Colton on the Run

by Anna J. Stewart

  “I bet you do. Later.” He drew back and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Right now, you have a headache.”

  * * *

  This was just stupid. Jane bit the inside of her cheek to stop from saying the words aloud. Lord help her, but she did sound like a spoiled brat. So much so she was irritated with herself. She could only imagine how Leo felt, but then as she’d learned since living with him, he had the patience of a saint. Her hair tied back in a braid, her gray hat tipped low over her face, she sat in the hardback chair in Dr. Maxine Monroe’s waiting room in Juniper Grove, which also happened to be her living room as the medical clinic was run out of her house.

  Must be a slow day, she thought, as she caught the eye of a sullen-looking teen glaring into the screen of the phone in her hands. Her mother, looking particularly strained, sat beside her and gave Jane a tight smile in greeting before turning her attention to her daughter. “Your eyes are going to be burnt sockets if you keep staring at that thing, Delaney.”

  “Mom.” The eye-rolling commenced.

  “Yeah, yeah, I know. Whatever. Teenagers.” The mother sighed. “Kaitlin Sommars.”

  “Leo Slattery,” Leo volunteered. “This is Jane.”

  “Nice to meet you both,” Kaitlin said before sighing at her daughter again. “We missed our appointment this morning, so we’re waiting to be fit in.”

  “Whatever,” Delaney muttered.

  Jane sat up straighter, the idea she may as well be looking in a mirror sliding through her. She glanced over at Leo, who was grinning at her. “Oh, shut up,” she laughed, and felt as if a bubble popped inside her. “Don’t you ever get tired of being right?”

  “Not about some things.” He reached over and knocked a finger against her hat, pushing it up. “That alone makes it worth the drive.”

  “Jane?” The nurse-receptionist stepped into the waiting room. “Dr. Monroe is ready for you.”

  Jane stood up so fast her hat fell back. She ducked to pick it up, and saw something akin to shock cross the teenager’s face as she straightened. The next instant, she was typing away on her keyboard, eyes wide. “Darn thing won’t stay put,” Jane joked around the odd sensation of descending dread. And the pounding behind her eyes. “Leo, you coming?”

  “You want me to?” Now he looked surprised.

  “You’re the reason I’m here, aren’t you? Can he?” she asked the nurse, who shrugged.

  “Yeah, sure. Husbands are always welcome.”

  “Oh, well, he’s—” Her face went hot.

  “Come on, darlin’.” Leo slung an arm around her shoulders and they headed down the hall. “Don’t want to keep the good doctor waiting.”

  * * *

  Dr. Maxine Monroe ducked her chin, tipped down her glasses until they barely stayed on her nose, and turned laser-beam bright eyes on Jane, who felt like a kindergartner caught eating glue. A slight angular woman, Dr. Monroe reminded Jane of one of those featherless birds who got kicked out of its nest. She’d certainly been thorough in her examination. They’d already been in here for over an hour, and other than the occasional tsking and mouth twists of disapproval, she hadn’t said much. “You’ve had these symptoms for how long?”

  Jane kicked her socked feet back and forth against the exam table. “Since late July.”

  Dr. Monroe arched a brow. “I see.” Her gaze flickered to Leo.

  “Don’t blame him,” Jane said quickly. “He’ll be the first to tell you he’s been bugging me to come in for weeks.”

  “Yes, well.” Some of the disapproval vanished from her face. Some. Not all. “I’d have thought the complete loss of memory would have been an indication you should have sought medical treatment.”

  “And yet, oddly enough, it wasn’t.”

  “Jane,” Leo warned.

  “Right. Sorry.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. This was a compromise, right? A trip to the doctor for him not pushing her on going to the police. “He wanted me to come in. I didn’t. End of story. Are the headaches and amnesia connected? I only know who I am because we found out. Not because I remembered.”

  “The mind protects us the only way it knows how.” The doctor set her file aside. “Whether you’re Skye or Jane, doesn’t make a difference to me from an examination standpoint. Your blood pressure and heart rate are both normal. The bruises and cuts have healed, obviously. I didn’t see any issues with your eyes or your ears. No ringing or dizzy spells?”

  “Ah, one. A while ago.” Jane avoided Leo’s gaze when he straightened in his chair. “Sorry. I was in the barn when it happened. Just thought I’d moved a saddle too quick. The day we went, ah, exploring.”

  “Looking for answers,” Leo explained as Dr. Monroe stood up to check Jane’s neck and spine again, along with the almost healed wound on her head. “She got the shakes real bad when we got close.”

  “I’ll bet you did.” Dr. Monroe clicked her tongue. “Well, I’m willing to bet you had a minor concussion, but I can’t be sure without an MRI. I’ll have Colleen call and get you an appointment for later today. And no.” She cut Jane off before she could argue. “You can’t get one for a later date. You’ll go today.”

  “Thank you, Doctor,” Leo said.

  “The results will take few days. Colleen will let you know when I want to see you again. If we find what I expect, there’s nothing to do beyond what you’re already doing. Just take it easy, get plenty of rest, and the over-the-counter painkillers should work just fine. If you’d come in a few weeks ago, I’d have said stay off any horses, but as that ship has sailed...”

  Jane couldn’t imagine having gotten through any of this without being able to saddle Ginger and ride out onto the spread.

  “Continue to try to stir some memories, but don’t push it. It’ll come back when it’s meant to. And I’ll be expecting you back here, at least once a week until it does.” She left them for Jane to get dressed.

  “Told you there was nothing to worry about.” Jane shot him an overly bright smile.

  “That’s not exactly what she said.” Leo opened the door for her and led the way out to the receptionist’s desk. Raised voices had them slowing. “What’s going on?”

  “Where is she?” a young man only a few years older than Delaney demanded as he held up a cell phone as if recording the exchange. “Skye Colton. She’s here, isn’t she? The—”

  “Leo.” Jane’s voice shook ever so lightly as she walked over to him. Her stomach rolled. Leo spun her around, but the one word from her had been enough to catch the man’s attention.

  “Is that her?” the man demanded and moved in. Dr. Monroe put herself between them and the interloper. “Come on, Skye. Everyone thought you were dead! Your fans miss you. Where have you been? Why are you hiding? Is this your new boyfriend? Do you have any comment about—”

  “How did he get in here?” Dr. Monroe demanded of Colleen, who looked both shaken and furious.

  “He came in to make an appointment.”

  “Given my specialty, you’re not properly equipped,” Dr. Monroe snapped at him. “Leave. Or I’ll call the police.”

  “No police.” Jane gripped Leo’s arms, her entire body shaking. But not from fear. From bone-snapping anger. “Get out.” She ducked around Leo and advanced on the man before Leo could stop her. “Get out of here, now.” She swung out a hand and knocked his phone free. It clattered to the floor. “Before I sue you for invasion of privacy.”

  “But...my phone! You’re Skye Colton! You’ve lived your entire life online. You owe us an explanation!”

  “I don’t owe you a thing.” She took another swing at him as Colleen backed up and pulled open the door. Jane stomped her foot as if she was going to dive at him and sent him scampering back outside. She swooped down and picked up the phone, tapped a few icons to delete the recording. “How did he find me?”

  “Not h
e. They.” Leo peeked out the drapes in the reception room. “At least a dozen of them are gathering. And right now they’re getting an earful from whoever that was.”

  Unease prickled the back of Jane’s neck.

  “Reporters?” Colleen joined him. “Bloggers, too, I bet. Lots of them. And there’s a news van pulling in across the street. There. I haven’t seen this many people in town since last year’s homecoming.”

  “Jane’s question stands. How did they know where...” He trailed off, looking to where Delaney was tapping on her phone. “Excuse me, young lady.”

  “I didn’t do anything!” The teen jumped back and turned wild green eyes on her mother. “It’s just...no one’s seen her in forever!” She gestured to Jane, who took a step back as her entire body went cold. “Everyone’s been saying she’s dead or missing or something, and I saw her sitting right there! I mean, it’s Skye Colton! Do you know how famous I’m going to be?”

  “What did you do?” Kaitlin asked in a tone that Leo remembered never liking being on the receiving end of. “Give me your phone.”

  “What? No! Mom!” Delaney all but shrieked as her mother snatched the smartphone out of her hands.

  “We need to get out of here.” Jane didn’t have the time to be angry at the girl. Not with the way her stomach was rolling and her head pounded.

  “I don’t believe this,” Kaitlin gasped. “You posted her picture on your page? You tagged her and this office?” The woman looked horrified as she glanced up from her daughter’s phone. “Oh, I’m so sorry! Delaney, this is a doctor’s office. There are privacy laws. You had no right.”

  Delaney shrugged, but Leo could see a hint of remorse in the young girl’s eyes.

  “It won’t matter that I deleted the video.” Jane’s eyes went wide as she looked up at him. “Leo, whoever’s looking for me... GG. He’s going to know—”

  “It’s up to you, Jane.” Leo did what he always did when she was worried or upset. He set his hands gently on her shoulders and squeezed. “We can end this now, get you home to your family. All we have to do is walk out that door and it’ll all be over.”

  It would all be over. But she didn’t want it to be over. At least not any part of it that involved Leo. The second she gave in, the second she agreed to walk into the truth, there would be no going back. Not to Leo’s ranch, not to the horses and the sunsets. And not to Leo. She searched his face, his clear, focused eyes for an answer, for guidance, but she found no hint of help. Because he was doing what he always had: he was letting her decide for herself.

  “Jane?” Leo gave her a little shake.

  She wasn’t ready. Not yet. She wanted more time. Time to remember. Time with the horses. Time with him. “I want to go back to the ranch.”

  “Okay.” He pulled her in and tucked her head under his chin, but she caught the flash of relief on his face. And the thought of that made her smile a little. “Okay. You’ve got it. Is there a back way out of here?” he asked Dr. Monroe.

  “Give me your keys.” She held out her hand to him. “There’s a gate behind the garden shed. It’ll take you into an alley behind the house. Head east, then another two blocks. Colleen will be waiting at the corner with your truck.”

  Jane blinked. That seemed awfully...prepared.

  “I will?” Colleen blinked doll-size amber eyes at her boss.

  “You will. Get to it. Act casual when you drive away. You.” Dr. Monroe pointed a stern finger at Delaney. “Exam room two. March. You and I are going to have a discussion about privacy and social media addiction. Unless you object?” She turned those birdlike eyes on Kaitlin.

  “I most certainly do not. Have at her.” She sat back in her chair, popped open the back of her daughter’s phone and removed the battery. “I’m so sorry for whatever trouble this causes you,” she said to Jane.

  Jane could only nod. In a matter of seconds, all the security and peace she’d found with Leo began to slip through her fingers. It wouldn’t be long before everyone knew where she was...knew she was... Wait. Jane frowned. Why would everyone have thought she was dead?

  “This way,” Dr. Monroe instructed them as Colleen headed out the front door. Shouts and screams ensued, and the clicking and flash of cameras flew through the door.

  An odd light exploded in front of Jane’s eyes. She gasped, lifted her arm to shield her face as she turned away. The pain that had settled in her head the moment she opened her eyes in that shed popped and trickled away. She would have gasped in relief, but there wasn’t time.

  Leo grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the back door. She knew to move, knew how to move, but she felt as if her feet were trapped in cement, slogging and slow. Those empty spaces in her head began to fill, as if a faucet had been turned to full blast. So much, too much, so fast. Too fast.

  “Jane? You with me?” Leo tugged her arm.

  “Y-yes. With you.”

  “You call me in a few days,” Dr. Monroe ordered. “If the headaches haven’t subsided and you can’t get her into town, I’ll come to you.”

  Jane smirked and aimed an I told you so look at Leo.

  The shouts coming from the front of Dr. Monroe’s clinic faded as they hurried out the back gate and down the alley. They slowed down as they reached the street, hands clinging to one another as they followed the doctor’s directions. Sure enough, Colleen was waiting for them at the corner.

  Jane’s ears buzzed as she climbed into the truck. She closed her eyes and leaned against the headrest as the pieces of her life fell back into place. Each one a stepping-stone on the path home. A home without Leo.

  It wasn’t until they were well out of town that Leo sagged back in his seat and let out a small laugh. “Now, that was unexpected. What’s wrong? Jane?”

  “I remember.” She turned her head and looked at him, waited for him to process what she said. “I remember everything.”

  Chapter 12

  “Thank you.”

  Leo handed over the mug and sat beside Jane on the sofa. “It’s just tea.” Tea he certainly couldn’t stomach. Which was why he’d brewed a pot of coffee.

  “That’s not what I meant.” She sipped from her mug, a bit of the color coming back to her cheeks. “I meant thank you for not pestering me with questions.”

  “Well.” He shrugged, toed off his boots and stretched his legs out, all of which presented a picture of calm and contentment. A complete facade. Inside he was a roiling mess of emotions ranging from relief to panic to utter and complete dread. “Personally, I’m dying to know all about your second-grade teacher and whatever trouble you and Phoebe might have gotten into.”

  “Mrs. Burke. And any second-grade mischief honestly pales in comparison to later entanglements. And you’re doing great not pestering me.”

  He forced a smile. “You’ve got enough rolling around in that head of yours. No need to add me to the mix.”

  “But you are.” She set the tea down and curled her legs under her. “You are part of the mix, Leo. A big part. Just because I can fill in most of those blanks now, that doesn’t erase you. Nothing can. I love you.”

  And he loved her. More than he thought possible. Finally, because of Jane, he felt as if he understood his grandparents so much more. The way his grandmother would smile whenever Isaac would walk into the room; the way she’d pretend not to be waiting for him to come home at night, distracting herself with fixing dinner or cleaning or organizing his office. His grandfather’s words of advice, most of which had revolved around embracing love when it presented itself and the gifts it brought, the changes it caused. Changes for the better. He’d cherish these months he’d shared with her. Quite possibly for the rest of his life.

  “Leo, talk to me.” The slight tremor in her voice broke through. “Please. This doesn’t change anything between us. I won’t let it.” She had slid across the sofa, pressed herself into his side as sh
e stroked his hair, traced the side of his face. “I’m still who I was when I woke up in your arms this morning. I might have filled in the blanks, but there’s nowhere else I want to be.”

  “Jane—” His chest tightened with the pressure of what needed to be said.

  “No.” Her voice cut through his resolve. “No. Leo Slattery, you are not pulling away from me. Not now. Now when I need you the most.” She plucked his cup from his hand and set it on the table next to the sofa. The next thing he knew, she was over him, legs on either side of his thighs, hands planted on the sofa behind his head. “You’re not hearing me. I know who I am now. And it doesn’t change what I want. And I still want you. Promise me I can stay, Leo.” Her eyes darkened as his hands gripped her hips. “Promise me.”

  He smiled, unable to resist temptation as his hands slid up and down her back. She arched against him, that low purr emanating from the back of her throat.

  “No fair,” he managed. “You know how to get what you want.”

  “Indeed I do.” She moved against him, shifting her hips enough to fog his mind and harden his body. “Say it, Leo.” Jane nipped at his ear, caught the lobe between her teeth and bit gently. “Promise me I can stay.”

  He caught her face, brought her mouth to his and kissed her, hoping the distraction would be enough to push the request from her thoughts. But she pulled back, just enough, to silently pose the question once more.

  There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for her, he realized in that moment. Nothing she could ask that he would deny. She held his heart not only in her hands, but in every cell. In every look. In every smile. “I promise.” But that was all he said. There were no more words.

  Not while she was kissing him and not, he thought later, while she made love to him. Or when he made love to her again in the moon-splintered darkness. But the words he couldn’t utter were still there, hovering behind the overwhelming desire to hold on to her.