Page 56 of Montana Memory

Her lips pressed together, just for a beat. Then?—

“I’m Kenzie Hurst.”

Everything inside me froze. This was the woman I’d stalked and kidnapped.

A sharp ringing filled my ears, my heart slamming against my ribs. I felt it before my mind even fully processed it—the fight-or-flight surge of adrenaline, the ice crawling up my spine.

She didn’t move. Didn’t shift forward. Just watched me, waiting for something.

For me to react? To deny it? I couldn’t do either. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.

Her gaze sharpened, and she gave a quick inhale before she spoke again. “You really don’t remember anything, do you?”

I barely managed to shake my head. “No.” It sounded weak. Hollow.

Kenzie exhaled, something flashing in her expression before it disappeared. Frustration. Resignation. It wasn’t anger. Not exactly. Not the fiery rage I might’ve expected. It was something colder. Heavier. “Unbelievable.”

I swallowed hard, my pulse thrumming in my ears.

Kenzie’s voice was quiet but flat. “Do you rememberanyof it?”

I shook my head slowly, a painful twist settling deep in my stomach. “No.”

That wasn’t enough. Not for her. Not for me either. She crossed her arms, her weight shifting onto one leg. “So that’s it, then? You get to pretend it didn’t happen because you can’t remember?”

I winced. “It’s not pretending.”

“Feels like it,” she muttered, gaze flicking out toward the waterfall. The breeze shifted the hem of her jacket, but she didn’t move. “You hunted me. Across states. Tormented me. You made my life hell.”

“I believe you.” My voice caught. “I just— I can’t remember it. And I know that’s not fair. You deserve to confront the woman who did that to you. I just— She’s gone.”

Kenzie didn’t speak for a moment, her jaw tight. Then she nodded, more to herself than to me. “Okay.”

She turned to leave.

“Wait,” I said, the word scraping out of my throat. “Please. Can you just…tell me?”

She stopped. Didn’t turn around. “Why? So you can feel worse?”

“No. Because you’re the only person I’ve met who actually knew me before. You don’t have to make it nice. I don’t want you to. I need the truth.”

Kenzie turned, her eyes narrowing. “You really want to hear it?”

“I need to.”

She looked at me for a long beat, like she was searching for a crack in my resolve. When she didn’t find one, she blew out a sigh. “Fine. But don’t expect me to sugarcoat it.”

I nodded, throat tight.

“We had one thing in common,” she said. “Alan Ard.”

My stomach clenched.

Kenzie let the name settle between us, her expression unreadable. “Not exactly something either of us should be proud of.”

No. Not even close.

“He lied to both of us,” she continued. “Spun whatever story he needed to to get what he wanted. Told me I was special. Told you I was the reason for all his problems.” She let out a humorless laugh. “Said you and he couldn’t have a future as long as I was around.”

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