“Just thinking.” Nicole let out a quick breath, then looked Zach dead in the eye. He spoke up before she could really lay into him.
“I get it. Evie is your client. You’re just looking out for her, but she is family to us. Yeah, it may have been a while, but we wouldn’t have dropped everything, including our grandmother, on Christmas Day, flown out here for someone we didn’t care about. It’s freezing outside.” That made Nicole laugh. “We’ll take good care of her.”
Nicole considered him for a moment, her eyebrow arching up.
“You don’t trust me.”
“I don’t trust guys who look as good as you. Evie’s under enough stress. She feels untethered as hell. She doesn’t need a guy whose smile reduces her to tears, stressing her out even more. Did she remember you? Did she tell you anything?”
“Apparently I’ve been popping up in her dreams. Me and her grandmother’s horse, but she didn’t know who I was. Just that I felt familiar to her.”
“Oh,” Nicole replied, shocked.
“I didn’t jog her memory, but something about me is trying to get through.”
“Well, that’s something. Dr. Manzo will want to know.”
“We’ll let her know.”
“Yeah. I didn’t know your grandmother was Leona Lovell.” There were no secrets when it came to Miss Leona. Just a little digging and you could find her connections to Big Rock, but none of that was as interesting as the Oscars, Grammys, and the few Tony awards she had under her belt. Most people his age knew her best for her recurring role as Althena George on the hit medical drama Rory’s War, Thursday nights at nine, only on ABC.
“She loves Evie too. She’s already offered to—”
“I know. Your brother said.”
“I know how fucked up this all is, but we got her. Trust me.”
“Fine. But do me a favor and turn the charm down about four hundred percent. I’m gay as hell and I can see why she’s having dreams about all this,” she said, motioning toward the general area of his face.
Zach laughed, flashing her his thousand-watt smile. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Yeah, I’m sure. Let’s go back in there.”
“After you.”
Blaire came back a few minutes later and the four of them kept Evie company until Dr. Manzo and one of the nurses came by to check on her.
“Oh look, the gang’s all here!” Dr. Manzo said. “I’m gonna have to ask you to excuse us for a few minutes. I try not to do exams in clown-car settings.”
“Sure thing.” Nicole assured Evie that they’d be right back, then led the whole gang to a small waiting area on the floor below.
“So,” she said.
“You said be prepared, but I wasn’t prepared. I’m seeing glimpses of the old Evie in there, but she’s not herself,” Zach said.
“She’d be best off staying with our grandmother. We all live on a private cul-de-sac, but our grandmother’s home has plenty of room to accommodate her and any private staff we bring on to assist. Private garden. The works,” Jesse added.
“Yeah, that makes sense. I don’t—I’m just at a loss here, fellas. I’m covering for her with the network, but that’ll only work for so long.”
“You worry about her job and we’ll take of everything else. If Evie’s on board, day after Christmas she’s coming back with us,” Zach said. “It’s doesn’t have to be permanent thing, but you were right. We can’t send her back to her apartment like this. And, Blaire, we know you need to get back to your life soon.”
“I wish I could stay,” Blaire replied with a grimace. “But yeah, my school only offers so much PTO.”
“I imagine your grandmother has decent security at the ranch,” Nicole said.
“Yeah, we have high fences, cameras, half a dozen loud dogs between our houses,” Zach said. “Most people don’t know she has a place in Charming though. Why?”
Nicole took a deep breath. “There’s something else. I’m not entirely sure Evie fell.”
“What, you think she was pushed? Why didn’t you tell us that before?” Jesse demanded. Zach didn’t blame him one bit.
“Yeah, there’s a big difference between an accident and a murder attempt. How’s the security been here?!” Zach said.
“I didn’t say anything about attempted murder. I just know Evie. She wasn’t drinking, and even if she tripped, I’d expect her to pop up with a skinned knee, maybe a broken wrist. You didn’t see her when we found her. I just don’t think it was an accident.”
“You told the police?” Jesse asked.
“Of course I told the police, but do the police in California do hardcore investigations of living victims they think just got a bad bump on the head?”
“Okay, you have a point,” Zach admitted.
“As soon as she woke up, they officially didn’t give a shit, and I can’t tell the network to make a fuss because they’ll replace her immediately if they hear anything about memory loss. Something just smells fishy as fuck and I’d rather be safe than sorry. Who knows, her memory might come back in two days and she can tell us everything that happened, but in the meantime, I don’t just want her to have some place to rest. I—”
“You want her to go into hiding,” Zach said. Nicole nodded, before her whole body trembled with a stressful sigh.
“Does Evie know?” Zach asked.
“No. She’s already hypervigilant, which is good, but the memory loss is enough. I don’t want to traumatize her even more with a hunch.”
“No one’s been by to see her but us, and Raquelle hasn’t noticed any weird texts or comments on her social media,” Blaire said.
“Okay. Here’s what I need.” Jesse rattled off a list of things he wanted to make sure Evie had for her trip and everything Blaire and Nicole would need from her in her absence, like her half of the rent. “I’m sure she has more than enough to cover her bills, but just to take the stress off you, we’ll handle it for now. She can pay us back later if she insists.”
“I’ll call Raquelle and between the two of us we can pull that all together,” Blaire said. “Actually, let me just head back to my place now. I’ll call you guys in a few hours.”
“Thank you.”
“You know, anything for our girl.” She kissed Nicole on the cheek, then took off for the elevator. They waited a few more minutes before heading back up to Evie’s room. They caught Dr. Manzo on her way back down the hall. She answered the few administrative questions Jesse had about arranging an outpatient nurse for Evie when the time came, and then she suggested they cut down their get-well group. Evie was overwhelmed.
Zach and Jesse could agree there. Plus, it was Christmas Eve. Blaire and Nicole had gone above and beyond and now it was time for them to get back to their families. Zach and Jesse had it from here. They exchanged numbers and agreed to check in with each other over the next twenty-four hours.
“You guys know how to get back to your hotel?” Nicole asked, as she pulled her scarf out of her purse.
“Yeah, we’re good. Thank you for everything. I think we’re gonna go catch some shut-eye and then one or both of us will be back for visiting hours tonight.”
“Good deal. I’ll talk to you soon.” She nodded to them both, then headed down to the elevator.
“Why don’t you go in and sit with her for a while,” Zach suggested, pulling out his phone.
“What are you doing?”
“Looking for the closest Macy’s. We need to get Evie some Christmas presents.” When Jesse didn’t come back with some sleep-deprived order or demand, Zach glanced up from his phone. “She has to spend Christmas Day—”
“I wasn’t gonna argue with you. You go. I’ll stay here.”
“Thanks, man.”
The minute he stepped outside he realized two things. One, he didn’t have a proper winter coat. Two, he really didn’t know his way around Manhattan. Didn’t matter. He donned his Stetson, which shielded his face from the falling snow, then caught the first cab tha
t stopped for him and went to straight to Macy’s. Everything was pretty fucked at the moment, but at the very least, he could finally step up and be there for Evie.
Chapter 6
When Evie fell asleep, Jesse had been at her bedside. After he’d paced back and forth at the foot of her bed, explaining their plans following her discharge, he’d stuffed himself into the blue hospital chair and did his best to keep her entertained. Apparently, Zach had to run out and grab something he’d forgotten. Jesse was on bedside-companion duty. He told her at length and in very boring detail, everything he could about Big Rock Ranch. Like how many staff the whole property employed and the seasonal schedule they had to keep during the winter due to the weather. It was difficult to trail ride after a heavy rain.
Jesse took his role as the ranch’s co-owner and financial manager very seriously, which Evie appreciated, but he was, if Evie was being kind, maybe not the best at explaining the more captivating details. When Evie stopped asking follow-up questions, he took the hint and decided to download one of his favorite stories called The Night Before Christmas. After he read it out loud, Evie asked if they could watch something on TV. Jesse was very sweet, and Evie could tell he was trying his best, but Blaire was definitely better company.
He found some movie called Love Actually and they watched it in silence until Evie fell asleep.
When she opened her eyes again, it was still dark, but she could tell it was morning, and now there was a different California rancher beside her bed. She reached for her glasses and turned to face Zach.
“Merry Christmas,” he said, flashing her a sleepy smile.
“Hello. Where’s Jesse?”
“We’re doing shifts. Not sleeping for over twenty-four hours and changing time zones? Not a good idea. He’s catching some shut-eye back at the hotel, but he’ll be here in a few hours.”
There was so much Evie wanted to say. She wanted to tell him she’d missed him last night, which made no sense. She didn’t know him. Not really, but when she looked at him in the dim light coming from the far side of the room, all she could feel was the warmth from her dreams. She’d spent a few days in a row with Blaire, but in some ways Zach just felt more familiar. She couldn’t say that she felt comfortable around him. Comfort didn’t come with the odd flutters that rippled through her stomach every time she thought about him, flutters that compounded themselves now that he was in the room with her. She couldn’t explain it, but she liked having Zach around.
“We have more stuff for you back at the hotel, but I got you a little something.” Zach reached into a bag at his feet and handed her a thin rectangular box wrapped in festive Christmas paper. A silver bow was tied around one corner.
“I didn’t get you anything.” Evie realized how ridiculous that sounded the moment the words left her mouth.
“I think it’s okay. It’s the thought that counts. Open it.”
Evie turned the box over and gently pulled the tape loose on the blue and white snowflake wrapping paper. When she opened the lid to the box inside she found a pink diary with a sparkly white unicorn on the front. Beside it were two new pens tied in a bow, a tiny lock, and a set of small keys. The lock didn’t look like it would provide any actual security, but the set was very cute.
“I don’t know if you still journal, but you went through like five diaries a year when we were kids. You had one like that when you moved to the ranch.”
Evie searched her mind for a memory, but came up blank. She picked up the diary and turned it over in her hands. She didn’t know what to say, but she didn’t mind when Zach filled the silence.
“You’re on one hell of a ride. Might be good to have somewhere to write down your thoughts.”
Evie thought about her dreams. Maybe keeping track of them would help. “This is—this is wonderful. Thank you.”
“How’d you sleep?”
“Okay. I don’t like this bed. It’s not very comfortable.”
“Miss Leona will hook you up. The beds in her guest rooms are comfortable as hell.”
“Miss Leona is your grandmother. That’s what Jesse said. I’ll be staying with her.”
“Yeah, if you’ve decided to come with us.”
“I don’t think I really have a choice.”
Zach frowned as he moved a little closer to the bed. “Yeah, you do. Nicole came up with a good plan and none of us want you out walking the streets of New York like this, but you have a choice. We can hire a nurse for you. Whatever you need.”
“Jesse mentioned that too.”
“But . . . ?”
“I think coming back to the ranch might be the best idea. Jesse told me more about it last night. It sounds nice.”
“You loved it there. I think you’ll enjoy coming back. Did you have any more dreams?”
“About you?” Evie said. She felt herself glaring at him as that same tightness from her dreams flared through her chest. The crush she’d had on him was real and, apparently, so was the way he loved teasing her. She hated it. Kind of.
“Hey, I didn’t say anything about—”
“What did you dream about?” she asked him right back.
“I didn’t dream about anything. I was so tired, I hit the sheets in the hotel and it was a wrap. We’ll get you out of here and into a nice, soft bed and you’ll know that good sleep.”
It sounded heavenly, but that wasn’t the answer she wanted. “You like giving me a hard time, don’t you? You’re just like this in my—”
“In your dreams. You can say it. I won’t be mad.”
Evie sighed and tried not to roll her eyes.
“Here’s how I see it. Something about me is trying to make it through the fog in your memory.”
She didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of agreeing with him, but what he said had some truth to it. Something in her mind was showing her bits and pieces of her life, of her past, and for some reason all of those bits and pieces included Zach. “That’s a good way to describe it.”
“You cried when I called you Buck. You’ve had more than one dream about me, but you didn’t recognize anyone else in the pictures I showed you. I think that only means one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“I am a vital part of your recovery.”
It was too early in the morning to have this conversation, but Evie couldn’t stop herself. “You like giving me a hard time and you’re full of yourself. If I come back to the ranch, how much time do I have to spend hanging out with you?”
A stuttered cough that turned into a laugh burst out of Zach, and Evie realized how quietly they’d both been speaking.
“Give me crap if you have to, but I think it’s only fair if you admit how much you’ve been thinking about me,” she said.
“Every day for the last ten years, and there might have been a few dreams in there too,” Zach confessed, and then for a moment all his bravado seemed to leave the room. Evie sat still as his eyes roamed over her face, and finally settled on her mouth. Her lips were still smooth, from the day before. She’s taken Blaire’s advice and applied more lip balm before she’d gone to sleep. If her lips looked as good as they felt, maybe Zach might try to kiss her.
But she wasn’t ready for that.
“I have to use the restroom,” she said. She set aside her new journal and started to slide to the edge of her bed.
“Oh, shit. Sorry. Do you need me to call a nurse?”
“No, just help me up.” Zach gently took her elbow and held on as she shuffled to the small private bathroom she had in her room. “I got it from here. Thank you.” She slipped inside and used the facilities, then slowly made her way back out. She needed to be up and walking more. Her legs felt terrible. Zach was waiting right outside the door when she opened it. She gladly let him help her back into bed.
“Nicole asked me if I still have feelings for you,” he said as she straightened her covers over her feet.
Evie ignored the fresh wave of heat that rushed over her chest. �
�What did you tell her?”
“Absence and distance, all that shit,” he said with a shrug and a smirk, but Evie wasn’t in on the joke.
“What?”
“I do. Nothing changed.”
“Except ten years and a critical head injury. What if I start to develop a whole new personality and you don’t like it? That’s one of the risks of memory loss.”
“What scientific journal says that Zach Pleasant will no longer find Yvonne Buchanan appealing?”
“That’s not what I meant. What if we spend more time together and I don’t like you. What if—”
The door popping open interrupted their back-and-forth. Nurse Lyle entered. “Good morning, Yvonne. And Yvonne’s friend.”
“Good morning,” she replied.
Lyle stopped and looked Zach up and down. “I heard some real deal cowboys had come to see you, and I see the rumors are true.” Zach was wearing jeans and suit jacket, but his cowboy hat and his boots probably gave him away.
“How do you do?” Zach said with a sudden twangy accent. He touched his fingers to his forehead and winked at Lyle.
“Well then.” Lyle pretended to swoon. “Deep from the heart of Texas.”
“He doesn’t even talk like that!” Evie said, shocked at her own annoyance and even more shocked at how quickly it melted away when Zach turned that smile back on her.
“I’m Zach. Nice to meet you,” he said in his normal voice. “From SoCal, not Texas. But a cowboy all the same.”
“I’m Lyle. And I can see you’re trouble. If you’ll excuse us, I just want to check Yvonne’s stitches.”
“By all means.”
Evie held it together as Zach tossed another wink her way and backed out the door, his hat gripped in his hand.
“Whew, girl. You are in trouble,” Lyle said as soon as they were alone. “No one should be that fine this early in the morning.”
“Please,” Evie said. “Don’t rub it in.”
* * *
Nicole knew she was overreacting. It had been over a week and Evie was doing much better. Nothing suspicious had happened in the days since her fall. All over her social media there was nothing but well wishes, and the executives at The Dish had agreed to find a short-term replacement for Evie until her doctors cleared her to return to on-camera work. Who didn’t love a guest host? They sent their version of love and support, but Nicole knew both came with an expiration date. Nicole held Evie’s contract in the back of her mind, the only assurance that for at least the next six months Evie still had a job.
A Cowboy to Remember Page 6