But she hadn’t saved Damien. She’d just thrown him into a different kind of trouble.

“It’s not my problem,” she muttered, rushing down the stairs and out the back door.

Slipping on the ice, she banged her knee on the hard concrete and swore. Pain radiated up her leg and she hobbled to the old Escort, praying it would start like it was supposed to.

The engine turned over a few times, tired and belligerent.

“Come on, you fucking car!” She banged the wheel. “I have to get out of here!”

The car responded to her reprimand, reluctantly sputtering to life and groaning out of the lot behind Lulu’s.

The sky was clear, the moon bright. White puffs of air filled the car as Rosie waited for the freaking heater to start working. It was pathetic at the best of times. At least she had a jacket for this escape.

Charging down the road, she headed for Main Street, ignoring the little pulls of nostalgia that were trying to keep her put.

“Shut up.” She gripped the wheel and kept pushing forward.

She knew better than to speed. The roads were icy and treacherous. The last thing she needed was an accident.

Cruising through the intersections, she headed south. And she nearly made it too.

But as she reached the outskirts of town, where the buildings were far apart and barren farmland covered in snow stretched for miles on either side, the Escort sputtered to a stop and refused to start again.

“No, no, no,” Rosie whimpered as she turned the ignition and got nothing but a pitiful whir. “You piece-of-shit car!”

Tears threatened to take her out, burning her eyes and restricting her airways.

“What the hell am I supposed to do now?” She thumped the wheel repeatedly until she was exhausted from the effort, then slumped back in her seat.

Maybe it’d be easier to freeze to death and just be done with it.

She could fade away like that girl in the snow, and all her problems would disappear. Damien couldn’t reach her. Chester couldn’t touch her.

Her lips trembled as she contemplated the idea, but then thoughts of Blaine crashed into her. His skinny fingers wrapped around that gun. He was no doubt thinking all the same things she was. One shot and it’d all be over. His body would tumble over the edge and he’d be lost to the waterfall, where his tormentors could never hurt or humiliate him again.

Rosie closed her eyes. A lone tear trickled down her left cheek. She let it run, tickling her skin as it slowly descended.

The chilly air closed in around her and her teeth started to chatter. She needed to move. To get walking. To do something or she seriously would freeze to death.

You don’t want to die, Rosie.

She squeezed her eyes tight, telling herself it was the truth.

But she was such a hopeless mess. She kept screwing up, and she didn’t know if she could survive this last one. Did she honestly think she could hide out in some little town and the past would just forget about her?

Life wasn’t that easy.

It hurt to swallow. Her teeth tapped together in a steady rhythm as her insides began to quake as well.

“M-move, Rosie. Do something.” She rubbed her arms vigorously, knowing it wasn’t enough. She should call someone. But who? The only number in her phone worth calling was Louanne’s. If she came out to rescue her now, Rosie would have to admit what she was doing—stealing the last of Louanne’s money and running out of town. Louanne would want to understand why, and then the whole ugly story would have to come out.

She couldn’t do it.

That woman had been too good to her already. A person’s patience could only be stretched so far.

What she needed was some nice stranger to drive past and rescue her, which was why when two headlights appeared on the other side of the deserted road, she thought she was imagining it.

Rosie held her breath as the car slowed to a stop. She peered into the darkness, hoping it was someone kind. Maybe some elderly farmer who would tell her everything would be okay, and he’d take her home for a hot cocoa by the fireplace.

Please don’t let it be some rapist…or Chester…or Damien.

Her heart rate increased to frenetic, and when the person’s gloved knuckles rapped on her window, she actually screamed.

White puffy breaths punched out of her as she stared into the flashlight beam and squinted.

“Rosie?” The voice was muffled, but the man definitely said her name.

She froze still, gripping the wheel with both hands as terror told her it was Chester. He was there to claim her, to take her to whatever miserable club he worked at and sell her body.

“Rosie, it’s me, Blaine.”

She flinched and looked out the window as Blaine turned the flashlight beam on himself. His handsome face was illuminated by the soft glow, and she let out a shaky, whimpering breath.

Lowering the window, she bit her lip as he bent down to talk to her.

He grinned. “Having a little car trouble?”

“Yeah, it’s nothing surprising really.”

His expression flickered with concern. “How long you been out here?”

“Not sure,” she croaked.

“You call for help already?”

She swallowed, embarrassed that she hadn’t had the guts to call anyone. Honestly, what kind of person sits in their car feeling sorry for themselves on a Minnesota winter’s night? She was crazy.

“Well, uh, I don’t know much about cars, but if you’re willing to leave it until the morning, I could give you a ride home, and then we can sort out a tow first thing. It’s way too cold to do it now.”

“Yeah.” Her face bunched as she gritted her teeth to stop them from chattering. “It’s pretty freezing.”

“Come on, my car’s nice and warm.” Blaine opened her door and held out his hand. She had no choice but to take it.

Grabbing her bag, she trailed him across the road and slipped into his car. It was freaking luxurious compared to hers, and she couldn’t help nestling into the seat like it was a comfy sofa.

The heater was blasting, and she relished the hot air hitting her face. Pulling off her gloves, she held them up to the heat and let the warm air thaw her chilled fingers.

Her hands were slowly starting to defrost as Blaine headed back into town.

“So, can I ask where you were going? You looked like you were heading out of town.”

She bit her lips together and looked away from him.

He wasn’t in uniform. The question was just a friendly one, but she still didn’t want to answer it.

After an extended, uncomfortable silence, Blaine cleared his throat and filled the space.

“I was just visiting my dad. I usually see him on Sundays for lunch, but he’s come down with the flu, so I thought I’d take him some hot soup and see how he was doing.”

Rosie’s expression buckled. She was grateful to be staring out the window as a surprising desire tore through her. She’d never been into nice guys. The bad, wild boys were more her style, but just the idea of being with someone who was sweet enough to take his daddy soup made her insides twist with longing.

That uncomfortable silence descended again. Rosie felt bad, so she sniffed and softly murmured, “I’m sorry your dad’s sick.”

“He should be better soon. Thankfully, he’s only teaching part-time at the college now, so he’s got some days to recover.”

The college. Professor Hartford.

Rosie nodded as she conjured up an image of the man. She wondered if he still had that beautifully trimmed beard. He was one of those men that made facial hair look good.

Wait.

The college. The girl in the snow.

She winced.

“Does he know about…?” She couldn’t even finish her sentence, but Blaine knew what she was referring to.

She glanced his way, her heart twisting at the pained look on his face. “Yeah. He didn’t know the victim, but he’s still pretty shaken. Everyone is.”

They slowed to a stop at the intersection and Blaine turned to study her.

She couldn’t hold his gaze, worried that he’d read her too easily. That he’d figure out she was running away because she knew about little blue pills.

“How’d you hear about it?” Blaine accelerated forward.

With his eyes back on the road, Rosie managed to find her voice again. “Read it in the paper.”

Blaine let out a resigned sigh. “Jarrett sure knows how to get those stories out quickly.”

“Do cops really hate reporters as much as they do on TV or in the movies?”

“Yeah, I think so.” Blaine laughed, then shook his head. “Jarrett’s not too bad. He tends to print the truth, but it just bugs me that he always wants to be the first to say it. I’m aware that people have the right to know what’s going on, but sometimes I wish he’d sit on things for a few days, give us a chance to get the investigation really humming before the worried public start calling.”

“I bet the phone lines were buzzing today.”

“Oh yeah. Thanks to Jarrett. The guy always goes the extra mile and does his research…reveals things that maybe we don’t want the public knowing about yet.”

Rosie tensed. “You mean those pills?”

“Uh, yeah. I mean, we don’t know for sure if that’s what killed her. Jarrett just put that in there as a warning, really. It’s just speculation. He said that in the article.”

“I just kind of skimmed it.” She shrugged and scrambled for ways to shift the conversation back to nicer things, like sweet guys taking soup to their sick fathers.

“Well, we’re working as fast as we can to uncover the truth.”

“Bet you guys work really hard, don’t you?”

“We do our best.” His kind brown eyes lit over her and she felt an unexplained warmth.

Her lips twitched with a smile. “You going to catch these drug guys?”

“We’re sure as hell gonna try.”

The way he said it, with such determination and confidence, nearly made her blurt the truth right then.

I think I might know a guy who could be linked to this. I could help you.

But what if she was wrong? She didn’t know how prevalent those pills were. Maybe that was what all ecstasy pills looked like. It wasn’t like she’d ever seen one before. Hell, she hadn’t even known that was what she’d been looking at when she first found the Ziploc bag in the bathroom. The only way she figured out exactly what those little blue pills were was after she read Jarrett’s story.

She swallowed, because another thought weighed just as heavily on her mind.

What if sending the cops to Brookvale would lead Damien or Chester right back to Aspen Falls?

And right to her?

Her breath hitched and she held it, hoping Blaine hadn’t noticed.

He didn’t react as he concentrated on pulling his car around the back of Lulu’s.

“You know I live here?” Rosie’s eyebrows flickered.

Blaine grinned. “Louanne and my dad are friends.”

“Of course they are,” she muttered, unable to suppress the grin that was forming.

Pulling the car to a stop, Blaine put the car in Park to keep the heater running. His jacket rustled as he turned to face her. “Where were you going tonight, Rosie?”

His voice held so much care and concern, it filtered into her system like soft tendrils that held her in place. She wanted to answer him, to lay it all bare, but…

She gave him a pained frown and shook her head.

He shifted with a soft sigh, running his gloved finger over the top of the steering wheel. “You don’t remember me, do you?”

Her mouth went dry and all she could do was stare at him.

The corner of his mouth twitched, his smile kind of sad when he looked at her. “I’m the guy whose life you saved. That day by the waterfall, when I nearly…” He swallowed and squeezed the back of his neck.

“I remember,” she whispered, her eyes filling with tears as she shone him a proud smile. “Look at you. You became a cop.”

“I was just doing what you told me to.” His grin accentuated the squareness of his chin.

Rosie smiled back, her insides buzzing with warmth. She wasn’t used to the feeling. It kind of unnerved her, but not enough to move. Instead the truth popped out before she could stop it.

“I actually recognized you the other day…when I served you coffee.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

She let out a self-deprecating laugh and scratched the side of her beanie. “I was embarrassed. You…you’ve made something of your life. You’re strong and confident. You’re helping people. I’m just… I drive a car that likes to break down on a regular basis. I had to borrow money from Louanne in order to buy a jacket. I have a four-year degree and I’m struggling to make coffee in a job that was given to me out of charity.” She swiped a tear off her face and sniffed again. “I’m such a loser, Blaine. How was I ever supposed to admit that the beautiful, popular girl from high school had fallen to the bottom of the trash heap?”

“Wow.” Blaine blinked. “You, um…” He licked his lips and then let out a breathy, surprised laugh. “I don’t see you that way all. I don’t think I ever could.”

His words made her throat swell and she struggled to speak. “You don’t know me anymore. You don’t know what I’ve become.”

He gazed at her, his smile warm with affection. “You’re right…kind of. I don’t know what you’ve been doing or what you’ve been going through since high school. I don’t know why you’re in this place right now, but Rosie, that doesn’t change who you are on the inside. To me, you’ll always be the kind, compassionate person who cared enough to follow me into the forest that day. You’ll always be the pretty girl with the sweetest laugh, and the brightest smile. The one who maybe didn’t have the courage to stand up for the little guy, but you didn’t bully them either.” His deep voice dropped to a soft whisper. “I used to watch you all the time. The kindness you showed in the background. The smiles you gave, the soft words of assurance. You weren’t like the jerks you hung out with.”

“I shouldn’t have hung out with them. I should’ve stood up and said something, but I was scared of…”

“Losing your status, I know. I understood that.” He nodded.

“Why aren’t you judging me right now?” She winced. “You have every right to.”

“I know your heart.” He shrugged. “I know that life can beat us up and make all the good stuff go into hiding, but underneath it all—all the fear and the self-doubt—under that, the good stuff remains, just biding its time…waiting to break free. You’ll find your courage, Rosie Sweet. You’re strong enough to wade through whatever crap you’re facing, and then you’ll come out the other side, and that beautiful heart of yours will still be there.”

Her insides were so thick with emotion she could barely breathe. She’d never had someone talk so nicely to her before. He believed in her. He was sitting there believing in her. No one did that. Not even her.

“You think too highly of me, Officer Hartford.”

He grinned. “I guess a part of me will always be that love-struck teenager.”

His expression faltered as he realized what he’d just said. It was kind of cute watching him recover, and Rosie’s warm heart nearly burst with a new kind of affection for him.

He cleared his throat and actually jumped when his phone dinged with a message.

Rosie let out a soft giggle, which made Blaine snicker.

He reached for his phone. Reading the screen, his smile faltered, his eyebrows cresting with what she thought was sadness before he glanced up at her.

“Is everything okay?”

“Uh, yeah, just my…my girlfriend,” he whispered.

It was an effort to force a smile, but somehow Rosie managed. She shouldn’t feel disappointed. Of course Blaine had a girlfriend—he was the nicest man in the world.

With her breath on hold, Rosie pushed her door open.

“You take care, sweet Rose.”

She glanced back at Blaine’s smile and grinned. “Thanks for saving me tonight.”

“Always. I owe you, right?” He winked, but she countered his playful expression with words she meant from the bottom of her buried heart.

“You’ll never owe me anything, Blaine Hartford. I did the world a huge favor that day.”

They stared at each other. It was a look deep with meaning, and it made getting out of his car that much harder. But Rosie forced herself to blink and jump out. Shutting the door, she reminded herself that Blaine had a good life. He didn’t need her coming in and screwing everything up.

She walked carefully across the icy concrete, remembering her fall from earlier. Her bruised knee still ached. Blaine’s headlights guided her way, and she stopped at the door and waved goodbye, forcing a smile as he drove off.

She couldn’t figure out whether she wanted to smile at his kind words or cry at the fact that she’d never be worthy of a guy like Blaine.

He’d changed so much since that day by the waterfall…and he held her responsible.

He shouldn’t.

She didn’t deserve that kind of accolade.

While she’d been falling into disrepair, Blaine had been building himself up, working his ass off to become a man that any girl would be lucky to have.

Pulling the door open, she gazed up at the stairwell, the fear from earlier rising over her again. She’d meant to run from this place. Just because Blaine had made her forget for a moment didn’t mean Chester and Damien wouldn’t still find her in Aspen Falls.

Looking over her shoulder, she stared into the bleak parking lot and had to face the fact that there was nothing she could do right then. She needed to get upstairs, get warm and go to sleep.

Maybe in the morning her head would be clear enough to think up a new escape plan. But with no car, she wondered just how far Louanne’s money could take her. She couldn’t bail before her first paycheck. Shit, she probably couldn’t bail before her first few!

All she could hope was that Damien and Chester wouldn’t figure out where she was.

She just needed a little more time.

But would they give it to her?

No. The second they knew where she was they’d be there—demanding, hurting, dragging her away.

Who’d be there to save her?

No one.

Because she’d spent most of her adult life running away when things got too hard…writing people off and moving on.

Because she was a coward who couldn’t tell the truth.

And the one guy she was tempted to share it with was taken by the luckiest girl in the world.