Eventually someone would find her body, dry and shriveled, signal-less cell phone clutched in her hand as she sat in the driver’s seat of the mid-sized rental car, the GPS still saying she’d reached her destination.

Casey didn’t cry. Nope. She hadn’t since she’d been a child. There was no place for tears for a female trying to make it in the male-dominated corporate world.

But tonight, tired, hungry and lost alone in the dark, she felt the first tears in years begin to sting her eyes. Then she had to shield her eyes from the blinding glare of headlights shining directly at her.

The pick-up truck, looking huge compared to her car, came to a stop and the driver’s side door swung open. Not sure whether to be relieved or frightened, Casey felt in the dark for the controls on her door. She confirmed the doors were locked, then cracked the window open just enough to talk through.

The car was still in drive. If whoever was in that truck was dangerous, she’d just floor it. She’d be a mile away by the time he got back into the truck, turned it around and tried to follow.

Lit by her headlights, a figure climbed down from the high vehicle. Big and tall, he raised his hand and tipped his brown felt cowboy hat down so it shielded his eyes from the glare.

Her heart picked up speed but she wasn’t sure if it was from fear, or the fact that this man, by all appearances a real-live walking talking cowboy, was coming right at her.

In boots and worn faded jeans, with a jacket opened to reveal a blue shirt, he kind of swaggered, which only added to the whole cowboy look of him. As did the black and white dog that leapt from the vehicle and, tail wagging, trailed along at his heels.

He reached the side of the car and, hands shoved into his front jean’s pockets, he leaned down to peer into the window. “You lost?”

Just the deep timber of those two words, spoken with the drawl of a true cowboy, cut directly through her. Casey could barely breathe. This man was the personification of her first childhood love—Cowboy Cody and the Cowboy Code.

“Um, I didn’t think so when I saw the sign, but now I’ve been driving for so long I’m afraid I might be and the GPS is no help. It doesn’t even recognize the road and my cell won’t work.” Compared to this man of few words, her longwinded answer sounded ridiculous.

He probably thought she was some kind of idiot.

Her cowboy savior rubbed his thumb and forefinger over the closely cropped beard on his chin. “Well, tell me where you need to get to. Maybe I can help.”

Helpful and logical. Of course he’d be able to help. He probably knew right where they were.

“I’m trying to get to the Maverick ranch.” She watched as beneath the brim of his hat, his eyebrows rose sharply. That action made her feel like she needed to explain herself. “They’re expecting me. I’m staying there for the next week. Mr. Maverick invited me.” Casey kept adding on facts, hoping to jog him into saying something, anything, as he stared at her with a strange expression on his face. “I work for him. Or I will after this week. He just hired me.”

Didn’t he believe her? Was she trespassing on someone else’s land? Did they shoot trespassers out here?

“You’re Casey Harrington?” A frown creased his brow as he blew out a long slow breath.