CHAPTER FOUR

      AT LAST.

      Serena’s gaze zeroed in on the large log cabin. Any other time, she’d stop to admire how picturesque it looked with the snow-covered roof and the icicles hanging around the edges. But not this afternoon. With the thickening snow and the added weight from supporting Jackson, her back ached and her legs were exhausted. Still, her minor discomforts were nothing compared to Jackson’s injuries.

      She felt bad for being so mean to him back there. But angering him enough for him to prove her wrong was the only way she knew how to keep him going—how to save his life.

      If he’d stopped, she’d have never gotten him moving again. Pain and fatigue were deeply etched on his handsome face. And there was no way she was letting her favorite morning news show anchor become a human Popsicle.

      Still, she had to temper her sympathy. If she let herself become too involved with this man, she’d end up paying a steep price. Her last romance had cost her dearly.

      Her thoughts turned to Shawn McNolty—Hollywood’s rising star. He’d also costarred in Serena’s latest movie, which was set to release over the holidays. During the filming, their agents had contrived for them to be seen together to get the public buzzing about a potential romance. But as time went on, Shawn had convinced Serena that instead of putting on a show they could start a genuine romance. He had been so charming and attentive that she’d convinced herself that taking their romance from the big screen to real life could work.

      And everything had been all right, or so she’d thought, until she overheard Shawn talking to one of his friends. They’d been out to dinner and she was just returning from the ladies’ room while they were standing in the waiting area. Shawn was telling his friend that his arrangement with Serena was working out much better than he’d planned. The longer he spent escorting Serena around town, the more promo he got. The more headlines he received, the more movie scripts came his way. And the best part was Serena didn’t even have a clue. He prided himself on being that good of an actor. The memory still stung.

      He wasn’t the first man to date her in order to further his acting career, but she’d soon realized with those other men that the relationship was one-sided at best. But there was something about Shawn that had caught her off guard. Maybe it was his dark, mysterious eyes or his warm laugh that made her stomach quiver or the way he looked at her like she was the only woman in the world for him. Whatever it was, she’d convinced herself to let go of the past. She’d been sure Shawn was different—that he’d truly cared about her.

      Maybe that was why she hadn’t suspected something was up when he continually demanded that they go out instead of chilling at her Beverly Hills mansion. He always insisted that they stop and pose for the paparazzi, saying that it was good publicity for their upcoming film. The list of suspicious activities went on—activities that at the time she’d refused to see, but later it had all made sense. The pieces had all fallen into place when she overheard his words at the restaurant. Shawn McNolty had used her for his personal gain.

      But he wasn’t the only actor in this relationship. Not wanting a public confrontation, she swallowed her heated words and pretended that she hadn’t heard a word he’d said about her. Serena didn’t even remember what she’d ordered for dinner that last night or how she made it through the meal before she pleaded a headache and took a cab home. The rest of the evening was a blur.

      Finding out that her romantic relationship was nothing but a sham was followed by a voice mail from her agent telling her that she’d been turned down for not one but two serious award-contending roles. At that point, she had nothing keeping her in California. She’d needed some downtime. A chance to unplug and regroup. That was the moment when her plan to go off the grid had been born.

      With the aid of some temporary hair dye left over from Halloween, she’d switched her honey-blond hair to red. She’d been told by her housekeeper that she was practically unrecognizable without her distinctive eye makeup. Add a ball cap and nondescript jeans, and her disguise had been complete. She’d marched right out the door and jumped in a cab bound for the airport.

      And now, even though she had the best of intentions, she knew taking this journalist into her home would end up decimating her serene escape from reality. Jackson may not be on the same level as the paparazzi who would climb the trees outside her Hollywood home, but as soon as he recovered, he’d want something from her—just like Shawn.

      Unless she drove Jackson directly to the hospital. It would be what was best for all of them. And her rented all-terrain vehicle was sitting in the driveway. If she could make it to the road, the rest would be slow going, but she was confident she could make it, at least to the nearby village. It may not have a hospital, but there should at least be a doctor. Right?

      When they reached the vehicle, she stopped. “Just give me a second.”

      “What are you doing?”

      “Looking for my keys.” She pulled off her glove and reached in her coat pocket. Her fingers wrapped around the keys. “Okay. Let’s get you seated.” She brushed some of the snow from around the door. When she pulled it open, the man sent her a puzzled look. “Come on. We have to get going before the snow gets worse.”

      His gaze narrowed. “You know how to drive in this much snow?”

      Not really. A few times, she’d driven when she was in Tahoe, but it hadn’t been in a snowstorm. Still, these weren’t normal circumstances.

      “I... I’ve done it before.”

      He looked at her, then the vehicle and finally at the rise up to the road. He shook his head. “No way. I’ll wait here until the authorities can get me.”

      “But—”

      “Arff! Arff!”

      Gizmo started to wiggle in her arm. “Okay, boy.”

      “I think he agrees with me. We should go inside.”

      “We can’t.” When the man’s eyebrows rose, she added, “I mean, you need medical attention.”

      “I’ll be fine. Unless we get in the vehicle and end up in another accident.”

      She worried her lip. She was out of reasons not to take this journalist into her home. She quickly inventoried the cabin’s contents to make sure there wasn’t anything lying about that would give away her true identity. There were the contents of her wallet, but he wouldn’t see that unless she gave him reason to be suspicious of her—like standing here in the snow, making him wonder why she didn’t just take him straight inside.

      Serena inwardly groaned.

      Stubborn man.

      “I know I’m a stranger,” he said. “But I promise you no harm.”

      She wasn’t afraid of him. At least, not in the manner that he thought. But at this point, he was either an excellent actor or he hadn’t figured out her true identity. Perhaps the hair dye, Strawberry Temptation,