Page 41 of A Forgotten Heart
He’d had money in the satchel?
Rebekah began sorting through the items next to Ed.
Spots floated in front of Nick’s vision as he sat up. “I didn’t see any money.”
“It has to be here,” Rebekah said pragmatically.
Elsie moved to his side as he stood on shaking legs, fighting off the dizziness. Was it his imagination? He sensed she was steadier today.
It was obvious by the tense set of Ed’s shoulder they hadn’t found it.
Nick’s mouth went dry. “How much money?”
Ed shook his head.
Rebekah broke the silence. “Quade was pushing the Spenser family to sell to him. Drew barely convinced them to sell to us.”
Quade. Again. The man had tried everything to get his hands on McGraw land.
“If we can’t make the purchase, he may swoop in and take it.” Rebekah’s quiet words were meant for Ed’s ears, but Nick heard anyway.
An ugly feeling twisted in his stomach. Somehow, he’d lost that money.
“Could it be at the doctor’s office?” Elsie offered quietly.
Her arm curled around his, and he felt a beat of gratefulness for her support.
“Where’d we get that money?” Nick asked. Not a lot of extra cash coming from a working ranch.
“It’s part of Kaitlyn’s inheritance,” Rebekah explained.
Kaitlyn? Who was Kaitlyn?
Something shifted in his mind on another throb of pain.
“Maybe she can make another withdrawal from the bank.”
“No one will be able to make it to town from the ranch. Not with the snowdrifts.”
“It’ll be too late.”
Nick watched Ed grow more and more grim as he and Rebekah tried to work through the problem.
“Could it have slipped out of your satchel when you fell?” Elsie offered suddenly.
Dark and hazy memories pressed in. A gunshot. Elsie crying out.
Nick didn’t remember falling. Did he?
Rebecca lit up. “If it did, it’s buried beneath the snow.”
Ed stalked over to the window, his eyes scanning the street below. “Sun will be setting in another half hour. If we go out to find it, we’d better be quick.”
“Where were you when Nick fell?” Rebekah asked Elsie.
“In front of the bank.”
“The bank.”
