certainly no love in his eyes now. He hated her.
Jake claimed that sheâd lied about everything in her past. If sheâd done that, she must have had something to hide. There must have been a logical explanation for why sheâd left him and taken their child, and more reasons for why sheâd been driving a car that didnât belong to her in an area of California in which she didnât appear to live. But what were those reasons?
It was no wonder everyone looked at her with suspicion. She was suspicious of herself. She might not have a memory, but she did have a brain, and adding up all the bits and pieces sheâd learned about herself revealed a very disturbing picture. Unless she was a raving lunatic, there had to be someone else in that picture, someone who had given her a reason to do what sheâd done. Was it Jake?
Although sheâd been eager to get rid of him, now she couldnât help but wonder what he was doing. She didnât like the idea of him talking to the police without her, or even to her doctor. Shifting restlessly on the bed, she finally sat up and made another attempt to stand. She took it slowly, fighting through the dizziness as she got to her feet. Once she felt steady, she walked across the room to the door and opened it just wide enough to take a look around.
Her room was at the far end of the hall. Across from her was a stairwell. At the other end of the hall was the nursesâ station, where several people in blue scrubs could be seen milling around. There were other random people in the hallway, but the most important figure was Jake, standing a few yards away with his back to her. He was talking on his cell phone.
She opened the door wider, trying to catch his conversation.
âI found her,â Jake said. âYeah, she colored her hair, but she couldnât get rid of those curls -- those damn curls. Thereâs no mistake.â He paused for a moment. âThe police have been searching for Caitlyn in the canyon where the accident occurred. What I need you to do is go there and check it out for me.â He listened to the reply and then said, âShe claims she doesnât remember anything. Iâm going to check with Sarahâs doctor. Iâll get back to you when I know what Iâm going to do about her."
Sarah shut the door, her pulse racing. Whom had Jake been talking to? And more important, what was he planning to do about her?
* * *
Jake sat down in a chair in the hospital corridor and leaned his head against the wall. The last time heâd been in a hospital was when Caitlyn was born -- one of the happiest days of his life. That moment seemed like a lifetime ago.
Closing his eyes, he took a long, deep breath. Heâd found Sarah, and the moment heâd anticipated for seven long months had not been at all what heâd expected. Heâd prepared himself for a showdown, a battle for Caitlyn. Heâd never once considered that he would find Sarah and she wouldnât be with Caitlyn. Where on earth had Sarah hidden their daughter?
He wanted to shake the answers out of her. Heâd never felt such violence or anger toward a woman. Sarah had ruined him. And it appeared that sheâd ruined herself too. Sheâd lost at least ten or fifteen pounds. Sheâd never been heavy, but now she was so thin she looked fragile, breakable. Her beautiful blond hair was a lifeless brown, her eyes filled with shadows, her demeanor nervous and wary.
Where was the woman heâd fallen in love with?
She was nowhere. She didnât exist, he reminded himself. The woman heâd lived with was a liar and a thief. He couldnât forget that. He couldnât let her get under his skin again. He had one goal now, and that was to find Caitlyn. Sarah was only going to be a means to that end, nothing more. He would stay with her until he had his daughter. He couldnât take the chance that she would run again.
Still, it took