by Tina Cambria
It was time to tell the truth—the whole truth—about his family.
“Remember I told you about my sister who’s a pediatrician in Dallas?” When Danielle nodded, he continued. “Let’s hold off on dinner for a few minutes and sit on the sofa to talk.”
“Is everything okay with your sister?”
“Yeah, she’s fine.” Kyle waved his hand. “She called me today and is super-excited to meet you. In fact, she’s attending a medical conference right now at the university in Denver and hopes we could drive over there one evening this week and join her for dinner.”
“This week?”
Kyle could see the wheels turning in Danielle’s head, and then she perked up and proposed that Thursday night might be perfect. She had an appointment with Dr. Chartoff in New Loudon mid-morning on Friday. Perhaps they could drive separately to Denver on Thursday afternoon, have dinner with Samantha, and then stay in a hotel that night. Danielle could easily drive to her doctor’s appointment in New Loudon the next morning, and Kyle could return home to his job at the resort.
With the logistics settled, Kyle regarded his wife levelly. It was now or never. “Before you meet Samantha, I want to tell you a couple of things. She kept a huge secret from my parents, but she lived to tell the tale.”
“Meaning?”
“My parents didn’t even know she was studying pre-med in college until right before her graduation.”
“Why would she keep that a secret from them? Most parents would be thrilled if their kid wanted to be a doctor.”
“Most parents.” This was it. Now he was going to spring a secret on Danielle. Would she be angry that he’d misled her about his parents? “They thought she was majoring in business so that she could go into the family business.”
“Their restaurant?”
“It’s not one restaurant. It’s a chain of restaurants.” He took a breath and plunged forward. “You’ve probably heard of Uncle Bob’s Wild West Steakhouse?”
“Of course. Who hasn’t? Wait—is your dad that Uncle Bob?”
“Yep.” He carefully watched her face, seeing only surprise in her eyes. “My parents started with one restaurant about thirty years ago and built it up to an extremely successful chain.”
“Wow, I’m impressed. But what does that have to do with them not wanting your sister to become a doctor?”
“They assumed both Samantha and I would take over their company leadership after they retire. She wouldn’t have any part of it, and then they pinned all their hopes on me.” He let out a long sigh. “I didn’t want to disappoint them, so I felt obligated to study business and hospitality management to prepare to go into the family business. But I changed my mind after college graduation.”
“But you can’t change your major after you’ve graduated.”
“No, but I changed my mind about working for my parents. I didn’t want any kind of a free ride. I wanted to earn my way, and that’s why I struck out on my own.”
She studied him carefully. “I’m not sure why, but I have a feeling you told me this when we were in Las Vegas.”
He nodded, and his expression brightened. “Right at the end of the week. By then, I didn’t think you would care about whether or not my folks were rich. But you forgot about it after your car accident. And then…I’m sorry, but I got a little spooked because of what happened with my former fiancée.”
“I thought you told me she left you because she didn’t think you earned enough money?”
“That’s true. Because she knew all along who my parents were, and she thought I was going to join their business. And that I’d be rich, practically as soon as I graduated from college.” He scrunched up his mouth and shook his head. “She didn’t love me. She loved the idea of a high-flying lifestyle. And my family’s never been like that anyway. My parents are pretty regular people who just happen to have a lot of money.”
“They seemed really nice when we had that quick online chat…”
“They actually are. And they do a lot of good with their fortune. Giving back is important to them.”
“Your parents sound wonderful.”
“That pretty much nails their description,” Kyle said. “There’s a hospital wing named after them, for all the money they donated. They support quite a few charities.”
“I can’t wait to meet them in person.” She touched her abdomen. “I’m glad our baby carries some of their heritage. And I admire you for wanting to make it on your own.”
Our baby. That’s what she’d said. He couldn’t recall her referring to the baby that way before. Was she forging that connection with him, the coming together of a mass of complicated feelings that resulted in full-on, absolute love?
Now she knew the truth about his family, his financial situation, pretty much everything. And she’d just said that she admired him. But he was sure she hadn’t proclaimed her love for him.
Physical attraction, check.
Admiration, check.
But a marriage wasn’t going to work without that emotion that was difficult to describe but that people recognized when it hit them.
Love.
He was sure that she’d felt it by the time their honeymoon ended. But could it come back after being wiped out by a head injury?
Maybe it would take root and grow again. But just like with a plant or a tree, that growth wouldn’t happen without some nurturing.
“We’ve got the evening ahead of us,” he said to her. “Wanna get out of the apartment and do something fun?”
“What did you have in mind?”
Kyle thought back to the video chat they’d had with his parents yesterday and all the talk about supplies for the baby. “The stores are open until nine. Do you want to go shopping for some things for the baby?”
“That’s what you consider as fun?” Danielle tipped her head to the side.
“Spending time with you and planning for our baby—yes, I do.” And he was being honest about his feelings.
She smiled tentatively as though in thought, and her eyes glowed as the smile broadened. Moving closer to him on the sofa, she pressed her lips to his. He responded and kissed her deeply.
Kyle put thoughts of Danielle’s meeting with his sister out of his mind. That was three days away. Instead, he focused on the rush of love engulfing him.
I think Danielle may finally be feeling the same way about me again.
* * *
Three days later, Kyle had just checked into a hotel in downtown Denver when Danielle stepped into the lobby pulling a wheeled overnight bag behind her. He rushed to her side. “Let me get that for you.”
“It’s not heavy,” she protested. “Putting wheels on these bags was one of the greatest inventions of the last hundred years.”
“Tell that to the people who invented television, computers, and spaceships.”
“It’s called exaggeration, Kyle.” Her eyes crinkled as she smiled.
He loved the easy back-and-forth they’d developed. It reminded him of their honeymoon week. Danielle must have felt it too—even if she didn’t remember that first week they’d spent together.
“Hey, I want to tell you something.” His stomach fluttered, and he knew he had to let her know before they went upstairs to their room. He gripped the key card for the room in his right hand. “They gave us a room with a king bed.”
Danielle glanced at the floor for an instant. Then she smiled, and her eyes sparkled. “Should be more comfortable if we want to do some snuggling later.”
“I can roll with that.” His imagination shifted into overdrive, and he mentally slammed on the brakes. One thing at a time.
When they met his sister Samantha at a nearby restaurant a few hours later, the two women took to each other immediately. They exchanged hugs and acted more like old friends seeing each other for the first time in ten years.
After ordering their meals, Samantha clasped her hands on the table and smiled at Danielle. “So, Kyle told me that you’re an English
teacher?”
“I was for several years. Then I took a six-month hiatus in an attempt to land a break-out acting role in Hollywood.”
Samantha leaned in closer. “How did that work out?”
“Let’s just say you won’t be seeing me being nominated for an Oscar next year.” Danielle shrugged.
“I admire you for pursuing your dream, even if it didn’t work out the way you wanted.”
Kyle was grateful that his sister didn’t press for details when neither he nor Danielle mentioned exactly how they’d met. They had decided to leave any mention of amnesia out of the discussion for now. Why make their story even more complicated?
“I understand the baby is due in early May?” Samantha continued.
“Yes,” Danielle said, turning to Kyle. “In fact, we shopped for some baby supplies on Sunday evening.” Her face glowed, and she rubbed his arm. “And this guy just had to buy a two-foot tall giraffe for the nursery.”
“Sounds like Kyle,” Samantha said, laughing and rolling her eyes.
When she offered to help locate a respected obstetrician or pediatrician for them in Cottonwood Ridge, Kyle couldn’t help thinking that Samantha had shown the perfect blend of helpfulness and concern without acting pushy.
After dinner when they returned to their hotel room, they embraced and shared a kiss as soon as Kyle shut the door behind them. He encircled his hands around her waist and drew her even closer. “There’s something about being in a hotel room with you that reminds me of our honeymoon. And makes me want to relive it.”
“I wish I could remember it.” Her voice cracked.
“I’m so stupid.” Kyle wished he could have kicked himself. “I swore I wouldn’t mention memories or anything like that.”
“You didn’t intend any harm.” She stroked his cheek. “Maybe we should focus on making new memories.”
“You mean…?”
Danielle nodded her assent, and he guided her to the bed.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The next morning, Danielle arrived at Dr. Chartoff’s office with a few minutes to spare before her scheduled appointment time. The drive from Denver had been uneventful. With the memory of Kyle’s lovemaking fresh in her head from last night, she could almost imagine the world was covered in a rosy glow.
As Danielle entered Dr. Chartoff’s reception area, she wondered if the time had come to switch to an obstetrician closer to her new home. A drive of several hours for a doctor’s appointment was going to be even more inconvenient when the checkups were scheduled bi-weekly or even weekly in the latter part of her pregnancy.
It made her hesitate, because making an official change of physician implied that she wasn’t coming back to New Loudon. Even after what happened with Kyle in their hotel room last night, she still wasn’t sure what she wanted to do.
Kyle’s family was welcoming to her, and she looked forward to getting to know them better.
And things had changed with Kyle too. Could she truly be falling in love with him again? If she’d actually fallen in love with him after they’d first met on the way to Vegas.
When he’d first shown up at Leslie’s door, it was like she’d been told that she was apparently in love with this man, and she was instantly supposed to feel that way because there was a legal document and a baby growing inside of her.
There was no other way to describe that other than it totally freaked her out.
But now, it was no longer something that anyone had to tell her or try to prove from a marriage certificate. Thinking about Kyle made her quiver inside. She couldn’t wait to get back to Cottonwood Ridge, so they could be together again tonight.
A greeting from the doctor’s receptionist forced Danielle’s thoughts back to her pregnancy and her prenatal appointment. After checking in, a nurse weighed her, directed her to the restroom to provide a urine sample, and then escorted her to an exam room where she checked her blood pressure.
“I think Dr. Chartoff will be pleased with your weight gain.” The nurse nodded and smiled. “Blood pressure is normal too. And no protein in your urine—that’s also a good sign.”
After confirming that Danielle was no longer experiencing nausea and hadn’t noticed any spotting or bleeding, the nurse instructed her to change out of her clothes into a gown and wait on the exam table for the doctor.
A few moments later, Dr. Chartoff tapped on the door and then stepped into the exam room. “Good to see you again, Danielle. How are you feeling?”
When she reported that her energy level was back to normal, and she felt much better since the occasional bouts of nausea had stopped, the doctor nodded and made a notation in her chart. He had her lie back on the table while he rang a buzzer on the wall to signal the nurse to join them.
Pressing on her abdomen, Dr. Chartoff looked toward the ceiling and appeared deep in concentration. “The size of your uterus indicates the baby is growing at the appropriate rate.” He then explained that he’d be checking the baby’s heartbeat with a fetal Doppler device and gently pressed a small white wand into her belly.
When a rapid rhythm became audible, the doctor subtly winked at her, and Danielle let out a long sigh. Things were looking good. Other than the outward changes to her body, she felt like her old self again. And the doctor’s face didn’t show any sign of concern.
Dr. Chartoff praised her for keeping her weight gain under control. “Gaining the right amount of weight—not too much or too little—increases your chances of having a healthy pregnancy and baby.” He wrapped up the appointment by saying that he’d see her again in a month.
She smiled and simply said, “Okay.” Should she mention to the doctor that she might switch to an obstetrician closer to Cottonwood Ridge? But she still wasn’t sure if she should make that official.
Did she need to regain her memories from that missing week before she completely committed to her marriage to Kyle?
What if that never happened?
* * *
After going ahead and setting up the next prenatal checkup with the doctor’s receptionist, Danielle sent a short text to Kyle to let him know that the appointment had gone well and then headed to the parking lot. It was early enough for her to stop by Nana’s place for a short visit, then have lunch with Leslie, and still get back to Cottonwood Ridge before darkness fell.
With the late autumn sunshine on her face as she exited the medical building onto the sidewalk, she felt an infusion of energy from the warm rays. Energy and a sense of well-being. Dare she hope that the new turn in her life was going to work out for the best after all?
Feeling almost dreamy, she pulled off her light jacket and slung it over her arm, enjoying the unexpected late morning balminess. Her gaze dipped as she reached into her handbag for her car keys, and her dreamlike state quickly evaporated when she spotted a familiar image out of the corner of her eye.
What were the chances of running into Walter Ferguson on an extremely brief visit to New Loudon? And right in front of her obstetrician’s office.
Startled, her car keys slipped from her grasp and bounced onto the pavement.
“Good morning, Danielle,” Walter said, bending to retrieve the keys for her. His tone was as formal as speech from a bygone era. Straightening up, his glance traveled up her legs and landed right on her abdomen. “My God, you must be pregnant!”
“Excuse me?” She tried to sound indignant, but anxiety and awkwardness quickly roiled up inside her. She’d known Walter would find out about her baby—and her marriage—eventually, but hadn’t considered it urgent to notify him of the specific details of her current situation. After all, he hadn’t paid much attention to her since she’d left for Hollywood in hopes of getting professional acting work. Not even when she’d returned to town after her car accident. So, why would he be one of the first people in New Loudon to share in the news?
A crimson blotch worked its way across Walter’s face, and his eyes bulged. He opened and closed his mouth three times, as though he were
struggling to speak but couldn’t find the words.
“I-I guess I made a mistake by not using pr-protection,” he stuttered. “But when were you going to tell me?”
“What?”
She could almost feel the last drop of blood draining from her head, and the surrounding buildings dissolved into a kaleidoscope of colors and shapes. As her knees buckled, all she could think of was the welfare of her baby.
I can’t fall. I can’t harm the baby.
Head reeling, she sensed arms clutching her, and the next thing she was aware of was a view of the pavement about a foot from her face. She realized that she was sitting on a bench, bent over at the waist, with her head between her legs. A pair of men’s shoes appeared in her field of vision, and the entire incident replayed in her brain.
That must be Walter standing in front of her. What had he just said? Something about not using protection.
What on earth could he be talking about? They’d never had sex. She was sure she would remember if that had ever happened.
Gasping for air, a sensation of déjà vu flooded through her. Finding out she was pregnant. But not remembering having sex anytime recently. Yet having a man claim to be the father of her baby. It was way too much like what happened when Kyle showed up at Leslie’s door.
She couldn’t possibly have had sex with Walter. He hadn’t visited her the entire time she was in Los Angeles. And she was sure it was impossible that he’d somehow gotten into the mix during that week that she was in Las Vegas with Kyle.
When could it have happened? Not after her car accident. She remembered waking up in the ambulance, and her memory was fine after that.
What kind of amnesia did she have? It felt like it conveniently popped up whenever it felt like wiping out a memory.
An even bigger question was what kind of woman she was. Even if she’d been at that point where she still didn’t know that she’d married another man in Las Vegas, she couldn’t believe she would have slept with Walter right after getting back to New Loudon.
