by Leann Harris
It had only been hours since Rafe had found her, but it felt like a lifetime.
“Well, I guess we’ll have to approach this problem from a different angle,” Rafe said, sitting down next to April.
“How?” She couldn’t keep the frustration out of her voice.
“April, you are not the first missing person that I’ve tracked down.”
“But I don’t even know—”
He rested his finger across her lips, stopping her words. But his touch set off sparks of another kind that had been smoldering in her. The fire seemed to blaze out of control. Apparently, he felt it too, because he drew his hand back.
Clearing his throat, he said, “Don’t worry about your memory. You’re alive. Often, I’ve tracked people down who couldn’t tell me who they were because they weren’t in the land of the living.”
If he had the answers, she thought, maybe he could share them with her. “So what are we going to do?”
His eyes sparked with humor. “Don’t believe me, huh?”
He’d pegged her, she realized. “What can I say?”
“Tomorrow, we’ll drive to Alpine and go to the newspaper and have them run a story on the lovely lady without a memory.” His description warmed her. “You’ll be big news in this area of the state. If you’re from around here, or maybe supposed to be visiting friends, we’ll discover it.”
“And if I’m not?” She couldn’t help the negative thoughts rumbling around in her head.
“We still haven’t got back the report from the state on your fingerprints. Remember, not only criminals are listed in that computer. State employees are there, too. With your worn-down fingerprints, it would make sense that you worked for the state, doing some sort of paperwork.”
“Yes, but—”
“And there’s the FBI database. And a database of fingerprints for stockbrokers. And then—”
She raised her hands. “Okay, okay, I surrender. I’ll think positive thoughts.”
“I’ll hold you to your word.”
From the tone of his voice, it was obvious to April that lying to Rafe wasn’t an option.
Rafe turned off the television as soon as the ten o’clock news was over. April’s eyes were heavy.
“Why don’t you do what you need to do in the bathroom, and I’ll get you one of my T-shirts to sleep in.”
“Also, could you get my clothes out of the dryer so I’ll have something else to wear tomorrow besides these scrubs?”
He helped her stand and gave her the crutches. Once she was safely in the bathroom, he went into his bedroom and got a T-shirt, then went to the washroom to retrieve her clothes. He placed everything on the bed in the second bedroom. He heard the bathroom door open, then stepped out into the hall. April glanced at him.
In spite of the situation, Rafe found himself being sucked down into this vortex of emotion. He had no right to feel anything for this woman except compassion. Yet somehow, his body’s reaction wasn’t out of kindness.
“I left the things on the bed,” he said, stating the obvious.
“Thank you.” She hobbled toward the door. When she got even with him, her eyes met his with electrifying results. Her gaze slid away from his and she silently went into the room and closed the door.
That kiss he’d shared with April this afternoon had been a major, Texas-sized mistake. He could still remember the taste of her mouth, the feel of her skin, the softness of her body pressed against his.
Rafe realized with blinding, heart-stopping clarity that this was going to be one of those cases that either makes or breaks a man.
He turned and headed to the library. He needed to call the highway patrol and line up the DPS helicopter to search this area for April’s car. They might get lucky. He hoped so.
April slipped into Rafe’s shirt and her face turned crimson with the reaction of her body. Her nipples hardened and her mouth went dry.
“You’re acting like a goose,” she mumbled to herself. “The man doesn’t—” She swallowed the rest of the lie. It was obvious that Rafe felt the sparks that seemed to leap from her to him. But he hadn’t acted on them since the kiss, much to her relief.
Pulling back the bedspread, she awkwardly got under the covers. As soon as she found a comfortable spot on her side, thoughts of Rafe came back to her. He was a handsome man with black hair and deep brown eyes that could focus with such intensity that it was like a spotlight, cutting through the darkness.
She closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind. But she couldn’t help recalling that each time he’d carried her to his truck, she’d felt the rock hard muscles of his arms and chest. Instead of relaxing, the feelings of sitting in front of Rafe on his horse as they rode back from where he found her exploded into her brain. She might have been woozy then, but apparently her mind had registered every detail of the incident, because it was replaying now with stunning clarity.
What was wrong with her to be thinking about Rafe when she didn’t even know her own name? What if she had a husband? And children?
She stared at her empty left hand.
Obviously, what she was feeling was just gratitude to Rafe for helping her, nothing else.
Yeah, and do you still believe in the Easter Bunny? a voice in her head whispered.
Well, she couldn’t do anything about the attraction she felt, but she could do something about acting on that attraction. She wouldn’t. Then when she discovered who she was, she wouldn’t feel guilty. It was the best she could do.
Rafe felt as if he’d spent the night wrestling an alligator. His muscles were tense and sore, and there was no feeling of renewal when he’d woken. In fact, he felt worse this morning than he had last night when he went to bed.
What had become crystal clear to him in those dark hours was that he had no business feeling anything for April except the concern a peace officer would have for a victim. And he was going to stick to that resolve.
He went into the kitchen and began making coffee. As the smell floated through the room, he cracked open several eggs into a bowl.
“Good mornin’.”
April’s soft voice went straight to his heart. “Morning.”
It appeared from the lines of fatigue under her eyes that April hadn’t rested well, either. The wall he’d been trying to erect took a major hit.
“Can I help?” she asked.
“Naw. I can do a fairly decent job scrambling eggs. But I think the coffee’s done if you want to pour us a cup.”
Her face broke into a smile. “Where do you keep your cups?”
He indicated the cabinet in the corner of the kitchen. She limped to where he pointed.
“Are you sure you still shouldn’t be on those crutches?” he asked.
“My ankle’s feeling much better this morning.” After retrieving the cups, she poured them coffee. “I’m looking forward to going into Alpine today. I’m hoping the story will give us clues as to who I am.”
Rafe pulled out two plates and dished out the eggs.
“Even if we don’t have any calls, at least we’ll know more about you—even if it is a negative.” He set the plates on the table, then sat down and gave her a reassuring smile. “You’re alive and healthy. The rest of it is gravy.”
“I like the way you think, Rafe.”
He just wished he felt as positive as he sounded.
April flinched as the camera’s flash went off. “Sorry,” she told the photographer.
“Don’t worry,” the man told her. “I’ll just keep snapping while you finish your interview with Scott. I’ll get some good shots.”
April stared down at her wrinkled shirt and jeans. She looked like a beggar, she thought.
“So you remember who the president is, but you don’t remember your own name or anything about yourself before Rafe found you? Is that right?” The young reporter was eager, bright and interested in April’s story.
“That’s right.”
“Well, we’ll run this in the paper tom
orrow, so if anyone knows you, you should get some sort of result on Saturday.”
“And you’ll put into the story that if anyone knows anything to call either the sheriffs office or my office number,” Rafe added.
Scott smiled. “I will, Ranger Sanchez.”
Rafe knew he was being extra cautious, but he felt it was important that April hear how they dealt with this situation. “Thanks for everything, Scott. Say hi to your dad for me.”
Although April’s ankle felt better today, she still couldn’t put on her shoe, so she had opted to use her crutches. She hobbled out to Rafe’s truck, and he helped her inside.
“Let’s stop by the sheriff’s office and see if they have turned up anything on you.”
She shrugged. But as Rafe drove the few blocks, he kept his eyes on April, wanting to gauge her reaction to going to the sheriff’s office. She seemed to tense up as she had the day before at Derek’s office. Her teeth chewed her bottom lip.
The warning bells went off in Rafe’s head.
It appeared that sheriffs bothered April. Rangers, no. But sheriffs, yes. It would be interesting to see her reaction to the police, but since Alpine’s sheriffs office and police were one and the same, he guessed he wouldn’t get the opportunity.
The instant they entered the office, Rafe spotted Wesley Clayton, the sheriff, sitting on the edge of one of the desks. He was a tall man with silver hair and a salt-and-pepper mustache.
“What brings you to town, Rafe?” Wesley asked as he stood.
Rafe eased April forward. “I have a lady here, Wes, who doesn’t know her identity. I found her on my property yesterday afternoon. I thought I’d check all your APB’s and let her meet you, so if someone comes looking for her, you’ll know where to find her. We’ve already done an article for the paper, hoping someone will recognize her.”
It took nearly forty-five minutes for them to review all the missing persons lists and check with the state to see if they finished running April’s prints. They hadn’t.
“If anything turns up, Rafe, we’ll let you know.”
“I know you will, Wes. Will I see you tomorrow at Dick’s get together?” Rafe asked.
“You know I wouldn’t miss one of Dick’s parties. He serves the best barbecue in this part of the state. Besides, his wife, Maria, makes the best chili I’ve tasted in a long time.”
“You haven’t tasted April’s chili. I believe she could run a close second to Maria.”
Wes’s gaze zeroed in on April. “Really?”
April gave the sheriff a weak smile. “I may not know who I am, but apparently I know how to fix green chili. How I don’t know, but....” She looked down at her feet.
“Have you taken April to the hospital here in town?” Wes asked.
“Not yet. Dr. Alex examined her and didn’t find anything wrong. But I thought we’d stop by the hospital before we leave and have her checked out.”
“Well, I’ll keep my ears open—see if anyone mentions anything about the story, or missing a friend or relative.”
“Thanks, Wes.”
As they left the building, it was as if a weight had been taken off her shoulders. April’s entire demeanor seemed to lighten. And Rafe knew he had a lead that he needed to follow. April was nervous around sheriffs.
They drove to the hospital and saw one of the doctors that had attended Rafe the last time he’d been shot. Dr. Evans assured Rafe that his sister’s original assessment seemed right on the mark.
“If she doesn’t have some inkling of who she is in a week’s time, bring her back and we’ll do some more testing. But I think, with time, everything should clear up for her.”
Rafe looked at April. “Is there anything else we can do?”
The doctor looked at April, then Rafe. “Try praying.”
Rafe sat up in his chair. “Is that your medical opinion?”
“No. I gave you my medical opinion. Apparently, you didn’t like it, so I offered another suggestion.”
“Don’t give up your day job, doc, you’re a better doctor than you are a comedian.”
“April’s situation needs time, Rafe. That’s the best thing for the time being.”
“Okay, okay, I get the picture.”
As they were walking out to his truck, April began to laugh. “Are you friends with Dr. Evans?”
“I thought I was. Apparently—”
“He thinks you’re an impatient man. Now, why would he think that?”
Rafe felt himself blush. He remembered clearly the fight that Marvin Evans and he had had over his recuperation the last time he was shot. Marv thought he needed more time off. Rafe hadn’t listened, and regretted ignoring the doctor’s warning. This time, he would heed the man’s advice. “Let’s just say I’ve learned the hard way to pay attention to Marv.”
Rafe studied the wrinkled jeans and shirt that April wore. He didn’t have much back at his house for her to wear. Since they were here in Alpine, he might as well get her some clothes. When they stopped in front of the department store, April gave him a puzzled look.
“What are we doing here?”
“We don’t know how long it will take for your memory to return. And you can’t go around in what you have on. So we’re going to get some things for you.”
Surprise filled her eyes. “I don’t have any money—”
“Don’t worry about it, April.”
“But—”
He slid out of the truck and closed the door. It appeared his lost lady was going to put up a fight. Opening the passenger door, he waited for her to hand him the crutches. It took several minutes to get her inside the building.
“Rafe, what are you doing here?” a gray-haired woman asked as she came from behind the desk at the back of the store.
“Katie, I’ve got a lady who’s managed to lose her memory. She’ll be staying with me a few days, but she’s going to need some things. Can you help her?”
Folding her hand over her chest, Katie replied, “I think I can. She’ll need some jeans, shirts, underwear, shoes.” She looked at Rafe. “Anything else?”
“Yeah. We’re going to Dick’s party Saturday night. I think April might need something for that.”
“I don’t think—” April began.
Katie laid her hand on April’s arm. “Don’t worry, honey. I’ve got the perfect dress for that.”
“But—”
“Honey, my momma told me never to look a gift horse in the mouth.”
April sent Rafe a wary glance. “But wouldn’t Rafe want to know the price of what you’re going to show me?”
“Rafe? Naw, he’s a good man. Fair, too. He won’t care. Will you, Rafe?” Katie asked him.
“I’ll trust your judgment, Katie.”
“I knew there was a reason I liked you.”
He heard Katie’s laugh as she escorted April to the rear of the store.
Forty-five minutes later, April stood in front of the mirror in the dressing room, looking at the yards of lavender gauze in the skirt of the sleeveless dress. A hot-pink belt was the focal point.
“Oh, you look like a vision in that,” Katie said, smiling at April. “Why don’t you show Rafe?”
April’s gaze shifted from the mirror to Katie. Her delight in the dress turned into nervousness at the thought of showing this to Rafe. But why?
“C’mon. Rafe will be swept off his feet when he sees you.” There was a cat-ate-the-canary grin on Katie’s face as she grabbed April’s arm and pulled her out of the dressing room. April’s gait was awkward because of her hurt ankle. She felt like a fish flopping on the shore.
“Rafe, come look at this,” Katie called out.
Rafe, who had been staring out the window, turned and locked his gaze onto April. Slowly his eyes wandered over her form—from her face, over her breasts, hips, then down to her feet, one bare and the other in a tennis shoe. His gaze touched off a fire in her blood.
“The shoe doesn’t match,” he muttered absently.
; “Is that all you can say, Ranger Sanchez?” Katie’s voice held an indignant tone.
A slow, sensuous smile curved his mouth. “No.” He turned to Katie. “But I don’t believe you’d want me to say what I’m thinking
The older woman gave a satisfied grin. “I see. Well, if that’s your reaction, then I’d say April should take the dress.”
Rafe’s gaze met April’s. The amusement fled from his eyes, replaced by burning heat. “You look muy hermosa.” He said it so quietly, so softly that it went straight to her heart and exploded with sizzle and color.
“She’ll knock them dead at Dick’s shindig on Saturday night.”
“That, she will.” There was a quiet certainty in his voice and his eyes never left her.
Her blood raced through her body.
“She’ll be the talk of the county for weeks.”
“That’s why I want to take her to the party. We need to find out if anyone knows anything about her.”
April felt a curious sense of disappointment at his remark. It made sense. They needed to know who she was. But...
But what, you ninny? a voice in her head challenged. He’s a Ranger. It’s his job to help you. It’s nothing personal.
“She might need some shoes to wear on Saturday night,” Rafe pointed out.
“Oh,” Katie gasped, looking at April’s feet. “You’re right. Flats, I’d say, with her ankle bad like it is.” Katie disappeared down one of the aisles of the store.
April approached Rafe. “Are you sure you want me to get this?” she asked in a whisper. She glanced down at the price tag hanging from under her arm. “I mean—with everything—it’s too much.”
His eyebrow arched. “The men you’ll see at the party will line up to take turns dancing with you—that is, if your ankle is in good enough shape by Saturday night.”
“But—”
“Here’s some crocheted flats,” Katie interrupted, “that should work with that dress, and be easy on that swollen ankle.” Katie looked at Rafe to give him the opportunity to refuse to buy the items.