have a difficult time trusting this man, or his friend. Was it because they had saved her life and the life of her daughter, or was there some other reason?
Whatever it was, it was strange that she didn’t feel uneasy around them the way she was with other men. She looked down at herself, still wearing the borrowed clothes, knowing that for now it was all she had. Thank goodness she wasn’t still wearing the clothes she’d worn when she left Boston. How long ago was that? She looked down at her borrowed blouse. The good thing was, it wasn’t covered in blood, but it still wasn’t something she wanted to sleep in if she was expected to wear it in the morning. Yet, she certainly wasn’t sleeping in her underwear if the two men were going to take turns waking her all night.
“I need something to wear.” Tears slid down her cheeks as she looked down at herself. “I can’t believe I’ve lost everything.”
“You haven’t lost everything.” Clay moved closer as though he wanted to comfort her.
Riana stiffened. She didn’t know what she would do if he touched her. She thought she might either scream the rafters down or cling to him as though he were a lifeline in a turbulent sea.
She was glad when he stopped and moved away. Either he read her body language or he just decided that she wasn’t worth the trouble of getting his shirt wet with her tears. It didn’t matter which. It saved her from embarrassing herself either way.
“Let’s go check on your daughter, shall we?”
“Where’s Gunter?” Riana spun around in a circle, looking for the other man. She didn’t know what she would do if she found him in with Holly.
For a split second, rage like she’d never felt before filled her. A strange, red haze filled her vision as she stared at Clay and her bones ached. With a groan, she headed for the door adjoining her room with the room Clay had indicated belonged to her daughter.
Quietly, she turned the knob and opened the door. Riana moved silently into the room and smiled softly when she saw her daughter asleep on the bed, a new teddy bear wrapped in her arms. She looked so young, so innocent with that bear clasped to her chest.
The glow from the TV flickered as the scenes changed. A cartoon played on the screen as the characters danced across it. Riana smiled at the familiar bunny, dressed in a long frilly dress, hit someone over the head with a parasol and batted long eyelashes at his victim before he ran off with a laugh.
The strange, red haze disappeared. In its place was the pride of a mother as she stood watching her beautiful daughter sleep. How long had it been since she’d taken the time to just stand and watch Holly sleep this way?
At first, when she woke up in the hospital with no memories, she’d felt safe. She had Holly and she lived with the quiet confidence of someone who knew they were nothing but a small blip on the radar. However, as the years passed, she had begun to feel unsafe. No matter where they went, things would feel fine for a while, then, after a year or two, she got that hunted feeling again and she ran.
This time, though, she’d almost run straight toward her death. Riana gazed down at her daughter for the longest time, knowing that it must end. If it didn’t end here, it must end in the town where they would ultimately decide to settle. She couldn’t go on like this any longer. They couldn’t go on like this.
Riana looked up at the man by her side and decided that no matter what happened, her running ended right now and right here. She could only hope that this town would live up to its citizen’s claims and protect her from whatever it was that she’d been running from these last sixteen years. If they didn’t help her as she hoped, she would send Holly away and die here protecting her daughter.
Chapter Eleven
Clay watched Riana stare at her daughter as she slept. He wondered what she thought as she stood so still, looking at the young girl. Part of him
Whatever it was, it was strange that she didn’t feel uneasy around them the way she was with other men. She looked down at herself, still wearing the borrowed clothes, knowing that for now it was all she had. Thank goodness she wasn’t still wearing the clothes she’d worn when she left Boston. How long ago was that? She looked down at her borrowed blouse. The good thing was, it wasn’t covered in blood, but it still wasn’t something she wanted to sleep in if she was expected to wear it in the morning. Yet, she certainly wasn’t sleeping in her underwear if the two men were going to take turns waking her all night.
“I need something to wear.” Tears slid down her cheeks as she looked down at herself. “I can’t believe I’ve lost everything.”
“You haven’t lost everything.” Clay moved closer as though he wanted to comfort her.
Riana stiffened. She didn’t know what she would do if he touched her. She thought she might either scream the rafters down or cling to him as though he were a lifeline in a turbulent sea.
She was glad when he stopped and moved away. Either he read her body language or he just decided that she wasn’t worth the trouble of getting his shirt wet with her tears. It didn’t matter which. It saved her from embarrassing herself either way.
“Let’s go check on your daughter, shall we?”
“Where’s Gunter?” Riana spun around in a circle, looking for the other man. She didn’t know what she would do if she found him in with Holly.
For a split second, rage like she’d never felt before filled her. A strange, red haze filled her vision as she stared at Clay and her bones ached. With a groan, she headed for the door adjoining her room with the room Clay had indicated belonged to her daughter.
Quietly, she turned the knob and opened the door. Riana moved silently into the room and smiled softly when she saw her daughter asleep on the bed, a new teddy bear wrapped in her arms. She looked so young, so innocent with that bear clasped to her chest.
The glow from the TV flickered as the scenes changed. A cartoon played on the screen as the characters danced across it. Riana smiled at the familiar bunny, dressed in a long frilly dress, hit someone over the head with a parasol and batted long eyelashes at his victim before he ran off with a laugh.
The strange, red haze disappeared. In its place was the pride of a mother as she stood watching her beautiful daughter sleep. How long had it been since she’d taken the time to just stand and watch Holly sleep this way?
At first, when she woke up in the hospital with no memories, she’d felt safe. She had Holly and she lived with the quiet confidence of someone who knew they were nothing but a small blip on the radar. However, as the years passed, she had begun to feel unsafe. No matter where they went, things would feel fine for a while, then, after a year or two, she got that hunted feeling again and she ran.
This time, though, she’d almost run straight toward her death. Riana gazed down at her daughter for the longest time, knowing that it must end. If it didn’t end here, it must end in the town where they would ultimately decide to settle. She couldn’t go on like this any longer. They couldn’t go on like this.
Riana looked up at the man by her side and decided that no matter what happened, her running ended right now and right here. She could only hope that this town would live up to its citizen’s claims and protect her from whatever it was that she’d been running from these last sixteen years. If they didn’t help her as she hoped, she would send Holly away and die here protecting her daughter.
Chapter Eleven
Clay watched Riana stare at her daughter as she slept. He wondered what she thought as she stood so still, looking at the young girl. Part of him
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