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was a runaway princess. All she lacked to complete her attire was a cowboy hat.
    A thrill pulsed through her. She had done it. She had actually run away.
    She filled one of the sinks with water and let Lady Astor out of the satchel to have a drink. When she walked out past the row of truckers at the counter, insecurity gripped her anew. She kept her head held high. She certainly knew how to do that. She stared straight ahead and imagined she was walking the hallways of Farrington Palace where men bowed and women curtsied in her presence.
    The bravado did not work. She could feel heads turn as she went by. Anxiety slid under her skin. She was calling attention to herself again. This was not good.
    “Hey baby,” one guy said.
    She sailed past as if she hadn’t heard him.
    “Will you look at that critter?” another one snickered. “Prettiest lot lizard I’ve seen in a long time.”
    Was he speaking about her? And what did this term “lot lizard” mean? Annie’s heart thumped faster.
    After she had sneaked out of President Glover’s compound while everyone was distracted by the rehearsal dinner, she simply started walking, the sense of adventure stirring her blood. She had Lady Astor. She had been safe. She never once felt in any danger.
    She had been naive, she realized now, feeling the heat of masculine gazes upon her body. She did not dare look around. Just keep walking, running the gauntlet, apprehensive to get to the door. Get out of here. She pushed open the door and stepped out into the rain.
    Not exactly the salvation she was searching for.
    Water flowed like a river from the sky. Lightning filled the darkness in periodic flashes. Thunder made her jump. She huddled underneath the awning, eyeing the big, rumbling diesel trucks pulling in and out of the parking lot. The heavy hiss of air brakes chuffed a perilous lullaby.
    She hunched her shoulders and another unsettling thought occurred to her. What if Chandler and Strawn were still in the vicinity and saw her out here?
    The spirit of adventure that had gotten her this far eroded in the face of reality. She was in a predominantly masculine environment and she was unprepared for it. In Monesta she was accustomed to having servants do her bidding. Whenever she wanted to go somewhere, a chauffeur drove her. Whatever she wanted to eat, someone cooked it. Whatever she wanted to purchase, someone bought it. She was never alone and now here she was without anyone to rely on, save for Lady Astor.
    Annie swallowed, shivering in the shadows. A side door opened and a man came out. He wore a brown cowboy hat, stiff black jeans, and a blue short-sleeved shirt. He fished a cigarette from his pocket, dipped his head to light it, stuck the lighter back into his pocket, and ambled over, blowing smoke from his nose like a dragon. “Hey, baby,” he said.
    It was the same man who had called to her inside the restaurant.
    She turned away from him.
    “Oh, it’s like that, is it, sister?” He shuffled closer. “Too good to talk to me, huh? Only going for those clients with a big wad in their pockets?”
    She wasn’t sure what this vile man was talking about, but he was quite unsavory and smelled both dank and astringent. “Take your leave, sir,” she said. “I am simply awaiting a ride.”
    “I got something you can ride.” He gave a crude laugh and grabbed himself inappropriately.
    No one had ever spoken to her in such a manner. Annie was taken aback but tried not to show it. “I do not want trouble.”
    “Now that don’t sound like any fun.”
    From inside the satchel, Lady Astor growled. The Yorkie was very attuned to Annie’s emotions.
    “Fun is not my goal,” she said.
    Which was a lie. Fun was precisely her goal when she embarked on this adventure, but this was decidedly not fun. She was going to go back inside. At least there were people around. She turned for the door, but the man moved quickly to block her escape.
    “Don’t be like that.” He reached out a