“Sounds good.”
“Will you tell the others?”
He chuckled. “If you’re going to make me share with them, I guess I don’t have a choice.”
“Don’t worry, there’ll be plenty for everyone.”
They fell silent while she worked, but it was such an easy silence that she found herself humming. When she realized she was humming the Anne Murray tune they had danced to at the section house, she stopped and cast Jack a surreptitious look.
He was watching her, his eyes dark and steady.
She looked away quickly and checked the same piece of chicken she’d just checked.
By the time the meal was done and on the table, the silence didn’t feel as comfortable as it had. Probably because Lisa had suddenly thought to wonder if she had combed her hair in the past few hours. Or maybe she had flour on her face. Something was making Jack stare at her, and she was becoming more self-conscious by the minute.
For something to say, she asked him if there was a local newspaper for the area.
“A small weekly.” He reached for another piece of chicken. “The Wyatt County Gazette. Should be one in the mail later today. I’ll bring it when I come for supper.”
“Thank you. I want to look for a place to live.”
He paused with a drumstick halfway to his mouth. “You’re going to stay in Wyoming?”
“Yes. I’ve been thinking about it all day,” she added in a rush. “I think I must have planned to stay and have the baby here. Why else would I have brought all that cash and my medical records? I’ll need a job after the baby comes, of course, but that shouldn’t be—”
“Lisa, it’s all right.”
She stopped and took a slow breath. She’d been talking so fast it was a wonder he’d even understood her.
“You don’t have to justify anything to anybody. If you want to stay here and have your baby, nobody’s going to say you can’t. But there’s no hurry to find a job or a place to live. You know you’ve got a place to stay right here for as long as you want.”
Oh, dear. Sir Jack was going to get all knightly on her. She loved it when he did that. It was so sweet and made her feel cared for. She had no intention of arguing with him about it, either. “I’m not going to hurry,” she assured him. “I just wanted to look at the paper and get an idea of what might be available.”
Jack didn’t like this talk of Lisa’s about finding a place to live. He was surprised at how strongly he was against it. Dammit, she had a place to live—right there on the Flying Ace.
Well, okay, so she might not want to live off Belinda forever, especially since she had no memory of her or their friendship.
And okay, so the section house would only be available to her until he hired a new section foreman in a couple of months.
That doesn’t leave much, pard, came a smart-mouthed voice from inside his head.
Right. It didn’t leave her much of an alternative. But he intended to talk her into staying right where she was until after the baby was born and she had recovered from childbirth. She would have help here, from Belinda and Donna.
But he’d promised her the newspaper, so he would take it to her. Reluctantly, but he would take it.
He took it to her that night when he went up to the house for supper. When she set it aside until after the meal, he was relieved. Maybe that meant she wasn’t as eager to find a place as he’d feared.
Her ham with all the trimmings was a big hit with everyone. She’d even gone to the trouble of baking a pecan pie for dessert.
“I guess there are some things a woman just never forgets,” Trey said with a devilish grin.
Lisa smiled sweetly. “What would that be?”
The twinkle in Trey’s eyes sparkled. “Cooking.”
Her smile widened. “Was that by any chance a chauvinistic remark?”
“Well…”
Stoney was fighting a smile and swinging his gaze between Trey and Lisa.
“Since Belinda isn’t here,” Jack offered lazily, “I’ll say it for her. Shut up, Number Three.”
Stoney and Trey laughed.
Lisa chuckled. “I take it Trey was trying to see if I’d get fired up over a comment like that. Would Belinda?”
“She wouldn’t have just boxed his ears,” Stoney offered. “She would have sliced them off and served them at the next meal.”
Trey laughed and shuddered. “That’s a little too close to the truth for comfort.”
“Hmm.” Lisa smiled. “I can’t wait to remember her. I think I must really like that woman.”
“Pardon me for saying so,” Trey told her, “but for best friends, you and Belinda seem as different as night and day.”
“How do you mean?” Lisa asked.
“Opposites,” Jack offered.
“No kidding,” Trey said. “The fox is all starch and vinegar, while you’re more…”
“Go on,” Lisa encouraged.
Jack watched with interest as the gleam in Lisa’s eyes sharpened. He’d seen her upset, devastated, thoughtful, happy. He’d seen anger in her eyes when she spoke about the baby’s father the other day without realizing what she’d been saying. But he’d never seen quite this look of…calculation? Was that it? Or was it more a promise of retribution the minute Trey stepped into the hole he’d dug for himself?
“I, uh, think I’ll quit while I’m ahead.” Trey took a big bite of ham to occupy his mouth so he wouldn’t have to say anything else.
“You’re a wise man,” Lisa said with a nod.
“Maybe they’re not so different, after all,” Trey muttered.
“I heard that,” Lisa said.
When the other men left for the night, Jack stayed behind to help Lisa clean up the kitchen.
“I can do this,” she protested. “You’ve been working all day. Go sit down and put your feet up.”
Grinning, Jack carried another load of dirty dishes to the counter. “Boy, you are different from Belinda.”
“She would let you help?”
“Hell, no. If Ace didn’t pay a housekeeper to do all this, Belinda would be the one walking out and putting her feet up while the men did the cleaning.”
“I wish I could remember her,” she said wistfully.
Jack put the dishes down and cupped a hand on her shoulder. “You will. You’re starting to remember a little more every day.”
“I know, but it’s coming so slowly that it’s frustrating.” She shook her head. “To think that I know someone that strong when I feel like such a wimp.”
“Wimp?” Jack turned her around until she faced him. “How can you say that? You’re just about the strongest woman I’ve ever known.”
“Me?” she said, clearly astounded.
“Yes, you. You were obviously in some sort of bad situation in Denver, whatever it was, so you decided to do something about it. You called on a friend for a place to stay, and you came up here regardless of the fact that you were pregnant and alone. Do you have any idea how much guts it takes to do something like that? Leave everything familiar to you, turn your entire life upside down at a time when a woman is at her most vulnerable?”
Lisa swallowed. “None of that sounds particularly smart or strong to me. It sounds weak. It sounds like I couldn’t handle my life, so I simply ran away.”
“Sometimes running away is the smart thing to do. Don’t judge yourself that way until you know why you left Denver. You’re not a wimp, Lisa. Look at the way you’ve handled yourself since you got here.”
“Oh, yeah. I wrecked my car and gave myself a concussion,” she said with disgust. “That was real smart and brave of me.”
“Anybody ever tell you you need to work on your self-image? You’re deliberately putting yourself down. I’m talking about coming to after that accident and having no memory of anything. You were stranded with a strange man in what could easily have become a life-threatening situation, and you never batted an eye. I’m with Trey on that. If it was me, I’d end up in a
padded cell. But not you. You’re handling it. Admirable isn’t a word I use often, but that’s what you are.”
Lisa was, quite simply, overwhelmed. “Jack—”
“When I said you and Belinda were opposites, I only meant that she’s tough-as-nails, in-your-face aggressive, while you’re softer, gentler. The two of you complement each other.”
“Jack…I don’t know what to say.”
He stepped back and dropped his hands from her shoulders. “Say, ‘Yes, Jack, you’re absolutely right. I’m a brave and wonderful person.”’
She blushed. “You know I can’t say words like that.” She smiled and turned back to the sink. “But you’re entitled to your opinion.”
They worked together easily, as if they’d been doing it for years, despite Lisa’s nerves being on edge over the things Jack had said about her.
He was wrong. She wasn’t a brave person, a smart person. If she were either, she surely wouldn’t be having a baby alone in Wyoming among strangers.
“I forgot to tell you,” Jack said. “There was a message on my answering machine this evening from Curly.”
“The auto mechanic?”
“That’s right. He has to order a part for your car, so it’ll be at least a week before it’s ready. If you need to go anywhere before then, you can use one of the ranch rigs.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” What Jack didn’t tell her was that he had instructed Curly to check her car over from front to back, inside and out, and fix every single thing that needed fixing.
“Pretend,” Jack had told him, “that your grandmother is going to drive that car from here to Florida with your kids in the back seat.”
He’d told Curly to bill him for anything above the original estimate and not to mention any of this to Lisa.
Jack and Lisa finished cleaning up the kitchen together, then Lisa took the newspaper he had brought her and settled at the kitchen table to check the classifieds.
“I’m afraid you’re not going to find much there,” Jack warned.
“Looks like you’re right. Two apartments are all that’s listed under rental property. Oh, look at that,” she cried.
“What?” Jack leaned over her shoulder to see what had her so excited.
“This car, see? This one.”
It was a twenty-some-year-old Pontiac Trans Am, pictured in the middle of a half-page ad for a dealership up in Pinedale. “What about it?”
“It looks just like the first car I ever owned. God, I loved that car. I never should have sold it.”
Jack’s pulse sped up. She was remembering again and didn’t even realize it. Maybe if he didn’t point that out to her, she might remember more. He rounded the table as casually as he could and slipped into the chair across from her. “Why did you sell it?”
She tilted her head and stared over his shoulder at the wall. “I…I don’t know. Oh, damn, it’s happened again. I saw that picture and remembered my car, then it’s like a door slammed in my head and cut off all the other memories.” She pounded a fist on the table. “I feel like if I just think hard enough or long enough, it’ll come to me.”
Jack reached across the table and covered her fist with his hand. “But you’re remembering more every day. That’s the important thing.”
She let out a long breath, then gave him a look. “All right, Pollyanna.”
Jack burst out laughing. “No one’s ever called me that before.”
During the next two days Lisa realized that Jack was coming to the house every couple of hours on one pretext or another. He never stayed long, except after dinner. And now, today, he lingered after lunch.
She couldn’t blame him for wanting to stay in the house today. Those warmer temperatures of the past two days were long gone, and the wind was bitterly cold. She was snug in the house, and it felt good to have Jack there.
They were sitting at the kitchen table—their favorite spot, it seemed—drinking coffee. As usual, Jack had left his boots in the mudroom.
“When do you expect Belinda and her husband to get back?” she asked. “You never said exactly.”
“I’m not sure exactly,” he replied. “They left the phone number of the resort where they’re staying. I’ve tried to call a couple of times to let Belinda know what’s happened, but—”
“Oh, no,” Lisa protested. “Don’t intrude on their vacation because of me.”
“Lisa, you’re her best friend. She would want to know. In fact, I can guarantee that if she gets home and then finds out, she’ll have both our hides for not letting her know sooner. If it was your friend, wouldn’t you want to know?”
“Well, when you put it that way…I just hate the thought of disturbing them when they’re having a good time. There’s nothing they can do for me that they aren’t already doing.”
“They’re not doing anything for you, because they don’t know what’s happened to you.”
“But they are,” she objected. “More than they think, too. They believe I’m out at that cute little house near the hills. Instead, I’ve invaded their home.”
“You haven’t invaded anything,” Jack countered. “I brought you here, and I own part of this house, so don’t worry about it. Anyway, I wasn’t able to reach them, so I just left a message asking them to call. I had to tell them it wasn’t urgent so they wouldn’t think something had happened to one of the boys.”
At the sound of the front doorbell he halted and frowned. “What the hell? Nobody comes to the front door around here.” He pushed himself up and headed for the living room.
Lisa followed more slowly and arrived in time to see him open the front door.
A man stood on the porch. He was an attractive man, very sleek and polished, with a hint of arrogance in the way he held his head. His knee-length leather coat, salon-styled hair and Italian shoes all shouted money.
As Jack pushed open the glass storm door, the stranger looked past him to Lisa. A smile lit his face, but not, she noticed, his hard brown eyes. “Lisa! Darling, I’ve been so worried about you!”
At the sound of his voice something inside Lisa turned cold, then heat flushed through her. “I’m sorry,” she managed. “Do I know you?”
“Come on, sweetheart.” His smile turned sarcastic.
“You know you’re no good at humor.” He tugged off his leather gloves and carefully put them in the pockets of his coat. “I’ll help you get your things together. I’ve come to take you home.”
Beside her, Lisa felt Jack practically vibrate with a sudden sharp tension that mirrored what was happening in her. She felt that same tension from the top of her head to the soles of her feet. “Who are you?”
He started to step through the doorway, but Jack braced an arm against the jamb and blocked him. “The lady asked you a question.”
“What’s going on here?” the man demanded. “Stop kidding around, Lisa, and let’s go.”
Lisa shook her head and backed away. “I don’t know you.”
“I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing,” he said tersely, “but I’m tired of it.”
“I’m not playing a game.” Lisa tried to calm herself, but so many different emotions assailed her that she didn’t know what she felt. But something about this man made her leery. She put a hand to the bruise on her forehead. “I was in an accident. I’m afraid I’m having a little trouble with my memory.”
Roger stared at her, stunned. He realized she was telling the truth. She had no idea who he was. Lisa was, if anything, entirely too honest. She didn’t know how to lie.
“Amnesia?” he asked, incredulous.
“I’m afraid so,” she answered.
Roger glanced at the man blocking his way and eased back. The man looked just uncouth and primitive enough to resort to physical violence at the drop of a hat.
Amnesia. Who would have thought? It was perfect.
Roger nearly chuckled with glee, but instead, put on a sober demeanor. “Honey, I’m so sorry!”
he cried. “How terrible. We’ll get you to the best doctors money can buy the minute we get home.”
The man blocking the door practically growled.
Roger hadn’t gotten to be one of the top attorneys in Denver without learning how to read people. This man was furious.
If Roger’s detective had done his homework correctly, and if this was the man Lisa had been with in town the other day, then he would be Jack Wilder, one of the owners of this ranch.
What the hell was Lisa doing here? Had she known this man long? How dare she run straight to Wilder’s arms when she belonged to him.
“The lady asked who you are,” Wilder snarled. “We’re still waiting for an answer.”
“My pardon,” Roger offered easily. “I’m Roger Hampton. I’m Lisa’s husband.”
Chapter Eight
“No!” Lisa stepped back and shook her head, panic threatening to overwhelm her. She could not possibly be married to this condescending, arrogant…
No. It couldn’t be true. She remembered how, when she’d come to in her car and Jack had carried her into the house and she’d discovered she was pregnant, she’d instinctively known that, yes, the pregnancy felt right. Felt familiar.
She had no such feeling of rightness at this man’s bald claim that he was her husband.
But you know a man named Roger.
Yes. A man named Roger had told her she was no good in bed. Would a husband say such a thing to a wife?
You have the same last name.
Standing there staring at him, wanting only for him to disappear, a flash of memory assailed her, chilling her to the bone and making her stomach turn. A memory of waking up in bed with this man. It was just a flash, and she could feel no emotion with it, neither hers nor his, but for a second it was there.
Then another flash, this one only a feeling rather than a memory—a feeling of inadequacy, inferiority. A feeling of being less than a woman. A feeling of being used and made a fool of.
This man, this Roger Hampton, was obviously something to her, but her husband? She prayed not!
“I’m sorry.” She couldn’t seem to catch her breath. “I don’t know you.”
A Child on the Way Page 11
