Page 20 of Hiding in Montana

“You would sit by my bed and talk about River Junction and Grace Star Ranch, even the lemonade from the Filler Up Diner.” She grinned. “You told me to keep your secret that Maggie’s huckleberry pancakes were better than your momma’s.”

He pulled back and chuckled. “I guess you were listening. I figured you were sleeping every time I came.”

“All the meds had me exhausted, so opening my eyes was too much of an effort.” She made a circle around her face. “I had to have some plastic surgery to put me back together, then rehab, and I was finally able to reinvent myself as Polly.”

“That’s not your real name?”

Coming clean, even with the bare minimum of details, was liberating. In for a penny or in for a pound was her dad’s motto. She might as well tell him her real name. “Pauline Parker was the woman who went hiking in Glacier National Park, and Polly Carson was discharged from the hospital.”

10

Everything Polly told him was like a gut punch. He knew there was much more to the story, but what this woman had gone through and she was still smiling, was remarkable. At least now he kind of understood why it always felt as if he knew her because they had met.

“Are you still hiding from your ex and his associates?”

“I was, but Matthew called me a couple of days ago. He’s known where I’ve been for a long time. The good news is the situation has changed, although he won’t say specifically how, but he said I should be in the clear.” Her voice dropped. “But with Matthew, you never know for sure. I will continue to be cautious.”

A thought flared. “Do you think someone was behind your fall? Someone who wanted to make sure you were never able to appear in a courtroom?”

Her face fell before it became a blank expression. He knew it was something she had never given a thought to. “I doubt it. To be honest, I don’t know anything and besides, I had been camping for several days in that area. It was just an unfortunate accident.”

If he and the guys hadn’t come along, she could have died out there alone, injured, subjected to cold temperatures or worse, mountain lions and wolves. Inwardly, he shuddered. He couldn’t let her see that flash of fear in him. Clint wanted to be strong for Polly, just as he had that day on the trail. He thought it was a little too convenient. What if there was more to it?

“You don’t remember anything more about your accident?”

Polly stood and wandered to the edge of the flattened grass and jammed her hands in her front pockets before she turned to face him. “Nothing. That entire day is blank. Well, except for an occasional flash.”

He figured that wasn’t unusual for a trauma patient to have near total memory loss. From what he had read, it was the mind’s way of protecting her from what had really happened out there. From what he had heard, people usually blocked things out if they couldn’t face the truth in situations like hers. “Have you ever felt unsafe in River Junction?”

Slowly, she shook her head, her eyes locked on his. “Not really. I mean, a woman living alone needs to be cautious, but I’m not paranoid, if that’s your real question.”

He waited. She wasn’t giving off vibes. She wanted to be physically closer, and he respected that. “You exude confidence, but after what you went through, hiding, living a solitary existence until you settled here, does lend itself to looking over your shoulder from time to time.”

Her shoulders and eyes dropped to study the grass. “You know how the experts say if you run into a black bear to not run but appear larger than you are to fake it out?”

“Yes.”

“Well, it’s kind of like that. Not the appearing bigger part, but the not running away, never turning your back on the predator. It’s kind of how I live my life. I project confidence I don’t feel, tell myself I’m a tough chick and that I will never back down.”

“Camping by yourself in the wilds of Montana tells me you are a badass woman.” He gave her a half grin. “I’d think twice about messing with you. Dang, it took me how long just to work up the nerve to ask you out.”

She laughed and looked at him. His insides relaxed as he saw her slow and easy smile gracing her lips. “Good to know that I can intimidate a cowboy.”

He stood and in three long strides, he was by her side with open arms, and she stepped into him. Pulling her close, he could smell the wind in her auburn hair, strands of it that had escaped her ponytail teasing his skin. He liked how she fit against his body.

“Be forewarned. It takes a lot to scare me off.”

“Noted.” She wrapped her arms around his waist and exhaled. Clint hoped Polly felt content in his arms, and maybe even safe. But was there someone still keeping tabs on her, other than her ex-husband? Waiting, in case she still needed to be stopped from sharing what they felt she knew about her past life.

“Your mind is racing, I can tell.”

Her soft voice stopped his thoughts from spinning with possibilities of danger. “How’s that?”

“Your arms held me tighter and I might need to breathe again.”

Immediately, he relaxed. “Sorry. I didn’t realize.”

Looking into his face, she held up her hands and, using her index fingers, pushed the corners of his lips upward. “Smile. I’m here and I’m fine.”

---