Wondrous love.
Exquisite love.
The mere thought of their lovemaking caused desire to once again thrum through her body with a heat that threatened to consume her.
“Enough,” Josie said, flinging back the sheet and leaving the bed.
She’d shower and dress, then find some lifesaving coffee. And somewhere in the midst of those mundane activities, she hoped she’d figure out how she was going to face the man she had wantonly seduced.
When Max was nowhere to be found in the house, Josie realized she was not that surprised. Ranchers were up and at it at dawn.
Would Max come in for lunch? she wondered. How many hours did she have to get through before the dreaded confrontation?
After consuming two cups of coffee and a slice of toast, she cleaned the kitchen, then wandered aimlessly around the small living room.
What did she usually do all day? Did she have a demanding career? Was she wealthy to the point that she did only volunteer work? Just how much money did she have, and where had it come from?
She didn’t know, but at the moment she was definitely bored, couldn’t spend another second wearing out Max’s already threadbare carpet.
She left the house and headed for the barn.
If Max was in the big, red building, so be it. She had to look him in the eye at some point today. She just wished she had a clue about what she was going to say to him.
In the barn Josie called out a cheerful hello, which was answered with total silence.
“Great,” she muttered. “Nobody’s home, not even the weird horse.”
She stopped in her tracks and frowned.
Weird horse? What weird... Wait! Yes, there had been a strange animal and a wagon and an old cowboy named Dusty... No, no, his name... his name was Rusty.
Josie closed her eyes, strained her mind, struggling for more details.
She was standing by the wagon, contemplating how to get up onto the wooden seat so that Rusty could take her to where Max Carter was. She’d shifted her purse strap higher onto her shoulder and finally managed to climb—
Josie’s eyes flew open.
Her purse?
A wave of dizziness swept over her and she stumbled forward to sink onto a bale of hay next to a wall. Leaning her head back against the rough wood, she drew a steadying breath, then sighed with relief when the barn quit spinning around her.
She had not, she knew, left her purse in the taxi as Max had suggested. She couldn’t at this point remember anything beyond settling next to Rusty on the high seat, but she definitely knew she’d had her purse with her on that wagon.
So, that meant...what? She’d dropped her purse someplace between here and where Rusty had taken her? That didn’t seem feasible if there’d been a long strap attached to the purse she’d secured on her shoulder.
A chill coursed through her and she wrapped her hands around her elbows.
Had Max Carter lied to her? Somewhere on this ranch was there a purse that held the answers to who she was and where she lived?
She shook her head. That didn’t make sense. Why would Max wish to hide her identity from her? If she knew who she was and she had a family, they could come to the Single C and pick her up, get her out of Max’s way.
What purpose would it serve Max to intentionally keep her on his ranch?
“Oh, my gosh, I’ve been kidnapped,” she said, jumping to her feet.
In the next moment she sank back on the hay, clicking her tongue in self-disgust.
That was ridiculous. If Max was a kidnapper, he wasn’t very good at it. He’d gone blissfully off to do whatever ranchers did all day, leaving her with full access to a telephone.
If she chose to do so, she could call the police, explain her dilemma and ask if there was a missing-person report on someone matching her description.
Yes, she could certainly do that.
And she knew, as quickly as the idea had come to her, that she didn’t intend to pursue it. She was going to stay right here on the Single C until her memory was restored.
She was going to stay right here...with Max.
“Oh, Josie,” she whispered. “You’re being so foolish.”
But she didn’t care. She felt as though she’d been transported to another planet, where she didn’t know who she was, nor where she’d come from. It was a magical place that was hers to enjoy, savor, reaping its rewards until it was time to leave.
And on that planet was the most magnificent man imaginable. Max.
So foolish, she repeated mentally. She should be in a state of constant panic over her lack of memory, be so frightened she was nearly hysterical.
Instead, she was viewing the situation as an adventure, a gift, a chance to do and be whatever felt right at any given moment.
Her memory was already beginning to return in bits and pieces. She didn’t doubt for a second that there would be no permanent damage from her silly bump on the head. She’d go back to her own world very soon.
In the meantime there was Max.
“You’re a wanton hussy, Josie,” she said aloud, smiling brightly. “Shame on you.”
But then her smile faded and turned into a frown.
She must be very, very careful. She was giving herself this time on the Single C as a present to be cherished, the memories of it hers to keep. But when she left here, she must be certain that she didn’t leave her heart behind.
She must not fall in love with Max Carter.
“Fine,” she announced, getting to her feet. “No problem. I’ve got this all figured out.”
Except for one niggling little item, she thought, walking out of the barn. What had happened to her purse?
Josie wandered back to the house and entered through the rear door. She gasped, her heart racing with sudden fright as she came face-to-face with a woman who was standing in the kitchen. A very pregnant woman.
“Oh, I’m so sorry if I startled you,” the woman said. “You must be Josie. I’m Sally Wilson, Jeff’s wife. He was the doctor who tended to your head injury. Do you remember him?”
“Yes, of course,” Josie said, smiling. “He’s a very nice man.”
“I think so, too,” Sally said, matching Josie’s smile.
Josie’s gaze shifted to Sally’s stomach.
“A baby,” Josie said softly. “How wonderful. I want to have a baby.” She blinked, then felt a flush of heat stain her cheeks. “Where did that come from?”
Sally shrugged. “Your subconscious, I guess. I don’t know anything about amnesia, but it must be how you feel because you said it. You want to have a baby. That’s a perfectly reasonable desire.”
“I suppose it is, but the idea doesn’t seem the least bit familiar to me. I wonder if that’s because I’ve never acknowledged it before.... Well, never mind. Are you looking for Max?”
“No. Heaven knows where he is,” Sally said. “He leaves his door unlocked and I come by on my egg-delivery day and put a dozen in his refrigerator.”
“Oh, I see,” Josie said, nodding.
Sally laughed. “My mother watches the kids on egg day. That’s my big outing of the week. I get to visit with people on my route. I rarely see Max, though.”
“You have other children?” Josie said.
Sally patted her stomach. “This is number four.”
Josie narrowed her eyes. “I’m waiting to see if I get a flash on how many babies I want.” She paused. “Nope. No messages coming in.”
“You’re awfully calm about having lost your memory,” Sally said. “Jeff said you were very frightened, but it doesn’t appear to me that you are.”
“Oh, believe me, I was, but I’m beginning to remember little things. I’m sure I’ll be completely recovered very soon. I decided not to get stressed out in the meantime.”
“Good for you. Except...” Sally frowned.
“Except what?”
“What if you have a family, people who are frantic with worry because you didn’t return on time?
”
“I’ve thought about that,” Josie replied. “Max said I came here to find an old school chum who happens to be his cousin. It seems to me that I wouldn’t know how long it would take to find her and so probably told any family I might have that I didn’t know when I’d be back.”
“That makes sense,” Sally said. “Well, super. You can just sit back and enjoy Max Carter’s company. Maybe you can get him to smile every now and then. He’s a good friend, but he’s very... Oh, how should I put it? Max is closed, guarded, solitary. He gives the impression that he’s a loner who doesn’t need anyone close to him. I don’t believe it for a second.”
“You don’t?” Josie raised her eyebrows.
“No, not when Jeff and I see him with our kids. They adore their uncle Max and he’s so patient with them. He plays games, reads them stories, takes them for walks, all kinds of things.”
“He does?”
“Yes, indeed, and Max actually smiles a lot when he’s with the children. He should have a family of his own. In my opinion, Josie, the Single C is the wrong name for this spread.”
“Fascinating,” Josie said.
Sally laughed. “I have noticed, however, that Max doesn’t ask for my opinion.” She glanced at her watch. “Oh, my, look at the time. I’ve got to dash. It was lovely talking to you. I’ll report to Jeff that you’re coming along just fine. Bye for now.”
“Goodbye, Sally,” Josie said, smiling. “It was a pleasure to meet you.”
When Sally left and silence settled over the room again, Josie sat down at the kitchen table, mulling over everything the doctor’s wife had said.
“Interesting,” she said finally. “Very interesting.”
There were obviously many layers to Max Carter. He was a mystery waiting to be unraveled.
Which Max would return to the house at the end of his long day of labor?
The grumpy, scowling Max?
The one with heated desire radiating from his compelling dark eyes?
A smiling, laughing man, such as Sally Wilson had described?
Josie didn’t know, but she was definitely going to be here to find out.
The first vibrant colors of sunset were beginning to streak across the sky when Max finished tending to his horse, then left the barn for the house.
He was bone-weary and starving to death. He’d worked straight through the day, not returning to the house for lunch—because he hadn’t yet been prepared to face Josie.
He’d fumed at himself the entire day for having made love to her. He’d lost control and taken advantage of a woman who was vulnerable. He was a rat.
Had Josie spent the day crying over what had happened last night? Lord, that was a depressing thought. Or maybe she’d worked herself up into a fury that would earn him a pop in the chops when he walked through the door. Fine. He deserved that and worse.
He had to apologize, make it up to Josie somehow. The only thing he had to give her—besides a spoken token of remorse—was her identity. So be it. He’d tell her she was Josie Wentworth of Wentworth Oil Works and let the lawsuit chips fall where they may.
Damn, what a mess, but he had no one to blame but himself.
He stopped outside the back door of the house, removed his Stetson, took a deep breath and entered the kitchen.
Josie was standing in front of the stove. She turned at the sound of the door closing.
“Hi, Max,” she said, smiling brightly. “You’re supposed to say, ‘Honey, I’m home,’ like they do in the movies.
“Guess what? I’m beginning to get my memory back. I’m remembering little bits and pieces. Isn’t that great?
“Oh, and I discovered two important things about myself today.
“One, I can’t cook, so there are frozen dinners in the oven.”
“And two?”
“I want to have a baby.”
Chapter Seven
Max opened his mouth to speak, closed it again, then shook his head slightly.
“What?” he finally managed to say.
Josie frowned. “Do you want me to repeat all that?”
“No, no.” Max raised one hand. “I’m digesting it...slowly.”
“Well, good. This gourmet meal won’t be ready for about forty-five minutes if you want to shower or whatever.”
“You’re, um, certainly in a chipper mood,” Max said, eyeing her warily.
Josie shrugged. “Yes, I guess I am. And you?”
“My frame of mind is not the issue here. Could we back up to the part about the baby?”
“Oh, that. Well, you see, Sally Wilson was here delivering your eggs. She’s a delightful person, really lovely. Anyway, when I saw her obviously pregnant state, I realized that I wanted to have a baby, too. I’m not certain, of course, but I believe that I didn’t know that about myself before now.”
“A baby.” Max dragged one hand down his face. “Josie, we made love last night.”
“I’m aware of that, Max. I was there,.”
“Yes, well, are you protected? Using some kind of birth control?”
“Oh.” Josie’s eyes widened. “I...I have no idea. I really don’t know.”
“Hell.” Max stared at the ceiling for a long moment, then glared at her. “That’s just great.”
“Wait a minute. I don’t recall you worrying about it at the time. It’s as much your responsibility as mine, mister.”
Max sighed and shook his head in self-disgust. “You’re right. I’m sorry I barked at you.”
“Max,” Josie said quietly, “we need to talk about what happened last night.”
“Yeah, I know,” he said wearily. “Let me go shower and change. My clothes are so dirty and sweaty they could stand up on their own. I won’t be long.”
Well, this was it, Josie thought, as Max left the room. When Max returned to the kitchen, she was going to have to apologize for her behavior of the previous night. And Max Carter was not in a sunshine mood.
Max stood under the stinging spray of the shower, lathering his body with soap.
Well, he thought, this was it. When he walked back into that kitchen, he could no longer postpone the apology he owed Josie for taking advantage of her the night before.
Josie’s upbeat frame of mind was about to be blown to smithereens by the reality-check discussion they were going to have.
As he sluiced the soap away, he thought about her. It had been strange, very different, to come in off the range to find a woman in his kitchen preparing dinner, such as it was.
A smiling woman.
An I’m-really-glad-you’re-home-Max woman.
More precisely a woman named Josie Wentworth.
Who wanted to have a baby.
“Good Lord,” Max said, then sputtered and coughed as he swallowed a mouthful of water.
A baby, his mind kept echoing. He dried off, then dressed in jeans and a navy blue sweatshirt. A baby.
Josie with a child suckling at her breast.
His child.
Josie’s laughter ringing through this old house like wind chimes, accompanied by children’s giggles.
His children.
His and Josie’s.
“Can it, Carter,” he muttered as he sat on the edge of his bed to put on sweat socks.
He was thinking like a crazy man. It was amazing what damage the lack of food could do to a person’s brain.
He did not want a wife and baby.
His life was simple and orderly. He got up, worked himself into a state of exhaustion, then went to bed.
Max stared into space.
That was it? The sum total of his existence? Well, yeah, he guessed it was, but he liked it that way. Right? Right. Each day was a repeat of the one before, varied only by the chores that needed tending to. Fine. That was just fine.
Why was he wasting his mental energy justifying his life-style? Yes, of course, he knew why. He was once again postponing facing Josie, and all that he needed to say to her.
“Enough,” he said,
getting to his feet.
Max left the bedroom and strode down the hall, a deep frown on his face.
Josie was sitting at the table when he came into the kitchen, her state of nerves finally resulting in trembling legs that had refused to support her for another second. Her hands were clutched tightly in her lap as Max settled in the chair opposite her.
Oh, wasn’t this cute? she thought. They were dressed alike in dark blue sweatshirts and jeans. Yep, just cute as a button. And she was getting hysterical, she knew she was. She had to get a grip.
“Max—”
“Josie—”
They’d spoken at the same time, then stopped.
“Go ahead,” Max said.
“Oh, no, I’ll wait,” Josie said quickly.
Max dragged one hand through his damp hair, leaving tracks where his fingers had been.
“Last night,” he began, “was... First of all, Josie, it was wonderful, the lovemaking we shared. I want to go on record as having said that.”
“Oh, yes, Max, it truly was.”
“The thing is... Josie, it shouldn’t have happened and I feel...”
“I know, I know,” she said miserably. “You feel taken advantage of, and I realize that my behavior was despicable and it wasn’t your fault, because I was so...so wanton and aggressive, and I’m so very sorry, but then again I’m not, because it was so beautiful and rare and special and...” Josie halted and drew a much-needed gulp of air.
“Huh?” Max said, leaning toward her.
“Max Carter,” Josie said, nearly shrieking, “didn’t you hear one word of what I just said?”
“Yes, of course, I did, but... Josie, I was going to apologize for taking advantage of you.”
“Huh?”
“This is nuts,” he said, sinking back in his chair.
“No joke.” She frowned. “Now what do we do?”
“Well, I guess we agree that we made love by mutual consent.”
“We do? We did?”
Max shrugged. “That’s easier to deal with than figuring out who should be apologizing to whom.”
“You’ve got a point there.” Josie raised one finger in the air.
The Rancher And The Amnesiac Bride Page 8