by Leann Harris
“What do you want me to do?” Derek asked.
“Just keep your eyes peeled. Something’s going on here, and I don’t want to be caught flat-footed.”
“I’ll do it.”
Rafe hung up the phone. His sixth sense was on alert. Two strangers in one day was one too many. Rangers always were prepared for the unexpected, and this little scenario had all the markings of trouble.
Chapter 3
“Was I right?” Rafe asked as he drove out of town. “Lunch at Mabel’s was muy bueno?”
The Spanish phrase rolled off his tongue with ease, teasing her hearing and causing an odd fluttering in her heart.
“Indeed, you were right. Mabel is a whiz in the kitchen. I wish I could be as good.”
His gaze focused on her face. “You remember?”
Just as it occurred to her that she had said something about her past, the memory slipped away. Blankness faced her again, making her spirits plummet. “No, but it’s only natural to be envious of such good cooking.”
His large, warm hand rested on her forearm and squeezed. “Don’t worry. You’re showing positive signs of regaining your memory.”
She gave him a wobbly smile. Looking out the truck window, she noticed the mountains in the distance. This was a rugged land that somehow called to her on a basic level. She might not be from around here, but the majesty of the mountains appealed to her.
“What are you thinking?” Rafe asked, glancing at her.
April’s fingers played with the hem of her scrub top. “I was just thinking how beautiful this land is.”
He threw her a surprised look. “Oh?”
A blush crept up her neck. “Yes.”
“That’s interesting.”
“Why do you say that?” The question rolled off her tongue before she had a chance to think.
His eyes were trained on the road before him. “Well, this part of Texas is sparse and rugged. It doesn’t appeal to everyone.” He shrugged. “Green’s kind of at a premium here.”
A thread of hope wrapped around April’s heart, contrasting starkly with her earlier despair. Maybe they were onto a clue to her past. She turned to Rafe.
“Well, maybe that’s a lead as to who I am.”
“Could be.” He shot her a look. “But I wouldn’t bet mi madra’s pearls on it.”
“What?”
A corner of his mouth kicked up into a grin. “That was a favorite saying of my mother, which means that what you’re counting on isn’t a sure thing.”
“Oh.”
“Didn’t your mother have a favorite saying?” he asked casually.
She closed her eyes and tried to focus on her mother’s face. Suddenly, the face of a beautiful woman popped into her brain. Blonde hair and blue eyes and a friendly smile that was able to put anyone at ease. “‘Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.”’ The words slipped out of her mouth.
“Good. What else do you remember?”
She was startled by her own revelation. Concentrating, she tried to bring more of the memory to her mind, but nothing materialized out of the mist. “Not a thing,” she answered, frustration filling her voice.
“Don’t worry about it.”
“How can I not?” she shot back. “For all I know, I might be a criminal.”
He pulled the truck to the side of the road and put the engine in park. Turning to her, he leaned against the door. “Do you remember more than you’re telling me?” he asked quietly, an ominous quality to his voice.
All the blood drained from her face and she felt lightheaded. “No.”
“Then why would you think you might have committed a crime?” There was an edge to his words that told April she didn’t want to be on the law-breaking side of this man.
“I don’t know.”
His gaze pierced her like a laser, cutting to the very heart of her. “Something made you say that.”
April feverishly searched her memory. He was right. There was something sitting there, just beyond her consciousness, waiting like a panther to pounce once her guard was down. “You’re right. There’s something there, but—” Tears filled her eyes. “I don’t know what it is.”
He leaned forward and in his eyes she found a fountain of rest. “Relax, April. Whatever it is, it will make itself known—and when that happens, we’ll deal with it together.”
There was such a quiet reassurance in his words that she felt as if a great weight had been taken off her shoulders. She was safe, for now. “Thank you.”
But settling back against the seat, she wondered when the panther would pounce.
As he drove, Rafe pointed out the churning waters of the small river that was now back in its banks. “What would you call the land where that stream runs?” he asked, nodding to the shallow valley.
“A riverbed?”
“No, the land around it.”
She looked again at the area. “A hallow.”
Rafe’s eyebrow arched. “That’s interesting.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s another clue to where you come from. A hallow is what folks around Austin call it. A draw is what people in west Texas call that land. Or in east Texas, where a lot of population is from Louisiana, they call it a gully.”
“How do you know that?” she asked.
“In college, I took a course on the geography of Texas. They covered dialects within the state.”
“Oh.” After a moment she added, “So you think I’m from somewhere around Austin?”
“Sounds like you grew up there. You have a soft drawl that flavors your speech. From some of the ways you say things, I’d bet you’re college educated and have lived in an urban area for a while.”
“So we’re no closer to knowing where I’m from than before.” There was a note of desperation in her voice.
He couldn’t harden his heart to her anxiety. He gave her a reassuring smile. “They’re all pieces of the puzzle that is you. But you’ve come to the right man, April. Solving mysteries is my job.”
Some of the tension left her eyes. “I’ll count on that.”
He hoped he could live up to her trust. His mind wandered back to what he’d learned from Mabel about the unidentified stranger. Something was there. Something he was going to meet head on, and it could be messy.
Rubbing the back of his neck, he tried to ease the tension knotting those muscles.
Who was the woman beside him? Where had she come from? And what was she running from? The questions kept racing through Rafe’s mind. He had this ‘feeling’ that April was in trouble, and he never ignored his premonitions. Ten years with the Rangers had taught him that rule. His premonitions had saved his life more than once.
April’s reaction to going into the sheriff’s office spoke loudly of her wariness of the police. But if she had that reaction to the sheriff, why hadn’t he sensed any nervousness in her when she found out that he was a Ranger? When he’d told her what he did, it hadn’t seemed to bother her at all. So maybe it wasn’t law enforcement that made her nervous, perhaps it was the sheriff—or the sheriff’s office—that made her nervous.
Now that was interesting. Why would one law enforcement agency make her nervous, yet another not bother her? Did it have something to do with jurisdiction, or maybe just a bad experience with a sheriff.
He passed the main turn-off to his ranch and continued on. Glancing at her to see whether she recognized the road, he saw a question in her eyes.
“I’m taking the long way around to my ranch. This will bring me down County Road 4 close to where I found you. I was hoping that maybe we could come up with some evidence about your identity.”
“Oh.”
“You don’t sound too eager.”
She shrugged.
That small movement of her shoulders spoke loudly of the dilemma she was facing. April had already said she was afraid that she might be in trouble with the law. She was in trouble, all right—she had that smell to her. But he had his doubts t
hat it was the law chasing her. Maybe it was a jealous husband—he glanced at her left hand, making sure he hadn’t overlooked any ring on her finger—or a boyfriend, or a bad family situation, or a bad debt.
The road curved, skirting around his land. He slowed down, looking for signs of the flash floods. Pulling to the side of the road, he got out and walked along the edge of the blacktop. There was evidence that the water had washed over the road, taking the local plants and rocks with it. But there were no signs of a car or any clues to April’s identity.
Rafe climbed back inside the cab and started the engine.
“Did you see anything?” April asked. Her teeth bit her bottom lip and her eyes filled with apprehension.
“No.” He put the car in gear. “This part of the road was obviously caught in the flash flood this morning, but there are several draws around here where a car could be hidden from view. I’ll need to ride around on horseback to check the area further.”
She pressed her forehead against the door window. “This seems like a b-bad dream that I can’t wake up from.” Tears rolled down her cheeks.
“Ah, sh—” he muttered to himself. He didn’t want to feel her pain and confusion. He didn’t want to get involved in her problems, he was no good at this type of thing. His ex-wife let him know in no uncertain terms what a bust he’d been at meeting her needs. But looking into April’s watery eyes, Rafe knew he had no choice in the matter.
Pulling the truck to the side of the road, he put it into park, then reached for her. She willingly came into his arms, and the tears she’d been holding back burst forth. Her entire body convulsed with sorrow. Rafe’s hand settled on her head, his fingers tangling in her thick hair.
She clutched his shirt as if he were a life preserver and she were drowning. She raised her face to his, and it was as natural as breathing for him to settle his lips over hers. Her mouth flowered under his, welcoming the pressure.
Suddenly any idea of just offering April comfort fled his mind, as he was plunged into the passion of the kiss. She tasted of tears and honey, warmth and desire. Her arms crept around his neck and Rafe pulled her closer. Her breasts pressed into the wall of his chest and the heat burned him.
His last thread of sanity was close to snapping when he heard the harsh sound of a horn. Rafe raised his head and nearly moaned aloud when he saw April’s desire for him in her rapturous expression. Hell, what kind of man took advantage of a woman who couldn’t remember her own name?
Another honk cut the air, bringing Rafe’s gaze to the truck coming toward them on the opposite side of the road. He set April away from him and he rolled down his window, trying to get his raging hormones under control.
“Hi, Dick,” Rafe greeted his closest neighbor, trying to assume a calm demeanor. “What’s going on?”
Dick glanced at the woman beside Rafe, then grinned. It was obvious he had seen what Rafe and April had been doing. “I wanted to see how you fared after this morning’s storms. Did you lose any cattle?”
“Can’t say. I haven’t spotted any yet. Say, Dick, was your wife expecting any company this week?”
“Nope.”
From Dick’s expression, it was obvious the man was waiting for an explanation, or an introduction to the woman sitting next to Rafe. Rafe decided the easiest way to deal with the situation was to tell his neighbor the truth.
After introducing them, he continued, “April here was caught in a flash flood this morning. We still haven’t found her car yet, so if you see one, call me.”
“She all right?” Dick asked.
“She sprained her ankle, and...um...she can’t remember who she is,” Rafe added the last part reluctantly. “But other than that, physically she’s okay. It will be easier to discover her identity when we find her missing car.”
Resting his forearm on the window, Dick said, “That so? Did you take her to Dr. Alex?”
“Yup.”
He looked at April, unable to disguise his curiosity. “I’ll keep my eyes peeled. If I spot it, I’ll give you a call.”
“Thanks.” Rafe waited until Dick had driven off before turning to April. The look of despair on her face made him want to reach for her and comfort her again. What was the matter with him, touching April the way he had, squeezing her hand, holding her? Carmen, his ex-wife, often complained that he didn’t touch her enough and that he was a cold man.
Wisely, Rafe kept his hands wrapped over the steering wheel. Around April his perspective and good common sense evaporated. “This is only temporary, April. You’ve already remembered some things from your past.”
Her bottom lip quivered as she nodded.
He couldn’t ignore her distress. His hand covered hers. Well, hell. So much for keeping his distance. “Believe me?”
A hint of a smile played around her mouth. “Yes,” she said with a spark of hope.
He released her hand. “All right. We’ll get back to the ranch and start making some calls to see if anyone in the vicinity was expecting you.”
“What if you don’t find anyone?”
“Mi madre always told me not to borrow trouble, and I’ve always tried to do what she said.”
“Somehow I don’t envision you as a mama’s boy.”
His eyes clouded when he remembered his mother and the struggles she endured to give him the best. “I tried to make her life as good as I could.”
April reached for him. When her fingers found his, her mouth turned up into an understanding smile.
His heart contracted, and somehow he knew he was in trouble here. He turned from her and put the truck into motion.
Rafe placed his paltry selection of movie tapes on the sofa next to her. “I’m sorry,” he said, facing her. “All I have are war movies and Westerns.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll find something to watch.”
He studied her for a moment. “If you need anything, I’ll be down the hall in my study, making those calls we talked about.”
“I’ll be okay.” She struggled to her feet, grabbed her crutches, and awkwardly clomped toward the bathroom.
“Where are you going?” After he asked the question, he felt like a fool.
“I wanted to see if my things were dry.”
“Oh.”
They walked into the hall and April stepped into the bathroom. She came out a moment later, holding her jeans, shirt and shoes. “They’re still damp. Do you have a clothesline or a dryer?”
He looked offended. “Do I look like a man who hangs out his laundry?”
She giggled. The sound caused the oddest reaction in him. It was like putting a match to kindling—he went up in flames.
“C’mon. I’ll show you the dryer.” He glanced over his shoulder at her. “I guess I should’ve thrown your clothes in the dryer before we left, but I was in such a hurry to get you to the doctor, it slipped my mind.” They walked back through the living room and kitchen. She paused and put her wet shoes before the refrigerator. He gave her a questioning look.
“The hot air from the refrigerator comes out there. It’s the best way to dry wet shoes.”
They both were struck that she’d recalled such a trivial bit of knowledge. He smiled. “See what I told you. More is coming back to you.”
Although her gaze remained guarded, a smile appeared on her lips.
They walked through the kitchen to the laundry room. He opened the dryer and motioned for her to throw her things inside. Once he turned it on, they went back into the living room and she sat down.
“You need anything else?” he asked, taking her crutches and placing them by the sofa.
“I think I’ll be all right.”
For some unknown reason, he was loath to leave her. But he needed the privacy to talk to Derek and to go through the latest list of missing persons that the DPS had put out. He gave her a last glimpse and walked down the hall.
Once in his library, he plowed through the pile on his desk, looking for the most recent missing persons report. He found
it and quickly went down the list. There was no one who resembled April. He next looked at the APB list of criminals on the run. Again, nothing. Finally, he turned on his computer and checked the FBI listing on missing persons. Nothing.
He picked up the phone and called Derek. On the third ring, Derek picked up.
“Have you found anything?” Rafe asked.
“No, but I haven’t driven out to your section of the county.”
“You turn up anything on that stranger at Mabel’s?”
“Nope. He didn’t go to any stores in town, but everyone’s been warned about April and to watch for anything unusual.”
Rafe knew that the folks of Saddle would be on their guard for this stranger. People pulled together in a sparsely populated county and watched out for each other.
“I’ll go talk to Mabel again. Maybe she’ll remember something else that could give us a clue to who this guy is.”
“Thanks.” Rafe hung up the phone. Running his hands through his hair, he tried to clear his head of all the extraneous thoughts and concentrate on that nagging feeling at the edge of his mind.
He tried to bring his anxiety into focus, but after about five minutes, he gave up. There just wasn’t enough information.
Over the next ten minutes, Rafe called all his closest neighbors and asked them if any had been expecting a visitor. No one had.
Then he went back over the lists again to make sure he hadn’t overlooked something. But he found nothing new.
Maybe what was bothering him was the attraction he felt for April. With is ex-wife, there had been sizzle in the beginning. But after a while, the zing had seemed to leave the marriage, and work had held more interest for him than going home to hear his wife list his shortcomings. And she had done that numerous times.
The other thing that had caught Rafe off guard was that April was a beautiful blond-haired, green-eyed woman. He was from a mixed heritage, neither all Anglo nor all Hispanic. As a youth, he had wanted to belong, and since his mother had been Hispanic, he thought his perfect mate would be Hispanic. Obviously, that hadn’t worked. Now he was gun-shy and unwilling to risk his heart.