The Maverick's Christmas to Remember

by Christy Jeffries

  “Let me take a look,” the tech said before flipping a few pages. Caroline wanted to yell at the man for not bothering to check her file first. But she was too busy forcing her muscles to relax against the narrow sheet-covered table underneath her. “Nope, no baby on board. We’re good to go.”

  Caroline almost sighed out loud as the air finally left her chest in a whoosh. Not because she didn’t want to have a baby—she most definitely wanted to be a mother someday. She just wanted to fully remember the man who could possibly be the father of her child. Unfortunately, the more she tried to drag the information from her brain, the more her head pounded.

  The tech raised and lowered the table and gave her some final instructions about remaining still. At some point, the room went darker, but Caroline’s breathing remained ragged and her thoughts kept spinning.

  While knowing that she wasn’t pregnant gave her one less thing to worry about in the overall scheme of things, it didn’t stop her from craving more details about the man she was planning to marry. And what their current physical relationship was like.

  Watching Craig’s retreating form as he exited the room, she came to the pulse-elevating realization that just because she couldn’t remember having sex with him didn’t mean she couldn’t vividly imagine it.

  Chapter Four

  Man, Craig had dodged a serious bullet back there in the radiology room when Caroline looked at him with those doe-shaped brown eyes and wanted to know if they’d ever had sex. How in the hell was he supposed to know the answer to that? Okay, so obviously he knew the actual answer, but he’d been clueless on how to phrase it out loud.

  She’d fallen asleep again during the procedure, but Dr. Robinson assured him that it was pretty normal for a concussed patient to doze off occasionally and that resting could actually help her brain heal. As long as Caroline’s pupils weren’t dilated and she could hold a conversation when she was awake, she was supposedly fine.

  By the time they finally got her admitted and assigned to a room, it was getting close to dinnertime and Craig was starving. When she’d confessed that she’d never stayed overnight in a hospital, she’d looked so scared, so frail.

  The main goal was to keep her from getting stressed or putting any more strain on her traumatized brain. However, in order to keep his wits about him and do that, he also needed to eat something. Although, what kind of fake fiancé would he be if he sneaked off while she was sleeping to go down to the cafeteria to get some dinner?

  Looking around for a pad of paper so he could leave a note, his eyes landed on her ridiculously huge purse sitting in the corner of the room. He had saddlebags smaller than that thing and never understood why some women insisted on hauling everything they owned all around town with them. If he were a betting man, he’d place odds that she had plenty of paper and at least several pens in the thing. The problem was, there was no way to look inside without feeling like he was invading her privacy.

  Rubbing a hand through his close-cropped hair, he asked himself for the thousandth time today, “How in the hell did you get yourself into this situation?”

  “What was that?” Caroline’s sleepy voice was deep and husky, a stark contrast to her delicate and feminine looks. It was also as arousing as anything he’d ever heard before.

  “I was just wondering where I could find a pen and paper.”

  Her sigh came from the back of her throat. “I always carry some in my purse.”

  “Yeah, I assumed as much but it didn’t seem right snooping through your things when you’re sound asleep.”

  “It wouldn’t be considered snooping since I don’t have any secrets from you.” Clearly, her mind was way too fragile to grasp the magnitude of just how many secrets they actually had since they didn’t know the first thing about each other. When he didn’t respond, she continued, “Are you always this proper around me?”

  “I...uh...I guess I’m just a proper type of guy.” Or a guy who was simply way out of his element.

  She studied him in the dim glow of the room, the sun fading outside the window. He rocked back on his boot heels and looked over his shoulder at the door. They should probably keep that open so nobody got the wrong idea about what was going on in this private room. And since when did hospitals have private rooms?

  When Craig had surgery after his second clavicle fracture, he’d been stuck in traction next to an old man who used to confuse the emergency call button for the television remote. The volume on the evening news would go up every time the man didn’t get his bedpan in time. If Caroline had a roommate like that, Craig wouldn’t have to worry about that electric current charging through his body every time she turned those pretty eyes his way.

  “Why did you need paper and a pen?” Caroline asked, and Craig turned back to her.

  “Oh. I thought about grabbing a bite to eat downstairs and wanted to leave you a note in case you woke up and I wasn’t here.”

  “So, you’re both proper and thoughtful.” Her full lips turned up at the corners, but her questioning gaze remained steadily fixed on him, as though she were awaiting more discoveries about him. “I’m starving.”

  “The doctor cleared you to eat after she got the radiology report and there was nothing to indicate you needed immediate surgery. They delivered a tray for you earlier,” he said, wheeling the small table over to her bed. “I think it’s meat loaf.”

  She lifted a plastic cover off the plate and crinkled her pert little nose at the cold gray lump underneath. “I’m missing part of my memory, not my taste buds. Since you’re going to the cafeteria, would you mind bringing me something from there instead?”

  “Sure.” He replaced the lid and moved the offending plate out of the way. “What do you want?”

  “Anything. Surprise me.”

  Crap. He’d walked right into that trap. Craig eyed her small frame and couldn’t even begin to guess what kind of food she ate. Obviously, it wasn’t his preferred meal of steak and potatoes because she looked like a strong wind would blow her away before the next winter storm. For all he knew, she was one of those women who constantly monitored every calorie in order to keep her waist so tiny.

  “Maybe a salad?” he suggested because he got the impression that she didn’t maintain her lithe shape by being a hearty eater.

  “Ugh, no.” Caroline stuck out her tongue and made a gagging sound. “I hate vegetables. Except for french fries.”

  “I don’t think french fries count as a vegetable.”

  “They’re from potatoes, right?” Caroline’s voice held a trace of laughter.

  “Fine. I’ll get you some french fries. How about a double bacon cheeseburger to go with that?” he offered, trying to match her playful tone but sounding more facetious.

  “Mmm. That sounds perfect,” she replied, and he did a double take at her flat stomach under the hospital gown. Where was she going to put all that food? “Oh, and if they have onion rings, I’ll take a side of those, too. See, there’s another vegetable I eat.”

  Apparently, her food preferences aligned more with a growing teenage boy than a consummate dieter. “Something to drink?”

  “Strawberry milkshake, if they have it. If not, I’ll just take a large orange soda. Oh, and a tapioca pudding. When I was ten, my dad had gallbladder surgery and I remember his hospital had the absolute best tapioca pudding in the world.”

  He tilted his head and wondered how she could remember a thing like the tapioca pudding she’d eaten when she was a kid, but not be able to remember that she’d never laid eyes on him before today.

  When he didn’t respond right away, her face turned a charming shade of pink and she pointed toward her purse. “Um, I have money in my wallet. I know it’s kind of a big order and I’m not sure how we usually split costs—”

  “I’m not taking your money,” he interrupted loudly before she insulted him by implying that h
e’d let the woman he was marrying reimburse him for a meal. Not that he was actually marrying her. He ran a hand through his hair and lowered his voice. “I was just trying to figure out how to carry it all back to the room. Never mind. Don’t worry about it. I’ll hijack one of these tray tables or a wheelchair or something to push it on.”

  “Okay, then,” she replied, not seeming to pick up on his sarcasm, or at least choosing to ignore it. “Can you hand me my cell phone before you leave? I should probably let my parents know what happened.”

  “Josselyn said she looked for your phone back at the office but only saw your purse.”

  “I don’t suppose you have my parents’ numbers in your contact list.” She gnawed her lower lip, but Craig was saved from responding—as well as from staring at her sexy mouth—when she added, “Actually, they’re probably out of cell range if my mom is still with the Khasi tribe. I’ll just send them an email tomorrow.”

  “The Khasi tribe?”

  “Yes. I’m sure she told you all about her latest research trip. Wait. You’ve met my parents, haven’t you?”

  “Uh, not in person. At least, not yet.” There, that should be ambiguous enough. After all, Josselyn mentioned her folks were out of the country so it was plausible that he might’ve talked to them on the phone or via a video chat. Not that Craig knew the first thing about video chatting.

  Caroline tilted her head at him. “What about you?”

  “What about me?”

  “I’m sure you probably need to call someone to let them know you’re staying here overnight?”

  He lifted a brow. “Like who?”

  She shrugged, a deep V forming above her nose. “Do you live with anyone? Like roommates or your family or, um...me?”

  His ribs squeezed with pity. It was bad enough that she couldn’t remember the fact that they hadn’t had sex. The poor thing really must be confused if she couldn’t even recall whether they lived together.

  It was on the tip of Craig’s tongue to tell her that if they were sharing the same bed, he would’ve left a more lasting impression on her. Instead, he replied, “I live at my family’s ranch in Thunder Canyon.”

  “Oh, good.” She relaxed onto her pillows. “I was worried about who would take care of your cat while you’re gone.”

  Craig took a couple steps forward and lowered his chin. “My cat?”

  “Yeah, the one with only three legs!” Caroline exclaimed, her face brightening as though she’d just had a miraculous breakthrough in modern science. “I can’t think of his name, but I’m sure it will come to me.”

  Disbelief and a slow-growing sense of alarm kept him from celebrating her achievement. How in the hell did this woman know about his pet? Not that it was completely inconceivable given the fact that most ranches had barns filled with various animals, but the three-legged part confounded him.

  “Do you work there, too?” Caroline asked, seemingly ignoring the fact that Craig was staring at her with his mouth hanging open in shock.

  “Where?” Craig gave his head a slight shake to clear his thoughts.

  “At your family’s ranch,” she said slowly, as though it was his brain that had been concussed recently.

  “Uh, yeah. We raise cattle.”

  Caroline got that satisfied, faraway look in her eyes again. Every time she made that face, Craig’s collar seemed to shrink around his neck and his skin got all tight. Her next question made his toes twitch inside his boots. “So I really am going to marry a cowboy?”

  Craig didn’t know about that. She certainly wasn’t going to marry this particular cowboy. No woman was. But he kept his jaw clenched as his feet fought the urge to run right past the sign for the cafeteria and straight toward the exit.

  * * *

  After several more tests, including an EEG before bed, Caroline was surprised by how soundly she slept through the night. Of course, anytime a nurse came to check on her or take her vital signs, all Caroline had to do was look over to where Craig was partially reclined in a too-small chair, his cowboy hat pulled low over his eyes. Then a bubble of security would surround her, making her happily drift back to sleep.

  She felt rested when her first visitor arrived.

  “Is our patient allowed to have chocolate croissants this morning?” Josselyn asked as she carried in a cardboard tray of coffee drinks in one hand and a white bag in the other.

  “She most definitely is,” Caroline said, sitting up straighter and resisting the urge to clap excitedly by adjusting the blanket across her lap.

  Craig just grunted, before standing up to stretch. Judging by the frown on his face, he either wasn’t a morning person or he didn’t particularly care for flaky breakfast treats. Caroline hoped it was just the croissants because she couldn’t imagine a cowboy not being an early riser. Actually, she couldn’t imagine someone not liking fresh-baked pastries, either.

  A cracking sound echoed through the room as he twisted at the waist. “I’m getting too old not to sleep in a bed anymore.”

  Caroline took a quick gulp of coffee to keep from asking the question on the tip of her tongue. How old was he? It was another thing she should know about her fiancé, but couldn’t remember. He certainly didn’t look old, but there were a few more creases around his eyes than most men her age might have.

  “Thanks for bringing breakfast,” Caroline said to Josselyn.

  “I also brought you a pair of comfy pajamas and some toiletries, not knowing how long you’d be here.” Josselyn patted the small tote bag resting against her hip. “Since I didn’t have a key to your apartment, you’ll have to make do with things from the superstore in Kalispell.”

  “Anything is better than this hospital gown,” Caroline replied, suddenly curious about where her own clothes were. The ones she’d been wearing right before she’d hit her head. She was about to ask, but Dr. Robinson entered the room.

  As the physician examined her, Caroline saw Craig slip into the hallway and pull out his cell phone. It was difficult following the doctor’s penlight with her eyes when her gaze kept returning to Craig and the way his jeans cupped his rear end as he casually leaned against the nurses’ station and spoke into his phone.

  “So all the tests suggest that there isn’t any long-term damage,” Dr. Robinson said just as Craig returned to the room. “Any changes with your memory?”

  As much as Caroline sensed the connection with Craig, there was also an underlying nagging sensation in the pit of her stomach every time she smiled at him and he looked away. Had they had a fight recently? Or maybe it was just the fact that she couldn’t remember any clear details about the guy and she was projecting her own sense of guilt onto him.

  “I feel like things are slowly starting to come back to me.” Caroline was trying to remain positive but it was impossible not to notice the way Craig, Josselyn and the physician all looked at each other.

  Dr. Robinson finally nodded. “Good. Everything should resolve itself eventually as long as you give your brain time to heal and don’t add any additional stress.”

  The older woman gave a pointed look toward Craig, who scrubbed at the lower half of his face, where dark stubble had blossomed overnight.

  “So then I can go home this morning?” Caroline couldn’t keep the hopefulness from her voice.

  “As long as you’re not left alone. With the concussion, I want to be sure someone is keeping an eye on you.”

  “I have to be at the school library during the day.” Josselyn spoke up. “But you can come stay with me out at Sunshine Farm until you’re feeling more like your old self.”

  “I do feel like my old self,” Caroline insisted, hating the sympathetic looks directed her way. “The only thing that’s off is my memory about Craig, which means I should probably stay with him to help jog my brain.”

  Josselyn sucked in her cheeks before looking at Craig, whose
eyes had gone dark again. However, the man kept his lips pressed firmly together. In fact, nobody said anything and it made Caroline wonder what was really going on. What weren’t they all telling her?

  Finally, Josselyn spoke up. “Craig, you’re staying at your brother’s ranch while you’re in town, right?”

  “Right,” Craig agreed a little too quickly for someone who’d just been so hesitant to say a word. “I’m bunking with Will and his wife, Jordyn.”

  “That might be a little cramped, huh?” Josselyn nodded the answer at them as though she were talking to her kindergarten reading circle. “But there’s plenty of room out at Sunshine Farm.”

  “There’s also plenty of room at my own house,” Caroline said as her gaze narrowed at them in suspicion. “Unless you guys aren’t telling me why my fiancé shouldn’t be staying with me there...”

  Like perhaps Craig was planning to call off the engagement. Caroline’s throat constricted.

  Josselyn looked up to the ceiling, then said, “Well, here’s the thing—”

  “It’s okay, Josselyn,” Craig interrupted. “Of course I don’t mind taking care of Caroline.”

  Chapter Five

  Craig felt the heat of Josselyn’s eyes on his back as they followed the discharge nurse who was pushing Caroline’s wheelchair toward the parking lot. He knew his friend’s wife-to-be was staring at him like he was nuts, but all he could do was shrug.

  “What about your own ranch, Craig?” A muscle ticked in Josselyn’s jaw as she kept her voice too low for Caroline to hear. “Shouldn’t you be getting back to Thunder Canyon soon?”

  “We just sold the bulk of our herd in Helena and breeding season won’t start until after Christmas.” Craig fished in his pocket for his truck keys. “My dad and Rob can handle things during the slow season. Besides, the doctor said this was only temporary. I’ll be back home before next week.”

  “You know that you can’t stay with Caroline at her place, right? She lives in the center of town and Rust Creek Falls is a small place. People will talk.”