“I insist. This is a huge house, plenty of room for another guest. I do have to warn you though, you’ve come to us just a week before Garrett’s wedding.” Jonathan said, shrugging his shoulders.
“Well, if you’re sure it won’t be an imposition I’d love to stay.” Nate said, meaning it. Being this close to the family would help him make his decision.
“Come on I’ll introduce you to the rest of the family. We were just finishing up dinner. Have you eaten? There’s always plenty of food around here.”
Suddenly Nate thought something about this whole experience felt right, the man walking next to him seemed familiar to him in some way. But those thoughts quickly fled when he walked into the room and saw the women who’d been in the store with him a few days ago. Seeing them lined up at the table, his heart sank, the woman he was so attracted to, was probably one of his brother’s wives. That would be just his luck.
“Everyone, I’d like you to meet Nate McAlister. His mother was an old friend from college, she passed away recently and Nate decided he needed a change of scenery, so he’s come for a visit.” Jonathan said, capturing everyone’s attention.
All eyes came to rest on Nate and he couldn’t ignore the quick intake of breath from the older woman at the table. He assumed that this was Cinthia, Jonathan’s wife and his step-mother. She recovered quickly and pasted a smile on her face, but he could see that it was difficult for her. Jonathan might have been overstating how resigned she was to the situation, since she obviously knew who he was.
The rest of the family didn’t seem to notice not only her reaction but how much he looked like the three Terrell brothers. One of the younger women, who looked a lot like the Terrell’s jumped to her feet. “Come and sit down. Would you like something to eat? We’re just about to have coffee and desert or I could make you a plate.”
Nate sat down in the chair she got for him, feeling a little overwhelmed, “I would love to join you for desert.” He said, remembering his manners even though his heart was pounding in his chest.
Once Daphne, with the help of the other women, had served them all, she began to introduce everyone. It was hard to keep track of who everyone was, but when she came to Allison he paid special attention, relieved when he discovered that she was a guest here as well and not married to one of his brothers. After introductions were made the conversation strayed back to the wedding which was only a week away.
He gathered from the talk that it was to be a huge celebration, a good excuse to throw off some of the winter blues he understood were so common during the winter here. Nate was content to sit and listen, learning a lot about his family just from listening. He was also trying to figure out how to talk to Allison, who certainly hadn’t escaped his attention. She too was sitting quietly, listening to the conversation, but he could sense that she was only partly there, her mind wandering.
Allison was trying to study Nate, the man she’d seen in the store, but every time she looked at him, he was looking at her. It was a strange coincidence that he’d shown up here, an old friend of the family. But, Jonathan seemed to know who he was, so she shouldn’t be so wary of his presence. But, as she continued to watch him, she realized that her discomfort wasn’t because she was afraid, it was because she was attracted to him.
Right now she had no business being attracted to anyone, especially when she didn’t know who might be out there looking for her. She kept hoping that one morning she’d wake up and figure out who she was, where she belonged and finally be able to go home. A romance was the last thing she needed right now. But, there was no doubt that Nate was a very attractive man, probably way out of her league as well, since men like him usually went for skinny blonde women.
When they all got up to move to the living room, Sabrina and Daphne dragging their wedding plans with them, Nate chose the seat closest to Allison’s and sat down. “What brings you to the ranch?” He asked, not realizing what a difficult question he’d just asked her.
Chapter 3
Allison hesitated for so long, Nate realized that he’d asked a question she didn’t want to answer. So he quickly covered his mistake, “I could use another cup of coffee. Want to join me?” He said, getting to his feet and holding out his hand to help Allison up.
She looked around the room and seeing that the family was deep in conversation about the wedding, decided it would be okay for them to slip out. Frankly she was relieved to be out of the crowded room and gladly took Nate’s hand. When she did, a strange pulse of electricity seemed to travel from his hand to hers. Shocked, she looked at their joined hands, then up at Nate, who must have felt it too.
When their eyes met, he smiled at her, making her stomach flutter with attraction. Embarrassed, she looked down, but not before she saw the attraction in his eyes as well. Nate pulled her to her feet, but held onto her hand until they were in the kitchen. It felt nice to have her hand in his, a warm rush of contentment washed over her, which was strange since she hardly knew the man.
He poured them both a cup of coffee, then moved to the side so she could add cream and sugar to hers. Leaning up against the counter, Nate took a sip from his cup then said, “I guess I should have called ahead instead of just showing up here.”
“Honestly, I don’t think they mind. There’s always a crowd around here, but at night everyone goes home. You’ll see, it will quiet down, at least until the wedding guests start arriving.” Allison said.
“I hope I’m not over stepping my bounds, they might not have room for me. I should probably just stay in town.” Nate said, again questioning the decision to stay at the ranch.
“There’s plenty of room. It may not look like it, but this house is really big. I’m staying in the east wing alone right now. I could give you a quick tour if you like, I don’t think Sabrina would mind.” Allison offered, stepping away from the counter.
“That’s okay, but maybe we could find someplace quiet to sit. I’m not quite up to listening to any more wedding plans.”
“Typical man.” Allison said, laughing, something she hadn’t been doing much lately. “We can sit in the sunroom, it’s my favorite room in the whole house. Come on, it’s this way.”
Nate followed Allison, thinking how much he’d like to kiss her. Then was shocked at himself for the thought, but she was a very attractive woman. He’d never been attracted to a black woman before, but there was something about Allison that drew him to her. It wasn’t just the feeling that she needed help that had raised his interest, it was more than that, what he wasn’t sure.
Allison suddenly found herself as nervous as if she was on a first date, which was silly since Nate was just another lost soul who had found his way to the Terrell’s front door. When they walked through the door of the sunroom, he could understand why Allison loved it so much. The huge windows would let in the sunlight even on the coldest of days, and now when it was dark, the stars were glinting magically in the sky.
There was a fire burning in the huge fireplace making the room warm and cozy, so Nate steered her toward the couch that faced the fireplace, and together they sat down. There were several moments of silence, each of them trying to calm the attraction they were feeling. Allison, unsure of the wisdom of letting her attraction go any farther and Nate, shocked that this woman was suddenly in his life.
“So tell me.” Nate said, breaking the silence. “Where is this wedding going to be held?”
“It’s the craziest thing, they’re going to have it out in one of the pastures.” She said, shaking her head.
“It’s the middle of the winter in Colorado. Everyone is going to freeze.” He said, shivering even thinking about it.
“Well, they’ve got tents and heaters and they insist it won’t be that cold.”
“Hmm, maybe I better go back to that outerwear store in town before the wedding.” He said, rubbing his hands together.
“I thought that was you I saw the other day.”
“I left Ken
tucky with no idea of how cold it was actually going to be here. A coat was the first item on my list that day.” He said, laughing.
Allison had a moment of panic when she heard he was from Kentucky, but reminded herself that he was a friend of the family not someone looking for her. Nate noticed her silence and how stiff she’d just gotten.
“I’m sorry. Did I say something wrong?” He asked, concerned.
“No, it’s just that......” She had no idea how to even begin her story. “You’re from Kentucky?” She asked instead.
“Yeah, from a little town in the north, but I’ve been in the city for a long time. I’m a detective on the police force, have been for almost twenty years.”
Allison immediately relaxed, this man was safe, her inter-voice shouted at her in relief. Nate wasn’t sure what he’d said that reassured her, but he could feel Allison relax, and continued. “I lost my mother recently and needed to get away.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Is your dad still alive?” She asked, wondering if she had a mother and father and if so why they weren’t looking for her.
“No, I lost him five years ago, they were my only family. After my mom’s funeral, I just couldn’t handle being there alone, so I packed up and headed here.” Nate said, hoping that if he trusted her with his secrets she’d trust him with hers.
Before she could stop herself Allison said, “I wish I knew where my parents were.” Then covered her mouth with her hand.
“Your parents are missing?”
“No, I don’t even know if I have any parents.” Allison couldn’t stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks.
Nate put his arm around her and pulled her close. “Tell me what’s wrong. I know that you’re afraid of something, maybe I can help.”
Allison pulled herself together, then said, “Something happened to me, maybe in Kentucky, but I’m not sure. I woke up here in Denver in the hospital with a brain injury and no memory of my life. The only reason we even know that my name is Allison is because it was engraved on a watch I was wearing.”
“Oh, sweetheart, I had no idea it was that bad.” Nate said, suddenly very angry that someone had hurt this woman.
“I don’t know how old I am. I don’t know if I have any family. I don’t even know if I’m married or involved with someone. It’s driving me crazy, but the more I try to remember the fuzzier things get.” She said, sobbing with relief to finally talk about how she was feeling.
Nate let her cry for a few minutes, making reassuring noises but not saying a word. When she’d finally drained the worst of her emotion, he said, “Tell me what you do know.”
Allison took a deep breath and told him what she did remember, including the memory flashes and what she thought they meant. As she talked, a terrible thought occurred to her, “I think that the reason we still don’t know who I am is because no one is looking for me.” She said, her voice trembling to think that she might be alone in the world with no one to even miss her.
“I’m sorry to say that I thought that too. Would you mind if I got in touch with the detective who is working your case? If this whole thing started out in Kentucky, I might be able to help from that end.” Nate said, his mind already beginning to work the crime.
“That would be so nice of you. I don’t know how much longer I can go on looking over my shoulder for someone I won’t even recognize, wondering who I am and where I belong. It’s exhausting.” She said, taking a deep soothing breath. “The Terrell’s have been wonderful to me, but it’s been almost a month and I’ve had nothing but flashes.”
“What do the doctors say?”
“That I’ve been through a trauma so terrible that my brain is blocking it and everything else out. They think that it’s because it involves someone in my life I thought I could trust or something along those lines. The memories will come back eventually, they claim, either when something triggers them or when I feel safe enough to face what happened.”
Nate was quiet for a while, thinking about this. “It makes sense, but I’m still going to try and find out who you are.” He said, with determination. He wanted this woman more than he’d ever wanted any other, but until they sorted out who she was it would be unfair to pursue her romantically. They could both end up in a world of hurt if she regained her memory and was already involved or even worse married.
“Thank you.” Allison said, something telling her that putting her trust in Nate would be one of the best decisions she’d ever made.
They sat quietly for a few minutes, but that quiet was disrupted by the sound of the family breaking up their meeting. Sebastian found them in the sunroom, insisting that he’d drive Nate back to town to pick up his things, Nate argued at first but when Sebastian pointed to the snow that had been falling for the last hour, he had to agree.
“I swear the stars were out just a little while ago.” He said, shaking his head. “I’ll take you up on that offer, I’m not all that good at driving in this stuff yet.”
“You’re going to discover that the weather here can change in the blink of an eye, especially up here in the mountains. We’ve already had a record amount of snow this year and the real snow hasn’t even started to fall.”
“Guess I better buy those boots I saw in town as well as some more cold weather gear.” Nate said, with a smile.
“I’d strongly recommend it, brother.” Sebastian said.
Nate was a little shocked when Sebastian called him brother, but realized that he was just using a figure of speech. Breathing a sigh of relief, he got up and followed Sebastian out of the room, then stepped back in and said, “I’ll see you in the morning Allison. Sleep well, we’ve got work to do tomorrow.”
Allison felt a little thrill of anticipation to know Nate would be here in the morning when she woke up. It had been so long since she’d had anything other than working with the horses to look forward to. She went to bed smiling for the first time since she’d woken up in the hospital. Not only would Nate be helping her find out who she was, he was an extremely attractive man, who if she wasn’t mistaken, was attracted to her too.
In the morning at breakfast only Garrett, Sabrina and their two children, Maria and Scott were there. Allison liked breakfast for this reason, it was the only quiet time of the day, the kids providing just enough entertainment that early in the day. She was just finishing her second cup of coffee, finally ready to face the day when Garrett cleared his throat.
“Nate, Sebastian tells me that you’re a detective.” He said, turning serious.
“Yes, twenty years on the force.” Nate said, wondering where this was going.
“Well, with Allison’s permission I’d like to ask you a favor.” Garrett said, looking to Allison.
“I’ve already told him about my memory loss. He’s offered to help if he can.” She said, smiling shyly at Nate.
“Good, just let me know what you need and I’ll make sure you have it. Take over the library if you want, then you’ll have some quiet and you’ll be away from the mess.” Garrett said, gesturing to the piles of wedding stuff everywhere.
“That sound like a plan. I just need an internet connection and I’m good to go. I’ve got my laptop with me so I can get started right away.” Nate said, getting to his feet, as anxious as ever to solve a problem.
“Allison and I have riders coming out this morning, then I’ve got errands to run for the wedding.” Sabrina said, kissing Garrett on her way to the sink. “Esmerelda is going to be out this week to help around the house, so don’t be surprised if she’s underfoot all week.”
“I’ll get Nate set up in the library and then I better see how the prep work on the pasture is going. They should be delivering the tents and heaters later today.” Garrett said, getting to his feet as well.
Allison followed Sabrina out to the barn feeling positive that Nate would be able to get some results. “Nate seems like a nice guy.” Sabrina said, not having missed the electricity sparking betwee
n them.
“I’m so happy he’s going to help. He’s from Kentucky. Did you know that?”
“I thought that’s what I heard. If you’re from Kentucky that might be a big help. It’s funny, he reminds me of someone but I can’t figure out who.” Sabrina said, a furrow creasing her brow.
“I kind of thought that he looked like Garrett, but I don’t know, maybe it’s just because they’re both dark and about the same age.” Allison said, thinking about how much the two men looked alike.
“Hmm, I don’t know.” Sabrina said, then was distracted by their first student of the day, a young man who had been in a car accident and was learning to walk again. Leslie would be working with him later as well, but first he’d ride.
Allison tried to keep her mind off what Nate might be discovering about her life, but by lunch she was too curious to wait any longer. As soon as she came into the house, she went straight to the library to see if he had any information for her. He was on the phone when she walked into the room, which gave her a chance to watch him.
He’d obviously been running his fingers through his hair, it was sticking up at strange angles all over his head. His forehead was creased and he was writing something down on a notebook in front of him. When he saw her standing there, a huge smile broke out on his face and she couldn’t help but smile back at him.
She came farther into the room and sat down in one of the chairs facing the desk. When he finished the call, he shook his head no to her silent question. “I’m afraid I don’t have any news for you yet. I’ve made contact with several departments in my area, but it’s going to take some time to contact them all. At this point, I’m just hoping I’ll get lucky and come across someone who knows something.”
“That’s okay, I know it’s not going to be that easy or the local police would have figured out who I am by now. Thank you for trying though.” She said, sitting back in the chair.
“I’m not giving up yet. There’s still lots of avenues to explore.” Nate said, getting up from the chair. “I’m starving, let’s go find some lunch.”
You're My Rock (Brothers From Money #4) Page 3
