The Husband She Can't Remember (Southwest Secrets Series Book 1)

by Tina Cambria

  Make that three. Because on top of finding out she’d married a virtual stranger and become pregnant on their honeymoon, she was suffering from some kind of amnesia and probably wasn’t sure whether to believe what Kyle was telling her or not.

  He needed to take things slow. Win back her trust. More than that, make her fall in love with him again.

  He’d done it before. He could do it again, couldn’t he?

  There was even more at stake now.

  Their baby.

  * * *

  After Kyle paid the lunch bill, Danielle walked with him to his rental car. Once settled inside, she turned to him and cocked her head. “Are you always that blunt?”

  “Yeah, I guess you could say that. Although blunt is probably one of the nicer ways some folks have referred to me.”

  Danielle wondered who had described him in less favorable terms. A former girlfriend? Kyle apparently knew a lot about her personal history. He might have shared some of his background with her during that week she couldn’t remember. For all she knew, there could be a line of women stretching half-way across Nevada, all waiting to take a swing at him.

  What if one of those women were pregnant with his baby too? Good heavens, what had she gotten herself into?

  “Do you have any children?” she suddenly blurted out.

  A smile played at his lips. “None except this little one,” he laughed, lowering his gaze and pointing his index finger at her abdomen.

  “You seem to be so sure this is your baby.”

  “A hundred-percent sure.”

  “Under the circumstances, I’m surprised you don’t insist on DNA testing.”

  “No need, darlin’.”

  She sniffed. “Well, maybe I should insist on it.”

  He shot her that disarming grin again. “Unless you hooked up with some stranger at a truck stop right after we parted in Vegas, I don’t think there’s any need for that.”

  “How can you be so sure?” He was certainly full of himself. Danielle mentally added the word cocky to the list of terms probably used to describe Kyle Williams.

  “Be honest. Have you been…intimate…with any other man since you’ve been back here in New Loudon?”

  She squirmed in the passenger seat. “I guess you mean with Walter?”

  “No one but.”

  Staring straight ahead, her stomach knotted. Damn that Kyle Williams! He thought he was so smart. How did he know so much about her personal business?

  “You know I’ve been recuperating from a serious car accident…”

  “Now don’t take this the wrong way,” he said, “but you told me you got two black eyes and a big bruise on your chest from the accident. Plus, the memory loss.” He brushed his hand across her cheek. “I’ll bet that doctor in the Emergency Department didn’t tell you to avoid sex for the next month or so.”

  The touch of his hand on her face burned, shooting a spark straight through her core. “What are you implying?”

  “You and Walter have never made love.” He traced a line across her lips with his index finger. “And you’re never gonna, now that I’m in the picture.”

  She fumed inside as Kyle headed the car toward Leslie’s place. Within two minutes, he parked in front of the house, with Danielle still struggling to respond to his accusation. “What do you want from me, anyway?”

  He cut the ignition and turned to her. “Look, I know you don’t remember it, but we had a deal. Our marriage was part of it. It was supposed to be strictly business.” He took another long look at her abdomen. “But as you figured out a little while ago, it ended up going farther than that. I guess you could say we went a little too far with our play-acting.”

  “And I ended up pregnant…” she whispered.

  “Exactly. That wasn’t part of the original plan.” His lips twitched. “But we were considering Plan B anyway when we parted ways in Vegas. That’s why I’m here—to find out what you decided.”

  “Plan B?”

  What was he referring to? She was an ordinary small-town high school teacher. Granted, she’d taken a short break from teaching English and drama to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a professional actress. And when that hadn’t worked out, she’d headed back home, hoping to get her old job back for the fall term.

  This stranger expected her to believe that he’d given her a lift across the Mojave Desert and somehow gotten her tangled up in a scheme that included a sham marriage—and how make-believe was it if they’d actually consummated it? If only something would prompt the return of her memory. She definitely had been out of her mind when she’d agreed to whatever it was he’d proposed as part of his scheme.

  “Yeah, Plan A was the fake marriage for a week and then a quick annulment. But then we got talking about Plan B—keeping it going for real.”

  “You mean…you mean we were actually falling in love?”

  He chuckled. “You tell me, darlin’. I know I thought it was pretty special.”

  After all those years waiting for Walter to get serious about marriage, she’d found a man and fallen in love in a week’s time? And she couldn’t even remember anything about it.

  Her heart thudded. She was sure it was going to jump right into her throat. This was too much to take in. And it didn’t sound like anything she’d normally do.

  Taking a calming breath, she weighed her options. Believe this guy outright? But maybe he was a whiz with creating fake government documents. And how hard would it be to find out a few facts about her? These days, you could learn almost anything about anyone on the internet in a matter of minutes.

  Even if he were some kind of scam artist, why would he go after her? She didn’t have a lot of money. If this was part of a trick, he’d sure gone to a lot of trouble to convince her that they were husband and wife.

  “Do you have any proof that we were together, other than that marriage certificate?” Danielle asked.

  His eyes lit up, and he pulled his phone from his pocket. He tapped it a few times, and then handed it to her. “Would this do it for you?”

  She gasped when she saw the image on the screen. Was he here to blackmail her?

  At least now she could believe that the act that had resulted in her pregnancy had probably taken place with Kyle. Squinting to take in all of the details, she could tell the photo was a selfie taken by him. Although her breasts were mostly covered with water, she was apparently topless in what appeared to be a hot tub. With Kyle beside her. With each of them holding what looked like a glass of champagne in their hand. And with big smiles on both of their faces.

  “I-I don’t remember this,” Danielle stuttered. Still, she had a pretty good idea what could have happened shortly after that picture was taken.

  “Our wedding night,” he said, giving her a playful wink.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Danielle put a hand to her chest, as if that would slow the frenzied pounding of her heart. She knew all about Photoshopping pictures, but Kyle would have to be some kind of creative genius to create that image if she’d never actually been in a hot tub with him.

  And hadn’t most likely been naked. Or at least half-naked.

  “Could I see that photo again?” She clasped his phone and confirmed there was something that looked like a wedding band on the third finger of her left hand. “So, this was after our wedding ceremony?”

  He laughed. “I sure hope it wasn’t before or during the ceremony. Would’ve been a little too up close and personal for my liking if the justice of the peace were squeezed in there with us.”

  Even though her heart was still racing, she couldn’t help smiling. She didn’t know much about Kyle, but she liked his sense of humor. “I asked because I notice that I seemed to be wearing a wedding ring in that picture. And…well, I’m not wearing it now.”

  “That was how we left things. You gave it back to me at the end of the week. Said if you decided we should keep the marriage going for real…if you wanted to make it genuine and not just a busines
s arrangement, you’d let me put the ring back on your finger.”

  “So, you have that actual ring?”

  Kyle took his phone from her, pocketed it, and reached into the glove compartment. Danielle’s mouth gaped open as she watched him pull out a small velvet pouch and tug on the string. With one hand, he opened her palm and with the other, he lightly shook the tiny pouch. She drew in a quick breath as a white-gold band with a row of small diamonds fell out into her hand.

  “There it is, darlin’.” He smiled and gave her that disarming wink. “Try it on if you’d like. I guarantee it fits you.”

  If her heart continued much longer at a breakneck pace, she was afraid it would pop right through her chest. He was sure doing a good job of making it look like they’d gone through a wedding ceremony and had an exciting wedding night. Unless he was a world-class con artist, his story was pretty convincing.

  “But why would I have married a stranger? And managed to get pregnant in the process?” She stared at the diamond band in her palm as though it would reveal the answers to her questions. Even if he’d so easily convinced her to make love with him, she surely would have asked him to use protection. In fact, there was absolutely no reason why she wouldn’t have demanded it. She’d never been the type to be swept away by uncontrolled desire.

  Kyle’s eyes flicked over her. “Are you ready to hear all of the details? And put that ring back on your finger?”

  As much as she wanted to know what had happened in Vegas, she wasn’t sure she was ready to hear it from Kyle.

  Start remembering that week!

  Why couldn’t she command her brain to work the way it was supposed to? She wasn’t asking to remember every trivial detail of that week in Las Vegas. What she ate for breakfast, the daily high temperatures, the brand of toothpaste she’d used—none of those things mattered to her now.

  No, she just wanted to remember what had motivated her to sidetrack from her journey home and agree to spend a week with a complete stranger. And apparently marry him as part of the deal. And how she’d allowed herself to end up with a baby on the way. Even though Kyle offered to spell everything out for her, could she trust his explanation? She barely knew him. Maybe if he shared merely a detail or two, it would trigger her memory?

  “I don’t want to try it on.” She held out her hand for Kyle to retrieve the diamond band. It seemed like some kind of bad luck to try on a wedding ring that wasn’t her own. Even if maybe the ring was her own. But first she had to determine the circumstances surrounding how and why that ring was purchased.

  “You’re right.” Kyle slipped the ring back into the velvet pouch. “No trying on unless you’re ready to wear it for good. I already know it fits you.”

  She had to admit the sparkly ring looked extremely appealing. And yet she certainly would never have entered into the arrangement Kyle described solely for a piece of jewelry.

  “I’m almost scared to ask…but we ended this supposed business deal with you keeping that diamond ring until I decided that we would stay married?”

  “If, Danielle…if.” He nodded and shot her his trademark grin again. “You were supposed to make your decision and get back to me. But I never heard from you.”

  “And you had no way of knowing I’d been in that car accident.”

  “Right. I kept calling your cell and getting your voicemail. So, it looked like you were blowing me off.”

  Danielle pictured the smashed-up mess of stainless steel, glass, battery, wires, and other phone components that the police had returned to her in a zipper storage bag. That was all that was left of her cell phone after it had gone airborne from its resting place in her car’s drink holder. It wasn’t cheap to replace a cell phone before the contract was up, and she’d managed to get along without it since the accident. How was she supposed to know there was an unknown husband out there who’d been trying to call her?

  “So, if you thought I was done with you, why did you come all the way here to track me down?” She couldn’t imagine what kind of explanation he’d have for that.

  “We’re married, remember?”

  “Actually, I don’t.”

  Kyle frowned. “Sorry, I guess this isn’t the time for sarcasm about not remembering things. What I should have said is that if you don’t want to stay married to me, we need to annul this thing. And I can’t do that on my own.”

  Too many decisions to make.

  She’d only just met the guy, and she had to decide if she wanted to remain married to him. And what about their baby? She didn’t even have to think about whether she was going to keep it. Even though she’d only found out about the baby a few hours earlier, Danielle had already developed a maternal attachment to it.

  “I need some time to think,” she said to Kyle. “This is way too much to process in such a short time.”

  “I have to catch a 3 PM flight from Denver International tomorrow.” His eyes sparkled. “But I’m all yours until I have to head to the airport.”

  All hers? She hoped he wasn’t expecting a replay of their wedding night.

  “Kyle, if you don’t mind my asking, where are you staying tonight?”

  He cleared his throat. “Seeing as I had no idea whether or not you might welcome your long-lost husband with open arms, I didn’t make any arrangements for tonight.”

  “I see.”

  “Got any suggestions?”

  “There’s a hotel just off the interstate. You probably drove right past it on your way into town.”

  His mouth formed a small circle, and he let out a long exhale. “I could check it out and see if they have a room available tonight.”

  “I think that would be the best thing.”

  Even though she’d said it, she wasn’t really sure at all that Kyle staying at the hotel off the interstate tonight would be the best thing. But it was probably the most sensible thing.

  * * *

  So, maybe he hadn’t expected Danielle to welcome him right into her bedroom. But Kyle sure hadn’t bargained for a complete erasure of him from her mind.

  Before he could figure out what to do next, Leslie emerged from her house. Dressed in hospital scrubs, she ran down the driveway toward the car.

  Seeing her wildly waving her arms, Kyle rolled down the window, expecting her to start shouting that her house was on fire.

  “I’m glad you finally got back,” she gasped, leaning into the car window opening and looking straight at Danielle. “I pulled some strings and got you an appointment with Dr. Chartoff this afternoon. He can see you in thirty minutes.”

  “What’s the rush?” Danielle asked.

  “To confirm that you’re pregnant.” Leslie eased herself back and stood at the curb, turning her gaze to Kyle. “Of course, it won’t establish who the father is, but at least we’ll know for sure if that at-home pregnancy test was accurate.”

  Kyle looked at Danielle, now shrinking into the passenger seat and staring at her lap. Man, she just kept getting hit with one shocker after another. Was this Dr. Chartoff even her regular doctor? Her friend, Leslie, had gone a little overboard with those so-called leadership skills she’d been referring to earlier, in his opinion.

  “Are you okay with seeing the doctor this afternoon?” he asked Danielle.

  She sighed. “I guess I need to visit a doctor at some point. So, if Leslie pulled some strings for me, I may as well take advantage of the appointment.”

  Kyle caught Leslie in his peripheral vision and turned to see her leaning through the car window opening again, looking at Danielle.

  “Honey, I’m so sorry I can’t come with you,” she said to Danielle. “I have to leave for my shift at the hospital in a few minutes. Will you be all right without me?”

  Clenching his jaw, Kyle paused before saying something he might regret. How had Leslie become Danielle’s pregnancy coach? He was the baby’s father, after all.

  “I can be there with her,” he said.

  Leslie’s eyes widened. “Certainly not
during the doctor’s examination!”

  He checked himself before he almost asked Leslie whether she thought he’d be seeing anything he hadn’t seen before. Even though he knew the answer to the question, it would be rude to say it in front of Danielle. And he didn’t want to embarrass her. She’d been through enough that day.

  “I can stay in the waiting room if that’s what Danielle wants.”

  Turning back to Danielle, his heart wrenched as he noticed her trembling. “Are you all right, baby? Don’t worry, I’ll be there for you.”

  Her eyes met his, and he couldn’t tell whether he saw fear or appreciation. If it was fear—well, what did he expect? She’d pretty much been minding her own business when he’d interjected himself into her life. Sure, she’d stood to benefit from the deal he had proposed to her. But neither one of them could have predicted they’d be sitting here six weeks later talking about getting a prenatal checkup. If that’s what they called this type of doctor visit. This was all new territory for him.

  When she pulled at his hand and didn’t let go, his analysis of her mood leaned more toward appreciation. If she was afraid, she didn’t seem to be afraid of him. Maybe just afraid of the situation she was in. And as far as the appreciation went—she most likely didn’t appreciate that he’d gotten her pregnant. Probably just glad that she didn’t have to go to the doctor’s appointment alone. So, he’d be there for her and make sure she didn’t feel like she was facing this all by herself.

  “Thanks for setting up the appointment,” Danielle said to her friend. “Kyle can drive me over there.”

  Leslie turned to Kyle. “You know, this mystery husband story—”

  “There’s no mystery,” he said.

  “Maybe not to you.” Leslie rubbed her jaw. “How did you know where to find Danielle?”

  “When we were on our honeymoon—”

  “Honeymoon?” Leslie’s eyes widened.

  “Yes, our honeymoon.” Kyle nodded. “When we parted—temporarily—she said she’d be staying with her best friend for a while until she figured things out. She told me your name. And these days, once you’ve got someone’s name and town, the internet makes it easy to find their address.”