Wounded at the Lake

by Mitzi Pool Bridges

  “They kind to me. The men who brought us here lie. They say we get work, so we give money to get us here safe. Only when here, they tell us we do as they say or turn us over to authorities and we go back.” Tears trickled down Anie’s face. “We not want go back. They tell us work hard and we gain freedom soon. Zia and Tan my friends. After we here they no believe what men tell us. They help me escape.”

  “How did you end up at Bill’s?”

  “I learn some English before we leave home. It easy to…” she waved her arms. “…talk. I saw help wanted sign in window. When I tell my story, Mr. Bill hire me. He promise to help me get legal.”

  “What were you then, thirteen-fourteen? How could he hire you? It would be against the law.”

  “I stay with babies and go school. When old enough, I come here.”

  “I see.” Anie had been lucky. Not many in her situation were.

  “My friends in trouble?”

  “I’m afraid so.” If Matt’s suspicions were correct, they were in big trouble.

  She sat up straighter. Her look determined. “I help find.”

  Coop smiled at her eagerness. “Where do you live?”

  Her gaze shot to the kitchen where Bill stood with his arms crossed across his chest glaring at Coop. “With Mr. Bill?”

  She nodded. “He good to me. His wife like me. They ask me if I want them to adopt. I say yes.”

  “Good.”

  He looked down at the congealed chicken in his plate, wondering how this girl-child could help. The eagerness on her face told him she would do all she could. He was desperate, just not desperate enough to put a child in danger.

  But what if she knew more than she told him? What if she lied to protect the sisters? He gave an inward sigh. He’d have to put eyes on her. Bills were mounting on this case. His friend Ross Young and his wife didn’t have the means to cover them. Despite the rising cost, Coop refused to stop and vowed again to find those who had kidnapped Christie.

  “There are bad men looking for them. If they find out you’re their friend, it would be bad for you, too. I don’t want to put you in danger.” He had no idea if what he told her was the truth. But it was more than plausible. This girl was too young and inexperienced for such a task.

  “Bad man look for my friends?”

  “Yes.” Another lie. Maybe. But he had to find the sisters.

  “You keep them safe?”

  He raised his right hand. “I promise.”

  Anie’s smile lit up the room. “I help. Give me phone number. I call.”

  Coop shook his head. He couldn’t worry about one more person. Decided he wouldn’t. He’d have some good people watch her day and night. Though he’d checked this entire area more than once, shown the Wong sisters’ picture what seemed like a thousand times, nothing had come of it. Maybe this was a turning point.

  He looked at Anie—saw the set jaw, the look in her eyes. “Okay. Here’s my card. Call if you see them. They know the danger they’re in. If you tell them someone is looking for them, they’ll panic.”

  “I not tell. Just call.”

  “Good.” At least Anie was happy knowing she was trying to help her friends.

  He stood to leave.

  “You not eat.”

  They looked down at the plate of cold food and laughed. She snatched it up. “One minute. Two maybe.” And was gone.

  He sat back down. The wonderful aromas coming from the kitchen reminded him he was hungry.

  He’d ask Matt if he could get a tap on Mr. Bill’s phone. Evidently, the sisters knew exactly where their young friend was. And if they were involved in child sex-slavery, Matt would be more than willing to help.

  Coop couldn’t wait to make the call.

  Chapter Seven

  Matt was excited. “This could be a break for the FBI as well as for you guys. I’ll get your tap and keep you posted. If either of the women call, we’ll know.”

  “Sounds great.”

  “Where are you going now?”

  “I’m going to drop by the hospital and check on Christie. The last time I saw Ross he looked tired and defeated.”

  “Not like him.”

  “Not like any SEAL.”

  “Right.”

  “Later.”

  He didn’t stay long at the hospital. There was no change in Christie, and Coop couldn’t bear the look on his friend’s face. The only thing holding him together was hope. Once that was gone, Coop was afraid the man would either blow or crater.

  He’d find the kidnappers before that happened. He had to.

  He headed home, finding himself eager to see Lori.

  That was so unusual he took a step back. He could count on one hand the number of women he trusted: Shorty, Carrie, and Doc. Who else? No one. Over the years, he’d often wondered why. Dates ended badly or simply faded away. Coop had no idea what to do about it, or why it was a recurring event.

  The aroma of freshly baked sweets led him from the front door straight to the kitchen. Shorty was perched on a stool at the island while Lori served up a big piece of something that smelled delicious. “Whatcha got there, Shorty?”

  “The best cake I’ve had in ages. And I didn’t lift a finger.”

  He looked at Lori. He didn’t know how a woman could look so good in jeans and a T-shirt that fit as if they were made for her. His old shirt, which should have been thrown out long ago, wrapped around her to complete a picture of warm hominess. Her turquoise eyes examined him with curiosity. “Got any more of that?”

  “Coming right up.” She turned to get another plate and soon he was scarfing down mouth-watering goodness.

  “What do you call this? It’s better than good.”

  “Hummingbird Cake. I apologized to Shorty for helping myself to the ingredients, but she assured me it was okay. I hope that was all right.”

  “You can help yourself anytime the mood hits you,” he said around his last bite. “I won’t object; will you, Shorty?”

  “Nope. Makes me feel spoiled.”

  “It’s a small thank you for the clothes you brought me. I’ll find a way to pay you back.”

  “You’ll more than pay us back when your memory returns.”

  “It can’t happen too soon for me.”

  Coop put his fork down beside his empty plate. “How did you know how to make this? Did you steal one of Shorty’s recipes?” Or was she faking amnesia?

  She shrugged. “It’s really strange. Some things come to me and I know they’re true. Like knowing I like to cook, recipes, and how I like dogs. Other things. But important facts, like names, faces, etc., are a blank.”

  Tears welled in her eyes. Coop wanted to kick himself for asking the question, and had to fight to keep from going to her and holding her.

  What the hell was wrong with him?

  “Want some coffee to go with your cake?”

  “What cake?” He looked down at his empty plate.

  “How about seconds?”

  “Later. It’s time to take Thor for his evening exercise and I have a class.”

  “Can I watch?”

  “Why would you want to? It’s cold out.”

  “Like I said, I enjoy the dogs.”

  “You should rest.”

  “I can’t just sit around all day. I have to do something.”

  “Hence the cake.”

  She smiled. “I guess. Truly, I feel fine.”

  “Like I told you before, once I start the lesson, I won’t stop. If you decide you’re too tired or too bored, you’ll have to wait it out.”

  “I know. I’ll be fine.”

  “Then we’d better go. I’m already late.”

  Lori grabbed her jacket, wrapped one of Shorty’s scarves around her head, and followed him out.

  “Ready?” he asked

  She nodded. For the lesson—yes, for everything else in her life there were great big question marks.

  A few minutes later, she clambered out of Coop’s pickup, shut the door,
and stood there for a few seconds enjoying the evening. Though cool, she relished the wide-open spaces, the freedom.

  She grabbed her chest. She hadn’t been free in a very long time. Where had that come from? Who had kept her prisoner? Her vision blurred. What had her past been like?

  “Are you coming?”

  Coop’s voice gave her the courage to walk in his direction. The feeling, though, lingered, and it frightened her.

  Thor nudged her leg. She was free now. At the moment that was all that mattered. “I’ll take Thor to the exercise area. You can start your lessons.”

  “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”

  She laughed. It felt good. Sensing that she didn’t normally laugh a lot made her sad. Did she want to know who she was? She liked Lori and realized she might not like the person she’d once been. “I’ll exercise the others once Thor is finished.”

  “Let’s see how you do first.”

  “I’ll do just fine,” she threw over her shoulder as she signaled Thor to make his run.

  She watched in awe as Thor sped around the exercise arena at warp speed. He was amazing. All the dogs were. She stood there in total admiration for the dog as well as the man who had accomplished so much with all of them.

  Signaling Thor off the track, she had the feeling he could go another three rounds if she let him. “That’s enough for today.” Kneeling, she gave him a big hug. “You’re so smart.”

  If only she was the same. Maybe then she wouldn’t be in the mess she was in.

  Across the field, Coop nodded, so she went to get another dog and noticed Kava was gone. He would go to war just like his handler. She said a prayer for both before she let Ajax out.

  An hour later she had exercised all of the dogs except the newbie, Thunder. She wasn’t confident enough in her abilities to get him to obey.

  Dirk joined them. “Sorry to be so late. I’ll take over now.”

  Coop put Kuna in his pen. “We’re finished except for Thunder’s lesson and the feeding.”

  “I didn’t exercise him either. I didn’t want to do anything wrong.”

  Coop chuckled. The deep sound made Lori’s skin prickle with want. What was it about this man? And what made her think she had any right to these feelings?

  “Go,” Dirk ordered. “Coop shouldn’t let you do this with your wound so fresh.” He gave Coop a look that made her want to laugh again. These two men were definitely brothers.

  ****

  Coop had watched her closely for the last two hours. She was good with the dogs. Better than good. She’d caught on to the signals with little prompting. Even better, the dogs liked her. How could they not? She petted, hugged, and pampered each and every one of them.

  But Dirk was right. She should still be recuperating from her wound. “How do you feel?”

  She finished hooking her seatbelt before turning to answer. “I’m fine. I enjoyed every minute. Can I do this every day? I can take the morning and evening exercise off your hand. It will give you extra time for your PI work.”

  Coop couldn’t take his eyes off her. Lori’s face glowed. Her eyes were such a deep ocean-blue he thought he’d drown in them. Being with the dogs brought her pleasure. Until now, she hadn’t given the impression of being that happy. Maybe she wasn’t. Who knew what kind of life she’d led before being shot? She didn’t know and he sure as hell didn’t. There were no relevant missing person bulletins anywhere. The guys on his team had looked beyond the state of Texas and still hadn’t found any reports of someone with her description missing. Which was a puzzle in itself.

  “What do you think?”

  He brought himself out of his reverie. “I think Dirk’s right. You shouldn’t be exerting yourself so soon.”

  “Darn it, Coop. I like working with the dogs. Don’t ask me why. I just do. Don’t take this away on some flimsy excuse. If you want to keep me in the house, just say so.”

  She was glaring at him, her eyes blazing. He hadn’t meant to insult her, he was just being cautious. It wasn’t anything to get so angry over. “I don’t want you to overwork and have a setback.”

  Lori slammed back against the seat and crossed her arms over her chest. “What’s going on, Lori? You’re overreacting.”

  Letting out a long breath, she relaxed her arms. “I don’t know, Coop. But the thought of not being allowed out of the house filled me with fear and anger.” She looked at him. “I don’t know why. I’m sorry.”

  He reached over and took her hand. “I would never keep you prisoner. Do you think that’s what you were before you were shot? A prisoner?”

  Pulling away, she rubbed her hands up and down her arms. “I wish I knew. Every so often, I get these glimpses of my past. Being held against my will is one of the things I seem to remember.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “So am I. I know that’s not what you meant.”

  “How are you coming with the German commands? Do you need any help?”

  “I told Shorty I wanted to learn the training signals, so she said she’d help me.”

  “When we went into the business, Shorty was determined to learn. So was Matt. I’m not sorry about it. One never knows when the knowledge could save a life.”

  In a pinch, Matt had taken over the lessons and feeding. It wasn’t his thing, but he helped them out anyway. Thankfully, they’d managed to keep those times to a minimum.

  They were at the house. Neither opened their door. “Of course you can help with the dogs as long as you feel up to it and Doc doesn’t object.”

  She gave him a half-smile that tore at his heart. What had this beautiful woman gone through?

  “Thank you. That’s good enough for me.”

  He reached into the glove compartment. “Forgot to give you this.” He handed her a cell phone. “Know how to use it?”

  She nodded. “I think I had one just like it. I don’t imagine I’ll have a problem.”

  “I wish you could remember more. My number, Dirk, and Matt’s are programmed in, as well as Shorty’s. If you find yourself in a situation you’re not sure about, call one of us. We’ll be there as soon as possible.”

  “That’s not likely to happen since I can’t go anywhere.”

  Coop shrugged. “You never know.”

  He got out, went around to help her, only to see her already heading inside. “I wouldn’t mind another one of your fabulous desserts.”

  She chuckled and the sound lifted his spirits. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  Lori’s closeness made it hard to breathe. “You’re doing well with the dogs.” For some reason, he wasn’t acting at all like himself. He pulled himself up straighter.

  “Better than you thought?” she teased when she was at the door.

  “Actually, yes. I didn’t take you for a dog person.”

  “Surprised me, too.”

  “You don’t remember anything? Even your childhood?”

  “I wish I could tell you something substantial.” She turned her face away.

  The urge to ease her mental anguish was a fist in his gut. How could he help her without exposing the fact that she was alive?

  He couldn’t. It would be too dangerous.

  He’d been in difficult situations before. Many times. He’d find a way.

  Chapter Eight

  Lori turned toward Coop in time to see the tightness around his mouth, the way his hands fisted at his sides. She was a burden to him. The thought didn’t sit well. Plus, she was attracted to him. In jeans and warm jacket he didn’t look like a PI or a dog trainer. He looked…yummy—like an outdoorsman, a man determined to uncover her past no matter how impossible it seemed.

  Her hand went to her chest when her heartbeat accelerated. What was wrong with her? She was attracted to this man, but knew she shouldn’t be. Her heart wouldn’t settle down. All but running inside and to her room, she ignored Shorty’s call to dinner.

  Was she married? Engaged? There were no rings on her fingers. Was she in love
with a man she couldn’t remember?

  No way. She didn’t feel in love—didn’t feel married. What she did feel was a huge attraction to the man who had saved her life.

  Sitting on the edge of the bed, she put her head in her hands, shaking it back and forth as tears leaked between her fingers. Her memory had to come back. Her life was on hold. She couldn’t make plans for a future, couldn’t be attracted to the man who made her feel special. Couldn’t do anything but sit and wait.

  She was in so much trouble. There was no way she would complicate her life further. Taking a deep breath, she went to take a shower. Coop was just too damned good-looking. That must be it. There was nothing personal there, just female appreciation of a good-looking, hard-bodied man.

  She was still telling herself that when she finished her shower and stepped back into her room. There was a soft knock on the door and Shorty walked in carrying a tray. “You look tired. As much as you like the dogs, I don’t think you should be working with them this soon.”

  Lori felt tearful again. Shorty was way too nice. So was Coop. What would they think if she turned out to be a criminal? Something wasn’t right about her situation. It didn’t feel right, nor did it sit right. If she had been kidnapped or carjacked, it would be all over the news, but there was nothing. Which made her think the worst.

  “You should eat something. Coop told me you worked hard tonight. If you’re going to work you have to eat.” Shorty put the tray on the bedside table.

  The food smelled wonderful. “Thank you, Shorty. You’re too good to me.” This time, she couldn’t hold back the tears.

  Shorty was there in an instant to put her arms around her and pat her back. “It’s going to be all right. You’ll see. Just give it time.”

  Lori pulled a tissue out of a box on the table and wiped her eyes. “I’m feeling sorry for myself. I’ll hate myself later.” She tried to smile, but didn’t think she was very successful. “I’m grateful to be alive and here with people as nice as you and your sons.”

  “Have you met Matt?”

  “Not yet.”

  “You’ll like him. All the boys are different. Which, of course, makes sense, but Matt is the stoic one. He’s dependable and loyal to the extreme. All the boys can be trusted in an emergency, but having Matt there calms them down.”