by Linda Conrad
He checked out the window and saw her car. Yes, it was his best friend. He wiped the smile off his face and went to let her in.
“Morning, Macy. Thanks for coming.” He stood aside and allowed her to come in.
When she entered the room, everything felt easy, even somehow more homey. “Good morning, Jericho. I had every intention of talking to you this morning anyway. It’s my pleasure if I can be of some help at the same time.”
As a best friend, Macy Ward couldn’t be beat. As a potential spouse…he would just as soon skip it.
“I wanted to say how sorry I am about the ceremony, Mace. You know I wouldn’t have ducked out on it if I’d had any choice.”
Macy went straight into the great room and dumped her armload of folded clothes on the nearest chair. “I know. You’re a good man, Jericho Yates. That’s one of the reasons I twisted your arm into agreeing to marry me.”
“Now, Mace. You aren’t holding a gun to my head. I volunteered to help you out with T.J.”
“Yes, you did. And I love you for it.” She turned and touched his arm. “You are really a good guy, my friend. Too good to get saddled with a wife who won’t ever love you the way she should. I can’t do it to you.
“I’m calling the wedding off permanently,” she blurted. “You’re off the hook for good.”
Relief mixed with sadness and kicked him in the gut. He didn’t want to get married, but he would do anything to help Macy out in her time of need.
“What about T.J.? How are you going to take control of him now?” When she didn’t answer, Jericho stepped up again. “Look, I can make some extra time for him this summer. Just as soon as I find a link to our mystery woman, my schedule should lighten up.”
Macy smiled softly. “T.J. is a big part of the reason I’m canceling our wedding. You know he’s in the middle of doing that community service project you arranged for him over at the state park this week. He’s not pleased about having to make up for the toilet-paper and mailbox mangling incidents, but I hope he’s learning his lesson and is staying out of trouble.
“And then earlier this week Jewel agreed to let T.J. work at the Hopechest Ranch for the rest of the summer.” Macy’s smile brightened. “The hard work should be good for him. But that means you don’t have to worry about making time for him. He’ll be plenty busy.”
Several emotions flitted through Jericho at breakneck speed. Disappointment came first. Then another level of relief. Finally, a streak of annoyance came and went. Now he would have no excuse for not spending all his time with Rosie and working on her case.
“Do you think T.J. is going to be broken up about the change in marriage plans?” He hoped not. Deep down the kid was really good and Jericho hated to see him hurt.
Macy shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. Actually, he’s been pretty antsy over us getting married. I imagine he’ll be happy to hear his mother will continue being single.”
Jericho didn’t like the sound of that. “Is he still upset over my giving him community service? I only did it to keep him out of the juvenile system. I…”
“No, Jericho,” she interrupted. “You did the best thing for him. You’re not trying to be his friend. Me neither. It’s our job as adults to do the right thing. I really believe T.J.’s biggest trouble with the wedding is Tim’s memory. He saw you as Tim’s friend for so long that he couldn’t quite get past the changeover to having you take Tim’s place.”
“But I wasn’t…I wouldn’t.”
Macy chuckled at his mumbling protests. “I know. And T.J. would’ve found that out if he’d had the chance.
“But calling it off is for the best,” she continued. “For all of us. This way, you’ll have the opportunity to find someone who you can…”
At that moment, Rosie cleared her throat to announce that she was interrupting. She still had on his old T-shirt but she’d slipped on her jeans underneath it and her hair was wet from the shower. The sight of her in the hallway simply set his veins on fire.
The difference between how he’d felt seeing Macy and how he felt right now seeing Rosie seemed extreme. And he didn’t care for it one bit.
Chapter 4
“Y ou must be the one Jericho’s calling Rosie. I’m Macy Ward.” The woman rushed over and reached out to capture her hands. “Jericho’s old friend. It’s gotta be terrible for you, not having any memories. I was so shocked when I heard. You poor thing.”
Taken aback by such an effusive greeting, Rosie felt torn between laughing and running for her life. But there was just something about Macy Ward that made her want to smile.
Slinging her arm around Rosie’s shoulder, Macy hugged her close. “I brought you some decaffeinated teas and a few things to wear, honey. Just to get you by for a day or two. I can’t imagine not having a closet or even a purse to call your own.
“Oh, makeup,” Macy added with a start. “Darn. I should’ve thought of that, too.”
“Um. That’s okay. I don’t know if I wear any.” With that thought, Rosie lifted the back of her hand to her mouth in an effort to hold off what might turn into a sob.
But she stopped in midair, struck by the wayward idea that she might be a nail biter. Checking, Rosie was relieved to find her nails seemed intact. And manicured and polished at that.
So she was a woman who took care of her appearance. Spent money and time on it. Not that anyone could judge by the way she looked this morning. One glance in the bathroom mirror after her shower, and Rosie had nearly fled screaming. In addition to the bruises and cuts, her disaster of a hairdo could not possibly be normal. Not only didn’t it look like she’d spent any money or time on it, but it just didn’t feel right.
Rosie nearly broke down again as she wondered how long it might take her to get a clear idea of what her hair was really supposed to look like. Would that ever happen? It was possible, she supposed, that the memory would never return. But thinking that way made her knees weak.
Macy turned back to Jericho, who had been standing there with his mouth gaping open. “Jericho, fix Rosie this tea and us some coffee, will you? Maybe you could even scramble Rosie a couple of eggs. You do have fresh eggs?”
Being called down by Macy seemed to shake Jericho out of his reverie. “I’ve got a few eggs, and the coffee’s already made. What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to help Rosie change. The things I brought should be a close fit to her size. She’s a little taller and thinner than I am, though. So we’ll have to see.” With that, Macy spun them both around and headed down the hall.
Rosie heard Jericho mumbling from over her shoulder. “Well, sure. Y’all help just yourselves. I’ll cook.”
Fifteen minutes later and she was still feeling a bit weepy. Macy had been trying to brush her awful hair into some semblance of a style. Of course, without much luck.
Rosie thought things in general seemed a lot better. Macy bringing clean underwear had been a real blessing. Putting clean clothes on made Rosie feel almost human again. They’d discovered Macy’s slacks were about an inch too short and the shoulders of her blouse were big enough for a Rosie and a half—yet the buttons in front barely closed. Still, clean clothes had made a world of difference in how Rosie saw her situation.
“I’m sorry I messed up your wedding yesterday, Macy. Are you upset? Can you reschedule?”
The other woman turned and captured her in a big bear hug. “You’re a sweetheart for thinking of me when you have so much trouble of your own. But not to worry. The wedding is off for good. You didn’t mess up a thing.”
Rosie’s curiosity was piqued and she decided she didn’t care about sounding too nosy around this sweet woman with the blazing white smile and two tiny dimples. “Why did you call it off? Did something happen between you and Jericho?”
“Come sit down with me for a moment,” Macy said as she led her back into the spare bedroom and plopped on the bed. “Let me tell you something about the man who’s taken you in.”
Curious,
Rosie eased down beside her. She didn’t remember a thing about her past, but maybe it would be smart to know a whole lot more about her present.
“When I was born in this small town,” Macy began, “there were several boys who lived on my block. I guess I was kind of a tomboy as a kid because two of those boys who were my age became my best friends. I never had much to do with the other little girls in town.”
It was nice hearing Macy talk about her past. Somehow her story seemed to be grounding Rosie.
“One of those two best guy friends was always acting as my protector and big brother. Countless times he saved me from bullies and rescued me from runaway horses and from out of trees.” Macy’s dimples showed at the memories. “By the time I was twelve, though, it was the other one who’d captured my heart. I developed a huge crush on that one and it quickly turned to love. We married the minute we were old enough.”
“Jericho was the big brother of the two.” Rosie was sure Jericho hadn’t been the lover.
“Of course. He’s still doing it, too. My husband, Tim, died about six years ago and Jericho stepped in to make sure my son T.J. and I were okay. I’m not sure what we would’ve done without him.”
“But Jericho’s never been married?”
Macy’s smile dimmed slightly. “No. But in my opinion, it’s just that he’s never found the right woman. Everyone who knows him loves and respects him. He could’ve had his pick of any woman in the county.”
“But not you? You’re sure?”
It was a sad smile that Macy wore by the time she answered. “I wish I felt differently. But no. I’m sure. Jericho and I are like brother and sister. We’ll never get past that. I know he’s relieved to be getting out of our marriage agreement. But he’s still the best man in the entire county.
“Who else would’ve agreed to marry his best friend just so her son would have a father?” Macy shook her head sadly and patted Rosie’s hand. “Enough about me. How are you feeling? You look a bit pale. Are you queasy? Let’s go get you something to eat.”
For a split second when Rosie appeared out of the bedroom wearing Macy’s clothes, Jericho had been absolutely positive the image he saw was all wrong. This mystery woman did not belong in cotton slacks and long-sleeved, button-down shirts, of that he was sure. He envisioned her as being more into silks and fancy designer duds. But then when he blinked once, the lost woman with no past was back and it didn’t matter what she wore, his heart went out to her.
As the three of them sat around his kitchen table and Rosie ate breakfast, Macy babbled on about the current happenings in her life. Jericho suspected she was doing it to make Rosie forget her predicament.
“My boss, Jewel Mayfair—you’ll love her when you meet her, Rosie. Well, anyway, she’s had a kind of rough life. But her uncle is Joe Colton. He’s that senator in California who’s running for president, you know?”
Jericho cut in, “Macy, Doc O’Neal said we shouldn’t expect Rosie to bring back memories just yet. She’s supposed to relax and just let things come to her on their own.”
“Oh, but…” Rosie interrupted. “The name Joe Colton does ring a bell. He must be really famous.”
“Or maybe you were just interested in politics.” Macy added her own conjecture. “I know that the presidential campaign has been really heating up on TV. Jewel says her uncle has lots of influential backers. But since our Texas governor entered the race against Senator Colton, Jewel says things haven’t been going so well. And I can imagine that’s right. Governor Daniels is really hot. I voted for him for governor, and he can probably count on my vote for president, too. But don’t tell Jewel.”
Rosie chuckled, but then put her head in her hands. “I don’t know. Everything sounds familiar but nothing is. The harder I try…”
Jericho would’ve liked nothing better than to take Rosie in his arms to comfort her just then. But Macy leaned over and lifted a gentle hand to Rosie’s shoulder.
“Then don’t try, sweetie.” She turned to Jericho. “Maybe you could help Rosie by finding out the kinds of things she likes to do when she’s relaxing. For instance, you know I love to read romance novels. I’m positive that wouldn’t change about me even if I couldn’t remember anything else.”
Okay, Jericho had always figured he made a pretty good detective when it came to catching criminals. But this kind of detective work seemed a little over his head.
“Uh, what kinds of things would you suggest she try?” he asked Macy.
Macy raised her eyebrows and then tilted her head to study Rosie. “Most women would love a good relaxing day at a spa—along with some chocolate. But there aren’t any spas around here. And I always love a good relaxing day of shopping, which is also in limited supply in Esperanza, Texas, I’m afraid.
“Um…” Macy looked around the great room as though something might come to her. “Maybe she has a hobby. Like sewing or knitting. Or…” She swung her arm around to indicate Rosie should look at the room. “Decorating. Does anything about this room speak to you?”
Rosie blinked a couple of times and then glanced over Jericho’s furnishings. “It just says man’s man to me,” she said with a shrug. “Except I guess for the Frederic Remington bronze on the table over there, and that antique Navajo rug on the wall behind the leather couch that I suspect is worth several thousands. Those aren’t museum-quality pieces, by any means, but they’re nice examples of the style.”
Jericho knew his mouth was hanging open. And judging by Macy’s silence, she too had been surprised by Rosie’s sudden show of knowledge. He’d almost forgotten he’d even bought the Remington at a charity auction. And the Navajo blanket had been a housewarming present from his father that he barely noticed anymore. Those were the only two things in the whole house except for his rifles that were worth much. Rosie had spotted them right away.
He finally got his voice back when Rosie turned to him. “Hmm,” he said for lack of anything more definitive. “I suspect you’ve been either an art collector or a museum volunteer at some point in your life, ma’am. What do you think?”
“I don’t know,” she said with a heavy sigh. “I don’t seem to know anything. I can’t explain why those things just popped out of my mouth.”
Macy stood and bent over Rosie to cuddle her around the shoulders. “Jericho, this poor girl needs to relax and not think too hard so her past can ease back to her. You’ve got to find something to help her.”
He stood, too. “My job is to keep her safe and alive first, Mace. I’m worried that whoever tried to kill her will come back around for another try. We’re just going to have to let the memories come as they will and see how she does.”
An hour after Macy left, Rosie’s head was still buzzing with Jericho’s words. Those men might come back for another try? Oh, God.
“You awake?” Jericho poked his head inside the spare room where she’d been trying to take a nap.
Just the sight of him made her stomach muscles flutter.
“Yes,” she said as she sat up at the edge of the bed.
“I’ve been on the phone with my deputy. And he’s gathering some mug shots off the Internet for you to look at later today. You willing to give it a try?”
“Of course I am. I want those men caught.” Thinking of those awful goons made her body shiver in dread.
“Easy there.” Jericho took her hand and helped her stand. “I’ve also been giving some thought to hobbies that might make you relax. You still don’t have a clue as to what you like, do you?”
“No.” But having said that, Rosie’s mind tricked her into thinking about one way to relax she wouldn’t mind trying at all. Sharing a relaxing kiss—with the man whose soft hazel eyes were gazing into hers right now.
On second thought, Rosie admitted that kissing Jericho might not be as relaxing as all that. Just standing next to him now was shooting jazzy little sparks of lust right down her spine. Kissing him was bound to become more intense than relaxing.
How could Mac
y have turned him away? He was so hot.
“When I want to relax,” Jericho began in his fantastic Texas drawl, “I always find being outside with nature is a great way to shuck your stress. Does that sound like something you might want to try?”
She shrugged, not able to concentrate on anything much more than a pair of to-die-for hazel eyes that were turning a gorgeous shade of sea-mist green that matched his shirt.
“What did you have in mind to do outside?” she asked. But in the next moment she wished she’d kept her mouth shut. She sure knew what she’d like to be doing—either outside or in.
“Well, usually I fish or hunt,” he answered as though he had no clue what was on her mind. “Both real relaxing. But I suspect those might be too tricky for someone without memories. And it would take us too long to get out to the right spots for them, too.
“I was thinking, though,” he added. “That you might be willing to take in some fresh air at the same time as I gave you a small lesson in self-defense. I have a target set up behind the house in the woods so I can practice with my service weapons when I need to. Think I can talk you into trying a little target practice? Maybe you’ll find that relaxing.”
“Self-defense?” Oh, Lordy. Just the idea made her anything but relaxed. “Do you really imagine that I might need to know how to shoot a gun?” Her stress quotient jumped at least a hundred percent.
Jericho grinned at her. “What makes you think you don’t already know how?”
“I…don’t…Maybe you’re right. I should try lots of things before I just say no automatically.
“But do you truly think shooting somebody might be necessary?” she added warily.
“Slow down.” He took her hand and slid his arm around her waist. “We’ll go nice and easy. Just give target practice a try. Probably never going to need a weapon for any reason, but I’d just as soon you were comfortable around them all the same.
“Besides,” he added with another grin. “I want you to meet my two hounds. I’ve been keeping them outside in their dog run for your benefit. But I know they’d like meeting you. Maybe you’re a dog lover. You might even find out you’ve always liked target practice. Some people find it totally relaxing.”
