Fate and Destiny by Claire Collins

December 31, 2010 — Pat Bertram

Discovering Destiny was the last thing Andrew Greer expected.

Alone in a desolate cabin, Andrew Greer was perfectly content to wait out the blizzard with his adventurous dog, Shadow, as his only companion. Fate decided differently. When Shadow discovers the unconscious and injured woman, Andrew has no choice but to take her to the safety and warmth of his retreat.

Destiny weaves a tale of kidnapping and murder. Is she the witness and victim to the crimes? Or is she really a conspirator getting away with murder? Andrew is determined to protect Destiny and find out the truth. Can he find the real killer before it’s too late? Or has he already found her? Only Fate knows for sure.

Excerpt:

A body lay crumpled against the boulder. Tennis shoes, a pair of jeans, a leather jacket, and a pale face. None of which belonged a few hundred yards from his cabin.

Andrew did not know this woman.

He reached out to pull the dog’s collar, trying to avoid looking at the face of the unfortunate soul before him. Morbid curiosity won. Feminine features and deathly white skin framed by hair pulled into a ponytail. Long lashes graced high cheekbones over the closed eyelids. A bright red slash trickled down from a gash just below the hairline and flowed into a darker, drying patch that was pooling near her ear. A furrow marked the snow where the body rolled down the embankment. The barks became loud whines as the dog sniffed around the body and began licking the face. Before he could jump up, back away, or even breathe, there was a slight movement over the woman’s face.

He focused his eyes just above the slightly open lips.

“Oh my God.” Andrew let out his own breath.

“She’s alive.”

***

Claire Collins resides in North Carolina and writes across many genres. She loves reading when she gets the time around her family and her work schedule. She currently has two novels available through Second Wind Publishing and is working on her third, Seeds of September.