For Once In My Life (Stevens Book 2)

Chapter 1

"Doc, you best come quick there's been an accident!"  Ben Morgan, Quinn Stevens's foreman, called as he ran up the porch steps.

"What happened?" Quinn asked as he grabbed his hat and raincoat from the hook by the door.  Quinn followed Ben down the steps and towards the beat up truck that was still running in the drive.  

"A woman wrecked her car about a mile up the road. The car went head first into the ditch," he yelled over the pouring rain that was beating down on the roof of the truck.

"Why get me? I'm a veterinarian; you should have gone for Dr. Martin." Quinn paused beside the truck door. He had had a long hard day and was in no mood to get drenched. "Was she pulling a horse trailer? Are there any injured animals?"

"Dr. Martin is out of town, so you'll have to do," Ben said jumping into the truck and slamming the door. When Quinn made no move to get into the truck, Ben revved the engine in encouragement. 

Quinn opened the door and slid into the truck with a resigned sigh. "You should have called an ambulance," Quinn said as he gripped the handle above his head.  Ben had just taken a corner a little too fast, and the truck went into a skid.

"The bridge it out and no one can get through.  The woman is awake, but she can't put any weight on her leg," Ben explained as he righted the truck

"There could be a lot more wrong than just a broken bone Ben," Quinn insisted as the accident came into view. They had unhooked one of the ranch's trailers from the back of a truck and pulled the woman into it to get the rain off of her.  She was sitting with two of his ranch hands, Shane and Ed. They were blocking her with their bodies, trying to keep the worst of the rain and wind from coming in the side windows and hitting her.

As soon as the truck slammed to a halt, Quinn jumped out and moved quickly to the back of the trailer, and Shane and Ed parted once they saw him.  He pulled his hat lower to keep the rain from getting in his eyes.  It seemed to be coming down harder than before.

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Dana heard the truck and saw the lights as it drew up to the trailer. When the two men, who had been doing their best to keep the rain off of her, parted she saw a very tall and broad man step out of a truck.  He had on a long rain slicker and a large cowboy hat which he had pulled lower to keep that rain out of his face.

He was moving towards her with purpose, and when he stepped into the trailer, he seemed to fill the small space more than the three of them together had.

The older man, who had left in a hurry to get help, had also brought a light, and he now sat it at the door of the trailer.

The man in the cowboy hat put out his hand to lift her face, and she jerked her head back. She didn't want any of these strange men to touch her.  It was bad enough that she had no way of escaping, and that she was at their mercy.  In the past, keeping her head down and keeping quiet had made her disappear, but it didn't seem to be working this time.

"It's O.K. miss," The older man that had been sitting with her said "Doc is here to help, he won't hurt you. Won't you tell us your name?"

Dana looked up at them all one by one, but the one they called Doc she couldn't see.  His hat was pulled low over his face, and all she could make out was a strong jaw and a light five o'clock shadow.  She looked away and closed her eyes. Her leg did hurt, and if he was a doctor didn't he have a Hippocratic Oath that said he couldn't harm her?

The Dr. reached out and touched her hand gently.  "Do you hurt anywhere?" he asked

She went to bite her lip and winced.