tumbled from her mouth before she could stop the word.
TWO
The panic that invaded Heidi’s voice made Lee wonder if she knew more than she was letting on. “You don’t want us to look for your family and friends? Don’t you want to know who you are?”
She dropped her head, staring at her lap. “Yes, of course, but...”
“But what?”
When she lifted her gaze to his, her beautiful brown eyes shimmered with tears. “Why was I running through the woods? How did I get hurt?” She touched her forehead. “How did I get this gash?”
“You think someone is after you?”
“I don’t know.” With a deep sigh, she settled back against the raised bed.
“So you don’t want us to put your picture out and see if anyone knows you?”
She kneaded her fingertips into her temples. “Not right now. I’d like to try and remember who I am first. I just can’t get past...” Nibbling on her bottom lip, she averted her eyes.
“Why you were running as if someone were after you?”
She nodded. “Earlier today, I had a dream—no, nightmare. Someone was chasing me and it looked like I was in a wooded area. He caught up with me and—” she connected with his gaze “—and he was trying to kill me. What if that’s true? What if that’s why I was running when you saw me?”
“The only two men we know were in the woods were these two I showed you.” He pointed to the redheaded man. “This guy is dead.” Then he tapped the photo of the guy with the bushy eyebrows. “Don Frist is in jail. If they were after you, you’re safe.”
But why would they have been after her in the first place? All the police’s quiet inquiries around town about her identity had hit a dead end. No one knew her and there wasn’t anyone fitting her description missing in Sagebrush. But could there have been a third man in the woods that day? They’d thought there might have been. Would she be able to tell them if she remembered?
“Give me a chance to recall first. The doctor said my memory could come back at any time.”
He didn’t want to tell her he’d already told his captain he was going to do some checking in the surrounding towns. He could still do that quietly, go through the police in those towns, and check their missing-person’s reports. For some reason he felt responsible for her. He’d captured her in the first place, when she tripped and fell while he chased her. She’d hit the ground hard. He’d always wondered if that was what had caused her to lose consciousness. “Have you talked to the doctor today?”
“Not yet, but last night he told me he wants to make sure the swelling has gone down. If so, he thought I could leave here in a day or so.”
“Where are you going to go?”
Her light brown eyes widened. “I don’t know. Did I have a purse with me?”
“No, but you had some money stuffed in your jean pocket.”
“How much?”
“Four hundred in twenties.”
Surprise flitted across her lovely features again. “Where did that money come from?”
“Good question. I don’t suppose you remember?”
She shook her head slowly.
“As far as the police are concerned, it’s your money and will be returned to you. I can bring it to you tomorrow.”
She met his eyes. “Will you wait until I leave here? I don’t want to keep that much money here.”
“Fine. In fact, Heidi, I’ll take you where you want to stay. Unless you have somewhere else to go, we would like you to stay in Sagebrush at least until you remember. In case you recall something about the men in the woods that day.” He paused. “Don Frist will stand trial, and if you could testify to his presence or that you saw him with the young boy, that would be great.”
Her forehead creased. “What if I don’t remember?”
“Don’t worry about that. I don’t like taking on extra worrying because it’s a waste of time. I figure I’ll leave the future in God’s hands. He’s very capable of taking care of it.”
“Any suggestions about where to stay?” she asked.
“I’ll check around and see what I can come up with.”
“I appreciate it, but I don’t want to cause you a lot of extra work...”
Her vulnerability poured off her and ensnared him. “It’s not. I know a few people who know a few others. We’ll find somewhere for you to stay.”
Her smile reached deep into her eyes and lit them. “I don’t know why you’re doing this, but thank you. I don’t know where to turn.”
“My pleasure, Heidi. Now I’d better leave you to get some rest. I’ll be back tomorrow afternoon to see when you’ll be released from the hospital.”
He strode from her room and headed for his SUV in the parking lot, his dog poking his head out the window. The second Lee opened his door, Kip barked, peeking his head over the front seat and licking him on the cheek.
“Glad to see me? I wasn’t gone long.” He started the engine and rolled up the window. “Lie down. We’ve got a mission. To find Heidi a place to stay.”
* * *
The next day Lee paused in the doorway of Molly’s kitchen at his boarding house, a large Victorian home near downtown, a block off Sagebrush Boulevard. He took in a deep whiff of her coffee, the best in town. Two things that appealed to him about the place besides its quaint atmosphere were its owner, Molly Givens, like a second mother to him, and a large fenced backyard for Kip.
At the sink rinsing some dishes, his landlady glanced over her shoulder. “Did you bring your mug?”
“Yep. Wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to have some of your coffee. It sure beats what I make myself.”
“It smelled like you were brewing burned rubber. Here, pour yourself a big cup. I certainly don’t need to drink any more. Doctor’s orders. Watching my caffeine intake.”
Lee filled his travel mug, relishing the aroma wafting from the glass carafe. “I seem to remember you talking a few weeks ago about fixing up those couple of rooms on the third floor and taking in another boarder. Are you still interested in doing that?”
The kindhearted older woman dried her hands and faced him. “What are you up to?”
“I know someone who needs a place to stay while she recovers.”
“Recovers from what?”
“She was injured. A head trauma. She has amnesia. She can’t even remember
