Chapter One
“Now those are some grey clouds.” Lucy glanced at the sky warily while the shop owner loaded her car. She wasn’t a fan of storms and with the way those dark puffs were closing in around the mountains, the urge to get on the road was real.
It was at least a solid hour’s drive back to Pine Haven Falls.
Lucy grinned as she thought about her haul. Between all the stores she’d hit up today, she wouldn’t need to leave the cabin for weeks. Okay, maybe she’d need to get some more eggs or fresh produce, but after this trip to Pineberry Springs, she’d be stocked for a while. Which meant she could focus on her art instead of making her grandfather’s old cabin homier.
When she’d inherited the place, she’d thought of listing it as a vacation rental. But the moment she’d seen it in person again, she’d changed her mind. Tucked away near a river amongst acres of old-growth pines, Yayo’s cabin was a poster child for serenity in nature and a perfect place for Lucy to focus on her art. She was working on several commissioned pieces currently, and something about the remote location called to her. So, she’d sublet her San Diego apartment and made the trek from the bustling city to the pristine mountain forest in northern New Mexico with big plans to spend the summer painting.
The cabin was in such a remote area she didn’t have many neighbors. Aside from some shop owners and the service providers who’d helped with the renovations, she hadn’t met many people yet either. Everyone she’d met so far had been lovely though, and with their help, Lucy had turned her late grandfather’s retirement spot into her new home, and his old workshop into a state-of-the-art studio. It had taken a few weeks to get used to the slower pace and all the nature here, but she was settling in nicely.
As the sky darkened, Lucy scanned the road, worried about wildlife. There was no shoulder between the pavement and the dense spruce and pine forest on this stretch of the two-lane highway. Thankfully, it wasn’t dusk yet, so there were no deer sightings.
Lucy tightened her grip on the steering wheel as a low rumble of thunder sounded. Glancing at the speedometer, she risked giving the car a little more gas. She didn’t want to get caught in the storm.
“Looks like it’ll be a big one.” She sighed, catching the way the clouds were lining up.
Storms were not her favorite.
She used to love them when she was little. Her mom had told her thunderstorms were really angels bowling. That when there was a loud crack of thunder immediately after a bright flash of lightning, it meant an angel had bowled a strike. Lucy had loved the visual image. Now, though, she knew storms had nothing to do with angels and just wanted to get home and hunker down. She'd bet that’s what all the animals were doing, bedding down somewhere safe and—
As a large black blur shot across the road, Lucy hit the brakes, swerving to avoid it. The impact was inevitable, though. Her car clipped the creature, the thick thud on her grill underscored by another rumble of thunder.
Anxiety and adrenaline flooded her system as she struggled to catch her breath and peel her hands from the steering wheel. Her fingers didn’t want to respond, her knuckles whitening as realization set in.
She’d hit something.
Hard.
Lucy focused on her breathing, trying to calm herself, but it didn’t help the shaking in her limbs or the swirling nausea in her belly. She struggled to swallow, fighting back tears as she got out of the car and saw the wounded animal lying on the edge of the road.
A dog.
She’d hit a dog.
It wasn’t moving, but that didn’t mean she’d killed it.
Lucy took another deep breath, wiping her sweaty palms on her shorts as she looked around for other dogs, or cars, or… anything. But there was no one else on the two-lane road, no one coming to claim this creature.
No one coming to help her. She was alone in this.
Story of her life.
With a heavy sigh, Lucy willed herself to focus. That storm was definitely on its way, but the dog still hadn’t moved. She approached it cautiously, with her palms out in front of her, wondering how much damage had been done.
“I’m so sorry, doggie,” she murmured. “I didn’t see you until you were right in front of me.”
She’d never even seen a dog out here before. Deer, elk, coyotes and foxes, sure, but not dogs. This stretch of highway went through undeveloped land, and to her knowledge, there weren’t any houses nearby.
Lucy crouched down by the big dog, murmuring apologies while placing a hand on its side to see if it was still breathing. He opened his eyes at her touch, lifting his head slightly, and she pulled back, shocked at the startling shade of blue.
“Well, you must be part husky,” she smiled.
She’d always loved the way huskies looked with their crystal blue eyes and wolf-like features. This dog’s coloring wasn’t like a husky, though. His fur was all black. She didn’t see any blood, but one of his legs was bent at a funny angle.
He’d need medical help.
Lucy reached a shaky hand to pet the dog’s flank, hoping he’d be okay.
