Maxine — Sue Fineman

(Donatelli Series - Book 1) Newlywed Cara Andrews overhears her husband talking to his girlfriend about locking Cara in an institution so he can steal her inheritance. Frightened, Cara sneaks away and rents a run-down cabin in Gig Harbor, intending to hide out until she can end her marriage.

When the cabin collapses in an earthquake, a neighbor, Nick Donatelli, risks his life to rescue her. The roads are damaged, power and phones are out. They're trapped in Nick's cabin on the shores of Puget Sound.

Nick is warm and friendly, and she enjoys his company. When he learns who she is, he's uncomfortable. Cara is one of the wealthiest women in the world, and he's a man who works with his hands. She's falling in love, but her husband is a ruthless man who'll do anything to get his hands on her estate. Cara knows she has to leave before her husband tracks her down, before he hurts Nick. Before he kills her.