Pregnesia. Carla Cassidy

for now the name would serve her as well as any. “I’m sorry to bother you in the middle of the night,” she said.

      “Nonsense, come into the kitchen where I can get a look at that head wound.” Loretta had a calm efficiency about her that put Jane somewhat at ease.

      She allowed herself to be led through a tidy living room and into a small kitchen with a round wooden table. “Sit,” Loretta instructed, pointing to one of the chairs at the table.

      Jane complied and fought an overwhelming desire to weep with relief. She sensed safety here, at least for the moment. Lucas sat in the chair across from her and eyed her with the same wariness that she’d used on him. Looking into his dark eyes, that sense of safety was more tenuous.

      “What happened?” Loretta asked as she got a first-aid kit from under her kitchen sink.

      “She doesn’t know,” Lucas said, but his tone indicated that he didn’t quite believe her.

      “I wasn’t talking to you,” Loretta exclaimed. She got a damp cloth and began to wipe the side of Jane’s face. Jane closed her eyes against the gentle touch. “What happened, honey?”

      “I don’t know.” She winced as Loretta began to clean the cut. “All I remember is running and running. Then I was tired and cold, so I crawled into the car where your brother found me.”

      “She says she has some kind of amnesia or something. She doesn’t know her name,” Lucas said, and once again his voice was laced with a touch of suspicious disbelief. “For the time being I’m calling her Jane.”

      Jane met his gaze. Those dark eyes of his seemed to look inside her soul, but there was nothing there for him to see.

      “You don’t know your name?” Loretta asked gently. “Do you know what day it is?”

      “November second or third.” Jane knew she must be right because Loretta nodded with encouragement. Loretta asked her several more questions, about the year and who was the president.

      “I know all that,” Jane said. “I just don’t know who I am and what’s happened to me.” Again fear bubbled up inside her and she fought against it, refusing to show either of them just how terrified she really was.

      As Loretta checked Jane’s blood pressure and pulse, Lucas continued to watch her with hooded eyes that gave nothing away.

      “Well, the good news is your vitals are all normal and you don’t need stitches on your forehead,” Loretta said. “But you really need to go to the hospital to be checked out for other head injuries.”

      Panic swelled in Jane’s chest. She wasn’t sure why, but she felt that if she went to a hospital or to the police, she’d only be putting herself in more danger. “No, I’m sure I’ll be fine if I can just get some rest.” She looked at Lucas once again. “Maybe you could take me to that motel we talked about earlier?”

      “Nonsense,” Loretta exclaimed. “It’s almost morning now. There’s no reason for you to go anywhere. I have a spare room where you’ll be perfectly comfortable for the night and we’ll sort out everything else in the morning.”

      “Oh, I couldn’t impose anymore,” Jane said, offering a weak protest.

      “Don’t bother arguing with her,” Lucas said. “Loretta might be small, but she’s as stubborn as the day is long.”

      Loretta cuffed him on the back of the head and gave him an affectionate grin. “Why don’t you get out of here and let us women get to bed?”

      “Walk me to the door?” he said to his sister.

      Loretta nodded, and as she followed Lucas out of the kitchen, Jane slumped forward and cradled her belly in her arms as she felt the baby move around inside her.

      At the moment the only thing she was certain of was that she loved the baby she carried. She had no idea who the father was, or what her relationship might be with that man, but it didn’t matter. She had a feeling she’d loved the baby from the moment of conception.

      What would she have done if Lucas Washington hadn’t stumbled upon her? Where would she be at this moment? Still in the backseat of that car, slowly freezing half to death? And what would she have done in the morning when she had to leave the car?

      She shivered and again a low pulse of fear filled her. It was more than the fear of not knowing her name. It was some innate knowledge that she was in danger. And the most frightening part was not knowing who might be after her and why.

       Chapter Two

      Lucas sat at his kitchen table and watched the morning sun peek over the horizon. He’d only slept for a couple of hours, but felt rested. He’d never needed much sleep. Not sleeping too soundly or too long had been a survival mechanism learned in his youth, with his father’s explosive temper that could erupt anytime day or night.

      He tightened his fingers around his coffee mug as he thought of those nights of terror. If it hadn’t been for his younger sister, he wasn’t sure he’d have survived his childhood.

      Initially he’d worried about leaving a stranger with Loretta for the night, but he’d realized a very pregnant woman with a head wound didn’t pose much risk. Besides, Loretta was tougher than she looked.

      Jane.

      She’d haunted what little sleep he’d gotten. Once Loretta had cleaned the blood off her face, Lucas had gotten his first real look at her. She was stunning, with her heart-shaped face and big blue eyes. Her complexion was smooth and her skin had looked soft and supple.

      He’d been surprised by the tiny kick of pure male lust in the pit of his stomach. He was thirty-three years old and rarely felt that particular feeling. And he’d certainly never felt it for a pregnant woman suffering from amnesia.

      He consciously willed himself not to get interested in any woman. He had his work and his sister and that’s all he’d ever really needed.

      Getting up from the table, he stretched with his arms overhead. He needed a shower. By the time he was done his sister would be awake and he could check in on Loretta and her patient.

      As he stood beneath a hot spray of water he thought about the mysterious Jane. He suspected she might be lying. Even though there had been genuine fear in those gorgeous eyes of hers, he wasn’t convinced that her amnesia was real.

      What he thought was that she’d probably had a fight with her boyfriend or husband and had concocted the amnesia story to buy her a little time. As long as she didn’t go to the police or to the hospital, the man in question couldn’t find her or go to jail on domestic abuse issues.

      Surely by this morning she would have “remembered” her name and found forgiveness in her heart for the guy who banged her up. It happened all the time. It was a story Lucas knew intimately.

      He dressed in his customary jeans and pulled on a ribbed, long-sleeved navy shirt, then returned to the kitchen for another cup of coffee before heading to his sister’s apartment.

      He needed to call one of his partners and let them know he wouldn’t be in to the office until later in the afternoon. He needed to figure out where to bring Jane and wasn’t sure exactly what to expect.

      Lucas and two of his ex–navy SEAL buddies had started Recovery Inc. when they’d gotten out of the service. The company dealt in recovery of both items and people in sticky situations and had been successful beyond their wildest dreams.

      Despite the financial rewards, Lucas lived a simple life. He used most of his money to help pay Loretta’s student loans and was determined to help her pay for medical school next spring. Her dream had always been to be a doctor, and Lucas wanted to make sure she achieved that dream.

      He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and punched in the number for Micah Stone, one of his partners and his best friend.

      Micah