Again MW found herself laughing. “I’m trying to relax. I just hope no one asks me any questions I can’t answer.”
For a moment confusion registered in Tracy’s pale blue eyes. Then she nodded. “That’s right. You have no memory of your past, do you?”
“I’m afraid not.”
Seth tugged on his stepmother’s arm. “I’m hungry,” he announced, his clear and childish voice carrying to every corner of the room. “When are we going to eat?”
“I’m sure it will be soon,” Tracy soothed, smoothing his hair with a loving gesture.
Just then, Edith rang the small dinner bell to indicate it was time. Relief flooding her, MW looked for Eric. To her relief, he crossed the room to her side and took her arm. “Are you okay?” he murmured.
She nodded yes.
As the family filed into the dining room, each and every person smiled reassuringly at MW, as if to empathize with her. Though she wondered if she’d be able to remember all their names, the small kindnesses warmed her heart and made her feel welcome.
Apparently everyone had assigned seats. As they all took them, Eric pulled out a chair for her. “Greta’s usual place,” he told her quietly. “Since she’s in Oklahoma City these days, I don’t think anyone will mind if you use it.”
She nodded and sat. Across the table, Seth stared, his green Colton eyes wide.
“It’s okay,” she told him. “Greta told me I could sit here.”
Relaxing, Seth nodded. He looked up at his father and tugged on his arm. When Jack leaned down, his son whispered in his ear. Jack nodded, then looked over at MW and winked.
Though she felt her face heat, she managed to smile back.
“You seem to be handling this pretty well,” Eric commented in her ear, his warm breath sending a shiver up her spine. “I know this can be pretty overwhelming if you’re not used to it.”
“It’s actually really nice.”
Edith entered the room, carrying a platter with a perfectly sliced roast, the carrots and potatoes artfully arranged around it. She set this down in the center of the table, turned and went back for a huge basket of rolls.
“Normally, Edith doesn’t cook,” Eric told MW. He explained Maria Sanchez was the main cook for the Colton family, at least for lunch and dinner. “I don’t get why she cooked tonight.”
As Edith set the rolls on the table, she smiled at everyone, especially Eric.
“Where’s Maria?” Eric asked.
“She took a day off,” Edith answered. “Now dig in,” she ordered, taking a seat to Big J’s right. That was when MW noticed the chair directly opposite Big J’s was conspicuously empty, which could only mean it belonged to his wife, Eric’s mother.
Big J dominated the conversation. “Sweetheart,” he drawled as soon as MW took a bite. “Tell me how you and my son came to know each other.”
Immediately she blushed, trying to chew faster.
Noticing, Eric rushed in to tell the story.
“I asked her, not you,” Big J groused, interrupting.
“She was chewing,” Eric pointed out. “She couldn’t answer you with her mouth full, now could she?”
“I can wait.” The older man shot Eric a steely glare. “I’m trying to get to know your lady friend. Man has a right to learn about the future mother of his grandchildren.”
The future... Wait, what? MW’s knew her blush darkened to a fiery red. She choked and, eyes watering, reached for her water. She took several slugs, trying to keep from making a spectacle of herself.
“Let’s not rush things,” Eric said, keeping his tone light. MW couldn’t help but notice the way everyone openly watched him. All of his brother’s green Colton eyes glinted with humor.
“It’s okay,” she put in earnestly. “We’re just friends.”
All of the men laughed. Perplexed, she glanced at Eric. A reluctant smile tugged at the corner of his well-shaped mouth.
“They’re teasing you, darlin’,” Big J said. “It just means they like you.”
After the meal and dessert—two perfectly prepared apple pies—had been eaten, they all moved to the den. When Edith began gathering up the dishes, MW jumped up to help. She ignored Edith’s attempt to wave her away and carried an armload into the kitchen. “I’ll wash if you’ll dry,” she said, striving for a lighthearted tone.
Instead, Edith shook her head. “We have a dishwasher, honey. All they need is to be rinsed off and stacked in it.”
Refusing to let her smile falter, MW nodded. “I can do that.”
“Good.” Edith got out another plate. “Abra’s nurse should be stopping by to get her supper.”
As if on cue, a short, round woman with a mop of curly dark hair the same color as her skin entered the kitchen. “Whew,” she remarked to Edith, grabbing the plate and dishing up food. “I have to say, smelling this roast cooking the last couple of hours has made me mighty hungry.”
Edith chuckled. “Help yourself. There’s plenty left.”
The other woman paused when she caught sight of MW. Her large brown eyes widened. “Who’s this? Are you finally getting some help in the kitchen?”
Edith laughed. After a second, MW did, too.
“No, this is MW. Abra’s son Eric brought her home for a visit. MW, please meet Latonia. She takes care of Abra.”
MW moved forward and offered her hand. Latonia shook it, tilting her head as she studied MW. “Eric? Isn’t he the doctor?”
“That’s him,” Edith said cheerfully. “That boy hasn’t been home for a visit in forever. Now he’s here, and he brought his lady friend.”
Latonia looked MW up and down. “Must be serious.”
“It’s not.” This time, MW managed to speak calmly. “We’re just friends.”
Though the two older women exchanged glances, neither one commented. MW went back to rinsing dishes and Latonia carried her plate over to the kitchen breakfast bar and began to eat.
MW finished and looked around to see if there was anything else she could do to help.
“You go on and join the others, honey.” Edith shooed her away from the sink. “I know they can be a bit much to take, but you can’t hide in here the rest of the night.”
At first, MW opened her mouth to protest, but closed it and nodded instead.
“Plus Latonia and I have a bunch to catch up on before she hurries back to watch over Abra.”
Taking the hint, MW left the kitchen and headed toward the den. She took a seat by herself on the large couch, and sat back and watched everyone. The high-energy gathering was a bit overwhelming, but she also found the way everyone interacted fascinating. Due to the few flashbacks she’d had, she grew increasingly certain she hadn’t come from a large family.
Everyone talked at once, except for Big J. When he spoke, all his children fell silent. But right now, he sat back and watched indulgently as conversation swirled around him.
Eric and his brother Ryan stood over by a huge grandfather clock, heads together while they conversed in low voices. Daniel, Brett and Jack made up another group, standing close to the massive fireplace and talking about cattle and pasture. Jack’s wife, Tracy, had disappeared in the kitchen with Edith after she’d asked for a recipe for Italian stuffed shells.
To her bemused astonishment, MW had nearly jumped to her feet and offered to write down a recipe for her. Luckily, neither of the other women had noticed as they’d hurried off to the kitchen in search of Edith’s favorite cookbook.
Seth appeared out of nowhere, just popping up at the end of the couch, grinning at her. “Hi,” he said.
“Hello.” She eyed him, hiding the tiniest bit of wariness. Though she couldn’t remember most of her past, she felt pretty positive that she didn’t have children. Whether or not she was good with them remained to be seen
.
“Are you lonely?” The five-year-old scooted closer to her, only stopping when he was close enough for her to count the freckles on his face.
“Not really,” she answered. “How about you?”
He shook his head. “Nope. Daddy says as long as we’re around family, we’re not alone.”
This statement made her wonder if there were other little kids around for Seth to play with.
“Are you and my Uncle Eric gonna get married?” Seth asked. Unfortunately, due to the lull in the others’ conversations, his clear, high voice carried to everyone in the room.
Everyone froze, turning to stare. And MW blushed, hating the way her face instantly got hot.
Jack hurried over. “Seth,” he said calmly. “That was not polite. I’d like you to apologize to MW right now.”
“I’m sorry,” Seth immediately said, frowning as he looked from MW to his father and then back again. “But I really want to know, Daddy. It’d be really cool if Uncle Eric and MW got married and had a baby. When he grew up, I could teach him how to ride and rope and—”
“That’s enough,” Jack cut him off, clearly struggling to keep from laughing. “It’s not nice to ask personal questions, especially to someone you just met. I’m really sorry, MW.”
“It’s all right,” MW said softly, able to see the humor in the situation. As long as she didn’t look at Eric, that is. “I’m guessing he just wants a playmate.”
Jack exchanged a long look with his wife, who looked slightly flushed. “We just might have to work on that ourselves,” he drawled, grinning as Tracy’s color deepened. MW couldn’t help but sympathize, since she blushed exactly the same way.
Eric came over and dropped down to sit beside her. “You know you’re a guest here. You don’t have to help Edith out in the kitchen.”
At this, she lifted her chin. “I was raised that way. Guests always help the hostess.” She froze as she realized what she’d just head. “Another fragment. More and more is coming back to me. I just wish it wasn’t in so many tiny bits and pieces.”
Eric reached over and squeezed her shoulder. “You never know. One morning you might wake up and find all your memory has been restored.”
Hope filled her. “Is that the way it happens?”
“It can.” His gentle smile told her not to feel too discouraged. “Since there’s no medical reason for your amnesia, it’s psychological. There’s no way of knowing what might be the trigger to bring your memory back.”
She nodded, trying not to let her disappointment show. “I met your mother’s nurse in the kitchen. She seems really nice.”
“I’m sure I’ll meet her sooner or later.” He made no move to get up. “I feel like I should apologize to you. I should have warned you about my family.”
“You did, sort of.” Peering up at him, she wasn’t sure what he meant. “You told me there were a lot of them.” She found herself wishing he would touch her again. But then, with his entire family probably watching them from the corners of their eyes, maybe it was better if he didn’t.
As if to confirm this, Eric glanced casually around the room, still smiling. “I meant the way they’d automatically assume if I brought a woman home, then we must be in a serious relationship.”
Again the familiar heat in her cheeks. Determined to ignore and vanquish it, MW shrugged. “You can’t really blame them. From the sounds of things, you hardly ever visit. The fact that you are here now with me is bound to cause some talk.”
Eric sighed. “I know. But I’m sorry you have to be put through this.”
“Don’t worry about it. They’ll get used to me eventually. I do wish Greta was here. I like her.” She glanced at the other two women. “Though Tracy and Hannah seem great, too. It’d be kind of nice to make a new friend or two.
Just as MW finished speaking, Tracy raised her head and smiled. Her porcelain skin gave her an ethereal sort of beauty. She spoke to her husband and the two of them headed toward MW and Eric.
“You must feel sort of overwhelmed by all this,” Tracy said. “I remember the first time I met the family.” Her delicate shudder made MW laugh. “I came because Jack used to be married to my cousin. Initially, I stayed here because I wanted to get to know Seth. He was the only family I had left.”
“And then you fell in love and married Jack?” MW guessed. She loved happy endings.
“Yes.” Tracy’s expression turned earnest. “My ex-husband’s parents had hired a hit man to kill me. Long story short, Jack kept me safe and the police killed the hit man.”
“And then I married her,” Jack added, putting his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close. “Seth and I both adore her.”
“As I do you.” Beaming, she gazed up at him with obvious adoration before turning her attention back to MW. “My point is, I’ve heard someone is trying to kill you, too. And I’m sure you’ve probably been worried about putting anyone else in danger.”
MW nodded. “I have been.”
“Well, don’t. If anyone can keep you safe, this family can.” Voice fierce, she gave MW a quick hug. “I can personally attest to that.”
“Drama, drama, drama,” Ryan drawled, startling MW. He’d walked up behind them, along with Brett, Hannah and Daniel. Seth still played with his cars on the floor near the fireplace and Big J stood near the bar, talking quietly on his phone. “That’s one thing you’ll learn about this family. We’re all about the drama.”
“I can attest to that.” Amusement rang in Hannah’s soft voice. “I came here when my parents fired me from the family business and threw me out.”
MW gasped. “Why?”
Brett placed his hand on her shoulder and kissed the top of her head. “They’re superreligious and hated the idea of their daughter carrying a baby out of wedlock. Me, I’m happy as can be. I’m so glad she asked me to marry her.”
“She asked you?” MW looked from one to the other, not sure if he might be teasing.
“Yep.” Brett leaned in and kissed Hannah on the mouth. “But only once she realized how much I love her and our baby.”
“And let’s not forget about me,” Daniel put in with a grin. “The illegitimate one. My mom was the nanny. Talk about a cliché, right?”
“Wow. You all sure do lead exciting lives.” MW felt a twinge of envy at the obvious affection the other two couples shared.
“That’s not the half of it,” Ryan put in. “As you know, someone attacked our mother. After that, more things have been happening around here. Someone set a fire. And the big barn was vandalized.”
MW wasn’t sure how to respond.
Edith hurried into the room and made a beeline to Big J. She tugged on his sleeve and once he ended his call, he leaned down. She whispered something in his ear. Immediately, his hard features shut down, as if he’d gone into shock. He followed Edith without a backward glance.
Everyone stared at everyone else in the now hushed room. Tracy and Hannah exchanged glances and each moved a little closer to their respective men.
“What do you suppose all that’s about?” Ryan asked no one in particular. Though he kept his voice casual, he couldn’t conceal a tinge of worry from his tone.
“Maybe something happened with some of the cattle,” Tracy put in.
“Edith wouldn’t be involved if it was ranch business,” Jack responded, his frown attesting to his own concern.
“It’s probably something to do with the house,” Brett said. “Maybe she needs him to fix something. Who knows?”
But even MW could tell he didn’t believe his own words.
“It has to be Mother.” Eric frowned. “Maybe I should go check on her.”
“Wait.” MW placed her hand on his arm. She had a sudden hunch, but she didn’t want to make a fool of herself by saying anything.
“I agree.” Ryan gave them both a hard look. “Whatever has happened, if it concerns Mom, Dad needs to have his time with her alone.”
The bleakness of his expression mirrored Eric’s. MW’s stomach lurched as she realized both men believed their mother might have passed away.
Jack and Tracy came over, Brett and Hannah right behind them. Daniel followed a moment later.
The men exchanged similarly worried looks.
“We need a distraction,” Hannah said, her voice bright. “How about a game of charades?”
Ryan stared at her in clear disbelief. But the glare Brett shot his older brother said he’d better not say a single disparaging word.
“I think that’s a great idea,” Tracy chimed in. “It’s better than standing around speculating on something we don’t know.”
Jack, Brett and Daniel agreed. Only Eric, the sole holdout, shook his head and crossed his arms. “I’m a doctor,” he said. “If something has happened with Mother, I need to be there. I’m the only one in this house who can help.”
And then, without waiting for anyone to reply, Eric turned on his heel and left the room.
“Is he going toward...” Hannah sounded dismayed.
Grimly, Ryan nodded. “He’s right, you know. Even if our father doesn’t like to admit it, Eric is the most qualified to deal with any kind of setback. If I were a doctor, I’d have gone, too.”
MW didn’t really know any of these people, but she didn’t understand why everyone immediately assumed the worst. She, on the other hand, figured maybe Abra had made progress, possibly even awakened from her coma. Since she wasn’t a part of their family, she didn’t voice her thoughts. No doubt they’d find her overly positive attitude a bit Pollyanna anyway. People certainly had told her that often enough in the past.
The past. Floored, she tried to expand on the memory, but the instant she focused, it was gone.
Still, she had something. Another tiny piece of the puzzle that had been her life. Since fragmented memories had been occurring with more and more frequency, she had to assume Eric was right. Before long, she’d be able to remember everything. Including her actual name, where she lived and also who Walter might be.
The Temptation of Dr. Colton Page 13
