“Even though I can’t recall anything about what happened to me, for some reason I recognize you,” she mused. “How is that possible? Why would I remember one thing and not the others? What happened to me, exactly?”
“Probably because your memory is coming back in bits and pieces,” he told her, aware he hadn’t answered her question. But he didn’t want to reveal to her how she’d been injured; he’d rather give her the chance to remember on her own.
She blinked, her gaze both sleepy and seductive. His instinctive response to this slammed into him, so powerful he took a step back.
Dangerous.
Clearly, he’d lost his mind. He had to get out of there immediately, before he did something he’d regret. “Feel better soon. Take care,” he said, dipping his chin in a quick nod before he left her room.
He didn’t slow down until he reached the nurse’s station, which mercifully was empty at the moment. Taking a seat, he tried to calm his racing heart. Since work usually absorbed him, he took another look at Jane Doe’s chart.
Everything confirmed what he’d been told. Mild concussion and some bruising. Which meant, under any other circumstances, she’d be released to go home soon.
But she didn’t know where home was. So what were they going to do with her?
His cell phone vibrated. His brother Ryan. Since Ryan worked for the Tulsa PD, maybe he could help find out who the mystery woman was, and who exactly Walter might be. He really needed to know if Walter was her husband, for reasons he didn’t even want to consider right now.
Stepping into the hallway, Eric answered.
“I heard you got involved in a hit-and-run last night,” Ryan said by way of greeting.
“Yes, as a witness. As a matter of fact, I just left the victim’s room. I’m hoping you can help me.” Briefly, he outlined what little he knew. “I’ve already told most of this to the guys who came out to investigate last night. Though I know they’re busy.”
“Like I’m not?” Ryan laughed, taking the sting off his words. “How about we discuss it over lunch?”
“I’m meeting Greta. She’s in town and I haven’t seen her in a while.” And they both knew their sister frowned upon any “shop” talk when they got together.
“Dinner, then?”
“It’ll have to be a late one. You know how Greta likes to talk.”
They both laughed. Lunch would no doubt turn out to last at least two hours. Which was fine with Eric. He didn’t get to see his sister as often as he’d like. Since she’d gotten engaged, she’d moved to Oklahoma City, and didn’t come back to Tulsa as often. Her wedding had been postponed when Abra got hurt. Greta refused to get married without her mother. She continually said she’d wait until Abra was out of the coma.
“Dinner it is. I’ll call you when I get off work.” With that, Ryan ended the call.
Eric had just started to walk toward the elevator when his phone rang again. Thinking Ryan must have forgotten something, he answered.
“This is Nurse McPherson from Tulsa General. Dr. Colton?”
Immediately every nerve ending went on full alert. Phone calls like this usually meant he was needed for trauma surgery. Adrenaline pumping through him, he answered in the affirmative.
“I’m here, at the nurse’s station on the fifth floor,” he said, heading toward the elevator so he could get to the ER. “What’s the case?”
“I’m sorry.” She apologized for the misunderstanding. “I should have made myself clear. I’m not calling you to bring you in for surgery. I’m phoning about Jane Doe.”
Putting the skids on, he frowned. “What about her? I just saw her.”
“We’re discharging her today.”
“Discharging her?” he repeated, letting his tone reflect his disbelief, though he’d expected this. “To where?”
Now the nurse sounded apologetic. “That’s why I called you. I thought you’d like to know. It’s wrong, but you know how it is. There’s nothing medically wrong enough with her to keep her here. Plus, she has no insurance—”
“She doesn’t even remember who she is,” he exploded quietly, keeping his voice down and remembering that none of this was the nurse’s fault. “Where will she go? What will she do?”
But he already knew the answer.
“I’m sorry, but you’re aware of how this works,” the nurse replied. “We can’t hold anyone who isn’t injured or ill. We’ll give her a card with directions to one of the homeless shelters.”
Homeless shelter. Eric thought of the woman, with her cloudy blue eyes and sweet, sexy smile. Who knew what would happen to a woman who looked like her if they placed her on the streets with no memory?
He couldn’t let that happen. “Don’t discharge her yet,” he said. “Let me find Dr. Patel. Do you know where she is?” But he hung up before the nurse could reply.
Striding down toward the emergency department—a place that seemed more familiar than his own town house—Eric refused to consider the hundred reasons why he shouldn’t get involved. After all, it was just a matter of time until her memory returned or Ryan figured out her identity. Once that happened, Eric could return her safely to her home and consider a good deed done. Especially since he knew he couldn’t live with himself if he let a woman who had temporary amnesia be put out into the street to fend for herself.
If there was more to it than that, he refused to think about it. He had to protect her, no matter what the cost.
When Eric arrived back at the mystery woman’s room, a nurse was with her, messing with the controls on one of the monitors. She now sat on the edge of her bed, her wavy hair tied back in a neat ponytail. Rather than the hospital gown, she wore some ill-fitting clothes that obviously had come from the lost and found. Considering whatever she’d been wearing had probably been cut off her, the nurses hadn’t had a choice, but the sight still offended him.
When her unusually colored eyes met his, he again felt a sense of connection and attraction.
“Back again?” she asked, her generous mouth curving in a smile.
“Hey, there,” he said softly, trying like hell to maintain a professional demeanor under the watchful gaze of her nurse. “I hear you’re well enough to go home.”
The misery in her expression spoke louder than words. “That’s what they’ve told me. Unfortunately, I have no idea where home might be.” She couldn’t quite disguise the terror in her voice.
He cleared his throat, pretending not to be affected.
“Well, then, it’s a good thing I’m here.” He kept his voice light and carefree, as if speaking to a child instead of a beautiful woman. “I’m going to take you to my place. You can stay there until your memory comes back.”
The nurse gasped, then scowled at him, her silent disapproval making him want to ask her to leave.
“Your place?” Her frown deepened. “Are we friends, then?”
“Sort of.” He didn’t want to lie, but he also didn’t want to frighten her. “I brought you in here. I can’t let them send you out into the street with nowhere to go.”
He looked at the nurse, who still stared at him. “Could you please find Dr. Patel and send her here? She and I need to talk.”
With a curt nod, the woman left the room.