Wounded at the Lake

by Mitzi Pool Bridges

  She shivered at the thought, her mind unable to wrap around it.

  Who wanted her dead? She didn’t feel like a criminal. Had she been kidnapped? If so, why? Her heart beat an unnatural rhythm in her chest and all of a sudden she felt weakness spread. When would she remember who she was and why this had happened?

  The doctor guided her to the bed and handed her a cup of hot tea. Lori’s hand shook as she lifted it to her lips. She had to calm down and think.

  But her memory began when she opened her eyes at the lake and saw startled blue ones staring back at her.

  How did Cooper Browning happen to be there at just that time?

  Doc helped her into bed and put a stethoscope to her chest again. “Good and strong, but a little faster than normal. Take a few breaths and calm down. You’re safe now.” She put on another pair of gloves. “Let’s see how much damage that bullet did.”

  The doctor wasn’t a young woman, probably in her fifties. Her red hair went perfectly with kind green eyes. “Umm.” Typical doctor speak.

  “Somebody tried to kill me.”

  “A few millimeters to the left and they would have had their wish. Your angels were watching over you.”

  “How bad is it?”

  “Bad enough. Does it hurt?”

  “Like someone hit me in the head with a sledgehammer.”

  “You’re going to need a few stitches and some antibiotics, but you’re going to be okay. If you don’t improve or if you worsen, you may have to go to the hospital.”

  Thirty minutes later, Lori had four stitches in her forehead, a fresh bandage, and an antibiotic shot in the butt. “I’m going to give you a pain med. In a short time, you’ll be floating. Take one every four hours, but only if you need it. After tomorrow you shouldn’t need anything stronger than Tylenol. If I still have my license after tending a gunshot wound off the record, I’ll take the stitches out in about seven days.”

  “Thank you, Doc. I’ll take the medicine in a minute. And please don’t get in trouble because of me. But I can’t go to a hospital or to the police. Not yet anyway.”

  “We’ll talk about that later.” Doc gathered her things. “I’ll put your jewelry on the dresser and let you rest.”

  “What jewelry?”

  Doc brought over a handful of gold.

  Lori’s vision dimmed. Weak already, she suddenly felt faint. “Throw it away.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Please. I don’t want to see it again.” Just the sight made her panic.

  Doc Louise shrugged. “It’s your stuff.” She turned to leave, the jewelry in her hand.

  “Wait. Can you tell me when I’ll get my memory back? I have no idea who I am, or where I came from.” Nor did she know why seeing the jewelry frightened her.

  Doc came over to the bed. “That sometimes happens when you have trauma to the head.”

  She took out a small light, looked into Lori’s eyes for the second time. When she was finished, she said, “I don’t see anything abnormal, but I can’t see into your brain, that would require a CT scan. If you’re not prepared to go to a hospital and get a complete workup, why don’t you give it a little time before you worry about it? Everything will most likely come to you when you least expect it.”

  “Sounds good. Can you tell me one more thing before you leave?”

  By this time, Doc had pulled a chair up close to the bed and was giving Lori her undivided attention.

  “Go for it.”

  “Can you tell me about these people? Who is Cooper Browning? Who is the nice older woman who gave me these clothes and brought me tea?”

  Doc smiled. “It would take way too long to tell you about this bunch. They’re the best. I met Coop and his brothers when we were in the Navy. Shorty is Coop’s grandmother and raised him. She’s an amazing woman. You’re in good hands. Relax and try to get a little sleep. You need to regain your strength. You’ll meet Coop’s two brothers later. The three of them aren’t blood brothers, but they’re brothers just the same. However they are involved, you’re fortunate to have them on your side.”

  Was she?

  It depended on what had happened. Who had tried to kill her and why? More important—why couldn’t she remember a thing? Was Doc right? Would her memory return soon? It had to. Not knowing where she belonged was beyond eerie. Not knowing why she’d been shot, terrifying.

  “I’ll leave you for now, but I’ll be back tomorrow to check on you.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Take your pain med now and rest.”

  “In a minute. Would you send Cooper in first? I want to thank him for being there. He saved my life.”

  After Doc left, Lori’s head swam. The shower and hot tea had helped. So had the doc’s assurances she would be all right. But she couldn’t block out what had happened. It was incredible that someone had shot her. She didn’t feel like a person who would be involved in anything criminal. Wouldn’t she remember if she had been kidnapped or carjacked? She had to know. The not knowing would drive her crazy.

  The doc told her these were good people. She believed it. But who were they really?

  There was a soft knock at the door before it opened.

  Cooper walked in. He had showered and changed into dry clothes. He looked great in jeans and a T-shirt that stretched nicely over huge biceps. In his hand was a glass of water. “Shorty wanted me to tell you she would bring in a bowl of soup and another cup of tea in a few minutes.”

  The beautiful dog peeked at her from the door.

  “That is so nice of her.” She struggled to sit up only to have him hurriedly put the glass on the bedside table and prop her back with pillows.

  He was close enough to touch. The subtle scent of spicy after-shave and male made her insides quiver. And she found herself wanting to do weird things—like touch and taste. Was she crazy? After what had just happened why was she having unsettling thoughts about a man she’d just met?

  “Doc said she put in some stitches. I hope you’re not hurting too much.”

  “I have a pain med I’ll take in a bit. First, I want to thank you for saving my life.”

  Cooper chuckled. The sound sent a quick thrill through her body. Had any man in her life caused this reaction? She didn’t think so. If they had, she didn’t think she’d ever leave his side.

  “You can thank Thor. If I’m right, his barking frightened off whoever shot you.”

  She held out her hand. Thor looked up at Cooper. When he nodded, the dog came to stand by the bed. She reached down and ruffled the fur on his head. “You’re so beautiful, Thor. And brave. You saved my life.”

  He gave a low growl of agreement.

  “He’s smart, isn’t he?”

  “Thor’s the best. Is there anything I can do to help you? Anything you need?”

  She tried to shake her head, but the movement sent streaks of pain every which way. “I just wanted to say thank you, Cooper. You’ve been more than kind.”

  “Call me Coop.” He gave her a long lazy look that made her squirm. “We’ll leave you to rest.”

  He started out the door. His limp made his walk nothing short of sexy. For some crazy reason Lori didn’t want him to leave.

  What a strange effect this man had on her. “Can Thor stay?”

  Coop frowned. He definitely didn’t like the idea. The frown changed to one of resignation. “Just for tonight. He’s a good guard dog. You’ll be safe.”

  “I’m sure I will.” She brushed her hand over Thor once more. “Thanks again for all you did for me.”

  He turned at the door and smiled before he closed the door behind himself.

  Ohmygoodness.

  Her heart jumped a couple of times before it settled back down. “Where did that hunky guy come from?” she asked Thor.

  Thor gave a sharp bark.

  It was time to take that pill, but before she could pick up the glass of water, there was another soft knock and the woman they called Shorty came in with a tray.


  She bustled to the side of the bed, made room for a bowl of soup and another cup of tea. “You should eat a bite before you sleep.”

  “Thank you. I don’t know my name, but with Coop’s help, I picked Lori until I can remember. He said you were Shorty.”

  Shorty chuckled. “I’ve been stuck with that name ever since my husband and I met. He was a tall drink of water and, as you can see, I’m barely five foot. He called me Shorty and everyone else took it up. Can you feed yourself? Or should I help you?”

  Shorty had put a towel across Lori’s chest as a napkin. “I can manage, but I’m not hungry.”

  “Just a few bites. You’ll feel better.”

  Shorty stood there waiting. There was no way Lori could get out of it.

  After a few bites of soup and several sips of tea, she begged off. “The doctor told me to take a pain med. I think it’s time.” Her head was pounding.

  Shorty gathered dishes and put them back on the tray. “Of course. You need to rest and heal. If you need anything we’re here to help.”

  “You’re so kind. Some day I’ll find a way to repay you.”

  Shorty snorted. “Take your pill and go to sleep. You’ve had a tremendous trauma. I’m sure you’ll feel better tomorrow.”

  Setting the tray on a dresser, she went to the bathroom to gather up the wet clothes. “I’ll wash and dry these for you.” She held out a pair of low-cut boots. “And put these by the fireplace so they can dry.”

  Then she gathered everything in her arms and left.

  “Thank you so much. I really appreciate this.”

  When the door shut, Lori let out a breath and took her pill. Thor came over, laid his head on the bed and looked at her with big brown eyes.

  She turned on her side so the two of them were eye to eye. “I think you and I could become very good friends.”

  Thor growled deep.

  Her last thought before the pill took her into oblivion was for her family. One she didn’t know. Were they looking for her? Frantic? Or, had she been involved in a crime?

  The thought wasn’t there long before she was asleep.

  ****

  Coop approached Shorty as she came out of the guest room, taking the wet clothes out of her arms. “How is she?”

  “She ate a few bites and took a pain pill. She’ll be asleep in minutes.”

  Before he put the clothes in the utility room, he went through the pockets. Maybe he could find something that would help him uncover her identity. Nothing.

  He went into the kitchen where Doc was drinking a cup of coffee. “Are you sure she’s going to be okay?”

  “I’ve never seen you like this, Coop. Not even in Afghanistan, when men were getting shot all around you.”

  “This is different,” he said sharply. Even though he didn’t know why it was different. Afghanistan was a lifetime ago. This was now. A pretty woman had been dropped into his lap. Why? What was her story? “I have a feeling her clothes are expensive.”

  Doc Louise chuckled. “That’s an understatement. Only the very rich can afford three-hundred-dollar La Perla bras. Every stitch is handmade. They spell luxury. And she has panties to match.”

  The feel of sheer mesh when he placed her clothes on the washer made him wonder what had sent this wealthy woman to the lake to be killed.

  “She told me to trash her gold choker as well as her gold and diamond watch. Who does that?”

  “Maybe they’re fakes.”

  “I know good jewelry when I see it.”

  “Something’s weird. I hope her memory returns fast. We don’t need another mystery.”

  Shorty came in holding a flash drive in her hand. “I found this in one of Lori’s boots.”

  “What the hell?” Coop snatched it up and hurried to his office. Maybe it would tell him who Lori was and who wanted her dead.

  He inserted the drive and prayed it didn’t need a password. It didn’t. There was only one folder. He opened it, leaned close to his computer, so as to absorb the contents.

  In seconds, he fell back in his chair in disgust. Nothing made sense.

  He spent the next two hours trying to figure it out, with no results.

  Another mystery.

  He would ask Lori in the morning. By then she could have her memory back. Then she would either call the cops and report an attempted murder or disappear.

  The idea of never seeing the lovely woman sleeping in his guest room again didn’t sit lightly. In fact, it was quite the opposite.

  He withdrew the flash drive and went to bed.

  Turquoise eyes followed him into sleep.

  The next morning, he found Lori looking out the kitchen window. Thor was nowhere to be seen. Lori, on the other hand, was a sight not seen too often. Shorty’s clothes were too short and too tight. But oh, my, she was gorgeous; with perfect legs, small waist, and a slender body. A just-right one.

  Hearing him, she turned. “Thor wanted out.”

  Though she had a haughty appearance with her head held high and a look that spelled high social standing, she wore Shorty’s snug T-shirt and too short sweats with a casual attitude. She had no idea what a sight she made. When he saw she was obviously not wearing a bra, his mouth went dry. Who the hell was she?

  “How do you feel?”

  “Better.”

  “Sleep?”

  There was that low chuckle again. He could really get used to that.

  “The pain med knocked me out.” She touched the bandage on her forehead. “Doc is good. It hurts to the touch, but not much otherwise. Of course, I took a couple of Tylenol when I woke.”

  “The doc saved my life, and my brother’s.”

  “You’ll have to tell me about it.”

  Not in this lifetime.

  She turned back to the window. “The flower garden will be beautiful in the spring. It’s lovely now with those yellow and purple mums. Shorty?”

  “Yep. She has a thing for flowers.”

  “Does she have a vegetable garden as well?”

  Was Lori trying to keep the subject off of herself? Getting her to talk might not be easy.

  Coop cleared his throat. “Actually, she does. Even has a small hothouse in back. We have fresh vegetables year round.”

  “You’re lucky.”

  And you’re not.

  She turned to look closely at him. What he saw in her eyes made him flinch. Fear. Wariness. Questions.

  “Your memory?”

  “Nothing.”

  He pulled the flash drive out of his pocket. “Can you tell me anything about this?”

  She came toward him. He liked the way her hips swayed with every step. Smooth skin showed between her shirt and tight pants with every step. He blinked. Keep your mind on business.

  “I’ve never seen it before. Or, if I have, I don’t remember. What’s on it?”

  “Shorty found it in your boot. You must have thought it important enough to hide, but I can’t decipher it.”

  She turned it over in her hand. “I wish I could tell you something.”

  Closer now, she looked up at him with those gorgeous eyes, and his heart turned over. What was it about this woman? She was a stranger someone wanted dead. Someone he didn’t know at all—someone who didn’t even know herself. This wasn’t like him.

  “I need to find out who I am so I can get out of your hair.”

  For reasons he couldn’t understand, Coop didn’t want her to leave. “Someone shot you. The cops should know so they can investigate. Have you changed your mind? Can I call them?”

  “No.” She grabbed his hand and held it tight. “Please. When my memory comes back, maybe. Not now.”

  Thor scratched on the back door. Coop went to let him in. “Why don’t you sit down, you’re still pale.”

  “Good idea.”

  Thor sat on the floor next to her.

  They made a pretty pair. “What can I get you?”

  “My identity would be a good thing.”

 
; He chuckled.

  She picked up a card lying on the table. “Browning Brothers Investigative Services. Is that you?”

  Coop nodded. “Along with my brother, Dirk.”

  She came to her feet, the card in her hand. “I’ll hire you. You can find out who I am and who tried to kill me. We won’t have to call the cops.”

  Inwardly, Coop groaned. As much as he’d like to help the lady, he had a full plate. So did Dirk, who was trying to find a missing husband. There was no time for another case, as it would entail more than just a search. Most likely, it would include a big-ass effort to find a killer.

  “Our firm is tied up on two big cases right now.”

  She took his hand, held it tight. “I wouldn’t trust anyone else. Please.”

  He took his hand from hers so he could think. “I can’t promise anything. My current case is priority one. But I’ll do what I can when I can.”

  “That’s all I ask.”

  All? Was she kidding? If her family didn’t report her missing, the woman had no idea how involved an investigation the scope of her case could be.

  At least she was safe here. The killer, whoever he was, didn’t know she was alive, much less where she was.

  There was sure to be a missing person bulletin on her and that would be it.

  Still, there were a lot of negatives to taking her case. But looking into her eyes, he forgot every one.

  Chapter Three

  Shorty breezed into the kitchen wearing a colorful red robe with white trim over her gown. “Lori, you should have stayed in bed. And Coop, I thought you would be training.” She went to the stove, turned the kettle on for tea, and turned the coffee pot on before she came over to Lori. “How do you feel this morning?”

  “Better. Thank you. You’ve been wonderful.”

  She turned to Coop. “And you?”

  “Dirk is taking over this morning. I wanted to talk to Lori before I went to the office.”

  “You can talk while I get dressed.” Shorty was out of the room in an instant.

  “Is she always so busy?”

  “Always.”

  “I hope I have her stamina when I’m her age.”

  “So do I. She’s a marvel. At seventy, she puts the rest of us to shame.”

  He couldn’t take his eyes off Lori. You’d think she was dressed to the nines, the way she held herself. Yet, in old hand-me-downs she seemed perfectly comfortable.