patrol car stopped in the farmyard. Officers got out, drew their guns and headed for the gaping kitchen door.
Emma took Cleo’s elbow to help her up. “I think we’re safe now. You keep the shotgun and head straight for the police car. I’ll be right behind you.”
Since the pasture was used for grazing it didn’t have to be perfectly flat, meaning that Cleo and Emma both did their share of stumbling as they tried to hurry.
As Cleo reached the metal gate, Emma paused. Her companion was safe. Trouble was, they still didn’t know what had become of Travis.
A shiver skittered up her spine. Emma froze. Turned on her heel. Stared into the dimness.
Could the falling figure have been Travis? She supposed so. Either him or whoever had shot at them, and given the opposing directions, she judged the rifle to have been farther away and to the left.
Sounds of muffled steps in the dry stubble of grass reached her. Someone was coming her way. Fast.
Shadows moved. Bent over the light Emma had abandoned in the field. It swung to briefly shine on her, then was turned up to illuminate a face.
“Travis!”
“Don’t shoot at me again, okay?”
Emma was adamant. “We never shot at anything. Besides, Cleo brought a shotgun. What we heard was a rifle, or have you forgotten what one sounds like?”
He was beside her quickly. “I haven’t forgotten a thing. But apparently you have. What happened to being scared? I thought you were petrified that some bad guy would catch up to you.”
“I was. I still am.” She shook him off when he tried to cup her elbow.
“Then what are you doing out of the house?”
“We were worried about you. Bo was acting up so we decided to come look for you while we waited for the sheriff.”
“Not the smartest thing either of you has ever done.”
“You don’t hear me arguing, do you?”
“When we get to the gate, make a run for the house. I’ll cover you.”
“Against who? We never saw a thing, did you?”
“Just because you don’t see a copperhead doesn’t mean he’s not fixing to bite you,” Travis said flatly.
Emma could tell he was struggling to control his temper and she didn’t blame him. She and Cleo had both let their emotions get the better of their common sense and they were fortunate nothing worse had happened.
Doing as she’d been told, she darted through the gate and raced for the back porch. Just as she reached the steps, Bo galloped past her and through the open door.
Emma sensed rather than saw Travis until he slammed the door behind them. Her soul-deep relief was so strong, so genuine, she almost turned and hugged him.
Judging by his poignant expression when her eyes met his, he wouldn’t have pushed her away if she had given in and stepped into his arms.
* * *
Sheriff Harlan Allgood had remained behind while his deputy returned to the station, promising to check the woods and help retrieve the disabled ATV in daylight.
Cleo had made a fresh pot of coffee and everyone was gathered around the kitchen table.
Travis had barely taken his eyes off Emma since they’d returned to the house. He was still trying to decide if she’d been acting foolishly because she cared about him or because her mind was too scrambled to think logically. Or both.
“I get little flashes of things,” Emma said in reply to the sheriff’s questioning. “It’s like I’m starting to remember and then my brain shuts down.”
“What do you think you’re seeing? Any clues may help, even if you can’t make sense of them yet.”
Travis grasped his coffee mug tightly as he watched Emma’s emotional struggles.
She closed her eyes, then said, “I remember running away. I was terrified and somebody was chasing me.”
“Where was this?” Harlan asked, speaking softly.
“I don’t know. It was dark out when I finally got a door open and escaped.” Her brow knit before her eyes popped open. “I ran past some parked trucks! Pickups. Then I hit the woods.”
Her fingertips touched her cheeks. “There were lots of brambles—like sticker vines—hanging from the trees. They were so thick it was hard to get through them at all.”
“Meaning you were probably still in the South,” Cleo ventured.
“Yes!” Emma sounded encouraged. “And it only took me a day or so to hitchhike home, so it couldn’t have been far.” She glanced over at Travis. “Did I say anything about that when you picked me up?”
“No. I had to work to even see your face at first,” he replied, taking care to try to keep his voice neutral. “All you wanted was to go home, so I brought you here.”
With a deep sigh, Emma nodded. “That’s right. You reminded me that my father had passed on and Mom had moved away. I sort of knew that. I seem to recall that she went to California to live with her sister.”
Harlan agreed. “That’s right. Do you want me to see if I can get ahold of her for you?”
Travis wasn’t surprised to see Emma shake her head.
“No,” she said. “Not yet. Not until I know what’s really going on and who has been chasing me. I mean, why me? What can I have done that would make anybody want to lock me up or hurt me?” Her hand drifted to her bruised cheek.
There were unshed tears in her eyes as she looked to Travis, then Cleo, before focusing on the portly lawman. “I have made up my mind about one thing, though. I’m not staying here. I’ve brought enough trouble to these folks and as long as I’m around, it won’t stop.”
Cleo started to reach for Emma’s hand. Travis beat her to it. “Don’t be silly. Where else can you go?”
“I don’t know. But I’m not staying on with you. Look what’s happened already.”
The sheriff cleared his throat. “To be fair, you don’t really know the incident in the woods had anything to do with you, Miss Emma. Could have been poachers or just some rowdies.”
Travis disagreed but chose to keep that opinion to himself. If Emma left the ranch, there would be no way he could continue to look after her. And, if her vague memories ever fully returned, he figured she’d need a friend. Someone like him, who truly cared for her. Plus, Cleo was a stabilizing influence and nearly as capable of defending her as he was, providing she didn’t go on any more quests after dark.
The sheriff cleared his throat and got to his feet. “Well, if there’s nothing else, I’ll be going. Thanks for the coffee, Miz Cleo. I’ll see you tomorrow, Travis. You’ll need to show me where you left your ATV so we can have a look at it.”
Cleo arose to walk Harlan to the door while Travis remained with Emma, still grasping her hand, tightly yet gently, and rubbing the back of it with his thumb.
“How bad is it?” he asked in a near whisper. “When you have these flashes of memory, how bad is it?”
Emma closed her eyes. A single tear slid down her cheek. “I see colors, dark colors, and red, like blood. Bits of faces, too, peering at me through slatted blinds.” She took a shuddering breath. “I want to look away but I can’t. Sometimes there’s cursing, and creepy laughter, as if the person is enjoying torturing me.”
“I’m so sorry,” Travis said gently.
Emma’s eyes suddenly popped open. She gasped, covering her mouth with her free hand.
Travis