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woman sitting by the bedside. He frowned.
    “Who are you?” he asked, confused. She was so pretty, he knew he certainly would have remembered her if he’d ever seen her before. He tried to lever himself up on his elbow, but she put a hand on his shoulder to stop him from moving.
    “Stay still. You’ve been hurt. My name’s Sarah.”
    He looked up at her as he lay back, trying to place her, but he had no memory of ever meeting her before. Yet here he was lying in a bed with her sitting beside him. “Should I know you?”
    “No—I’ll tell you everything that happened, but, first, tell me—what’s your name?”
    For one long moment, his dark-eyed gaze met hers, and she could see the haunted look in his eyes.
    Frank desperately searched for a clue to his own identity, but his mind was a total blank. “I don’t know,” he answered honestly.
    “What?” Sarah was stunned by his revelation.
    Frank lifted one hand to his head and realized he was bandaged. “I have no memory of anything—What happened to me?”
    “My brother Andy and I heard some gunshots, and we went to see what was going on. We found you at the bottom of a ravine. Someone had shot you and then your horse must have thrown you. Luckily, the bullet had just grazed your head.”
    Believing someone was out to kill him, he knew he had to take action. “I’ve got to get away from here—They might be still out there—”
    “No, don’t try to get up—Please—” She pressed him back down again. “You’ve been here for hours now, and no one has shown up. We didn’t see anybody near where we found you either. Whoever shot you must have gone on, thinking you were dead.”
    Frank was surprised by how weak he was. The pain in his side was excruciating, not to mention his headache.
    “Here—let me show you something. It might help you remember—” Sarah went out into the front hall and got his Ranger badge from where she’d left it on the table. She came back into the bedroom and handed it to him. “You’re a Ranger. You were wearing this when we found you today.”
    Frank frowned as he stared at the Texas Ranger badge. He concentrated, trying to remember anything that would help him recall his past, but there was nothing except the pain that ravaged him. “Idon’t remember—” He gripped the badge in his hand, a tortured look on his face.
    Sarah understood his misery and wanted to help, but she knew there was little she could do at that moment. “The best thing for you to do right now is rest,” she told him. “Your memory will return. It’s just a matter of time.”
    “I hope you’re right—”
    “Do you want something to eat or drink?”
    “Water—”
    She quickly brought him a glass of water and helped him sit up slightly so he could take a few sips. Just that little exertion exhausted him and he lay back wearily on the bed.
    “I’ll be right here if you need anything,” she said, starting to move away.
    Frank looked over at her again. “Sarah—”
    She quickly turned back to him, thinking something was wrong.
    “Thank you.”
    Sarah gently touched his arm. “I’m just glad we found you in time.”
    “So am I.”
    They said no more as he closed his eyes, seeking release from the pain.
    It was almost midnight when Sarah heard her father ride up to the house. She slipped quickly from her bedroom, closing the door quietly behind her so the Ranger wouldn’t be disturbed.
    “What’s going on? What the hell are you doing up this late?” Nat Miller snarled as he staggeredinto the house to find his daughter still up and fully dressed.
    “Waiting to talk to you, Papa. Something happened while you were gone, and I wanted to tell you about it right away.”
    Nat swore vilely as he threw his hat aside. It was then he noticed the strange gun belt on the hall table.
    “What’s this doing here?”
    “It belongs to the Ranger—”
    “Ranger?” He frowned.
    “Papa, let’s go into the kitchen. We have to talk.”
    Nat