“Scrappy.”
“I mean your real name, Sweetheart.”
“I ...I don’t use it.”
“Why?”
“Because it doesn’t belong to me.”
That confused him.“What does that mean?”
“I was given a name by the nuns when I was dropped off,” she said.“But it never fit me.”
He was getting more confused.“Who dropped you off?”
“They thought it was my mother, but they weren’t sure.”
“How old were you?”
He could tell the questions were making her anxious, but he needed to know everything he could about her.
“Between two and four.”
That shocked him.“They couldn’t tell?”
She shook her head.“I was always very small, but they said I talked a bit and walked fairly well.But I was also weak and thin because of malnutrition, which made it hard to tell.”
“Was the place an orphanage?”
“No.It was a convent.I was the only child.I lived with twelve nuns.”
Jesus, this woman had been through so much, and he guessed he didn’t know the half of it.
“I still want to know your name.”
“Angel.The nuns named me Angel,” she whispered.
He thought it fit her, but wasn’t going to say anything because he knew she wouldn’t believe it.
He opened his mouth to ask another question, but noticed she had gone to sleep with her head on top of the dog’s neck.He decided to leave her alone because he could tell she hadn’t got much sleep the night before, or maybe not for a long time.
His mind spun as he drove the rest of the way home.He was trying to figure out the best course of action to take with her.This was an experience he’d never had to deal with before, and he didn’t want to make a mistake that would send her running from him.
He slowed as they turned into his driveway.When he pulled up, he saw they’d already made Ranger, her horse, comfortable.
He parked and then turned to her.“Sweetheart, wake up.”
Her eyes flew open, and he caught the flare of fear in her eyes when she looked at him, before she remembered.
He cupped her chin and ignored the way she shied from him.“I need you to know something.I’d rather cut off my arm than hurt you in any way.”
Her expressive blue eyes widened dramatically.
“It’s true.You have nothing to worry about with me.”
She nodded slowly.
“Let’s get you settled.All right?”
