, she knew she was in bad trouble. She backed away, her heart slamming against the inside of her chest. She couldn’t outrun this guy. But maybe she could make it back to her car and lock herself in. She was still grasping at that slim chance when he reached under his coat and pulled out a gun, aiming it at the center of her chest.

“Get in the car, I said. In the back.”

She flicked a glance inside. There was no back seat, only a flattened cargo area, and on the surface she saw a large metal ring—like the kind used to tie down cargo.

Chapter 2

Sam fought a wave of cold terror as she stared at the weapon

“Don’t . . .” she gasped out.

He laughed. “About my name. I like Patterson better than Patton. Yeah, James Patterson.”

The comment made no sense. “What?”

“You ever read hisKiss the Girls? That’s a favorite of mine. I got a lot of great ideas from that book. Get in the car,” he said, his voice easy and confident now that he’d seen her fear.

His hood had fallen back, revealing a square face and shaggy dark hair. She stared into his hard eyes, the color of flint, and the book he’d mentioned came slamming into her mind. The story was about a man who kidnapped women and held them captive. He made them bend to his will, then killed them when he got tired of them. If she got in that SUV, she was a dead woman, and she was pretty sure it wasn’t going to be an easy passing. She’d rather turn and run and take her chances in the woods. Of course, he could quickly fell her with a bullet in the leg, and then he’d still have her where he wanted her.

She was trying to decide what to do when the twin beams of headlights cut through the white curtain falling around them.

From where they stood on the shoulder of the road, Patton looked toward the oncoming vehicle. “Hurry up. Get in.”

“Maybe you’d better get out of here while you still can,” she countered, forcing as much bravado as she could into her voice.

The man answered in a silky tone. “No, I think I’ll wait here and shoot whoever gets out of that car.”

Lord, no. Was she going to get an innocent bystander killed—before this Patton guy bundled her off to a mountain cave or an abandoned house?

The vehicle that pulled onto the shoulder was another SUV. Sam kept her eyes glued to the windshield, trying to see who was in there, but the interior was too dark to make out anyone. The wipers cut off, and she waited long seconds for the driver to get out. When the door opened, the light did not go on. But a tall figure emerged, and Sam felt her insides clench.

It looked like a man wearing a parka. He was hatless, and in the snow and gathering gloom, she saw dark hair but not much else. He stood behind his open door, peering at them through the swirl of flakes. “You got car trouble? Need some help?” he called out from beside his vehicle.

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