Page 20 of Running to You

She allowed herself to be comforted, breathing through the pain in her skull. When it faded enough for her to open her eyes again, she looked at Sam. She wanted to demand that he explain what happened.

But he looked so…sad.

He shuttered his expression. Lifted his chin. As if waiting for a blow. As if she might hurt him.

Which, apparently, she had.

“Okay.” Not that it was, but… “Okay, so we broke up five years ago. Then what happened? We stayed friends? I obviously knew where you lived, so we must’ve.”

Daniel fielded that. “I don’t think you did. You remember that piece of paper I took out of your hand last night?”

She did, now that he mentioned it.

“It was a business card with Sam’s address written on it.” Again, Daniel nodded to Sam to explain.

“I hadn’t seen you or spoken to you since you ended things,” Sam said. “I have no idea what you did after our breakup. But last spring, I ran into you in Salt Lake City.”

“Utah? I’ve never been there.”

“You have.” His words were calm, not demanding but confident. “We talked.”

That didn’t make sense at all. But when she looked at Daniel and Camilla, they were watching her with sympathetic expressions. As if they believed his story. His crazy story.

“We saw you too,” Camilla said. “We didn’t know who you were, but we saw you.”

“And we saw Sam give you the business card.” Daniel fished something from his pocket and handed it to her.

She studied the wrinkled card stock with Sam’s name and business on it. He’d written his address on the back.

Shadow Cove, Maine.

She’d never heard of it. Except, obviously she had. She was there now.

“Is it familiar to you?” Daniel asked.

She shook her head. “I’ve never… I don’t remember any of this.” To Sam, she said, “Why was I in Utah? Did I say?”

“You wouldn’t tell me anything. You kept looking around as if you thought somebody might see you talking to me. That’s why I gave you the card. I thought you were in trouble. I should’ve… I shouldn’t have let you walk away. I should’ve demanded to know what was going on.” A muscle in his jaw worked. “But you weren’t… You didn’t seem to want my help. You told me you were waiting for friends, and before I could stop you, you took off and jumped in a car that pulled over at the curb.”

She couldn’t imagine any version of herself rejecting Sam.

She had a million questions, but apparently, Sam wouldn’t have the answers she sought.

“I tried to call your mother last night,” Sam said, “but her number’s been disconnected. Any idea why?”

“No. Why would she do that?”

Sam ignored the question. “Any chance you remember another number for her?” At her quick head shake, he continued. “I thought we’d drive over there. She’s probably frantic with worry. She’ll take care of you.”

She would. Mom would take over, manage whatever needed to be managed.

But the thought of going to Mom’s house brought a strange sensation. A…warning. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. It just feels wrong.”

Sam and his brother shared a look.