Alias Mommy. Linda O. Johnston

she said. “But I’ll check.”

      “Thanks, Nurse Meltzer,” said Polly.

      “Frannie,” said the nurse. “I don’t like formalities. As long as you don’t mind me calling you Polly.”

      “I don’t mind at all.” As long as you don’t call me— No, she wasn’t even going to let herself think that other name. It belonged in the past.

      “We’ll take little Laurel into the nursery soon, too, so you can get some rest.”

      Polly hugged the baby closer. “I want her to stay.”

      “But after a C-section and your accident…well, we’ll see how you do. We usually get new C-section mothers up to walk by now, but because of your other injuries, we’ve left you alone. That’s why you got a private room, too, by the way. A little place like this doesn’t have many singles. But we’ll have you up and about soon. I’ll check with Dr. Fletcher.”

      “Okay.” But Polly half wished Reeve Snyder was her doctor, not just Laurel’s. They’d been having such a friendly conversation, and then…

      “But Dr. Snyder is concerned about you, too,” Frannie continued, as though reading her mind. “Not only did he help you on the road, but since he last checked on you, he’s been asking a lot of questions.”

      Polly’s heart leaped into her throat and sat there pounding. She didn’t want anyone to ask questions about her, not even the kind and handsome doctor. Especially not Reeve Snyder, who had noticed her. She wanted to be an ant on the counter, a crumb on the floor. Totally inconspicuous. “Oh,” she said as calmly as she could, even mustering a smile she hoped looked nonchalant. “What kind of questions?”

      “About your family, whether anyone had been able to tell them about your accident.”

      Then he didn’t believe her. Polly’s muscles tensed, hurting her, and she started to shake. What was she going to do?

      “One of the ladies in the office tried to find a phone number to go along with the address on your driver’s license,” Frannie continued, “but she didn’t come up with anything.” Her tone was quizzical.

      Polly made herself take a deep, calming breath. She tried to sound nonchalant. “It’s an old address. I lived temporarily in an apartment after the divorce.” Funny how easily the lies poured out. Not long ago, she had been the kind of person who almost always told the truth. “I was on my way west to stay with a friend while I had the baby.” That, at least, was accurate.

      “I see. Do you want us to call your friend?”

      Polly shook her head. “No. She wasn’t expecting me at any particular time, and I wouldn’t want her to worry.” She wasn’t expecting me at all, Polly thought.

      “Okay. Here, let’s make you more comfortable.” The nurse took Laurel from Polly and laid her gently in a bassinet beside the bed. “I’ll go check on those newspapers. If you need anything else, just ring.” She gestured toward the call button on the stand beside the bed.

      “Thanks.”

      As the nurse left the room, Polly sighed heavily, letting her head sink as she finally relaxed. Then she glanced at the baby. Laurel was napping peacefully, sucking a little in her sleep. Polly smiled tenderly at the tiny form. Her baby. A small, but gigantic miracle.

      She would do anything to keep Laurel from harm.

      She had already done much more than she’d ever imagined herself capable of.

      Maybe it was time to go.

      She looked around. A door and window were the only means of escape. She didn’t know what floor this room was on. And she was still hooked up to an IV. There was no easy flight from here. And she still felt rotten.

      She supposed this was a typical hospital room, small and starkly white, with the bed in the center. At least the antiseptic smell wasn’t overpowering. Polly heard voices and footsteps as people walked down the hall—other mothers with new babies?

      Someone looking for her?

      She shuddered. No, no one would know she was here.

      But Reeve had been asking questions, even though she’d told him she had no family. He might give her away.

      Not intentionally. He had saved her. He had, for the most part, acted sympathetic. Surely he was just curious. Trying to help. He wouldn’t put her in jeopardy now, if he knew better.

      Unless…She shook her head so sharply that pain shot behind her injured forehead, and she groaned softly. Reeve Snyder couldn’t know her family. Not way out here.

      She couldn’t let paranoia get the better of her.

      She didn’t dare forget she was always in danger.

      For the moment, she was trapped. But as soon as she was well enough, she would leave this place.

      Awkwardly, despite her soreness and the IV in her arm, she reached out to pick up the TV remote. It was midafternoon, between most news broadcasts. Fortunately, the hospital had cable. Keeping the volume low, she channel surfed till she found a cable news channel, where two commentators discussed the latest Middle East peace talks. Polly pressed the mute button and settled back in the bed.

      She awoke a short while later when the nurse returned, arms filled with newspapers. “Couldn’t find them all,” she said. “But I think most of the comic sections are here.”

      Comic…oh, yes. That had been her excuse. “Thanks.”

      “In case you want to know more about the area, I brought the community paper, too—the Selborn Peak Standard. It’s got mostly store ads and classifieds, but it’s trying to get a reputation for local news stories.”

      For the next half hour, Polly poured through the papers, focusing on the Denver Post. One issue was dated the day after the event that had made her flee her home. None of them carried anything about it.

      Maybe that wasn’t surprising. Colorado was a long way from Connecticut. Still, what had happened, and to whom, could easily have made national news—if her family had so chosen. The way they decided to play things would be a message to her—provided that she could figure out the right interpretation.

      If nothing got into the news, that would mean they had determined to keep it as much of a nonevent as they could. They would want her to return home as though nothing had happened. As long as she stayed quiet and became a good little girl once more, everything would be fine.

      If the story were publicized, though, she would have to see how it was handled to determine the message. And if—

      A knock sounded on the door, and she jumped a little, startled. She looked up to find Dr. Reeve Snyder standing there.

      His tall form filled the doorway. He was again dressed in a lab coat that did nothing to hide the width of his shoulders. Its bright whiteness set off the gingery color of his thick, neatly combed hair.

      For a physician who wasn’t her doctor, he certainly showed up a lot.

      And for a woman who didn’t want any connection with anyone, who wanted no questions asked about her, she certainly was glad to see him. Polly found herself smiling warmly despite the way he had left earlier.

      “Mind if we come in?” he asked. “I want to introduce you to someone.”

      “Sure, Dr.—uh, Reeve.”

      She tried to interpret the look on his face as he stood at the door. The steep angles of his dark ginger eyebrows seemed to signify anger, yet there was a longing in his eyes.

      Strange, Polly thought. And wrong.

      She of all people shouldn’t try to read others’ minds from their faces. She had been so mistaken before.

      Their eyes met then, his a deep, golden brown. The shadows disappeared for a moment. There was something