Dana Mentink - Lost Christmas Memories

A witness with amnesia

Can she trust this Gold Country Cowboy with her life?

Tracy Wilson witnessed a murder—but after a head injury, she can’t remember what she saw. Now someone plans to silence her for good, and only cowboy Keegan Thorn believes her. With a killer after her at Christmas, Tracy is running out of time to remember...and falling dangerously hard for the cowboy who could break her heart.

DANA MENTINKis a national bestselling author. She has been honored to win two Carol Awards, a HOLT Medallion and an RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Book Award. She’s authored more than thirty novels to date for Love Inspired Suspense and Harlequin Heartwarming. Dana loves feedback from her readers. Contact her at danamentink.com.

Also By Dana Mentink

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Treacherous Trails

Cowboy Bodyguard

Lost Christmas Memories

Pacific Coast Private Eyes

Dangerous Tidings

Seaside Secrets

Abducted

Dangerous Testimony

Military K-9 Unit

Top Secret Target

Rookie K-9 Unit

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Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

Lost Christmas Memories

Dana Mentink

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-08650-9

LOST CHRISTMAS MEMORIES

© 2018 Dana Mentink

Published in Great Britain 2018

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

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www.millsandboon.co.uk

Version: 2020-03-02

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“I’m in this mess because I got shot at, too...”

Keegan cleared his throat. “Where do we go from here?”

“Can you drop me here?” Tracy asked. “I’ll get a ride home some other way.”

“Nope.”

She frowned. “I wasn’t asking your permission.”

“I know, but I’m going to go with you. I’m helping. I’m awesome like that.”

Again, she shifted. “Keegan, I’m involved in a mess and I’ll get out of it. By myself. Do you understand?”

He heard his mama’s voice in his head. Don’t be pushy, Keegan. Not everyone gallops through life like you do. Speed, excitement and danger were the stuff that made life worth living, and too much slow contemplation time could drive a man crazy.

He heaved out a breath. “This isn’t something you should face alone. You saw a murder and it’s possible the murderer is still out there.”

She didn’t answer but he knew she was thinking the same as him.

And he knows who you are.

Dear Reader,

I just love a good cowboy story, don’t you? It has been such fun to write the Thorn brothers’ stories, from oldest, Barrett, to youngest brother, Keegan. Throughout the series, Keegan has struggled to feel a sense of belonging, to find a place where he feels loved and valued. We all search for that kind of place, don’t we? Isn’t it nice to know that God has a room waiting for us where we will be fully loved and completely accepted? I can’t imagine a happier ending than that!

It has been my pleasure to gallop with you through Gold Country in this four-book series. I hope you will come along with me on the next adventure, too! As always, I love to hear from my readers. You can contact me via my website at www.danamentink.comand there’s a place to sign up for my quarterly newsletter. There is also a post office box listed below. Thanks again, dear readers, and God bless you!

Dana Mentink

P.O. Box 3168

San Ramon, CA 94583

Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

—Galatians 6:2

To Cheryl, a wonderful friend and an excellent mom to her fur babies.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Introduction

Dear Reader

Bible Verse

Dedication

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

FIFTEEN

SIXTEEN

SEVENTEEN

EIGHTEEN

NINETEEN

TWENTY

TWENTY-ONE

TWENTY-TWO

TWENTY-THREE

TWENTY-FOUR

Extract

About the Publisher

Tracy Wilson jerked to a stop in the decorated lobby of the deserted Mother Lode Equestrian Center as a scream died away. At first, she’d doubted her senses. Perhaps it had been the whinny of a horse she’d mistaken for a cry. Then came the thud.

Had someone fallen? A worker unloading boxes after hours? She ran down the hallway to the one open door. Pushing into the dark space, she stopped dead. A figure, tall and wearing black, leaned over a dark-haired woman, hands on her throat, squeezing. Tousled hair screened the woman’s face and her hands gripped convulsively, clawing at the fingers throttling her. The attacker was in shadows. Was it a man? Woman? She couldn’t tell, but the person looked up at Tracy just as the choked woman went limp, her hands falling away, the life draining out of her. Irises black with hatred locked on Tracy.

The scream of horror died in Tracy’s throat as the attacker let go of the victim and dived for her instead. Panic fueled her. She raced back into the hallway, intending to make for the exit, but her pursuer was right behind. In her frantic flight, she knocked over a Christmas tree, sending it to the floor, where it smashed into a mess of silver fragments and gold beads. It did not slow her pursuer.