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CHAPTER ONE

Twenty two year old Abby Raines was cruising at 65happily along with the radio when the car started acting sluggish She released the accelerator, tanificant response She frowned at the dashboard where the Check Engine light had not coed lanes, and then pulled onto the shoulder of Interstate 90 just eleven miles outside Rapid City, South Dakota She killed the radio, but left the car idling She yanked on the parking brake, got out and strode to the front of her car, her boots leaving tracks in the damp earth

It was cold, in the mid forties, and March in South Dakota was a hell of a lot ht breathtaking Highway 90 skirted the Black Forest fro The weather would take so used to but she already loved the view

She popped the car’s hood and leaned in, listening intently She heard the telltale crackling noise and heaved a sigh She stalked back to the driver’s side door, reached in, and killed the engine She continued on down to the trunk where she opened it and took out a folded white rag tucked into the corner

She was on the last leg of her trip and had risen at 6 aet to her final destination at a decent hour It was now going on 2 ph, that she was stuck out here, so far from her old home yet so close to her new one She leaned down and pulled a spark plug out

She was s she needed to buy for her new place when she heard a low rumble She peeked around the side of the hood and saw aup behind her on a black Harley Davidson He took off his hel over the back He was tall, she could tell that just by ho the Harley was in comparison

He hadin his black leather jacket and dark blue jeans His boots were black, too, and rounded at the toe As he headed toward her, Abby’s heart knocked in her chest She wasn’t afraid She was on a busy highway and if push came to shove she could handle herself But da close up and she was froned supreme

He stalked up the length of the car and rounded the front “So,” he said “Flat tire, huh?”

And she laughed She had expected a runts “I wish,” she replied “Wouldn’t take nearly as long” She held up a disconnected spark plug “I really should have gone for that tune up before I made the trip”

He nodded and his eyes raked over the rest of the car’s engine “It’s important to keep up with your maintenance”

She sighed and continued to clean the inside with the rag “I know But lately it just seeh me to do it You knohat I mean?”

“Definitely I’as? Says your license plate You actually live there?”