They cleared the table together and a knot of tension formed in his chest when she stood close enough that he could smell her. Memories of the night before stirred in his mind. She’d been soft and warm and giving. She’d been hot and sexy and amazing.
While she’d made love to him last night, it was easy to imagine a time when she would no longer be pregnant and could indulge herself in complete lovemaking.
“You’re very quiet this evening,” she observed as he put the last plate into the dishwasher. “I did most of the talking during dinner.”
“I guess I’m all talked out,” he replied. He dried his hands on a hand towel and then turned to look at her.
She must have seen something in his expression, for she leaned against the countertop and released a sigh. “You aren’t just talked out, you’re Janed out,” she said softly. There was not only a whisper of pain in her eyes, but one of fear, as well. “Is this about what happened between us last night?”
“Maybe a little,” he said honestly. “Don’t get me wrong. It was great…you were great, but it shouldn’t have happened.”
“I’m glad it did.” She lifted her chin as if in defiance. “At least it’s one good memory I’ll carry with me always.”
And so would he, he thought. “It still shouldn’t have happened. We don’t know what your situation is in your real life, but you know mine. The longer we’re together, the more the lines blur between reality and fantasy. I can’t be the man in your life, Jane. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“I realize that,” she replied, but he thought he heard a touch of wistfulness in her voice. That cinched the deal as far as he was concerned.
He steeled his heart for what he was about to do. “Forty-eight hours, Jane. If you don’t get your memory back in forty-eight hours, I’m calling Wendall and we’re filing a report.”
Once again a dark fear edged into her eyes, but she nodded her head. “All right.” She turned and left the kitchen.
Lucas remained standing at the sink, fighting the impulse to run after her and tell her he’d changed his mind.
Forty-eight hours and then she would no longer be his responsibility. Forty-eight hours and he’d have his life back. What he didn’t understand was why the thought didn’t fill him with joy.
TWENTY-FOUR HOURS.
The next evening those words whirled around and around in Jane’s head, making her alternately sick with fear and beyond sad.
She knew once Lucas turned her over to the police she’d probably never see him again, and that thought ached inside her with a force that was shocking.
She was in love with him. It was as simple and as heartbreaking as that. And when the next twenty-four hours passed she would have to tell him goodbye forever.
As she glanced over at him, her heart swelled and she felt the unwelcome burn of unshed tears. She was on the sofa and he was on the chair nearby, his attention seemingly focused on a crime drama playing on television.
Do not cry, she commanded herself firmly. The last thing she wanted to do was weep and make him feel bad. He’d already gone far above and beyond for her.
She couldn’t be hurt or angry with him for wanting to get back to his real life. She couldn’t be upset that he didn’t love her back enough to want to offer more than he already had.
“I’m going to get something to snack on. You need anything?” he asked when the show ended and he got out of his chair.
Just you, a little voice whispered inside her head. “No, I’m fine. I’m just going to catch a little of the news. Then I’m going to bed.” And tomorrow I’ll be gone, she thought.
As he disappeared into the kitchen she placed her hand on her tummy and wondered what would become of her. Would the police place her in a women’s shelter until they could figure out where she belonged? What would happen to her if she never regained her memories?
She focused on the television, her speculation about the future too painful to think about. “More wintry weather ahead,” a pert blond newscaster said with a smile. The smile fell and she offered the camera a concerned expression. “A drive-by shooting ends in a young man’s death. And police are asking for your help. Have you seen this woman?”
Jane’s breath caught in her throat as a picture of her filled the screen. “Lucas,” she managed to gasp.
“Details after the break,” the blonde said, and a commercial came on.
Lucas appeared in the doorway. “What? What is it?”
She pointed to the television. “It was me. There was a picture of me on the news.”
He looked stunned. “What did they say?”
“Details after the break,” she replied.
He sank down next to her on the sofa, his attention riveted to the screen. Jane’s heart thundered, hurting her chest with the intensity of the beat.
The commercial seemed to last forever, and then the news returned. The top news story was of a drive-by shooting that had left one teenage boy dead. Jane felt as if she were in agony as she waited for the story that would change everything for her.
There were two more news stories before a picture of her filled the screen. “And now this,” the newscaster said. “Concerned family members are looking for this woman. Her name is Julie Montgomery and she’s eight months pregnant. She’s been missing from her home for the past week. Anyone with any information should call the TIPS hotline.” She gave the appropriate number and then they cut away to the weatherman.
Jane sat in stunned silence. Julie. Her name was Julie Montgomery and she had concerned family members looking for her. She rolled the name again and again through her mind. She wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry.
“It suits you,” Lucas said softly. “Julie is a nice name.”
She turned to look at him. “What happens now?”
“I guess I make a phone call.” He pulled his cell phone from his pocket. “You have people who care about you, Julie. It’s time you returned to them.”
Even though she knew he was right, she was surprised that she didn’t feel more relief at the knowledge that she was on her way home—wherever that might be.
“Are you calling the TIPS hotline?” she asked.
“No, I’m calling Wendall. I want to get the name of the people who reported you missing. Before I turn you over to just anyone, I want them vetted. We need to make sure they’re really who they claim to be.”
As he stood and punched in numbers on his phone, she thought about what he’d just said. It hadn’t occurred to her that it was possible the people who were after her might pose as concerned family members.
She trusted Lucas to see that she wasn’t in danger, that the people who were looking for her had only love and concern for her well-being in their hearts.
It was impossible for her to glean any information from Lucas’s end of his conversation with Wendall Kincaid. Lucas listened more than talked initially, then spent several minutes telling Wendall about how he’d stumbled upon her and her bout of amnesia.
It seemed to take forever before the men hung up. Lucas set his phone on the coffee table and turned to look at her. “You were reported missing by a Robert Montgomery, who identified himself as your brother-in-law.”
“My brother-in-law?” Julie once again placed a hand on her pregnant stomach. She knew there was a man somewhere out there that she’d married. She’d dreamed of him the night after she’d made love to Lucas. She just hadn’t told Lucas about that particular memory. “Did he say anything about my husband?” The last word seemed to catch on her tongue.
She had a husband. So why had her brother-in-law reported her missing instead of her husband?
“Wendall only had sketchy information and Robert Mongomery’s phone number. Maybe your husband is out of town or in the military. I’ll call Robert and set up an initial meeting with him for tomorrow morning. I’ll have Troy or Micah sit with you in a car. If Montgomery doesn’t come with proof of his relationship to you, then you won’t be meeting him at
all.”
“I’m not sure why I’m so crazy nervous,” she said with a small laugh. “This is what we’ve been waiting for and I know I should be happy, but to be honest, I’m scared.”
He reached out and took her hand in his. “That’s natural. Even though these people are probably loving relatives, you have no memory of them. We know that there are people after you for some reason or another. It’s only normal that you’d feel apprehensive.”
She squeezed his hand and leaned against him. She closed her eyes as she drew in the familiar scent of him. He smelled like safety, like passion and home. A lump crept into her throat and again she felt the burn of tears at her eyes.
“I won’t see you again after tomorrow, will I?” she asked softly.
“I’m sure we’ll run into each other sooner or later,” he replied.
They both knew it was a lie, and she loved him even more for pretending that they might maintain some sort of relationship once this was all over.
They remained seated on the sofa for a long time, not speaking, just being with each other. He finally stood and grabbed his cell phone from the coffee table. “First I’m going to call Micah and have him do some digging into Robert Montgomery’s life. Then I’m going to make arrangements for the meeting in the morning,” he said. “You might as well go on to bed. Get a good night’s sleep.”
He smiled, but the gesture didn’t reach the darkness in his eyes. “Just think, by this time tomorrow night you’ll be back where you belong.”
She forced a smile to her lips as she stood. “Good night, Lucas,” she said. What she couldn’t say to him was that she felt in her heart—in her soul—that she belonged with him.
As she headed down the hallway to her bedroom, the tears she’d fought back for the last several minutes began to fall. She should be deliriously happy. She finally knew her name, and tomorrow she’d be reunited with family members, but all she could think about was that after tomorrow she’d never see Lucas again.
Chapter Ten
Micah and Troy were at the safe house at nine the next morning. They all gathered around the table to see what information Micah had managed to dig up on Robert Montgomery.
Lucas couldn’t help but notice that Jane’s hand trembled slightly as she poured herself a cup of coffee. Julie, he mentally amended. Her name was Julie and he wished there were some way for him to take away her obvious anxiety.
She looked particularly pretty with her hair falling in soft waves around her shoulders and her cheeks flushed with color. She wore the blue blouse he’d picked out for her at the store, and it made her eyes pop.
If all went well he’d be back in his own apartment tonight and Julie Montgomery would only be a fond memory. He tried to summon the joy he’d expected to feel at the idea of getting his life back, but found it curiously absent.
“So, what did you find out about Robert Montgomery?” he asked Micah, determined to focus on the matter at hand and not on matters of his heart.
“He’s a forty-four-year-old businessman who owns a lucrative gift shop on Oak Street. He’s been married for ten years to a woman named Martha. They live in a small home off North Maple Street. No children, no criminal record for either of them. On paper they look like good, upstanding citizens.” He unfolded a sheet of paper and laid it on the table in front of Julie. “Look familiar?”
Lucas could see that it was a copy of a driver’s license for Robert Montgomery. The photo depicted a burly man with sandy-colored hair and blue eyes that seemed to jump right off the page.
She studied the photo for a long moment, then shook her head. “No,” she replied. “He doesn’t look familiar at all, but that doesn’t mean anything. I do have amnesia,” she added drily.
“Now you want to hear what I dug up about you?” Micah asked.
She sat back in her chair in obvious surprise. “All right.” She shoved a strand of hair behind her ear with a shaky hand.
“You’re thirty years old and you worked as an elementary school teacher until two years ago when you married David Montgomery, Robert’s younger brother.” He paused a moment as if to give her time to digest the information.
“Third grade,” she said with a touch of surprise in her voice. She paused a moment, then nodded and smiled. “Yes, I taught third grade.” The smile wavered as she continued to look at Micah. “Where’s my husband?”
“Dead. I’m sorry, Julie. Your husband was killed almost eight months ago during a mugging,” Micah said softly.
Lucas’s heart fell at this bit of information. So, there was no loving husband for her to return to. She was alone just as she’d felt she was despite having no real memories.
She sighed and nodded once again as her hands lowered to her stomach. “Somehow I knew it.” She turned to look at Lucas. “I told you I thought I had been alone before all this happened.”
“You own a home near Robert and Martha’s house,” Micah continued. “But after your husband’s death you apparently moved in with them and put the house up for sale.” Micah leaned back in his chair. “That’s all I could get in the short amount of time I had.”
“At least I know more now than I did when I woke up this morning. Thank you,” she said.
“So, how are you going to work this?” Troy asked.
Lucas looked at his watch. “In thirty minutes I’m meeting Robert and his wife at the Calico Café. I told him last night on the phone to bring proof of his relationship to Julie, pictures and documents or whatever he had. I explained to him that she was having some memory problems. I’d like you and Micah to stay with Julie in one of your cars until I feel comfortable that it’s okay for her to enter the restaurant. Then I’ll call one of you on your cell and you can bring her in to meet her family.”
He turned to gaze at Julie. Her anxiety was through the roof. Her lower lip trembled slightly and he wanted nothing more than to cover it with his own, hold her until her trembling halted. “It’s going to be okay, Julie. It’s time for you to be with people who care about you, people who will watch over you.”
He hesitated a moment, then added, “If you feel alarmed, then you don’t have to go with them. We’ll bring you back here.” He told himself that was the last thing he wanted, that it would be best for everyone involved if she returned to her rightful place.
“Thank you,” she replied. “I’m sure it’s all going to work out just fine.” She raised her chin a notch, and at that moment Lucas thought she was one of the bravest women he would ever know.
“Then we should get out of here,” Troy said.
They all rose from the table and went into the living room, where they grabbed their coats. Julie went down the hallway to the bedroom where she’d been staying and returned a few seconds later with the small black overnight bag packed with everything she had.
“I’m ready,” she said with a lift of her chin despite the tremor in her voice.
Minutes later they were on the road, Lucas in his rental car followed by the others in Micah’s car. As he drove, Lucas’s mind filled with the sound of Julie’s laughter, the pleasure of morning coffee with her bright smile across from him at the table.
The taste of her filled his mouth, and the scent of her seemed to ride the air. A wave of sadness suffused him, shocking him with its heavy weight.
He could have loved her if he was a loving kind of man. Which I’m not, he reminded himself. He could never be the man she wanted, the man she needed. He reached up and touched the scar on the back of his neck to remind himself of where he’d come from. She and her baby were much better off without him.
Surely her extended family would take care of her, see that both she and the baby were happy and healthy. He had to believe that. And eventually she’d find some special man to share her life with her, the kind of man she deserved.
Lucas turned into the parking lot of the café as Micah drove on by. He would park someplace up the street until Lucas called him to bring Julie.
He found a park
ing space near the front door and got out of the car. The wind seemed colder, but it was also filled with the scent of bacon, eggs and strong coffee.
As he entered, a quick glance at the diners told him that Montgomery hadn’t arrived yet. He took a booth next to a window with a view of the parking lot and ordered a cup of coffee from the waitress. He might have ordered a full breakfast if his stomach hadn’t been so tied in knots.
When the coffee arrived he wrapped his fingers around the mug and told himself once again that this was a happy occasion. It was what they’d been seeking—Julie’s identity and the place where she belonged.
He’d only been sitting for about five minutes when he saw a beige sedan pull in and Robert Montgomery get out of the driver’s side. An attractive woman with dark hair got out of the passenger side and together they headed toward the café.
This was it. The moment Lucas had wished for, the chance to get rid of Julie once and for all and get back to his own life. No more safe house, no more intimate breakfasts or back rubs that went too far.
As Robert and Martha stepped inside, their gazes swept the area. Lucas raised a hand to motion them over as he stood.
“Lucas Washington?” Robert had the deep, rich, booming voice of a radio personality.
Lucas nodded and the two men shook hands. Robert introduced his wife and then they all sat back down in the booth. Robert placed a manila folder in front of him.
“Where’s Julie?” Martha asked, her gaze darting around the room.
“I wanted to meet the two of you first,” Lucas said. The waitress arrived at the table and both Robert and Martha ordered coffee. When the coffee was served, Lucas explained to them how he’d found Julie and about her amnesia.
“Oh my goodness,” Martha exclaimed when Lucas had finished his story. “That poor girl. She’s all right? The baby is all right?”
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