Ch 1

Drew McIntyre stirred awake, his body aching and the bitter cold biting into his skin. Snow clung to his face, his breath visible in short, sharp bursts as he tried to orient himself. His memory was hazy, but fragments of what had led him to this moment started. Drew groaned as the details flooded back. He had gone to Smackdown to discuss his return after Christmas. He had ended up on a flight after the show with a few other wrestlers including Karrion Kross and his wife Scarlett. Their flight had laid over in Albany, New York and his flight leaving the next morning had been canceled due to an incoming blizzard. Drew had decided to rent a car and make the drive to New York City where he planned to spend the Christmas break. Drew had decided to stop at one of the diners before hitting the road. When he walked in and saw Karrion Kross and his wife sitting at the counter it made his bad day even worse. Drew had started an argument with Karrion about their past feud and Scarlett interfering in their matches. Karrion kept trying to ignore Drew's comments but finally Drew's temper and biting sarcasm had pushed Karrion over the edge. Karrion's warning had been clear, "Keep it up and we are going outside."

Drew hadn't listened. Instead, he'd escalated the argument until they ended up in the parking lot and Karrion had gotten in a few good shots to Drew's face and stomach before the police showed up. Lucky for them since Christmas was only a few days away, the police let them both go with a warning. Drew had sped off. He didn't care that snow was starting to fall, he just wanted to get far away from Karrion and his wife. In his anger, he kept driving for a while not noticing his GPS was glitching out. He hit a traffic jam and took the first exit off the highway hoping he could find a way around it. He wasn't happy when he ended up on a rural road that was cutting through a forested area with only a few houses on it. When his phone lost signal, he had a temper tantrum hitting the dash with his hand looking for somewhere to turn around. Suddenly he hit a slippery spot and lost control of his truck. The next thing he vaguely remembered was getting out of the car and seeing he had hit a tree. He started to feel dizzy and was about to get back in the truck when he collapsed.

Now here he was, sprawled on his back looking up as snow started to come down faster. The wind howled through the trees as he struggled to his feet grabbing onto the truck.

"Bloody brilliant, McIntyre," he muttered, his thick Scottish accent laced with bitterness. "This has to be the stupidest thing you've ever done. I should have just started at a hotel till the blizzard passed. Now I'm going to freeze to death."

The storm was strengthening, the icy wind cutting through his coat as if it weren't there. His vision blurred, and the world spun. His strength gave out, and he stumbled, collapsing face-first into the snow again. Darkness crept in, and for the first time in quite awhile, Drew felt helpless.

Emma Brady cinched her coat tighter against the biting wind as she stepped onto the porch of her house to see why her dog wasn't coming back in. The sound of her German shepherd, Max, barking furiously broke through the storm. His ears were pricked, tail wagging with urgency.

"What's wrong, Max?" she called, her voice muffled by the swirling snow. The dog bolted off into the white abyss.

Grabbing her flashlight, Emma followed, her boots crunching against the icy ground. Max led her to the edge of the property where she saw a truck crashed into one of the trees. She cautiously walked around the truck seeing a man laying motionless face first in the snow. Her heart filled with fear as she knelt beside the man. She gently turned him over. His face was bright red from cold and bruises marred his striking features. His dark hair was matted with snow. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw he was breathing.

"Please be ok," Emma murmured as she pulled out her phone. Dialing quickly, she called her bodyguard knowing she couldn't get the man inside by herself.

"John, I need help," she said urgently. "I found someone unconscious in the snow. He has been in an accident. Bring a sled or something. We need to get him inside immediately. We need to call for help."

Minutes later, John arrived with a sled. He hoisted Drew onto it and hauled him back to Emma's house. Inside, the warmth of the fire began to drive out the cold. John stoked the flames higher while Emma draped blankets over the unconscious stranger, her hands trembling slightly as she tried to figure out what to do.

"Emma, there is no point in calling for help. They won't be able to get out here with the storm. You have to help me change him into dry clothes then I'll go for help. Thankfully for this stranger our neighbor is a doctor. I'll be right back. I'm going to go grab clothes for him and have Angie come help us," he rested a hand on her shoulder before he left.

It wasn't until Emma stepped back and studied the man's face in the firelight that recognition struck. Drew McIntyre. She'd seen him on television—his imposing presence, his undeniable charisma. What on earth was he doing out here in upstate New York, with a blizzard shutting everything down, she thought covering him with more blankets.

Drew's hazel eyes fluttered open, the crackling of the fire and the warmth pulling him from his stupor. Groaning, he tried to sit up, but a firm hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"Don't move," a woman's voice said firmly. "You're lucky you're not frozen solid. You need to rest. Please don't worry. My neighbor is a doctor, he will be here shortly to check you out. "

Blinking, he focused on the speaker. Emerald green eyes met his, filled with concern. Her face was vaguely familiar, but his mind was too foggy to place her.

"I crashed my truck." he croaked, his throat dry and raw.

"I know we will deal with your truck after the storm.," she replied. "You were freezing out there. My dog found you."

Drew's gaze shifted to the German shepherd sitting obediently by the fire. He exhaled a shaky breath and sank back against the cushions. He didn't know where he was or how long he'd been unconscious, but one thing was certain—this woman had saved his life.

As much as he hated to admit it, he owed her his gratitude. He let sleep overtake him again.

Drew woke the next morning to the smell of fresh coffee and the crackle of the fireplace. He stretched, wincing as pain shot through him. The events of the previous night were hazy, but he remembered the storm, the dog, and the green-eyed woman who'd saved him.

Pulling himself upright, he glanced around the house. Rustic but cozy, it was a far cry from the hotels he had been staying in. He looked down, not recognizing the clothes he was in. A soft voice broke his thoughts.

"Good, you're awake. I've been worrying. I was about to call the doctor to come check on you again."

Drew turned to see her standing in the kitchen, a steaming mug in her hand. His breathe caught for a moment. She was stunning, even in an oversized sweater and leggings, her auburn hair loosely tied back. And then it hit him who she was.

"Wait a minute," Drew said, narrowing his eyes. "I know you."

Emma froze for a moment before setting the mug on the counter. "Do you know me?" she replied, her tone guarded.

"You're Emma Brady. You're quite the actress. I've seen all your movies. The tabloids keep saying you're in hiding. You were all over the news last year this time," Drew said, his face lighting up with the realization of who she was and why she had been all over the news. "You're the celebrity that_"

"Please don't continue, I know who I am and what I've been through," Emma interrupted sharply, her tone shifting.

But Drew, as always, pushed his luck. "You're the celebrity who was supposed to get married last Christmas, right? To that… What was his name? Chris something? Only for your sister and him to run off together and…"

"Stop!" Emma snapped, her voice laced with anger and sadness. "Just stop!"

Drew immediately regretted it. Her face, which had been calm and kind, hardened as she crossed her arms. "Do you always bring up people's most humiliating heartbreaking moments when you recognize them?"

"I didn't mean—"

"No, let me guess," Emma interrupted, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "You thought it was a brilliant idea to remind me of how my sister stole my fiancé on my wedding day and on their way to run off together his plane crashed ending both their lives. Did you ever think I have been hiding out for the last year to forget about the misery of last Christmas and losing the only family I had left before running your damn mouth!"

Drew winced. "I wasn't trying to upset you."

"Well, congratulations. You succeeded," she said, stepping closer. "But since we're airing dirty laundry, maybe I should point out that you're not exactly making stellar life choices lately either."

Drew blinked, stunned by the sudden shift. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Emma arched an eyebrow. "Oh, please look at your bruises. I'm not the only one hiding. You haven't been seen on tv in a few weeks. I saw you posted on twitter you weren't medically cleared to wrestle and you haven't been back since. From the bruises on your face and stomach, it looks like you're using your time off to make more enemies. Your careless words are probably why you ended up in the woods with a blizzard about to hit."

Her words hit harder than he cared to admit. He clenched his jaw, but before he could respond, Emma shook her head and grabbed her coat from the hook by the door.

"You know what? Forget it. I didn't bring you into my home to trade insults. I was just trying to help you and not let you die in the cold. This is what I get for helping a stranger," she said, pulling the door open. "I'll be outside if you need me. Max needs a walk."

The door slammed shut behind her, leaving Drew alone in the cabin with the realization that he'd just insulted the woman who'd saved his life. He ran a hand through his hair, muttering a curse under his breath.

"Bloody idiot," he said to himself, staring into the fire as guilt gnawed at him.