Chapter 1

McCrae Armstrong didn’t mind the rain—most of the time. But tonight, as the storm lashed against his windshield, he felt an itch of unease he couldn’t shake. Refuge Falls wasn’t exactly a hotbed for excitement, but every once in a while, something happened that reminded him why he stayed. Why he put on the badge day after day.

The call had come in just as he was thinking about heading home. A woman—alone, wandering along the side of the highway in the middle of a storm. It wasn’t a situation he could ignore, even if it was likely some out-of-towner who’d gotten turned around.

When his headlights caught the figure up ahead, his gut twisted. She wasn’t just lost. She was soaked, shivering, and looked like she’d collapse if the wind blew any harder.

McCrae pulled over and grabbed his flashlight before stepping out into the downpour. The wind bit through his jacket, but he barely noticed as he approached her. “Hey there,” he called, his voice steady but loud enough to carry over the storm. “You okay?”

She froze at the sound of his voice, her wide eyes locking on him like a deer caught in the headlights. For a second, he thought she might run, but then her knees buckled, and she crumpled to the ground.

“Whoa, hey!” McCrae closed the distance in a few strides, kneeling beside her in the mud. Her skin was icy, and her whole body trembled under his touch. “It’s okay. You’re safe now. Can you tell me your name?”

Her lips parted, but no sound came out. Then, finally, in a voice so soft he had to lean closer to hear, she whispered, “I don’t know.”

McCrae’s chest tightened. “You don’t know your name?”

She shook her head, her gaze darting around like she was trying to piece together a puzzle that didn’t make sense. “I don’t know anything,” she said, her voice cracking. “I don’t know who I am.”

McCrae exhaled slowly, his mind racing. “Okay,” he said, keeping his tone calm and reassuring. “Let’s get you out of the rain. Can you stand?”

She nodded weakly, and he slipped an arm around her, lifting her to her feet. She was lighter than he expected, and she leaned into him like she barely had the strength to stay upright. Guiding her to the passenger seat of his truck, he settled her in before jogging around to the driver’s side.

As soon as he cranked the heat, he glanced over at her. She sat huddled in his jacket, her eyes fixed on the dashboard like it was the only thing keeping her grounded. “Do you have anything on you? A purse, an ID?”

Her hands trembled as she reached into the pocket of her soaked jeans. She pulled out a crumpled business card and handed it to him. He took it, his brow furrowing as he read the name: Pete's Trucking.

“Is this your company?” he asked.

Her hesitation was answer enough. “I don't know."

McCrae’s grip tightened on the card. Whoever she was, whatever had happened to her, he knew one thing for certain: she needed help. And right now, he was the only one who could give it.

“All right,” he said. “Let’s get you somewhere warm and safe. We’ll figure this out together. Okay?”

She turned to look at him, her eyes filled with a mixture of fear and fragile hope. “Okay,” she whispered. "I don't feel good." She put a hand over her stomach and moaned.

"It's okay."

She moaned again. "Promise me…"

"What?" he asked, distracted by the storm and the fact the woman seemed like she would pass out.

"Promise me you won't leave me." Then her body slumped in the seat.

"No. No. No." He pushed the gas pedal to the metal. He could not have this woman pass out.

He radioed to the hospital that he was coming in hot with a woman who had passed out.

He swerved around a branch that had been pummeled down in the storm.

He looked at the woman, her eyes closed, slumped in the seat.

He would help her.

That's who he was!