“Just getting you inside, like Hayley said,” he said gruffly, not giving her a chance to argue. He carried her easily even with his arm; he’d had to learn how to manage bales of hay that weighed more than she did. He heard Hayley speaking behind them as they walked toward the house, realized she had called Quinn. But he focused on getting Amanda inside.

A little to his surprise she had relaxed, in fact was resting her head on his chest. She was still shivering slightly, whether from the aftermath or actual cold he didn’t know. Nor did he allow himself to savor the feeling of holding her, although he wanted to. He focused on the porch steps, and then on turning sideways to get through the door Hayley held open for them.

Hayley, who was now on the phone again, and this time it was obviously to the sheriff’s office. And Adam knew they were likely to have a long night in front of them.

Amanda still felt the sting and slight pull when she moved a certain way, but other than that the slice along her ribs wasn’t bothering her all that much. Or maybe it was just the distraction of everything that was keeping her from thinking about it.

The distraction that Adam and the Foxworths had been right all along. Someone was trying to kill her.

She shivered anew at the thought. She could feel the exhaustion hovering, the post adrenaline crash Quinn called it, but her racing, swirling thoughts wouldn’t let go.

It had been a very long night. It felt strange being on this side of things when the police arrived, even though it wasn’t her father’s department. She’d told them what she could, although she’d barely gotten a glimpse of the man as he’d shoved her away. She hadn’t even been able to give them an idea of his size, other than bigger than her. And stronger. And what she had smelled.

She grimaced inwardly. That he smelled of beer wasn’t going to get them very far.

But she noticed that Adam told them much more; he’d given them a clothing description, when she remembered only the head wrap, and height and build. Also something she’d completely missed, that he’d been holding that knife in his left hand. He also gave them a vehicle description—no front plate, he’d said, and the rear had been covered with what had looked to him like duct tape.