She brushed her hands over her shorts. At the smooth feel of the fabric, she glanced down. The casual white shorts and cropped peach T-shirt weren’t anything like her normal tailored style. She fingered her loose hair. That was different, too. Yet she still felt comfortable. Had being Ariel changed Fallon? Had losing her memory allowed her to develop a different side of her personality?
“But why did you come here without your sisters?” Anna Jane asked, drawing Fallon back into the conversation.
She shrugged. “Some of it was just circumstances. The school year ended a little early and I thought it would be fun to spend some time in paradise on my own.” She shook her head. “I was wrong. Within twenty-four hours I was tired of my own company. That’s why I was so excited when I found your note in the bottle. It was a mystery and it gave me something to do.”
“What if you hadn’t come early?” Anna Jane asked. “You wouldn’t have found my note and then you wouldn’t be here now.”
Without conscious thought, Fallon glanced at Jarrett. He met her gaze. What if, she thought. What if Anna Jane was right? Then she, Fallon, never would have met the precious child or her tempting uncle. Was that all this was—a quirk of fate?
“Weren’t you terrified?” Elissa asked. “I can’t imagine what it would be like not to remember who I was.”
“The worst was that I thought no one was looking for me,” Fallon told her. “I couldn’t believe I was alone.”
“At least now I know why you never called,” Kayla said. “I kept expecting you to phone with an update on how you liked the resort.” She covered her mouth for a second and grinned. “Not that it isn’t fabulous, Jarrett.”
“Thanks.” He leaned forward in his chair. “Now it’s my turn to ask a few questions, if you don’t mind.”
“Sure,” Elissa and Kayla said together. Fallon didn’t say anything. She wasn’t so sure.
She knew she was right to worry when she saw the twinkle in Jarrett’s dark eyes. “Obviously the three of you are identical triplets, but one of you mentioned being different on the inside.” He glanced between her two sisters before settling on Kayla. “You said Fallon was difficult. How?”
Fallon was impressed that he could already tell the triplets apart. She knew there were enough minor differences that close friends and family knew who was whom, and their different styles of dressing helped. Even so, strangers found the task impossible. She supposed Jarrett would be able to pick her out easily, which left deciding between Kayla and Elissa. Still, he’d done well.
Kayla laughed. “Gee, big sister, should I spill all your secrets?”
“No,” Fallon said. “But you’re not going to listen to me anyway. You never do.”
“True,” Kayla agreed brightly. “Okay, here goes. Fallon is the oldest, Elissa is in the middle, and I’m the youngest. Because she had those first few minutes as an only child, Fallon is the boss of everything. When we were growing up, she used to tell us what to do all the time.”
Fallon leaned against the window frame. “That is so untrue. I tried to be responsible while you were running around like a maniac.”
“Right.” Kayla dismissed her with a wave and turned toward Jarrett. “She’s very conservative and proper. You know, the clichè of a schoolteacher. Fallon always does the right thing. She makes these lists about everything and organizes her life. And she expects the same from the rest of us. This makes her difficult.”
“I do not expect the same from you, and this is not flattering,” Fallon said, not sure she wanted Jarrett to have all this information about her. Her sister spoke the truth, yet it was so different from how she’d felt while she’d been Ariel.
“I’m getting to the good part. Fallon is also very caring and would do anything for any of us.” Kayla’s humor faded. “We love her and don’t want anything to happen to her. So we’re very grateful to you for rescuing her.”
“I’m glad I could help,” Jarrett said.
“There were twins at my school,” Anna Jane said. “They used to dress alike.”
“We did, too,” Elissa said. “I liked it.”
Kayla made a gagging noise. “It was awful.”
“I’m going to have to side with the baby on this one,” Fallon told Elissa. “I hated dressing alike. Do you remember those awful dresses Mom made us wear for personal appearances?” She grimaced at the memory. “Pink and white checks, with a white collar and puffy sleeves. I felt like a dress-up doll.”
“They were pretty,” Elissa protested.
“Oh, please.” Kayla rolled her eyes.
Jarrett glanced at Fallon. “Personal appearances?”
The triplets glanced at each other in silent communication. “That one just slipped out,” Fallon said. “Oh, well. There’s no point in trying to hide my sordid past.” She left the window and walked back to the sofa. Once there she plopped down next to Anna Jane and sighed dramatically. “My sisters and I were on television when we were kids.”
Anna Jane’s eyes widened. “Really?”
She nodded. “There used to be a program called ‘The Sally McGuire Show.’ The three of us played Sally, who was an orphan.”
“You all played one person?”
“Yes. There are laws preventing children from working very long hours on a set, so having identical triplets helped with the filming of the show.”
The girl clapped her hands together. “I want to see one.”
Elissa glanced at Fallon. “Tell me they don’t have cable on the island.”
“They do, but only a few channels. I think we’re safe.”
Anna Jane leaned toward her. “Ariel—I mean, Fallon. It would be fun.”
“I have to agree,” Jarrett said, looking intrigued. “The shows sound like fun.”
Kayla squeezed her eyes shut. “They’re not. Trust me. We weren’t very good actors and some of the scenes are really frightening.”
“You were always terrific,” her husband, Patrick, told her as he put his arm around her. “I enjoy watching those old shows.”
“Me, too,” Cole agreed, smiling at his wife. “Better than home movies.”
“Fortunately we’re on a very small island,” Elissa remarked. “There isn’t a single video store for miles.”
Fallon could see Jarrett’s mind already at work. “Don’t be so sure,” she said. “My host has the ability to make things happen. Don’t challenge him on this or we’ll be buried in videos.”
“Too late,” he told her.
“Great.”
Jarrett pushed to his feet. “I’m sure you want a chance to catch up with each other, so I’ll leave you alone for a little while. But I hope you’ll do me the honor of joining my niece and me for dinner.”
Her sisters looked at her and Fallon nodded. Elissa spoke for them. “We’d be delighted. Thank you for inviting us and for taking care of our sister.”
“It was my pleasure. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll go tell Leona that you’ll be joining us.”
He was dressed casually in jeans and a polo shirt, yet he had a presence. Fallon found herself proud of him and wanting to show him off. As if he was somehow connected to her.
“I want to tell Jarrett something,” Fallon said, standing and going after him. “I’ll be right back.”
She hurried from the room and caught him in the foyer. “Jarrett?”
He turned. “Did they change their minds?”
She came to a stop in front of him. His dark hair was brushed back, although a few strands had fallen forward across his forehead. She wished she could push them into place.
“No,” she told him. “I just wanted to thank you for inviting them. It’s great to have them back in my life and I would have hated to not eat dinner with them when they went back to the—”
She stopped in midsentence as she realized what she was saying. “Oh, my. I guess I wasn’t thinking.” Now that her sisters were here, there was no reason to stay with Jarrett. When her sisters went back to the hotel
, she would be going back with them.
The thought caused a sharp pain in her midsection. In all the excitement, she’d forgotten what finding her family meant—leaving Jarrett and Anna Jane. She would miss them so much.
Her mind continued to race, but she realized he was waiting for her to continue her train of thought. “Anyway, it was nice of you to have them stay.”
“No problem,” he told her. “Are you doing all right? This is a lot to take in.”
“I know. I still can’t believe it.”
“Anything different?”
“Yeah, my clothes.” She tugged on the hem of the cropped T-shirt. “I’m not usually such a casual dresser.”
“It looks good on you.”
His compliment made her flush. “Thank you.”
“You seem to have kept your ‘Ariel’ memories.”
“I have. I can recall everything about waking up here. It’s strange to remember not remembering. I’m a little out of sorts, as if I haven’t quite come back into focus, but I think that will just take time.”
“You want me to call the doctor?”
“It’s not that serious.”
“If it changes, let me know.”
“Promise.”
She was barefoot, so he towered over her by several inches. She had to look up to meet his gaze. She studied his handsome features, wondering how long it would take to forget him. What would her ordinary world be like without Jarrett to brighten it?
“You must be happy to find out you have family,” he said. “You were worried about being alone.”
“I am pleased.”
“Is there a husband or a couple dozen kids waiting for you somewhere?”
He asked the question lightly, yet she sensed the answer was important to him. Or maybe that was just wishful thinking on her part.
“I’m not married,” she told him. “There isn’t anyone in my life right now.” The truth was, there had been boyfriends in the past, but no one important.
“Then I’ll tell Leona we’re going to be seven for dinner.”
As he walked to the kitchen, Fallon stared after him. She’d found her family, but not someone special to care about her. Funny that it had never bothered her before, but now she knew being self-sufficient wasn’t going to be as wonderful or fulfilling as it had been in the past.
* * *
After dinner, conversation continued to flow around the table. Jarrett listened more than he talked as the sisters caught each other up on everything that had happened while they’d been apart.
He was amazed at how easily they communicated, barely having to finish sentences before another of the women picked up the train of thought. He and Tracy had gotten along while they were growing up, but they’d never been close. Perhaps it was the difference in their ages, or the fact that their house had been large enough for them to go their separate ways. For the first time ever, he felt a sense of loss about that. It would have been nice for him and his sister to have been friends as well as family.
His gaze drifted from Fallon to Kayla and finally to Elissa. Odd that three women who looked so much alike could be so different. Even if he closed his eyes, he would be able to tell them apart. It wasn’t just the words that they used, but also the cadence of their voices and the patterns of their speech.
He returned his attention to Fallon. She listened intently to her sisters, smiling at the appropriate time. He knew she was pleased to have her memory restored, and she claimed to feel all right, yet occasionally confusion crossed her face. He wondered if she was having trouble adjusting.
“They’re like this all the time,” Cole said, leaning toward his host. “Put the three of them together and you can’t get a word in edgewise.”
Patrick grinned. “It’s true. I’ve given up trying to participate in conversations.”
“So what do you think of our ladies?” Cole asked.
“They’re very special,” Jarrett told him. “Fallon was concerned that she was going to spend the rest of her life alone. I’m glad she has people who obviously care about her.”
Patrick shook his head. He was a tall man, with blond hair and blue eyes. Fallon had told Jarrett that Patrick was a vet in San Diego. “I’m glad you were here to take care of her. None of us want anything to happen to any of them.” He grimaced. “You’re not going to let us pay you for your trouble, are you?”
“It wasn’t any trouble,” Jarrett said. “We’ve enjoyed having her around.”
Cole raised his eyebrows but didn’t say anything. No doubt the other man was wondering about the nature of his relationship with his sister-in-law. Jarrett would have told him—had he been able to figure it out himself.
Fallon wasn’t the only one wrestling with confusion. He didn’t know what to make of this turn of events. A few hours ago Fallon had been Ariel—a woman with no past and an unknown future. Who was she now? While he knew Ariel, he didn’t know Fallon Bedford. Were they the same woman?
Ironically, he’d decided to trust Ariel and to graciously continue to share his life with her. He’d had grand plans to show her a good time for the holidays by giving her a place to belong. But she already had a place, and people who cared about her. She didn’t need him.
Until the opportunity was gone, he hadn’t realized how much he’d enjoyed being needed or how he’d wanted to make this time special for her.
Anna Jane got up from her seat and came around to his chair. “I’m going up to bed,” she said.
He touched her cheek. She’d been quiet all during dinner.
“Do you want me to come with you and tuck you in?” he asked.
She nodded.
He rosé to his feet and held out his hand. “I’m going to put Anna Jane to bed,” he informed everyone at the table. “Why don’t you move to the living room? It’s more comfortable.”
“Night, Anna Jane,” Fallon said.
The child tightened her grip on Jarrett but didn’t respond. She kept walking toward the door.
Jarrett glanced back and caught Fallon’s surprised look. He shrugged, telling her he didn’t know what was wrong, either.
Should he ask her, he wondered as they silently climbed the stairs. Should he scold her for being rude?
“Anna Jane, I know you’re upset about Fallon’s family returning,” he started. “It’s been a big shock. But you shouldn’t ignore her like that. It’s not nice.”
They’d nearly reached the top of the stairs. Anna Jane was one step ahead of him. She paused. “I—I know,” she said, her voice cracking.
He bent close to her and saw tears streaming down her face. It was as if someone had sliced him open. He nearly groaned at the pain of seeing her hurt. Not knowing what else to do, he pulled her hard against his chest and hugged her.
“Hush, sweetie. It’s all right.”
“No, it’s n-not,” she sobbed, burying her face in his shoulder. “She’s going away. She has her sisters and she doesn’t need us anymore. I thought she’d be here for Christmas, but now she won’t and I’ll m-miss her.”
She cried as if her heart were broken. Jarrett swore silently. It probably was. This was one more loss in the young girl’s life. Considering all she’d been through in such a short period of time, she was amazingly normal.
He carried her into her room and sat on her bed. She clung to him. He held her tightly, rocking back and forth. “Anna Jane, I’m right here. We’re going to be fine. I promise.”
His gut continued to twist with pain—both for her and himself. He, too, would miss Fallon when she left them.
“I want her to stay for Christmas,” Anna Jane cried.
“Me, too.”
He wanted that more than he was willing to admit. But even if she left, she would leave behind a precious gift. She had shown him how to care about his niece. For the first time since her arrival, he was fiercely glad he was Anna Jane’s guardian.
Chapter Ten
Fallon tried to concentrate on the conversation in the
living room, but again and again her thoughts drifted upstairs to Anna Jane. Jarrett had been gone nearly an hour. The little girl had obviously been upset when she’d left the table. She hadn’t even said good-night. Fallon tried not to take it personally, but that was hard. Finally she gave up trying to pretend and excused herself.
“Is everything all right?” Elissa asked.
“I hope so,” Fallon answered. “Anna Jane wasn’t herself at dinner. She’s not usually that quiet.”
“You and she were friends,” Cole said. “Now she’s afraid that’s changed.”
“Plus you’re a real person, not someone she created from her imagination,” Kayla added. “She’s probably wondering if you’re going to act differently.”
“I’m sure you’re right. I’ll be back, guys.”
Kayla took a sip of her water and sighed. “Take your time. I’m not really the live-in-luxury type, but this house is fabulous. I can’t believe you’ve been staying here.”
Fallon glanced around at the expensively furnished room.
“Me, either.” She smiled and left the room.
Once in the foyer, she paused at the bottom of the stairs and thought about the child who put notes in bottles and worried about creatures waiting to nip at her heels. While she’d still been Ariel, and desperate to get her memory back, she hadn’t thought through what that would mean. That she would then be forced to leave. Having someone to care about her was wonderful, but she wished there was a way to have that and a place here, too. At least for a little while.
Her desire to stay wasn’t just about herself. She also worried about Anna Jane and what their parting would mean to her. She’d already lost so many people in her life.
“You’re looking serious about something.”
She jumped at the sound of Jarrett’s voice and glanced up as he started down the stairs.
“I was thinking about Anna Jane. Is she all right?”
“She’s asleep.”
“That doesn’t answer my question.” She folded her arms across her chest. “She’s upset because I have a family and a life, isn’t she?”
The Mysterious Stranger (Triple Trouble) Page 12
