Ellie sat on the wooden bench, huddling over the tub of warm water, as she combed through the chain of events that had started in the cave, searching for something that would help her understand what was happening. How could she protect herself if she didn’t know what she was running from?
Maybe it was just a coincidence that the people in the white truck had stopped in front of the Tang Ranch driveway. If it wasn’t, who were they? The man who’d attacked her wouldn’t have had time to get a truck and track her down so quickly...would he?
Ellie shivered. Something about being followed, being tracked, was ringing a bell, distant and muted, from behind that hazy veil in her mind.
You are safe, she told herself, but it didn’t help. The greenhouse was designed to offer an unbroken view across the valley and the mountains, with floor-to-ceiling windows that opened out into the snowy landscape. And under any other circumstances, it would have felt idyllic to sit there, but right now, Ellie felt exposed despite the fogged panes. She craned her neck, checking the windows behind her. The driveway and the other buildings of the ranch were out of sight. All she could see through the streaks in the moisture and melting snow was the faint darkness of the forest and lots more snow.
The moment Michael had walked out of the little building, she’d had the urge to follow him, to get out of this glass box that put her on display. But where would she go? Inside, where people she didn’t know would see her? One of those people could very well be the person who’d attacked her. No, she had to wait for Michael, to keep a low profile until she figured out who she was running from.
Ellie shifted for another visual sweep of the vast expanse of land behind her, but when she turned, her breath caught in her throat. Two figures moved from the direction of the corner of the house, the corner where she and Michael had come from. She jumped up and ran, barefooted, across the cold stones toward the door, trying to get a better look. She peered through the streaks on the glass. She couldn’t make out the details, but one wore a navy blue coat with a black knit cap and black all-weather pants, and the other wore a gray jacket and pants with a black hat. Both men—their wide shoulders and narrow hips made her almost sure they were men—wore gators pulled up over their noses and mouths. They were following the path she and Michael had made through the snow, heading straight for the door to the greenhouse.
Ellie’s heart pounded harder, threatening to jump out of her chest. These could be people who work here, she reasoned. Michael had said there were other people on the property.
“Don’t get paranoid,” she whispered to herself. “Just pretend you belong here.”
But the intensity of the way both men stared at the greenhouse door—at her? Yes. She wasn’t just being paranoid. These men were looking for her.
Ellie shuffled backward until she hit the bench. She stumbled, stubbing her toe on the tub. The water splashed out as she searched the little building for somewhere to hide. Before she could assess her options, the man in the blue jacket pulled open the door and charged in.
“Leave!” she yelled. “You’re trespassing.”
“Oh, we are leaving,” grumbled the man in gray. “And you’re coming with us.”
Ellie scrambled around the table, hitting her shin on the opposite bench. Gray Jacket headed around the left side of the table and Blue Jacket went right.
“Michael,” she gasped before a large gloved hand clamped over her mouth.
She sucked in a breath then jabbed her elbow at Blue Jacket. He dodged it, but his hand loosened from her mouth.
She heaved in a breath. “Mic—”
The man growled and the hand tightened over her mouth again. Ellie wriggled, lifted her legs and slipped out from under the man’s grip. But the guy in the gray coat caught one of her legs, pulling it out from under her, and she tumbled back onto the assailant in the blue coat. She struggled and squirmed, but both men held her tight.
“I didn’t agree to break into this house,” Gray Jacket muttered. “Someone knows she’s here. They’ll look for her.”
“It won’t matter if we get out of here,” the other man said. “Now.”
Gray Jacket muttered something else, but whatever debate was being waged, he wasn’t winning because they headed for the door. Her feet were bare and vulnerable. Even if she did escape, how could she run in the snow without boots? Ellie struggled and yelled muffled cries through the hand that was firmly clamped over her mouth. Please hear me, Michael. She managed to free one leg and aimed her foot between Gray Jacket’s legs. Her kick connected.
“Oooff.” Gray let out a groan and doubled over, swearing.
Adrenaline surged through her, giving her hope. Her legs were free, and she twisted, trying to escape, but the other man still had a firm grip on her, one hand on her mouth and the other across her chest.
“Grab her feet,” Blue Jacket snapped. “Don’t mess this up.”
“He said this was an easy job,” the other man growled.
“Just get the door.”
Ellie sucked in breaths between the fingers of the man’s gloves, trying not to hyperventilate. They were going to take her somewhere, and as soon as she left this greenhouse, her chances of getting away would dwindle.
Please.
“Put. Her. Down.”
Her eyes darted to the door in time to see Michael charging through it.
Blue didn’t let go, but his stance shifted, like he was on the defensive. “We are trying to get her the help she needs.”
“Doesn’t look like it to me.” Michael’s voice was cold as he continued across the greenhouse toward her.
The men glanced at each other before Blue said, “Elizabeth’s husband passed away a few months ago, and since then, she hasn’t been herself. She’s in the middle of a mental breakdown, and her family is desperately trying to find her.”
Fear jolted through Ellie like a live wire to her system and she sagged against the man in the navy coat. Elizabeth. Her family. The words rattled through her, shaking loose shards of memories from behind the heavy fog that hung over her brain. An image of her parents flared in her mind, both tired and sunburned, eating in silence at the dinner table. Next came Clint and Janice, her in-laws: Janice, with her ever-present frown of sour disapproval, next to Clint’s hard, blank stare. Ellie had never been good enough for the Alexander family. The Alexander family? Aidan Alexander’s face appeared before her, those piercing blue eyes, his sandy hair short and carefully combed, and the easy smile that never sat quite right with her. In her mind, he stood with his arms crossed, like he owned the room. The way he rested his hand on her shoulder long enough that she’d avoided getting into conversations alone with him from that first time it had happened onward.
Another sliver of a memory appeared. Aidan and Sean standing on the back deck of Aidan’s mountain home, deep in a heated discussion. Sean. Her husband. That memory washed over her with a heaviness that pulled her under. Sean was gone.
She and Sean had built a life together, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, ’til death do us part. Ellie had spoken those words with all her heart in a church filled with people she barely knew, but it had never once crossed her mind that the last part—death—would come so soon. Now Sean was dead and those vows felt like a warning. Another shard of memory sliced into her: that moment her legs gave out and she sank to the floor of the checkout lane of the grocery store, next to the rack of flashy magazines, when Aidan had called, informing her of the crash that had taken Sean’s life. Why this, God? she had whispered over and over again.
But the sadness faded as bone-deep, paralyzing fear took over, closing in on her. Ellie’s body shook as she tuned in to the words Gray Jacket spoke.
“We’re worried she’s a danger to herself. And probably to others.”
Had she done something terrible? Every instinct inside Ellie shouted no, but she couldn’t be sure of anything right now.
“Put her down and get off my property,” said Michael, standing over her. “I’m only saying this once.”
Michael’s authoritative tone left no question that he would take action. He had been so careful with her, but now she could see another side of him, equally protective. This man was ready for anything.
Gray glanced at his partner in the navy coat. “I’m leaving,” he finally said and hobbled toward the door.
Blue looked at Michael, his blue eyes wary over the gator mask. Then he dropped Ellie. She hit the floor, scrambled to her feet and watched, still stunned, as the men walked out the door.
“I’ll be back,” said Michael, turning away from her, heading for the door.
“No,” she gasped. “Don’t leave me alone.”
Ellie hated how desperate she sounded, but she couldn’t handle watching him walk away again.
Michael glanced at the men disappearing through the snow then swiped a hand over his face.
He turned to her. “These men came on my property, entered my house and attacked you. Men like this won’t hesitate to come back, and the next time, they’ll be better prepared. I need to find out who they are.”
She couldn’t let him go out, and not just for her own sake. For his sake, too.
“No. I’m leaving,” she said. “You didn’t ask for any of this, and now I’m putting your whole house in danger.”
Michael saw a look of terror on Ellie’s face. The men had said she was dangerous, but nothing about her suggested that. Even now, just after she had been attacked, she was worried about the threat she’d bring to the rest of the household. This wasn’t someone who posed a threat. But on the point of putting his whole house in danger—that, they agreed on.
He turned and watched as the men rounded the corner of the main house. He listened for the start of their car engine and waited until the sound of the engine faded. Then, fighting against every instinct, he forced himself to sit on the bench.
“Is any of what they said true?” he asked.
“The parts about my husband—his...death—that’s true.” Her throat bobbed as she seemed to swallow back emotion.
This woman had lost her spouse, too. Michael ignored the twist in his gut.
Then she added, “But the part about me being crazy? That’s not true. At least, I don’t think so.”
She gave him the faintest of smiles. It was a beautiful smile; one that hinted at another version of this woman, confident, not afraid. Not bowing under fear and sorrow. His gut twisted again.
“The man called you Elizabeth. Is that what I should call you?”
She tilted her head, like she was considering the question. “It’s what my husband and his family called me, but I prefer Ellie. That’s what my parents called me when I was growing up.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, she blinked, like the words she’d spoken had surprised her.
Michael frowned. There was something he was missing here. Just help her the best you can.
He glanced down at her bare feet then at the hip she was rubbing. “Are you hurt?”
She shrugged, rubbing the back of her head. “I have to get out of here,” she said quietly. “The next time they come back, it will be worse.”
“Hold on,” he said, ignoring the way his heart pounded at the urgency and fear in her voice. “You need to tell me what’s going on.”
He waited as the greenhouse grew quiet.
Ellie stared at him, as if she was assessing just how much to say. Finally, she let out a sigh. “That’s the problem. I—I don’t remember.”
Michael quirked a brow. “What do you mean?”
“I woke up in a cave with a bump on my head, and all my memories are gone. When I came out, a man attacked me, but just when I had this feeling of recognition, my mind went...blank. I almost passed out. Something inside me didn’t want to remember who he was.” She shook her head again. “Even when you asked my name back on the mountain, I didn’t know it until the moment I spoke. Then it just...came.”
Michael blinked. The story sounded...well, a little far-fetched. Amnesia? Or maybe she was protecting herself, making something up that meant she didn’t have to tell him more. But he’d seen that strange confusion and surprise in her expression when she’d said her name. And it made sense that she wouldn’t want to see anyone if she didn’t know who was after her—as much sense as any other explanation.
“It’s really strange,” she continued. “When we were in the stall, I remembered my horse, the one I had growing up.”
“Do you remember anything else?”
She was quiet and a crease formed between her brows. Finally, she sighed. “It’s like a handful of pictures in my mind. I can see my parents at the dinner table. I can taste my dad’s chili, and I can hear my mother saying my name, but I can’t see outside the edges of that picture.”
“It’s okay. It’ll come,” he said, though he had no idea if that was true. “Did you check your pockets for anything personal?”
“That was the first thing I did.” She dug into her pockets and emptied the contents onto the table. The only thing that was close to personal was the car key. “I’m sure I have a phone. Why wouldn’t I have it with me?”
Michael studied her carefully. “And what were you doing in that cave...?”
Her pink lips pulled down into a frown and her gray eyes looked lost. Then Ellie’s eyes brightened, as if a piece of this strange puzzle had clicked into place.
“I knew the man who attacked me by the cave, but I didn’t recognize anything about those other men.” Her voice was filled with a mix of confusion and realization. “Which means neither of them was the person who attacked me outside the cave.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive. The first attack...the man’s voice triggered this feeling, like my brain was shutting down. This time, I was terrified, but it wasn’t the same. I didn’t feel like I would pass out.”
Michael was doing his best to trust her, but the story was hard to put together. “How would these men know to come around here?”
“They must have been in that white truck that stopped at the end of your driveway. Maybe the person from the cave told them the direction I went?”
Michael nodded. It was a long shot. Then again, his family owned all the land for miles in either direction. It wouldn’t be hard to narrow down where she might go.
“They could have followed our tracks here,” she added.
It was the only thing that made sense, but it seemed a little extreme. Unless those men had a very strong incentive to find her and bring her back.
“So three men have tried to attack you, and you don’t know why?”
Ellie closed her eyes. “They said they were going to take me somewhere.”
Now she was watching him closely, as if she was gauging his reaction.
“You must think I’m a little...unbalanced,” she added, shaking her head slowly. “Frankly, I’m thinking the same thing.”
She looked behind him, out the windows, and he did the same. The snow was still coming down, and Michael wondered how long they had until the men returned. He was sure Ellie was thinking the same thing.
“I need to get out of here.”
Michael nodded slowly. Her story definitely pushed the boundaries of believable, and yet those two men were very real and willing to drag her out of his house. What was he supposed to do with this?
Guide me, Lord.
The prayer flowed through his mind so naturally, the way prayer used to. And, for a moment, he zipped back to the time when it was a part of his life. When Sunny was a part of his life. Michael gave himself a little shake. This wasn’t the time to probe his own past. He knew what he had to do. Deep down, he had known it from the moment she had come charging down the mountain. Even if Ellie was having some sort of mental health crisis and needed professional help, she also needed an ally now. He was going to be that person. He had to stay close until he was sure she felt safe.
“We should call the police,” he suggested.
The moment he said it, she recoiled. “No police.”
She looked like she was going to bolt. He glanced at her bare feet and put up his hands in surrender.
“No police,” he repeated. “Can you tell me why?”
“I don’t know.” Her brow furrowed and she frowned. “Something about it scares me.”
Was he going to trust her instincts? It was either that or leave her to fend for herself in the cold—which he definitely wasn’t going to do. For now, he was going to trust her.
“I don’t suppose you would know of a safe place I can take you?” he asked.
Her brow still wrinkled, she shook her head. “I—I don’t think I live around here.”
“But you’re not sure where you live?”
She grimaced. “I think my best hope is to trace my path and try to figure out where I was before the cave. I kept this key.” She picked up the key and stared at it in the palm of her hand. “It must lead to a car, and it can’t be too far away from that cave where I woke up.”
“You’re planning to go on foot?”
“I’ll be fine.” She glanced at her bare feet then back at her boots, wilted into a soggy heap. “But I’d really appreciate a pair of boots to borrow.”
There was no way Michael was sending her out into a blizzard on foot by herself when she had no idea who she was or where she was going.
“I can drive you around, see if you recognize anything.”
She shook her head. “They were on the road, looking for me.”
“What about a snowmobile? We can trace the path much quicker. Which means the tracks you left are less likely to be covered in snow.”
She tilted her head to the side. “‘We’?”
“Yes, we,” he said firmly. “There’s a storm outside, and I can’t let you get lost on our property. You’re stuck with me, at least until I’m sure you have a path to safety.”
Ellie raised an eyebrow. “I’m not free to leave on my own right now?”
Michael sighed. “Of course you are. I...” He took a deep breath, searching for the right words. “I just feel strongly that you’d be much better off with a partner. For now.”
And if she said no? He had no idea what he’d do.
She glowered and then glanced out the window again. “I want to be the one who decides what we do and where we go. Agreed?”
“Agreed.”
The fear had receded from her gaze and all he saw now was determination. “Okay. We’ll go together.”