“Please, call me Tom,” he said. He gave her a smile that looked forced. “It may not sound familiar, but apparently it’s what I’m supposed to be called. And it sounds a lot better than Mr. Flynt.”
“All right…Tom.” Her voice sounded different, low and intimate in the quiet of the room.
She sounded like a woman talking to her lover.
Tina swallowed and clenched her hands tightly in her lap. What was she doing? What was the matter with her? She couldn’t possibly be attracted to this man. He was a complete stranger to her. And for all of the kindness in his eyes, there was an aura of danger around him. For heaven’s sake, he even carried a gun.
She thought she had learned her lesson well, all those years ago.
“Are you as conscientious with all your patients?” Tom asked, and she gave herself a mental shake.
“What do you mean?”
“You said you went home and read up on amnesia. Do you do that whenever you have an unusual patient?”
“Of course,” she said immediately, grateful for the change of subject. “If I don’t know what to do for a patient, how can I take care of him or her properly?”
“Ouch,” he said, but there was a twinkle in his eyes. “I thought I was special.”
“You are,” she said, giving him a grin. It was far easier to maintain her distance if she was bantering with him. “Right now, you’re my favorite patient. Since you don’t remember anything, I can tell you whatever I want and you’ll believe me. That’s exactly the kind of patient I like.”
“I promise to be very gullible,” he said solemnly.
She laughed and stood up. “And if I believe that, you have some oceanfront property just outside of town you’d like to sell me, right?”
“You’ve got it.” The smile lingered in his eyes as he watched her. “What’s on the agenda for today, Tina?”
“Rest,” she said firmly. “You have to take it easy so your lung can heal.”
“I was figuring to go out and get in a few miles of hard running,” he said, then stopped. Tina recognized the startled expression on his face.
“You’ve remembered that you like to run,” she said.
“Yes.” He stared at her. “I don’t know how I remembered, but I do.”
“That’s another piece to the puzzle,” she said. “And that’s what the textbooks I read last night said would happen. You’d remember when you weren’t trying to force it.”
“It’s going to be hard not to.”
“I know.” Tina felt a wave of sympathy for him. She wasn’t sure how she would feel in Tom’s circumstances, but she knew she would try as hard as possible to get her memories back. Even the bad ones. “I’ll try to keep you distracted.”
“You won’t have to work very hard at that.”
This time she couldn’t mistake the heat in his eyes, or the message there. To her surprise, she felt an answering warmth bloom inside her. She stared at him for a moment, shocked, then hurriedly turned away.
“Does that mean you’re easily entertained?” Her voice sounded strained, and she struggled to even it out.
“It means I’m going to selfishly hog as much of your time and attention as I can.”
She didn’t have to be looking at Tom to know what he meant. The tone of his voice told her he was interested. She hoped to find the words to tell him to save his breath, that she wasn’t interested in getting involved with him or anyone else, but they wouldn’t come. Finally she turned around to face him.
“You’re my patient,” she said, trying to make her voice firm. “I’ll give you as much time as you need.” She hoped that he saw only professional interest in her face.
The gleam of satisfaction that filled his eyes told her that she hadn’t succeeded. But he nodded slowly. “That’s fair,” he said. “I know you have other patients.”
“And I have to start taking care of them,” she said. “Or my supervisor will have my head.”
“I don’t want to be blamed for the loss of that beautiful hair and those gorgeous eyes,” he said. “Go ahead. I’m not going anywhere.”
Tina nodded, not trusting herself to say anything more. She murmured something incoherent and practically ran through the door. She paused when she was in the hall, taking deep breaths to calm herself.
“Are you okay, Tina?” one of her fellow nurses asked, a worried expression on her face. “You look kind of dazed.”
“I’m fine.” She forced a smile. “Lack of sleep, I guess.”
The other nurse rolled her eyes. “Tell me about it. This place has been a madhouse for the last thirty-six hours.”
She hurried off, and Tina stood in the hallway for a few moments, composing herself. Then she tried to put her reaction to Tom firmly out of her head. She walked over to the desk and studied the board where their assignments were posted. “Who else am I taking care of today?”
Tom watched the door close behind Tina with a final-sounding click. He heard her speaking to someone in the hallway, then listened as her footsteps receded down the hall. She was gone, but she’d be back. For the first time, he found something positive about his dilemma.
Right woman, wrong time, he told himself bitterly. He had no right to be interested in Tina White. He knew nothing about himself, not even his name. He could be married with ten children, for all he knew.
He looked down and studied his ring finger on his left hand. There was no wedding ring, and no pale line like he’d recently removed one. He had been telling her the truth yesterday. He didn’t feel married.
But that didn’t change anything. Although he was attracted to her, found her interesting and sexy, he had no right to pursue that attraction. And for all he knew, she could be married herself. Or at least involved with someone.
But she didn’t seem involved, either. There was a remote quality about Tina, an innocence that surrounded her. He’d noticed her reaction when she realized he was attracted to her. He didn’t think the shock he’d seen in her eyes had been faked.
Could he do the right thing? Could he submerge his interest in Tina, bury it deep enough that it would wither and die? He hoped so. He didn’t want to cause her any pain.
But he would be in the hospital for a few more days, so he would enjoy the time he could spend with her. She had told him not to force his memory to return. Thinking about Tina would be a pleasant alternative to wondering who he was.
He listened carefully, but he couldn’t hear her in the hallway. She wouldn’t be back for a while, he suspected. She had practically run out of his room, and she would busy herself with other patients for a while.
He wasn’t sure how he knew that, but he was certain he was right. The irony of it put a grim smile on his mouth. He didn’t know his own name, but he knew Tina well enough after two days to predict how she would act.
He looked away from the door and clicked on the television set suspended above the foot of his bed. Maybe if he listened to the news, it would shake something loose in his brain.
A couple of hours later he had almost fallen asleep when the door opened a crack. He glanced over at the door and felt his pulse accelerate when he saw Tina in the doorway.
“I thought you were sleeping,” she said.
“Only bored,” he said. He turned off the television. “Even CNN gets boring after a while.”
She stopped next to his bed. “You knew about CNN?”
“It appears so. I guess I’m fine at bringing up some details, but not the important ones.”
She smiled at him, but he could see the careful distance in her eyes. “It will come,” she said. “Give it some time. It’s been less than forty-eight hours.”
“I thought about that, and I have an idea. If I went back to the scene of the accident, maybe the scene of the ball I was at, it might jog some memories loose. What do you think?”
She nodded slowly. “Maybe it would. You’ll have to try that when you’re back on your feet.”
He scowled. “I was
thinking about today.”
For a moment she stared at him, then laughed. For the first time since she’d come back into his room, she relaxed. “Right. You have a concussion and an abraded lung, and you think we’re going to let you go running around Grand Springs?”
“I wouldn’t run. I would drive.”
Her smile faded. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“Of course I’m serious. I want to find out who I am and what I was doing that night.”
She sank down onto the chair next to his bed and put her hand on top of his. He wanted to turn his hand over and twine his fingers with hers, to press their palms together, but he didn’t dare. Instead, he savored the feel of her warm hand and tried to hide his sudden rush of desire.
“Tom, the detectives who were here yesterday are doing their best to find your family. There’s nothing more you can do right now.”
“I could look for myself. Maybe I’d remember.”
He leaned forward, ignoring the pain in his side. Shifting his hand, he gripped her fingers while he searched the depths of her blue eyes. “I have to know, Tina.”
Something flickered deep within her eyes. It was a spark of excitement, an answering urgency. She understood, and she wanted to let him go. Tom tightened his hand on hers, and waited for her to agree.
Then she shook her head. “No way, Flynt. You’re not getting out of this bed until tomorrow, and then the farthest you’re going is to the bathroom.” She eased her hand away from his and stood up. “You can prowl around Grand Springs all you want when you’re released. But for now, I’m afraid you’re stuck with CNN and me.”
He studied her face, saw the shadow of awareness in her eyes, and leaned back against the pillow. For a moment, she’d been tempted. And she wanted to go with him. For now, it was enough.
“If I can’t leave, then you and CNN sound like a pretty good deal,” he said, trying to keep his voice light. “But admit it, you were tempted.”
To his surprise, instead of teasing him back, something that looked close to panic flared in her eyes. Then it was gone, and the remote professional was back. “I was tempted to smack you.” She gave him a stern look. “Your injuries could have been life threatening. You are incredibly lucky to get away as lightly as you have. So instead of trying to get out of the hospital way before you’re ready, you should be thanking God for your luck.”
“You wanted to take me, didn’t you, Tina?” He didn’t know what demon taunted him to press the issue.
“I wanted no such thing,” she said primly, but her eyes told the truth. She had been tempted.
“Tell me, Tina, do you ever break the rules?”
“No.” Her answer was much too quick and much too final, and he saw a shadow of pain in her eyes. She had broken the rules at least once in her life. To his surprise, jealousy flashed through him as he wondered if the broken rules involved a man.
He settled back against the pillows, but he didn’t take his eyes off her. “We’ll have to work on that.”
He half expected her to turn around and run out of the room, but she surprised him again. Tilting her head to the side, she watched him as a small smile curled her lips. “I was right. You are a dangerous man.”
“What do you mean?”
“You like to break the rules. You want to play the game your own way.”
“Maybe I do,” he said slowly, turning the idea over in his mind. It felt right. “But that doesn’t mean I’m dangerous.”
Regret flared in Tina’s eyes. “You are to someone who follows the rules,” she said quietly. “And I always follow the rules.”
“Always, Tina?”
She held his gaze for a few moments, then looked away. “Whenever it counts.”
He couldn’t read the expression on her face, the emotions in her eyes. But he knew that there was far more to Tina White than showed on the surface. He wasn’t the only one in the room with secrets.
“A little rule-breaking is good for the soul,” he said lightly. “We’ll have to work on that.”
With an effort, she gave him a smile. “You can work on it all you want when you get out of here. While you’re my patient, you follow my rules.”
“Gladly.” He grinned up at her. “Just tell me what you want.”
This time her smile was genuine. “I want you to get better and regain your memory. And driving around Grand Springs isn’t the way it’s going to happen.”
“Since you probably hid all of my clothes, I guess I don’t have any choice,” he said, and was rewarded with a low, throaty chuckle.
“You could always leave in your hospital gown,” she teased. “Of course, it might get kind of breezy.”
“No, thanks.” He reached around to make sure his gown was tucked in. “I guess I’ll wait.”
“I knew you’d see it my way.” She turned to walk out of the room, and he searched desperately for a way to keep her with him for a few more minutes.
“Tina, wait.”
She spun around. “Is something wrong?”
“I just wanted to ask you a question.” He hesitated, not sure how to get the information he wanted. Finally he said, “It’s really good of you to come in early to take care of me. I appreciate it. But isn’t your family getting upset that you’re spending all your time at the hospital?”
She watched him for a moment, and once again he saw a shadow of pain in her eyes. “First of all, I’m not coming in early just for you. There are a lot more patients than usual.”
But he saw the truth in her eyes, and his heart leaped. She was coming in early just for him.
“And you don’t have to worry about what my family thinks. I live by myself. My free time is my own.”
“I didn’t mean to pry.”
“It’s all right. I’m not offended.” She gave him a strained smile. “I’ll be back in a while. Some of those other patients need care, too.”
He listened to her footsteps recede down the hall as he closed his eyes. Damned if she wasn’t right. He was in no shape to go jaunting off around Grand Springs. He could barely carry on a conversation without getting tired out.
But he had gotten the information he wanted, he thought, exultant. Tina wasn’t involved with anyone. He was sure of it. If she had been, she wouldn’t have been so casual about living by herself.
Unexpected hunger stirred inside him. If Tina was his woman, he thought, he wouldn’t want to let her out of his sight. If he was involved with Tina, she wouldn’t have any free time. He’d want to spend every second of it with her.
If Tina was his lover, he’d make sure everyone in the world knew it.
Chapter 4
Ten hours later, Tina leaned against the desk, weariness threatening to overwhelm her. Two days without enough sleep were catching up to her. It was time to go home and fall into bed.
And she wouldn’t check on Tom again, she told herself firmly. He was probably asleep, and if he wasn’t, he should be.
As she was gathering her jacket and purse to leave, a voice behind her said, “Ms. White?”
She turned around to see Detective Bob Jones standing at the nursing desk. Her breath caught in a quick gasp of fear. He wouldn’t be here so late if it wasn’t serious. Swallowing once, she said, “Hello, Detective. What can I do for you?”
He watched her for a moment, and she felt as if he could see all the way inside her head, see the fear she’d tried to hide. Finally, he said, “I need to see Tom Flynt.”
“At this time of night? I’m sure he’s asleep.”
“I have some questions that can’t wait.”
“He’s not going anywhere, Detective. He’ll still be here in the morning.”
He narrowed his eyes. “I don’t need your permission to talk to him, Ms. White. He’s a suspect in a major crime, and I need him to clear some things up for me. Now do you want to wake him up for me, or should I do it myself?”
“I’ll wake him up.” Shakily she turned away and walked down the hall. My God
, what had they found out? This was the first time the detective had actually called Tom a suspect.
When she peered into Tom’s room, she saw that he was sleeping. Slipping into the gloom of the darkened room, she motioned to the detective to wait outside.
She stood next to the bed for a moment, watching Tom breathe. His face was relaxed and his eyes were closed. At least he was free from the anxiety that she knew filled him whenever he was awake. She hated to wake him, hated to disturb him, but she knew she didn’t have a choice.
“Tom, wake up,” she whispered.
He didn’t move. She touched his arm, once again trying to ignore the solid feel of him, the warmth that pulsed from him. “Tom, Detective Jones is here to talk to you.”
His eyes fluttered open and he looked right at her. His mouth curved up in a smile and his hand reached for hers. “Tina,” he said in a sleepy voice, “why are you still here?”
For a moment she returned the pressure of his hand, allowed herself to enjoy the warmth of his fingers curved around hers, then she gently slipped her hand away. “I was just leaving. I told Detective Jones to come back tomorrow, but he seems to think it’s urgent.”
The sleepy, satisfied look disappeared and Tom’s eyes became more focused. He lifted himself in the bed, then pressed the button that would raise him up. He moved more easily than he had even that morning, but Tina could see that he was still uncomfortable.
“Do you want me to stay here while the detective talks to you?”
Tom looked over at her and smiled. “So you can protect me?”
“I want to make sure he doesn’t tire you out.”
“I want to talk to him, Tina, but I’d love for you to stay.”
Tina turned around and nodded to Detective Jones, who stood in the doorway. He probably wanted to make sure I wasn’t trying to help Tom escape through the window, she thought sourly. “You can come in now, Detective.”
He walked up to the bed and stood looking down at Tom. Tina offered him the chair, but he ignored her. Finally he said, “We traced your driver’s license, Flynt. It was a forgery.”
A Thanksgiving To Remember Page 4
