Besides, his mother or Emily might need him.
Chapter 6
Emily carefully pulled the new brush through her hair.
Faith had blown into her room like a mini tornado right after Dr. Young informed her she was being released into the Winter’s capable hands. Faith, to take care of her. Jake, to protect her.
Do I really need protecting?
Faith had brought a duffel bag full of what she deemed to be necessities for Emily, then chattered the whole time she helped Emily dress. “I need to leave you for a little while. I’m in the church choir and I can’t be late. But Jake will be here with his truck, right after services, to drive you to the ranch. I don’t think you’d be comfortable in my little car with your casts.”
Church? Do I go to church?Intuitively, Emily knew she believed in God, but she couldn’t recall whether she attended church regularly.
With a wave, Faith disappeared, leaving Emily with her thoughts—that quickly turned to Jake.
He’d been a welcome distraction last night. She’d enjoyed Ben and Amy’s visit, but her room had grown so quiet after they left, and her frustration over her inability to remember anything had grown. Yes, she’d enjoyed visiting with the handsome rancher who made impulsive ice cream purchases.
The warmth in Jake’s brown eyes made her feel comfortable despite her situation, which made her anxious.
Pain lanced through Emily’s ribs as she reached for the bag of her personal belongings the nurse had left on the end of her bed. Shifting, she reached again, this time hooking the hairbrush in the bag’s edge to drag it closer. Taking out the ruined clothing, she dropped them to the side before pulling out the blue flats.
Do I wear these often?
Wincing, she managed to slip the right shoe on before shoving the left in the duffel bag Faith had brought. She tossed the personal-belongings bag on the bedside table.
Thunk.
There was something in the bag. Emily grabbed it and looked in but saw nothing. Feeling the bottom with her hand, she realized there, in the creased corner of the bag, was a small, hard object. She reached deep inside to retrieve it.
A key.
A flash of adrenalin surged through her body, making her fingers tingle.What does it go to?A sense of urgency swept over her.This key is important,she knew it.
But why?
It must have been in her pocket at the time of the accident. She pushed the call button for a nurse, then tapped her fingers on the side rail, as she waited for a response.
As soon as a nurse opened her door, she blurted, “Where did this key come from?”
The nurse frowned. “I don’t know.”
“I found it in my personal belongings.”
“It must have been on your person when you arrived. Would you like me to see if the nurse who took care of you in the E.R. is here today?”
“Yes, thank you.” Emily fingered the key, willing herself to remember what it was for.
She waited.
Nothing.
She couldn’t remember a single thing prior to waking up in the hospital. She blinked away the tears that filled her eyes and took a deep breath.
A young, blond nurse stepped into her room and explained she’d found the key in Emily’s bra when they removed her clothing.
Emily’s brow puckered. “In my bra? Did my clothing have pockets?”
The girl shrugged. “I was surprised to find the key there, considering your dress slacks had pockets.”
