Page 7 of Christmas Ransom

He told himself that they’d given him no choice as he hit the trigger, opening fire on all of them before they could get off a shot.

Chapter Seven

Carla woke confused, head aching. She blinked. The room seemed too bright, the light like an ice pick jammed between her eyes. She closed them again. Shifting in the bed, she realized that it wasn’t just her head that hurt. Her whole body hurt. She pried her eyes open to slits. Where was she?

“Carla.”

In that one word she heard so much relief and concern that she felt her pulse jump, and yet the moment came with more confusion.“Davy?”

As she opened her eyes, she turned her head and winced in pain. Davy was sitting in a chair next to her bed. The sight of him was as incongruous as the realization that she was in the hospital. She closed her eyes again.

She heard him rise from the chair and come to her side. With her eyes still closed, she asked, “What happened?” Her voice came out a whisper and suddenly she was aware of how weak she felt as he took her free hand.

When she opened her eyes again, she saw that her other hand was hooked up to tubes and machines that beeped noisily.

“You’re safe now,” he said, gently squeezing her hand in his two large ones.Safe?His hands felt warm and calloused, hands she remembered. She tried to sit up, but he urged her back down. “Just stay still. The doctor is on his way.”

She closed her eyes again, trying to make sense out of all of it. She was in the hospital, she’d been hurt, Davy was here. The last was the most confusing. It was as if she’d been teleported back in time and she and Davy were still together.

Opening her eyes, she heard someone come into the room and felt Davy release her hand and say, “She just came to.”

“How are you feeling?” asked a male voice. She focused on the sixtysomething doctor. Dr. Hull had delivered her his first year in Lonesome. He’d met the love of his life, a local woman, and had ended up staying all these years in their tiny Western town.

“I have a terrible headache,” she whispered, as if speaking loudly would make it worse.

“We’ll see what we can do about that,” the doctor said.

“I don’t understand what happened.”

“You have a concussion and some minor bruises and swelling.” He met her gaze. “You don’t remember?” She shook her head and then wished she hadn’t. “What’s the last thing you remember?”

Her gaze shifted to Davy’s concerned, handsome face. She remembered him coming into her office. Or had that been a dream? She couldn’t be sure.

“Do you remember me stopping by the bank to see you?” Davy asked.

So it had been true. “Yes.”

Dr. Hull looked relieved, then nodded and smiled. “When was that?”

“Yesterday,” Davy said, making her start with surprise.

“How long have I been in here?” she asked, feeling her fear rise. What had happened? Why couldn’t she remember? Had there been a car accident? Had anyone else been hurt?

“Earlier today,” the doctor said.

“Tell me what happened.” She tried to sit up again, but the doctor placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Easy,” he said. “You don’t remember anything about the bank robbery?”

She lay back.Bank robbery?A flash of memory. Santa standing in her doorway. She frowned as the image blurred and disappeared. Her mind filled with questions that flew in and out like a flock of birds. She tried to grab hold of one, but it only made her headache worse. “Was anyone else hurt?”

“No,” the doctor said.

“Did they get away with the money?”

He nodded. “But the FBI is on the case, so you need not worry. You just concentrate on feeling better.”

“Why can’t I remember?”

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