Page 14 of A Forgotten Heart (Wind River Mail-Order Brides #5)

“Oh, good, you’re awake,” Ed said as he stood, his chair scraping against the floor. He strode toward Nick.

“Shhh…” Nick nodded toward Elsie.

Elsie shifted. Her nose wrinkled, but her breathing remained even. Still asleep.

When Nick tore his eyes away, Ed was standing at his side, watching him intently, brows drawn. Behind him, Rebekah stood from the table and moved to the bedroom.

“You need to be careful,” Ed said, voice low. “Not play with this gal’s affections. Not if you aren’t remembering everything.”

This gal? Nick bristled.

But Ed was quiet and serious when he said, “Few weeks ago, you told the family you’d asked Merritt for help making connections with eligible young women.”

Ed’s words hit and inspired a dissonance like a note being sung wildly off-key.

No. That couldn’t be right.

Nick threw off the quilt. Ed must’ve sensed his agitation, because he put a hand to Nick’s shoulder. “Maybe Elsie is one of the women you’ve been corresponding with.”

Nick was already shaking his head. Thought better of it when the throbbing increased. “I’ve known Elsie since my second year at normal school.”

Ed’s brows drew together even more. Then his expression smoothed, but his eyes were calculating. “Your second year, huh?”

“What?”

Ed gave a little shake of his head, dismissing the question. “Did you make it to the land office before the storm?”

Nick didn’t understand the sudden shift in conversation. He wasn’t finished talking about Elsie. And him seeking a mail-order bride? A sense of wrongness seeped over him.

“I don’t remember. I saw the papers in my satchel.”

Ed crossed the room to retrieve Nick’s satchel from where it’d been left by the stairs.

Nick closed his eyes and rested his forearm over his forehead, putting pressure where it pulsed. A mail-order bride?

He heard Ed rummaging through his satchel, then the sound of papers rustling. It was the change in Elsie’s breathing that opened Nick’s eyes.

“They haven’t been processed,” Ed said.

“Why is my name on those papers, anyway? Why not Drew, or you?”

Nick said the words without looking away from Elsie. She rubbed a sleepy hand over her face. Blushed when she realized he was watching.

Mail-order bride? No.

Ed’s movements rifling through the satchel became more agitated. “Nick, I can’t find the payment.”

“What payment?” Nick was distracted from watching Elsie as Ed strode to the table and dumped the contents.

Rebekah bustled out of the bedroom and joined Ed at the table.

“The money, Nick. For the land,” Ed said.

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.”

Nick’s and Elsie’s words tumbled over each other. Why was she looking at him with that mix of trepidation and hope?

“Did you remember?” she whispered.

“I—don’t know.”

That particular memory, of stumbling, falling, a flare of pain in his head—seemed clear as day.

“Nick, you’ve still got a head injury,” Elsie said.

“Elsie can show me where,” Ed offered.

“No,” Nick snapped. Elsie looked shocked by his tone.

“I’ll…go find your extra pair of gloves.” Rebekah disappeared into the bedroom.

“I don’t want you going out there,” Nick told Elsie, turning so they were facing each other. He clasped her hands in his.

“If it’s too dangerous for me, then why are you going?” she countered. “Your head?—”

“Is a lot better.” It was true. He’d been standing for several minutes without the dizzy spells or nauseated feeling.

“If Quade was holed up in the saloon, he’s probably at the bottom of a bottle right now,” Ed offered. Nick had almost forgotten he was still standing by the window.

Nick couldn’t explain why this was so important, only that it was.

It was his fault that money was missing. He needed to be the one to find it.

And he needed Elsie safe. This business with the mail-order bride, Kaitlyn, the land…all of it could wait. And maybe more memories would return.

Elsie was wearing that stubborn set to her mouth—a look that said she wasn’t going to back down. He wanted to kiss that look right off her.

Somehow, she read his thoughts. He saw the way her eyes flitted to his lips and then back up. Saw the minute way her lips pressed together. She wanted to kiss him too.

But her gaze cut away as Ed cleared his throat. “We should go.”

Nick squeezed her hands to his. “We’ll be right back. Wait for me.” Then he whistled for Patch to follow him out the door.