Holiday Amnesia

by Lynette Eason

  “You don’t know that,” she murmured. “You can’t promise that.”

  “I know, but I want to believe it. I have to.” He lifted her chin and scanned her eyes, then dropped to her lips before connecting with her gaze again.

  Her eyes widened. “Toby?”

  “Robin, I—”

  The door opened and Toby stepped back, his hand going to his weapon. When he spotted Joshua, he relaxed. The doctor’s gaze met his with a raised brow. Toby ignored the heat climbing into his cheeks with a shrug. “I’m a little jumpy.”

  “Understandable.”

  “Thanks for seeing her.”

  “Of course.”

  Joshua turned to Robin. “Clay told me a little about what’s going on with you. Amnesia?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, I’m not a neurologist, but I’ve done a lot of study on the brain and I worked with several amnesia patients as an intern so I’m not completely in the dark. Ah...no pun intended.”

  “I’m glad someone’s not in the dark,” she muttered.

  He gave a short laugh. “All right, well, let’s take a look.” Over the next several minutes, he put her through a battery of tests. Some were the same she’d done with the neurologist at the hospital. The fact that she could almost walk in a straight line encouraged her. At the hospital, she hadn’t been able to do it. Maybe she was healing. Joshua seemed to think so.

  “How long do you think it’ll be before I get my memory back?” she asked.

  “Now that I can’t say. I don’t think anyone can.”

  “I know. Thank you.”

  “How are you sleeping?”

  She shrugged. “Restless, as you can probably imagine. It’s not so much the concussion as the fact that I can’t fully relax because I’m afraid someone’s going to kill me.”

  “I can see how that would be a problem. I can prescribe something for that if you like.”

  “That’s okay. I probably wouldn’t take it. For the same reason—afraid I won’t wake up if there’s trouble.”

  “All right, I’d like to see you back in a couple of days just to give you another checkup and make sure you’re continuing to heal. We can do another brain scan if we have to—in Nashville. In the meantime, take the medicine to keep your headaches under control and sleep as much as possible. I know a lot of people think you shouldn’t sleep with a concussion, but it will help your brain heal if you do. Even a restless sleep is better than nothing.” He glanced at Toby. “You’re staying with Aaron and Zoe, right?”

  “We were,” Toby said. “Now, we’re going to move Robin into the bed-and-breakfast while Sabrina’s at the hospital with her grandmother. Two deputies and I will be staying on-site to keep watch while authorities work to track down who tried to kill her.”

  Joshua nodded. “Clay told me a bit about that. You’re really having a rough time, aren’t you?”

  “I am, but hopefully it won’t be for much longer,” Robin said. She ran a hand through her hair. “Do you have a restroom I could use, please?”

  “Of course. Just out the door to the left. Down the hall and it’s the first door on your right past the lab.”

  “Thank you.”

  She slipped out of the room and Joshua raised a brow at Toby. “You’re in deep, aren’t you?”

  Toby scowled. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean you’re wearing your heart on your sleeve. Watch out or the same thing that happened to me is going to happen to you.”

  “What’s that?”

  “You’re going to wind up married.”

  EIGHT

  Robin ran the cold water over her hands and noted the cuts had scabbed over. Fortunately, they’d been superficial and while they’d stung, they were healing fast. She could only wish her memory would heal so quickly. She splashed her face while her mind raced, then patted her skin dry with a paper towel and took a deep breath. She’d had to get out of the examination room. Having a breakdown in front of Toby and the doctor simply wasn’t an option.

  Okay, recap.

  The lab had exploded with her in it, killing two people she worked with—or at least one. She still didn’t know who the other guy was. She’d been there, seen something—or someone—and that someone had seen her. And decided that whatever she’d witnessed was worth killing her for.

  The more she tried to remember, the more the pounding behind her eyes increased. But she needed to remember and there had to be a way to force her brain to do so.

  Flames blipped behind her closed eyes. Smoke. Pain. Fear.

  Then nothing.

  She waited, hoping for something more. When she didn’t get it, she focused on the man Trent arrested at the store. She remembered him from the woods. He’d been talking to someone, but who? His partner in the Jeep? Probably. Did she know them from before?

  When nothing else came to mind, she groaned and gave up, turned and slipped out of the bathroom to find Toby leaning against the wall opposite the door. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you wait,” she said. “I needed a moment to splash some water on my face and think.”

  “No problem. Are you okay?”

  “I’m... Yeah. I think I’m okay right now.”

  “Good. You ready to go?”

  Her gaze landed on the lab next door to the bathroom. “But I have an idea first.”

  “What?”

  “Do you think Joshua would mind if I looked around his lab for a few minutes? I want to see if it sparks any memories.”

  “Don’t mind at all,” Joshua said from behind her. He shut the examination room door. “Help yourself.”

  Robin took the six steps she needed to enter the open door. It was different from the one she’d worked in before transferring to the university—and yet, the same. She walked over to the microscope, let her gaze settle on the box of slides. While she was aware of Toby and Joshua watching, she was also keenly tuned in to her surroundings. A young lab tech worked at the station near the sink. She glanced up with a smile, then went back to her microscope.

  “And I said absolutely not!”

  Robin jerked at the stern tone and turned to see a dark-haired mother frowning down at her son who looked to be about six years old. They passed by the lab’s open door.

  “But, Mom...” the child whined.

  “No. Now don’t bring it up again.” The mother led her child on down the hall and toward the exit, but the minor disagreement triggered something for Robin.

  “They were arguing,” she said.

  “Who was arguing?” Toby asked.

  “I... I’m not sure.”

  I need that virus now!

  “Robin?”

  “Um...two men.” She rubbed her temples. “They were talking.” How soon is soon? “There was something about a virus.”

  Toby frowned. “You think it has anything to do with that paper that was found with the virus structure?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe. But we weren’t studying that kind of virus. That would be done in a Level 4 secure lab. That kind of virus could kill a lot of people if there was an accidental contamination or something. It wouldn’t be legal to have it at the university,” she said slowly, “but I guess they could have been studying it, working to strengthen it without anyone else knowing about it.” She shuddered. “If that’s the case, they were putting everyone in the lab—in the city, really—at risk.”

  “Yeah. That would not be good,” Toby said softly. “You used to talk about your work and I know you were really involved in researching cures for various viruses, but you never said anything about suspecting someone was manufacturing a bioweapon.”

  “That’s what it would be, wouldn’t it?” She pressed her fingers to her lips. “We’ve got to stop them, Toby. If that’s what it is, I’ve got to remember.”

  “You will,” he sai
d.

  But would she remember in time? The thought left her with a feeling of terror and the desire to run. To keep on running until she escaped whatever it was that scared her so badly. Only she didn’t know where to run. And she couldn’t. Not if she had the name of a killer locked in her brain.

  “Let’s head to the bed-and-breakfast and get you settled in a room,” Toby said. “I think you’ve had enough for today.”

  “I suppose so.”

  She followed him out of the medical office only to find Lance and another deputy she remembered seeing at the general store a couple of hours earlier. Deputy Trent Haywood.

  Lance tipped his head at her. “Hope you’re all right?”

  “I will be.”

  “Good.” He led the way across the street from the doctor’s office to a large dark blue house with white trim. The wraparound porch with the white rockers begged for her attention.

  She looked away. Sitting outside wasn’t an option right now.

  Once inside the foyer with the door shut behind her, she admired the tasteful decor. “It’s gorgeous.” With the wood floors, pale yellow walls and white trim, peaceful was the word that came to mind.

  “Sabrina’s got a good thing going here,” Toby said. “She’s quite the hostess.”

  “And now she’s losing business because of me.” Robin sighed.

  “Actually,” Toby said, “she probably would have canceled the reservations no matter what. Her grandmother raised her and she and Sabrina are super close. She’d be at the hospital whatever the situation.”

  “Well, that makes me feel a tad better.”

  He smiled and checked his phone. “Clay texted. You’re on the ground floor next to the kitchen if you like the beach.”

  “Love the beach.”

  “That’s what I told him.” Once again, he took the lead and she soon found herself in the doorway of a room that exuded serenity. A pale blue-and-peach-colored comforter decorated with seashells covered the king-size bed. The lower portion of a glass lamp on a white wicker end table was filled with seashells that matched the bedding. Pictures of ocean life hung on the walls and pale peach curtains covered the windows.

  “This is lovely,” she breathed. “So nice and peaceful.” She set her things on the king-size bed and noted the attached bath. “I’m feeling a bit spoiled.”

  “You deserve it.”

  “Hmm. That’s debatable.”

  He took her hand. “You do deserve it, Robin. That, and so much more.”

  The husky tenor to his voice tightened her throat. Why was she so drawn to Toby—and yet felt so leery of getting too close all at the same time? He’d been nothing but good to her. Especially the part where he’d saved her life a couple of times.

  “Toby, were we more than friends before the explosion?” she asked softly.

  His eyes flickered and he sighed. “No.”

  “Why not? Because I just get the feeling there’s something more. Something between us that you’re not telling me.”

  Again, a weird something shifted behind his eyes and she frowned. “The timing was just wrong,” he said. “We were both really busy with our work at the university and while we spent a lot of time together, we kept it on a friendship level.”

  “So, it was a mutual thing?”

  “Yes.”

  She bit her lip. “Okay.”

  “But I—”

  “But what?”

  He sighed again, while he seemed to have some sort of internal struggle with himself before shaking his head. “It doesn’t matter. Right now, I need to keep my focus on making sure you’re safe while we track down who blew up the lab.”

  Robin let her gaze linger on his a moment longer before she nodded. “All right.” But she still wondered what he wasn’t saying.

  “I’m going to try to get ahold of Ben once more,” Toby said, stepping away from her. “Why don’t you make yourself comfortable and catch a nap?”

  Robin wondered if she’d be able to. “I’ll try, but I also want to help in any way I can. Will you keep me updated?”

  “Of course.”

  He nodded and held her gaze a moment longer.

  “Was there something else?” she asked. Did she want there to be? Her heart cried yes. Her mind shouted caution.

  “No, get some rest, Robin. You’re well guarded here. You really need to get some of that healing sleep that Joshua was talking about.”

  “I know. Thank you.”

  He left and she took the time to organize her meager belongings before stretching across the bed and closing her eyes.

  Unfortunately, that only brought on the memories of the attack at the cottage. She groaned and pressed her palms against her lids. “God, please,” she whispered, “let me sleep.”

  * * *

  Toby sat in the main living room of the B&B and stared at his phone. The fact that Ben hadn’t checked in left a bad feeling gnawing a hole in his gut. He sent a text. Call me, Ben. Things were getting too intense. From day one of meeting Robin, there’d been an attraction between them. At least he’d thought so. On his side anyway.

  The fact that Robin questioned if there’d been something more than friendship between them had stunned him. He’d answered honestly. No, there’d been nothing more. The thing he’d left out was that he’d wanted there to be more. Only he hadn’t allowed that to happen because of his deception. He’d refused to start a relationship with that between them.

  But then there’d been the email Robin had gotten, filling her in on exactly what he was doing at the lab.

  He closed his eyes against the memory of her hurt—and fury.

  And Ben’s advice. “Keep your distance, Tobe,” the man had said when Toby had confided his growing feelings for Robin. “At least until you can tell her the truth.”

  Which he’d planned to do. Only someone had beaten him to it. He’d give anything to know who’d betrayed him like that. Only a handful of people had known the details of his mission and he trusted every single one of them. Which sent all of his warning bells jangling and the dangling question: Who was he trusting that he shouldn’t?

  He glanced in the direction of Robin’s room. He still had to tell her before she remembered, because if she remembered on her own and he still hadn’t said anything, he was toast. Again. And if she remembered before they figured out who was trying to kill her, she might very well send him away and want nothing else to do with him.

  “You okay?”

  He looked up to find Clay standing in the doorway. “Yeah.”

  “Good. Because you don’t look okay.”

  Toby stood and raked a hand through his hair. “I’ve got something I need to tell Robin, and I’m struggling.”

  “What? That you’re in love with her?”

  Toby scoffed. “No.”

  “Oh. Okay. Then what?”

  “Back up. Why would you say that?”

  “You’ll figure it out.”

  “Come on, man.”

  Clay shoved his hands into the front pockets of his uniform pants. “You’re desperate to keep her safe.”

  “Agreed.”

  “Right now, you’re so focused on that, you’re denying the feelings that are there right in front of you. And her.”

  When Toby started to protest, Clay held up a hand. “Man, I’ve been there. But you’re doing the right thing. Put your emotions on hold until all of this is over.”

  “Yeah.” Why deny it? “There’s more to it than that, but yeah.”

  “Clay?” Sabrina called from behind her husband.

  Clay turned. “Hey. When did you get here?”

  “I have that big order of Gramma’s pies to take over to Daisy’s tomorrow.” She wrung her hands. “I need to be at the hospital and won’t have time to make them. Can you let Daisy know? Or n
o, I’ll just stop by on my way back to the hospital.”

  “Sure, hon. When are you headed back?”

  “As soon as I grab some things for her that I should have thought to take the first time.”

  Clay’s brows dipped. “I would have brought those to you.”

  “No, no. I didn’t want to pull you away from what you need to do. She’s doing better. She’s stable. The kids are with your mom.”

  “I’ll check on them soon. She’s got a houseful.”

  “She insists she loves it.”

  “She does.” Clay kissed her and escorted her to the door.

  And Toby’s heart wrenched at the exchange. A conversation between two people who had a history. A love. A life together.

  That was so...normal. So family. So comfortable.

  And something he wanted almost more than anything. Growing up in foster homes and then being recruited right into the CIA after graduation hadn’t left him much in the way of family. Which was why he was so determined to stay close to Zoe’s family and the Starkes who’d taken him in like he was one of them.

  And yet...he still longed for more.

  “Toby?” Clay said.

  “Yeah?” He drew in a deep breath to get his raging emotions under control. He’d have to do better. Pull on all of his training to keep from being blindsided like that again.

  “Lance and Trent are going to stay close by. I’ve used some deputy friends from Nashville when we’ve had a shortage of officers around here. I can give them a call and see if they’ll come work a few shifts for me. Parker said he’d stick around to help, too, if we needed him.”

  “That’d be great.”

  Clay studied him a moment longer before slipping out the front door. Toby could hear him and Lance talking and then the engine of the cruiser purring before it faded away.

  Toby checked his phone again. Why hadn’t Ben called him back or answered his text message?

  The bad feeling in his gut grew to the point that he needed to get someone to check on the man. He punched in Oliver Manning’s number. Hopefully, the special agent could pop over to Ben’s and see what was going on with him. When Oliver didn’t pick up, Toby left a message and tucked his phone in his pocket.