Harlequin Special Edition November 2014 - Box Set 1 of 2: A Weaver Christmas GiftThe Soldier's Holiday HomecomingSanta's Playbook

by Allison Leigh

Rick looked at the screen and then silenced the phone before saying, “Listen, I know this is probably a lot for you to take in. And Lord knows that I want to spend the next two weeks out here with you catching up and helping you figure things out. But I don’t want to overwhelm you, and I promised Doc Peterson that I’d take care of his emergency calls while he’s on vacation. I’d like to stop back tomorrow so I can check on Lola anyway.”

  “I’d like that,” Joe said.

  “All right. I’ll see you then.”

  Joe wasn’t sure if he should shake Rick’s hand, but his brother made the decision for him and pulled him into a tight squeeze, giving him a few solid thumps on the back. “Man, I missed you, Joey. We’ll have to play catch-up tomorrow.”

  Joe was reluctant to let go, but he still had all his ranch chores to take care of and a lot of thinking to do. So he walked Rick out to his truck. All the while, he started a mental list of things to ask his brother.

  As Rick got into his truck, Joe watched him drive away.

  His life was finally coming together. He had a brother, a family. And his memory was slowly coming back, albeit in scattered pieces.

  So why did he still feel unsettled—as if he still had unfinished business?

  * * *

  After Dr. Martinez left and Joe went to help Tomas with the chores, Chloe sat at the kitchen table, staring into her empty coffee mug. She didn’t know what to make of it all. Joe’s discovery that he’d grown up in Brighton Valley and that he had a brother had been mind-boggling. But what effect—if any—would that have on their budding relationship?

  There hadn’t been any of the awkwardness she would have expected after they’d slept together, since they’d barely had a chance to touch upon it this morning. The foal’s birth had interrupted their conversation, making it easy to avoid asking him, “Now what? Where do we go from here?”

  Then Dr. Martinez had provided another diversion when he’d arrived with his surprising revelation.

  Chloe found the news almost overwhelming and couldn’t begin to imagine how Joe must feel.

  Just moments ago, he’d asked her to call Sheriff Hollister and relay the recent development, which was probably because he was still trying to wrap his mind around it and wasn’t ready to talk about his thoughts.

  So, using the kitchen phone, she dialed the sheriff’s office. When he answered, Chloe filled him in.

  “Well, what do you know,” Sheriff Hollister said. “But I wonder why my deputy didn’t find any links to that family tie of Joe’s when he was going through high school yearbooks.”

  “From what Dr. Martinez said, Joe must have changed his name to Wilcox after he left town.”

  “Is that right? Hold on a sec.” The sheriff’s voice drifted when his mouth no longer spoke directly into the receiver. “Taylor, bring me those Brighton Valley High yearbooks you were looking through.” After an unmistakable rustle of pages, the sheriff continued, “Yep, I found him. Joseph Martinez. He’s a sophomore here, just a kid, but I’m sure that’s him.”

  “Joe came to town to deliver Dave’s letter,” Chloe said. “But maybe he planned to get reacquainted with his brother while he was here.”

  “That would be my guess. He rented that car for two weeks, so that would certainly give him time for a visit.”

  She sure hoped that was the case. From what she’d gathered, Joe and Rick had been estranged after a falling-out—a bad one. Otherwise, Joe wouldn’t have left town, changed his name and not contacted Rick for ten years.

  The fact that he might be the kind of man to hold a grudge was a real possibility. And if so, that wasn’t an admirable trait. Had she jumped into a sexual relationship too quickly? It certainly wouldn’t be the first time.

  But last night had been so very different from her only other experience. It had not only been amazing, but it had been special. And, at least on her part, it had been a decision of the heart.

  “By the way,” Sheriff Hollister said, “I was going to call him and let him know that we received an anonymous tip. One of the customers at the Stagecoach Inn drives a vehicle that matches the description of the one that hit him. We’re still investigating, so we haven’t made an arrest, but with that information, coupled with Joe’s apparent connection to Brighton Valley, I seriously doubt that he was a targeted victim. So he doesn’t need to keep hiding out on the ranch anymore.”

  “It’s okay for him to go into town?”

  “I’m sure it’s fine.”

  “He’ll be glad to hear that.” And while Chloe took it as good news, too, she couldn’t say that she was especially happy that Joe was free to leave. Sure, she was relieved to know that no one was out to get him. And it warmed her heart to know that he had at least one family member who obviously loved him—and a local, upstanding citizen at that. But still, at the same time, she found it unsettling.

  She’d known there would come a time when he would go back to his old life, but what about the new one he’d just begun to create with her?

  “If anything comes up,” Sheriff Hollister said, “or if we make an arrest, I’ll let you know.”

  “Thanks. Joe will appreciate that.”

  Chloe had no more than ended the call when the subject of her thoughts walked into the kitchen and provided her with a brand-new dilemma.

  Should she tell him that he was free to leave, that there was no need for him to stay cooped up on the Rocking C any longer? Or did she dare to keep the new information to herself so she could hold on to him a little longer?

  Was there really even a choice?

  “I came to get some water to take with me out to the pasture,” Joe said, as he hung his hat on the peg near the mudroom door.

  She watched him proceed to the cupboard for an insulated jug. Then he carried it to the kitchen sink and turned on the spigot.

  While he filled his container with water, she said, “I just got off the phone with Sheriff Hollister.” She went on to relate everything the lawman had told her.

  “So I’m free to venture off the ranch now and head into Brighton Valley? I can actually leave?”

  “That’s what he said. But if you’re not feeling up to it—or if you like being here—you’re welcome to stay as long as you want to.” She bit down on her lower lip, hoping he’d tell her that he didn’t want to go. That he’d come to...care for her. And, that after last night, he...might even love...

  That possibility was almost too wild to imagine, although she’d felt her feelings drifting in that direction.

  “I’d like to take a look around town,” he said. “It might spark more memories. But if it’s all the same to you, I’d feel more comfortable staying here on the ranch for a while.”

  Chloe released the breath she’d been holding, but she reined in her enthusiasm. “I think that’s a good idea.”

  “So what do you have planned for this afternoon?” he asked.

  “I’m going to drive out to the nursing home. I’d like to visit Sam Darnell and ask him a few questions about ranching. But I can wait until you’re finished helping Tomas. That way, you can come with me—if you want to. And when we’re done, we can drive down Main Street. Maybe we can even go to the ice-cream shop near town square.”

  He seemed to give the idea some thought before shaking his head. “I’d better pass. Tomas has a lot of work to do, and I know he’d appreciate my help. Maybe we can go into town next weekend.”

  Chloe wondered if Joe was trying to avoid being with her or if he was reluctant to bombard his brain with too many memories all at once. But she hated to confront the issue head-on right now. They’d probably both feel better about discussing it later this evening—before bed, when it would be impossible to avoid asking him what their next step should be.

  Ten minutes later, after changing her clothes, she grabbed her purse, c
limbed into Ol’ Greenie and drove to the Sheltering Arms.

  She stopped in the lobby, where Christmas music played softly in the background—the toe-tapping tune of “Jingle Bell Rock.” She took a moment to appreciate the holiday decor and the faint scent of pine. Then she continued on her way to the elevator, humming along with the spunky beat and thinking that December was, indeed, a “swell time.”

  When the doors opened, she rode up to the third floor, where Merrilee Turner was manning the nurse’s desk again. She smiled when she spotted Chloe. “You’re back. It’s good to see you.”

  “Thanks. I stopped by to visit Sam and Ethel.”

  “Sam is in his room, watching TV. But Ethel is probably sleeping. At least, she was the last time I stopped by her room. She’s picked up a cold and has a nasty cough.”

  “That’s too bad. Does Sarah know?”

  “I mentioned it to her, and she said she’d put a call in to the doctor.”

  “That’s good.” Chloe just hoped Sarah hadn’t forgotten. The woman was often scattered and forgetful—not a good trait for the third-floor nurse to have. But she had other habits and traits that Chloe found even more troublesome.

  When Chloe had worked at the Stagecoach Inn, she’d often seen Sarah partying with her friends and throwing back quite a few beers, keeping late hours on nights when she was supposed to be at work early the next day. It wasn’t like she would call in sick, but she’d often come in late and hungover. And she had a tendency to snap at the aides, as well as the patients.

  But since Merrilee was the one who’d picked up on Ethel’s illness, at least it had been noted. So Chloe wouldn’t stress too much about it.

  “If Ethel is resting,” Chloe said, “I’ll let her have a few more minutes to sleep.”

  “Good idea.”

  Chloe’s first stop was Sam Darnell’s room, where the retired cowboy lay in bed, his head propped up with pillows, his lunch still on the portable bedside table.

  “Hey,” she said, peering at the food he’d yet to touch. “What are you doing? Having a late meal?”

  “Nope. I’m done. They just haven’t come in to haul the dishes away.”

  “But you’ve hardly eaten a thing.”

  “I wasn’t hungry. A fella doesn’t burn up too many calories when he’s laid up in bed.”

  She glanced at an untouched slice of three-layer cake with gooey frosting. “I can’t believe you didn’t eat your dessert. You love chocolate. And you never sent sweets back to the kitchen when I worked here.”

  “That’s because you used to force me to eat, and I didn’t have the heart or the energy to wrestle with you.”

  Chloe laughed. “I did no such thing.”

  They made small talk for a while, then Chloe told him about the offer she’d received for the hundred head of cattle.

  Sam clucked his tongue. “Don’t take it. That price is way too low. The guy might as well come onto the ranch in the middle of the night and rustle the entire herd.”

  “I had a feeling he was trying to take advantage of me.”

  “A lot of folks will do just that if you don’t stand up for yourself.”

  Sam had said as much to her before, so she gave him the same response. “You know that I don’t really like confrontations.”

  “But sometimes you gotta stand up for what’s right.”

  “I know. And I will.” After a beat, she added, “I don’t suppose you’d come out to the Rocking C with me and negotiate that deal.”

  Sam brightened. “I’d be happy to. But do you think you can spring me from this place?”

  Chloe crossed her arms. “I’m not sure. Do you think you can eat your lunch?”

  “You drive a hard bargain, missy. How ’bout I just eat that cake?”

  Chloe laughed. “Are you sure you don’t want to come out of retirement? The Rocking C could sure use your help. And I could, too.”

  Sam let out a harrumph, but his tired eyes sparked and glistened in a way she hadn’t seen since his wife passed away.

  “You don’t want me,” he said. “I’ll be eighty-two on my next birthday. You’d be better off with a younger man.”

  “I already have one. But Tomas told me himself that he’s not foreman material, and while I like him a lot, I’d have to agree. Besides, I need someone who’s savvy about things like this, someone I can trust.”

  He seemed to consider her suggestion. “I couldn’t give you a full day’s work anymore, but I wouldn’t mind coming out to the ranch and having a little look-see. And I’d actually like to talk to that cattle buyer. I’d let him know that he ain’t messing with a fool greenhorn.”

  Chloe smiled. “I’d like that, Sam. Let me see what I can do about getting you out of here in the next day or so.”

  “Call my nephew. He’ll give the okay. He’s also a fancy city lawyer who likes to throw his weight around.”

  “I’ll do that.” Chloe watched Sam dig into the cake. And when he’d swallowed the last bite, he chugged down his milk.

  Maybe all he needed was to feel useful again. She’d have to keep that in mind.

  After saying goodbye and promising to come back, she headed down the hall to check on Ethel, only to find the frail, silver-haired lady dozing, the blankets pulled up to her chest.

  Her arms were uncovered, her hands at her side. She wore a long sleeve flannel gown, but her wrists were in plain sight—and completely bare.

  Apparently her allergy alert bracelet, which was supposed to be on order, hadn’t come in yet.

  Not wanting to disturb her dear friend, especially if she was sick and needed her rest, Chloe remained in the doorway a minute longer. Then she turned away and left the room.

  As she walked to the elevator, she spotted Sarah Poston at the nurse’s desk, standing over Merrilee and complaining about something.

  “I take it that Ethel’s allergy alert bracelet hasn’t come in,” Chloe said.

  Sarah crossed her arms and shifted her weight to one foot. “It should be here any day. Besides, like I told you, her allergy is noted in her chart.”

  If Chloe still worked here, she’d peek at Ethel’s chart herself. But she’d been let go, terminated unfairly for speaking her mind about Sarah’s disregard for protocol and her attitude toward certain patients.

  Too bad Ethel didn’t have a family to insist that she get the best quality care possible. For a couple of beats, Chloe considered her options at this point.

  One came to the forefront. Sometimes you gotta stand up for what’s right.

  Yes, but how far did she want to go in challenging Sarah? Did she want to take it up with the administrator—again?

  She really didn’t have any solid evidence against the woman. Was she prepared for the fallout if her accusation didn’t prove true?

  Chloe hated confrontations, especially those she didn’t think she could win. Besides, there was another confrontation awaiting her at home—one she was dreading, but one that had to be faced.

  Because she and Joe needed to talk about the sexual turn their relationship had taken last night.

  Chapter Eleven

  Throughout the day, while working with Tomas, Joe’s memories continued to return sporadically and in no particular order.

  Sometimes he’d get a vision, a brief glimpse into the past. At other times a feeling would wash over him—a righteous anger or just plain sadness—which only frustrated him more.

  At first, he’d assumed that he’d been angered or hurt by something his brother had done. And that’s why he’d left town and never looked back. What else would have compelled him to change his name and lose contact with his family?

  Yet each time he’d looked at Rick yesterday, he’d sensed a strong brotherly bond. And while he was more than okay with that, he coul
dn’t just accept everything at face value.

  Even more troubling was the fact that, in spite of his life slowly coming back to him, he still didn’t have a handle on his true identity, either, and that left him more unsettled than ever.

  For that reason, after dinner, he thanked Chloe for the meal and turned in early, giving himself a chance to sort through the mixed-up feelings alone.

  She was so understanding about it, too. Which confused him all the more. Most women would want to know why the man they’d spent the previous night with all of a sudden wanted to sleep alone. But not Nurse Chloe.

  He rose early the next morning, when he was sure she’d still be asleep. Then he went outside to check on Lola and her foal. There’d been plenty of chores to do, so he kept himself busy until Rick arrived.

  Joe greeted his brother in the yard, then walked with him to the barn, where Rick examined Lola and the foal.

  “They both look good,” Rick said.

  Joe thought so, too. “I checked on them earlier this morning. Lola sure seems to be a good mother.”

  Rick glanced at his boots, then back to Joe. “You and I weren’t so lucky.”

  “Somehow, that doesn’t surprise me.”

  “Do you remember any of it? That apartment complex where we lived? The fighting? Dad running off with that stripper? He’d said she was a professional dancer, but I didn’t buy it. And neither did Mom.”

  “I have a vague recollection, but nothing solid.”

  “What about moving in with our aunt and uncle after Mom died and Dad took off? Do you remember that?”

  “Last night, when I undressed for bed, I noticed that scar on my arm. You’d told me what happened, but I was able to remember it—the yelling and screaming. The huge sense of relief I felt when the police arrived before our uncle beat the crap out of her. The feeling that it hadn’t been the first nor the last time something like that had happened.”

  “Things were pretty bad at times. I don’t blame you for wanting to put it all behind you. I might have run off, too, but Mallory had been sent to Boston to finish out her pregnancy and have our baby. And I’d wanted to wait for her to come back. Then I met up with Hank Lazarro, who helped me turn my life around.”