Troubled Tidings by Christy Barritt

A blown tire on a lonely desert road leads to Christmas Eve trouble.

Vanishing Ranch chef Dean Burns just needed to pick up a few things for Christmas dinner. When his tire blows on the way home, he assures coworker Kota Perez that they’ll be back on the road in no time.
Dean soon realizes the flat tire was no accident, and the simple trip transforms into a terrifying fight for survival. Robbers known as the Roadside Bandits have set their sights on the pair, and Dean and Kota have no choice but to leave the truck and run for their lives, striking out on foot into the vast Arizona desert.
Will Christmas tidings turn deadly this year? Or will Dean and Kota manage to pull off the ultimate Christmas takedown?