by Becca Van
“I think you need to take that little gal down to Doc Foster. She looks mighty unwell to me. But before you do, we’ll fill her belly with some good food. You want the usual?” Maisie asked.
“Yeah, thanks, Maisie. Can you call Doc and set up an appointment for us after lunch? Me and Johnny will make sure she gets down to Doc’s place,” Clay stated as he glanced over his shoulder back at the table. He was about to turn back when he watched her familiar move of brushing her hair back behind her ear.
The pain he felt when she had first left all those years ago reared its ugly head and stabbed him in the heart. Why had she left without telling them where she was going? Why had she not written to them and let them know she was all right?
“Clay, you all right, honey? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost,” Maisie asked from behind him.
“Yeah, I’m okay. Just remembered something from the past. Don’t worry about it, Maisie, just being fanciful is all.” Clay handed over the money for the three lunch orders.
“This one’s on me, young man. No, don’t argue. Not many people left these days that would help out a stranger.”
“Thanks, Maisie,” Clay replied, not willing to go into the details about Tara not being a stranger. He just felt too raw to be opening up with anyone just yet.
“Go on, I’ll call the Doc then bring your food out.”
Clay sat down at the table and watched as Johnny interacted with Tara. He couldn’t get it out of his head that he was finally actually sitting at a table across from their long-lost neighbor, and she had no idea who they were. He wanted nothing more than to call out her name, but was hesitant. She could be faking not remembering who she was, but if she wasn’t and had some type of amnesia, he could end up damaging their woman even more.
Johnny and Clay cajoled Tara into eating the plate of food Maisie had placed in front of her. They tried to get her to eat all the food, but she told them if she ate more than the half she had eaten she would make herself sick. Clay worried over that, because he knew she never used to worry about her weight when she was younger, not that she’d ever needed to. Clay wondered just how long it had been since she’d had a decent meal.
Once they’d all finished eating, Johnny and Clay each took her by the elbow and steered her to their truck.
“Wait. Where are you taking me?” Tara asked nervously.
Clay watched as she glanced around, and he could see how nervous she was. She was gripping one hand with the other, her knuckles white.
“We are taking you to see a doctor, sweetheart. We want to make sure you’re all right. After that, if you like, you can come and stay at our ranch. We are in need of a cook and housekeeper and thought you might like to work after you’ve rested up some. That way you’ll have a roof over your head and food in your belly until your memory returns or if you just decide you want to move on again,” Johnny said in a quiet, calm voice.
The last thing Clay wanted to do was scare Tara and have her run again. Clay and his brother had just about resigned themselves to the fact they would never see their woman again. Clay had discussed the issue with Johnny and had decided to push Tara from their hearts and minds and try to get on with their lives. Now that she was back in their clutches again, there was no fucking way he was letting her leave. But first he and Johnny had to find out if she was really sick or if not, what sort of game she was playing.
* * * *
Clay pulled into the parking lot in front of Doc’s, walked around his truck, and helped Johnny steer Tara into the office. They didn’t have to wait as Doc Foster had a gap and took Tara into his consulting room right away.
“Hi there, Miss, I’m Doc Foster, but everyone around these parts calls me Doc. Now what can I do for you?”
“I–I don’t know. I can’t remember anything,” Tara sobbed.
“There, there now,” Doc said in a calm voice as he rubbed the distraught woman’s back. “Why don’t you go behind that curtain, put on the gown, and I’ll check you over when you give me a holler?”
“Okay,” Tara whispered then gave an inelegant sniff. She grabbed a few tissues from the box on Doc’s desk and disappeared behind the curtain.
“Okay. I’m ready,” Tara called out after a few moments.
Clay watched as Doc checked Tara over thoroughly, making sure she didn’t have any bumps or lumps on her head with his fingertips. He checked her blood pressure and monitored her heart with his stethoscope. Clay realized he couldn’t find anything when a puzzled expression crossed his face. It was a different story when Doc checked her pupils. Doc checked the reaction of her eyes time and again until he finally put the pen light back into his coat pocket. Even Clay could tell her pupils were very sluggish and slow to respond. Clay saw Doc give Tara a pat on the arm as he moved away and closed the curtain so she could dress.
“You get dressed, now. I’ll be back in a minute,” Doc called out and exited the consulting room, Clay on his heels.
“How is she, Doc?” asked Clay.
“That’s Tara Rustle, isn’t it?” Doc asked as he looked from Clay to Johnny.
“Yeah, we were on our way to the diner after picking up some stock feed and I nearly ran over her as she collapsed in the middle of the road. What’s wrong with her, Doc?” Clay asked.
“She’s undernourished and slightly dehydrated. It looks like she hasn’t eaten properly in months. She is also suffering from deep shock. I don’t know what’s happened to her, but whatever it is, her mind couldn’t handle it and it’s shut down on her.”
“She couldn’t be fakin’ it, could she?” Johnny asked the question before Clay could.
“No. Her pupils are really sluggish. If I hadn’t checked her over and seen for myself she has no bumps or lumps on her head, I would have thought she had a head injury. She is going to need to eat and rest for the next few days. Hopefully, once she’s feeling more herself, her memory will come back of its own accord. Just be careful with her. I know you two boys have had a hankering for that woman for more years than I can count. And I know you never touched her while she was still a child, but I know you aren’t going to let her go this time. Just go real slow with her, or you could be doing more damage than good. Bring her back to see me if you think she needs some help,” Doc Foster stated then left the empty waiting room.
Tara came back into the waiting room five minutes later and stood hesitantly as she eyed Clay and Johnny nervously, biting on her lower lip as she shifted from foot to foot.
“Are you okay, sweetheart?” Johnny asked as he moved toward her.
“Yes,” Tara replied quietly.
“Do you remember if you had any luggage with you, baby?” Clay asked as he, too, moved up beside Tara.
“Uh, I…I can’t remember,” Tara replied with a hitch in her voice.
“Well, that’s okay. Don’t you worry about it now. We need to get you home so you can rest up. We’ll figure something out later. Come on,” Clay urged as he grasped one of her elbows and Johnny took the other.
They led her out to the truck, saw her comfortably and safely buckled in, then began the trek back to the ranch.
Tara was asleep moments later.
Chapter Three
Tara was on her feet beside the bed about to head to the bathroom and yawned as she stretched and blinked the sleep from her eyes. She looked around the strange room as she stood beside the bed and wondered who had removed her clothes. She was completely naked. She grabbed for the comforter on the bed and pulled it to cover her body when she heard footsteps outside the bedroom door. She clutched the cover to her chest and gave a squeak of surprise as the door to the bedroom opened and Clay and Johnny walked into the room.
“Are you all right, babe?” Clay asked.
Tara watched warily as he walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge of the mattress.
“Yes. Where am I?”
“You’re on our ranch. Don’t you remember? We took you to Doc’s, and then we were bringing you back here. You fell asleep in the
truck before we got home,” Clay advised.
“Do you want a drink, sweetheart?” Johnny asked as he held up a full glass of water.
“Please.”
Tara reached for the glass Johnny handed over and guzzled down the water. She hadn’t even realized how thirsty she was until she started drinking.
“Why do you keep calling me babe and sweetheart?” Tara asked in a disgruntled voice when she’d finished her water.
“What do you want us to call you?” Clay asked.
“Um, ah, shit.”
“Don’t worry about it, sweetheart. It will come back to you when you least expect it. The more you try and force your memory, the harder it will be. Just relax,” Johnny stated calmly.
“Who undressed me?” Tara asked, fire creeping up over her cheeks as she lowered her eyes.
“We both did, babe. We didn’t want you to be uncomfortable, and your clothes were pretty grubby. Johnny will go shopping for you later and pick out some clothes so you have a few things until you want to get some more clothes. We’re just waiting until you feel up to going shopping for yourself. I’ll bet you’d like a bath or a shower right now, so why don’t you take one while we organize some dinner?” Clay suggested.
“Okay. I would kill for a bath, and thanks so much for taking care of me. I don’t know what I would have done if you two hadn’t come along,” Tara said with a quiet voice.
“Hey, you’re doing us a favor, remember? We’re getting a cook and maybe a housekeeper out of this, but not until you feel well enough. So for the next couple of days you’ll have to put up with canned food and toasted sandwiches,” Johnny said and gave her a wink.
She watched as they left, closing the door behind them. She gave a sigh of frustration at having no memories, but since there was nothing she could do about it, she headed to the bathroom.
* * * *
Tara luxuriated at feeling clean once again after she had washed her hair and body. She scrounged under the vanity and found a toothbrush still in its packaging, as well as some toothpaste. She scrubbed her teeth and gargled some mouthwash. She felt nearly human once again instead of something the cat had dragged in from the garden. She found a large white T-shirt draped over a chair in the bedroom and, since that was all she could find to wear, pulled it on then walked down the long hallway.
Tara stopped in the doorway of the kitchen, watching the two large men moving about the room. Clay was getting coffee mugs down while Johnny made dinner. The smell of toasted cheese sandwiches made her stomach growl loudly. She didn’t think it had been that loud, but must have been loud enough to alert the two tall, sexy cowboys to her presence. They turned to look at her at the same time. Tara’s cheeks heated, and she lowered her eyes when she caught the heat in their eyes as they perused her body covered only in the large white T-shirt.
“Come in and take a seat, sweetheart. Dinner’s almost done,” Johnny said from across the room.
“Um, do either of you have a robe or something I could borrow, please?” Tara asked quietly, still standing in the doorway.
“Are you cold, sweetheart?” asked Johnny.
“No, not really, but I don’t feel comfortable wearing only a T-shirt.”
“That T-shirt never looked that good on me, baby. But if you’re uncomfortable I’ll grab you a robe,” Clay advised, his voice husky as his eyes once again wandered the length of her body, and then he turned and left. He was back in moments and handed Tara a robe.
“I’m just used to more clothes,” Tara replied as she pulled the robe on. “Thanks for the robe.”
“Come and sit down and eat while your sandwiches are still hot. Sorry it’s not much of a meal, but we can’t cook,” Johnny stated with a grin as he placed a plate on the table. When she didn’t move, he walked over to her, took one of her hands, and led her to the table. He pulled out a chair and eased her down onto it.
Tara looked at the pile of sandwiches and wondered if she was supposed to eat them all. There was no way she would be able to eat two of them, let alone the four on the plate in front of her. She picked up half a sandwich and bit into it, keeping her eyes lowered to the table. She finished eating and swayed in her chair as the image of a building burning and falling to the ground flashed through her mind. She gripped the edge of the chair she was sitting on as nausea rolled through her stomach. She took several deep breaths and swallowed as she tried to fight her sick stomach. Her stomach was roiling, and she knew she had to move, and quickly, or she would end up disgracing herself in front of her new employers by throwing up. She pushed her chair back, dizziness assailing her as she raced stumbling from the room. Tara made it to the bathroom just in time to empty the contents of her stomach.
* * * *
Clay and Johnny entered the bathroom just in time to catch Tara as she went down falling to the floor after losing her dinner. Clay picked her supine form up in his arms and carried her to the bedroom. He stripped the robe and T-shirt from her body as he ordered Johnny to collect a bowl of warm water and a washcloth.
Clay washed Tara’s white, clammy face and then set about washing the rest of her body. She was covered in sweat, and he began to worry when she didn’t wake up.
“Johnny, call Doc Foster’s, and see if he can come out to check her over. I don’t care how much it costs, our little darlin’ is sick,” he said as he patted Tara’s skin dry. He pulled a clean T-shirt out of a drawer and pulled it over her head, arms, and shoulders. He half lifted her and pulled the shirt down to cover the thin body.
“Doc will be here in about ten minutes. He was on his way home, thank God. What do you think that was all about?” Johnny asked with concern as he studied Tara’s pale face.
“I have no idea, but we will soon enough.” He sat down on the edge of the bed and smoothed Tara’s hair back off her face. Her color was starting to come back, which was a good sign. He didn’t want to leave her in case she was sick while she was still asleep.
“Why don’t you go finish dinner? There’s nothing we can do until Doc gets here. When you’re done, you can sit with her and I’ll finish eating. On second thought, why don’t you just bring our plates in here and we can both watch over her till Doc gets here?” Clay asked, knowing his brother was not willing to leave their girl while she was sick.
Clay gave a nod of appreciation when Johnny handed him his dinner. He moved his legs up onto the bed, resting his back up against the headboard. He couldn’t keep his eyes off their woman. She was so sexy, even though she was way too skinny. He planned to change that as soon as he could. Their woman had been to hell and back. It frustrated the hell out of Clay not knowing what had happened to her. He was never letting her out of his sight again. No matter what.
Clay had just finished his dinner as he heard Doc knock on the door. He watched Johnny leave the room to take their plates back to the kitchen and let Doc into the house. Clay eyed Doc as he and Johnny entered the room just in time to see Tara open her eyes. He saw her glance around her and watched as embarrassment tinged her cheeks a red hue.
“How are you feeling, young lady?” asked Doc, moving further into the room.
“Okay. Could I have a drink of water please?”
Clay nearly laughed as Johnny took off in a hurry and was back in moments with a jug full of water and a glass. He watched as his brother poured her a drink and handed it to her. He glanced over at Doc, and he saw the look of satisfaction on the elderly man’s face as Tara drank the whole glass down.
“Now what seems to be the problem? These two boys are worried sick about you. They called me saying you’d been sick and fainted.”
“Um…” Tara hesitated as she looked to Clay and Johnny from beneath her lowered eyelashes.
“How ’bout you boys go and make me some coffee? I could certainly use a cup after the long day I’ve had,” Doc Foster said to Clay, and he knew the man wanted him and Johnny out of the room. He and Johnny waited in the kitchen impatiently as they set about brewing a fresh pot of coffee
. Clay and his brother had known the elderly man since they had been knee high to a grass hopper. He knew the first thing Doc would do when he entered the kitchen would be to get a clean mug from the cupboard.
“What’s wrong with her, Doc?” Clay asked as soon as Doc entered the kitchen.
“Tara’s memory is beginning to return. She had a flash of a building burning to the ground. Normally a person wouldn’t be sick, the dizziness I can understand. That little girl has been through emotional hell. You need to keep an eye on her. Her full memory could return at any moment, and I don’t know how she is going to handle that,” Doc stated with a frown.
“You don’t think she’d try and harm herself, do you?” Clay asked through a voice tight with emotion.
“I don’t know. I just don’t know. I want one of you with her all the time. Hire someone to help you out with the ranch and take over some of your chores, and for goodness sakes, get that girl some clothes.”
“I’m going into town for clothes tomorrow,” Johnny replied.
“Good, get her these vitamins while you’re there. It will help with her appetite and build her strength up again,” Doc said as he passed over the note. “Now, I’m heading home. Call me if you need to.”
“You don’t want a coffee before you go?” Clay asked.
“No,” Doc replied, “Thanks anyway, but I just want to get on home.”
“Thanks, Doc,” Clay replied as he saw the older man to the door. Once back inside, Clay got on the phone, intending to do what Doc had said. He was hiring some ranch hands to take over all the work. There was no way in hell they were leaving Tara alone. No way were they letting her do something stupid.
Chapter Four
Tara was feeling so much better since she had slept for nearly fifteen hours. She showered and dressed in another clean T-shirt then searched through the cupboards and closet until she found the robe she’d worn the night before. Feeling much better with another layer over the shirt, she rolled the sleeves to the robe up and entered the kitchen.