“What are you up to this morning?” she asked Anna Jane.
“I’m going to show Elissa and Kayla the beach where I found you.”
“That should be interesting.”
The girl nodded. “It’s nice that they look like you. Even though I don’t know them, I like them. Because of you.”
Her words touched Fallon. She dropped to a crouch. “I like you, too,” she said, tugging on a strand of dark hair. “A lot. You have fun with them.”
“You could come with us.”
“I have to unpack.” She pointed to the large suitcase and garment bag by the closet.
“What about the clothes Uncle Jarrett gave you?”
“I still have them.” In fact, she was wearing a pair of shorts and a T-shirt from his boutique right now. “I need to go through my things to reconnect with who I am,” Fallon said. “I’ve remembered everything, but I haven’t been myself for a long time.”
“I understand.” Anna Jane nodded solemnly.
“I’ll see you at lunch,” she told the girl. “Have a good time this morning.”
“We will.” The nine-year-old gave her a quick wave and dashed out of the room.
Fallon rosé to her feet and approached her luggage. She probably should have unpacked last night, but she’d put off the task. Mostly because going through her things at the hotel had given her an odd feeling. While her clothes and belongings had been familiar as she’d packed them for the move, they had also been faintly strange. It was almost as if she’d found an old box full of high school mementos. While the individual items brought back memories, they belonged to a different time and place.
“It’s just clothes,” she told herself as she hung her garment bag on the back of the door.
She unzipped the top flap and began removing her things. She’d brought a couple of summer dresses. The neutral colors—beige and gray blue—surprised her. While she remembered buying the dresses and even wearing them last summer, they didn’t feel as if they belonged to her. When she hung them in the closet, they didn’t fit in with the brightly colored garments already there.
She fingered the skirt she’d chosen from the clothes Jarrett had sent over. The dark green silk was the same color as her eyes. The matching blouse was sleeveless and sexy. Together the outfit created a casual elegance combining soft, flowing fabric and hints at the feminine shape beneath. The two dresses she’d brought with her were…sensible. The tailored style was classic. With a light jacket she could easily wear either to school or a lunch. Yet when placed next to the green outfit, the dresses nearly blended with the wall paint.
She walked to her suitcase and picked it up. After placing it on the bed, she unfastened the catches and flipped it open. More sensible clothing lay there. Tailored shirts and shorts. White cotton underwear. She thought about the lacy bra she currently wore and the high-cut legs on her panties, then fingered the plain straps of her white bra. She picked up a cream short-sleeved shirt and held it in front of her. Then she turned to the mirror. Today she wore a red T-shirt and white shorts. The shorts were casual with an elastic waist and tiny slits on the thighs. The button-front camp shirt she held didn’t belong to this new person, yet it was in her luggage.
Fallon dropped it back on the bed and stared at her belongings. How could she remember owning them, recover her memory and have them not feel right? Could being Ariel have changed her that much?
Or had the memory loss simply allowed another side of her personality to come out? Maybe because she hadn’t had to be so busy running around taking care of everyone, she’d finally been free to be herself.
She bent over and began pulling things out of her suitcase. Books, a bag of cosmetics, her blow dryer. There was the beautiful bottle Anna Jane had used to send the note. Then her fingers touched something hard. She pulled out a slim leather-bound book. Her journal.
Fallon sank onto the bed. Inside these pages were her hopes and dreams. She’d never kept long entries, but she’d made it a habit to jot down odd notes about her life or what she wanted from the future. She flipped through a few pages, stopping to read an account of picking out St. Alicia as the family’s holiday destination. What a happy quirk of fate. No matter what happened when she left, she promised herself she would never regret being here.
Another entry caught her eye. It was dated at the end of summer, just after she and her sisters had come into their trust fund.
August 25th: I must come to some decision about my future. I want to travel, but I’ll need a plan for when I return. What is it to be? Grad school for an advanced degree? Do I want to return to teaching at the elementary school? I’ve thought about opening my own business. By the time I return from my sabbatical, I’ll have made up my mind which it’s to be. The world is filled with possibilities and I don’t want to miss any of them.
Fallon read the entry a second time. Hopes and plans for the future. But instead of feeling excited, she was startled by a whisper of sadness. Maybe because reading it these months later she saw something she hadn’t seen when she’d first made the entry. All her plans had one basic assumption—that she would be alone. There was no mention of a man in her journal, no thought of falling in love and how that would affect her future. When she returned from her sabbatical, no one would be waiting. No one, except her sisters, would miss her, or even think about her.
Fallon remembered that she’d always valued being independent and self-sufficient. With her two sisters to worry about, she’d respected those qualities in herself. Now, with her whole life stretching out in front of her, she wondered about being alone…and lonely.
“You’re looking serious about something.”
She glanced up and saw Jarrett standing in the open doorway. She smiled. “I found my journal and am rediscovering myself.”
“Any surprises?”
“A couple.”
“Pleasant ones, I hope.”
She shrugged, but didn’t answer.
He stepped inside. While he usually wore jeans around the house, today he was dressed in shorts and a T-shirt. His legs were long, muscular and tanned. She found herself in danger of being mesmerized by his powerful thighs.
He pulled out the stool in front of the dresser and sat down. “So who is Fallon Bedford?”
“Someone very different from the mysterious Ariel.”
“I don’t think I believe that.”
“It’s true.” She pointed to the open closet. “See those two dresses hanging there? Compare them to the skirt. They have nothing in common. Everything I chose from what the boutique sent over is different from what I owned before.” She dropped her journal onto the bed, then touched her head. “I wasn’t sure how to fix my hair this morning. When I was first here I was frustrated because I couldn’t remember how I used to wear it. Now I can’t decide if I still want to wear it that way.”
He nodded. “You’re having trouble fitting back into your own skin.”
“Exactly.”
“It’ll take a few days to adjust, but you’ll do it. Do you want me to have the doctor stop by?”
“Physically, I’m fine.”
His gaze lightly touched on her body. Instantly the heat in the room went up several degrees. “If I agree with that last statement, will you slap me?” he asked teasingly.
She felt a blush on her cheeks. “No.”
“Good.” He grinned. “I’m just trying to be agreeable.” He pointed to her suitcase. “Maybe losing your memory just brought out another side of your personality.”
“I’m sure that’s it, but it’s still weird to think there are parts of me I didn’t know existed.”
“We all have pieces locked away.”
“How do I put them back?”
“Do you want to?” he asked.
She thought about the question. “Actually, I don’t. I think I liked Ariel quite a bit. The trick is going to be making her fit in with the old Fallon.”
“Will the new Fallon be a compromise between th
e two?”
“I hope so.” She grabbed a plain beige T-shirt and wrinkled her nose. “Although I might have to get rid of some of the old Fallon’s sensible clothes. Oh!” She looked at him. “I nearly forgot. Who do I talk to about paying for my new clothes? I have credit cards and money now.”
He shook his head. “No charge.”
“Jarrett, you have to let me pay. Something tells me you won’t let us reimburse you for staying here over the holidays—although we’re really going to try. You have to let me give you something.”
Instead of answering, he rosé to his feet and held out his hand. Fallon let the T-shirt fall, offered him her fingers and let him pull her to her feet. Together they crossed to the window.
From her bedroom they could see a bit of the pool and all of the beach beyond. He opened the window. Over the sound of waves came a high-pitched squeal of laughter. Seconds later Anna Jane bounded into view. Elissa and Kayla were with her. Each of the women had hold of one of her hands. While Fallon couldn’t hear their conversation, she knew the trio was having fun.
“I couldn’t have given her that,” Jarrett said. “You taught me what she needed, and I think the two of us are going to be okay now. I owe you, Fallon. So, no, you can’t pay for your clothes or for staying here. You’ve given me more than I can ever repay.”
“I’m happy I could help, but you’re making it more than it was.”
His dark eyes flared bright. “No. I’m not.”
He hadn’t released her fingers. She told herself it was because he’d forgotten he was holding them, but she hadn’t forgotten. Not for a second. Even now she could feel the broadness of his palm and the strength of him. Jarrett Wilkenson was going to be a tough act for any man to follow.
“Anna Jane is very glad you’re staying,” he said.
“I know. I’m glad, too.” Was he? He didn’t say and she didn’t ask. Fear held her back. Would Ariel have asked? Probably not, Fallon decided, but she might have hinted. Ariel had definitely been the more courageous of the two. She frowned. She’d better stop thinking of herself as two people or she would end up locked away in some institution after having been diagnosed with multiple personality disorder. The thought made her smile.
She glanced at Jarrett to see if he’d noticed her humor, but his attention was focused on the beach. She followed his gaze and saw that he was staring at her sisters. They’d linked arms and were walking together as Anna Jane chased the tide.
“The three of you are very close,” he said.
“We always have been. It’s a triplet thing. We often know what the others are thinking. In some ways our personalities are very different, but in others, they’re exactly the same.”
“I envy you that.”
“Weren’t you close with your sister?”
He shrugged. “Not really. Tracy was older. We grew up in a big house. It was too big. We were in separate wings and didn’t spend much time together. Looking back, I wish it had been different. We didn’t have much in common. Maybe if we’d tried we might have been more a part of each other’s lives.”
“Would you have liked that?”
His gaze never left her sisters. “A month ago I would have said no. Now I’m not so sure. I’m beginning to see what I missed.”
Without thinking, she squeezed his fingers. The action was fraught with peril. After all, she’d just reminded him they were still holding hands. But instead of pulling back, he returned the pressure of her touch and drew her a little closer.
Their shoulders brushed. She felt his heat and wanted to be closer still. But this time it wasn’t about sex. Although she wanted him, her desire for nearness was more about caring and comfort than passion.
“She must have been great,” Fallon said softly. “Look at Anna Jane. She’s a terrific kid.”
“How much of that was Tracy and how much Nana B.?” he asked. “My sister had many good qualities, but she wasn’t much of a hands-on mother. Her relationship with her husband consumed her. It was as if they were the only two people in the world.”
“Is that bad?” she asked, wondering what it must be like to be loved that much. She’d had a few boyfriends, but never true love.
“I think so,” he said. “They loved each other to the exclusion of their child. I would think the best kind of love would make room for other people.” He grimaced. “But then, I’m not an expert.”
She thought about what he’d said. “You’re right,” she told him. “My sisters are like that. They adore their husbands, but there is room in each of their lives for other people. They’ll both make great mothers.”
Jarrett released her hand. Before she had a chance to protest or feel lonely, he touched her cheek. “You will, too. You already have all the best qualities. Affection, patience, a great sense of timing. You fell into my world right when I needed you most. I hate to think how Anna Jane would have spent this Christmas if you hadn’t showed up.”
His sweet touch made her ache. She wanted him to think she was special. “You two would have muddled through.”
“She needs more than muddling right now.” He lowered his hand to his side and glanced out the window. “Have you ever been in love?” he asked. “Not like my sister and her husband, but just in love?”
“No. You?”
An odd expression flickered across his face, then was gone. She remembered the hints about a mysterious romantic past from the magazine articles.
“You don’t have to answer that,” she told him. “I didn’t mean to pry. It’s not important.”
“It’s not that,” he said. “I generally don’t talk about the past with many people. But it might explain some things about me. Like why I acted the way I did when you were found on the beach. Did I ever apologize for that?”
She shook her head.
“I’m sorry, Fallon. I should have believed you.”
“No, you shouldn’t have. Because of who you are and what you’ve accomplished, there are a lot of people trying to get a piece of you. You had no way of knowing I was any different. I completely understand.”
He leaned against the window frame and crossed his arms over his chest. “If I were in your position, I don’t think I’d be anywhere near this forgiving.”
She smiled. “Yes, you would be. I’m sure of it.”
“Do you trust the entire world?”
“Pretty much. I try not to be stupid, but I don’t assume everyone is lying or out to get me.”
His amusement faded. “Must be nice.” He motioned to the bed. “It’s a long story. You might want to have a seat.”
She did as he requested and perched on the edge of the bed. Instead of joining her, or sitting on the stool, he continued to lean against the window. His gaze seemed to focus on a past she couldn’t see.
“I think I already mentioned that my parents were killed when I was eighteen.”
She nodded.
“My sister wasn’t interested in running the empire. By that time she’d already found Donald, and nothing else mattered. So it fell on my shoulders.”
“That’s a lot for a kid to handle,” she said, wondering what it must have been like to have inherited so much responsibility.
“Tell me about it. I wanted to make the family business a success. I figured the best way to do that was to go to college and learn as much as I could. I worked hard and got through in three years. Then I took over the hotel chain.” He seemed to lose himself in the memories.
“I worked eighteen-hour days, seven days a week,” he said. “I was too young and inexperienced to be scared, so I just plunged in with both feet. Sometimes I made mistakes, and sometimes I scored big. At the end of a couple of years I’d done more right than wrong and we were in the black. Four years later I’d created an empire.”
“I’m trying to picture what it must have been like and I can’t,” she said. “While I admire what you accomplished, I wonder at the cost. Did you ever have any fun?”
One eyebrow rosé slight
ly. “Are you talking about fun or women?”
She smiled. “Both.”
“I got away on occasion, and I found out I was considered an eligible bachelor. Women were easy to get but hard to get rid of. Because I didn’t have time to socialize very much, I was pretty inept.”
“I can’t believe that.”
He looked at her and gave her a slow, sexy grin that made her toes curl. “Trust me.”
“Did you get your heart broken?”
“A couple of times. I thought they cared, but they only wanted money. So I pulled back. That fanned the fire. Women were everywhere. I was all of twenty-six or twenty-seven. I didn’t want to make another mistake, but I wanted a woman in my life. So I started an affair with Charlotte, my personal secretary.”
Fallon was surprised at the flash of fire she felt rip through her. It took her a second to realize the heat didn’t come from passion but was instead about jealousy.
Jarrett shook his head. “I had it all planned. She was a few years older, divorced and seemed as uninterested in an emotional commitment as I was. She made it easy. I could show up at the functions I had to attend, be the center of attention and leave alone. The affair lasted nearly two years.”
“Did she continue to work for you?”
He nodded. “Like I said, I was pretty inept. But she was too good at her job. I didn’t want to think about replacing her. Then one day I decided I wanted a real relationship. I wanted to date someone I could have a future with.”
He paused. “I cared about Charlotte, but I never loved her. Sometimes having rules isn’t enough.”
“She’d fallen in love with you?” Fallon guessed.
“I don’t know what it was. If that was love, I don’t want any part of it. When I tried to break it off, she made things impossible around the office. I was forced to fire her. I tried to give her money, but she only wanted to be with me. She began stalking me.” He shifted and shoved his hands into his shorts pockets. “I had to get a restraining order, but that wasn’t enough. I moved twice, and each time she found me. She tried to destroy a couple of hotel deals. When she finally realized I wasn’t going to take her back, she broke in to my house and set it on fire. She was caught in the blaze and died.”
The Mysterious Stranger (Triple Trouble) Page 14