The Husband She Can't Remember (Southwest Secrets Series Book 1)

by Tina Cambria

  “You already spent a week with him, and he didn’t kill you.” Nana stroked Danielle’s shoulders. “You make your own decision, honey. All I’m saying is if it were me—well, I’d take a chance on him.”

  “Nana, I’m seeing a side of you I never knew about.”

  Her grandmother smiled, and then her face turned serious. “But if you go with him, I want you to send me a text message first thing every morning and at nine o’clock every night to let me know you’re okay.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  A little over a week later, Kyle couldn’t wait to load the last of Danielle’s belongings into his own SUV and begin their drive to Cottonwood Ridge. He still couldn’t believe she’d agreed to accompany him to the town where he would begin his new job. Or that Nana Rose was onboard with the idea.

  Now his wife’s friend, Leslie, was a different story. As he stowed a box of Danielle’s things in the back of his Explorer, he could make out Leslie’s voice coming through her living room window.

  “I’m telling you again that you are more than welcome to stay at my place as long as you need,” Leslie said. “Even after the baby’s born. You don’t have to move in with that guy if you don’t want to.”

  He breathed out a long sigh. Too bad Little Miss Sunshine hadn’t been around to serve as a witness at the wedding chapel in Vegas. She sure would’ve added to the festivities.

  Uh-uh. Not in this universe.

  Bounding onto the porch and opening the front door, he felt like a guy showing up at a fancy restaurant without a shirt. Leslie’s expression could easily have suited the maître d’ in the most exclusive place in New York City when faced with a sloppily-dressed customer.

  “All right then.” He forced himself to smile at Leslie. “You two ladies said your good-byes and all that? We have a decent drive to Cottonwood Ridge, and Danielle wants to stop at Nana Rose’s apartment before we hit the road.”

  He wanted to tell Leslie to keep her nose out of their business, but was that really fair? Deep down, he knew she was concerned about Danielle. And he couldn’t deny that she was a good friend. Driving practically all the way to Utah to retrieve Danielle from the hospital after the accident. Then letting Danielle stay in her house for almost two months.

  Besides, he had to give Leslie credit for being the first one to figure out that Danielle was pregnant. Then she was the one who got Danielle right into the doctor’s office and made sure she did everything necessary to help ensure a healthy pregnancy. So, he’d ignore her remark about how Danielle didn’t have to go with him.

  Leslie clutched her friend, and Kyle couldn’t help thinking it reminded him of a kid who didn’t want to relinquish a favorite toy to let someone else take a turn. Whatever…he was sure Leslie truly had Danielle’s best interests at heart.

  Taking his wife by the hand, he guided her toward the door and gave Leslie a backward glance and sincere smile. “Thanks again for everything you’ve done for Danielle.”

  “Be careful,” Leslie said to Danielle, her eyes showing a mixture of sadness and trepidation. “Call or text me when you arrive. You have that new cell phone, so be sure to use it.”

  “Will do.” Danielle smiled and waved her new phone as if it were a trophy.

  Crossing her arms across her chest, Leslie gave Kyle a wary expression and then turned to her friend. “I’m only a couple of hours away, so I can come right away if you need me.”

  “She’ll be fine,” Kyle said, leading Danielle to the porch. Then remembering how well Leslie had cared for his wife, he turned and added, “You’re welcome to come for a visit. I’m sure Danielle would be happy to see you.”

  Was he imagining that both women simultaneously breathed what seemed like sighs of relief? He sure wasn’t intending to break up their friendship. The only thing he wanted was to get his marriage off on the right track. Okay, so maybe the marriage had been stalled at the station for a few weeks, but now he was determined to get it back on track.

  One more round of hugs, and then he got Danielle settled in his SUV, now filled with her belongings. Good thing he’d dropped off all of his things at their new two-bedroom apartment in Cottonwood Ridge on the way from Los Angeles. After more than a year living in a furnished apartment in L.A., he looked forward to a place with furniture that he actually owned.

  He’d ordered a king-sized bed with a comfy mattress for Danielle. And a double bed for the second bedroom. Just in case that’s where she wanted him to sleep. He wasn’t going to force himself on her. Sleeping arrangements—and whatever else happened after the lights went out—were all up to her. That’s what he’d promised her when he’d proposed that they give their marriage another try.

  Casting a sidelong glance at her in the passenger seat, he admired her profile and the cascade of golden hair covering her shoulders. Oh man, she might be two months pregnant, but she looked beyond hot. There was still no sign of a baby bump, and her t-shirt showed off her breasts. How was he going to keep his hands off of her when he got her alone in their apartment?

  But he had to figure out a way. He knew she still didn’t completely trust him because she couldn’t remember how things had played out during their honeymoon week. She would fall in love with him again—there was no way he’d let her slip away this time. And the baby made it even more essential that he convince her how good they were together.

  Kyle pulled away from Leslie’s house. “You know, I was just thinking that a lot of the females working at that medical building where you saw the doctor look a lot like Leslie.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, almost every woman I saw had the same haircut. That pixie thing—they all had it going on.”

  “Actually, that was Leslie’s doing.”

  “She controls the nurses’ hairstyles on top of everything else?”

  “One of the nurses in the Emergency Department was treated for breast cancer this year. When she came back to work, her hair was just starting to grow in after the chemo.”

  “I don’t get the connection,” he said.

  “Leslie organized a lot of the nurses to cut their hair short in support of their colleague whose hair had fallen out. When I left town for California, Leslie’s hair was practically a buzz cut.”

  “So, that’s why I didn’t recognize her when she came back to her house that first day. The picture you showed me in Vegas was of the two of you horseback riding, and she had a long ponytail.”

  “Yeah, it’s going to take a while for that to grow back.”

  “Nice of her to do that,” Kyle said. Damn nice, in fact. His initial impression of Leslie had done a one-eighty as he’d gotten to know her better.

  He turned the SUV onto the street where Danielle’s grandmother lived. “Does Nana Rose know we’re coming over to say good-bye?”

  Danielle nodded. “She said she’ll wait for us.”

  They found her sitting on a bench among neatly-trimmed bushes in front of her apartment building. She looked like she was enjoying the autumn sunshine. “There you are,” Nana called out when Danielle emerged from the car. “Come on upstairs. I have something for you before you go.”

  Kyle followed the two women into the elevator and then into Nana’s apartment. They both politely turned down Nana’s offer of a cold beverage.

  He felt awkward, as though he were a crasher at a family event. When Nana handed a gift-wrapped box to Danielle, he wondered whether he was intruding on their privacy. Wait—he was part of the family now, wasn’t he? Maybe legally, but he knew it would take time to build a solid relationship. Still, Danielle was worth the time and effort that would take.

  Danielle’s eyes welled with tears when she pulled off the wrapping paper to reveal a framed photograph. “Oh, Nana…I’ll treasure this. Thank you so much.”

  He could make out an inscription at the bottom of the frame that read: Mothers and grandmothers are special friends.

  Holding the frame so Kyle could see it better, Danielle said, “That’s my
mother with Nana and me when I was…what? About five or six years old, Nana?”

  She nodded at Danielle, and Kyle saw Nana’s eyes misting up as well.

  “I’d say that’s about right.” Nana’s face brightened. “I thought you might like a memory of us with you in your new home.”

  Danielle hugged her grandmother. “That’s so sweet. But you’ll come visit us, won’t you? Especially after the baby is born.”

  Kyle’s eyes met Nana’s. Was he imagining things again, or were both he and Nana Rose thinking the same thing? Was Danielle implying that she’d still be with him after the baby was born? Then again, maybe he’d read too much into her remark. After all, he’d proposed that they live together until the baby arrived, so he could take care of her during the pregnancy.

  And try to get their marriage going again.

  She sure wasn’t going to give birth and then take off the next day, was she? No, she’d definitely stick around for at least a few weeks. Of course, he fully intended to make her never want to leave him again.

  Nana chuckled. “You know you’ll have a hard time keeping me away from my great-grandchild.”

  “You’re welcome to visit any time, ma’am,” Kyle said. They shared a smile, and it felt like a good sign. He’d gotten off on a good foot with Danielle’s grandmother. “I think we’d better get on the road now. I’m sure Danielle is anxious to settle in at our new home.”

  “Now, you take your time driving,” Nana admonished. “No need to rush. Safety first.”

  Pulling out his car keys, Kyle said, “You won’t catch me exceeding any speed limits in this town. Some cop pulled me over last week when I was returning to the hotel. Said my license plate was hanging crooked.”

  “Really?” Nana asked.

  “Seriously, he checked me out like I was on the Most Wanted List before he let me drive away.” Kyle frowned. “I guess they either don’t like strangers around here, or it was a slow day in town, crime-wise.”

  Nana looked at him with a strange expression. “Maybe so.”

  * * *

  By the time they pulled off the highway at the Cottonwood Ridge exit a few hours later, Danielle couldn’t decide whether apprehension or excitement was winning the battle of her emotions. Each time excitement took the lead, apprehension would bubble up and surge a little bit ahead.

  Was this the beginning of a fantastic new life with a husband and baby? Or maybe it was a temporary charade that would end up with her as a single mom. Thoughts of her mother’s struggles with keeping a roof over their heads suddenly came to the forefront. And how hard her mother had tried to make sure Danielle would have an easier time of things.

  She guessed there were some things you couldn’t protect your kids from, no matter how hard you tried. Or warn them about. Like a car breakdown followed by a ride with a handsome stranger, and then…no, her mother never could have predicted a half-fake, half-real marriage in Vegas and a baby on the way as the result.

  Nothing fake about the pregnancy. Dr. Chartoff had confirmed that.

  But what about the marriage? Real or fake?

  I guess that’s what we’re going to find out starting tonight.

  Kyle’s voice interrupted her thoughts. “What did Walter say when you told him you were leaving town again?”

  “He seemed surprised.” It would probably be more accurate to say he’d been pissed. Also accurate to say that even though she’d most likely burned that bridge when she’d told Walter he could date whoever he wanted when she left for California, she’d definitely exploded any remaining bridge supports when she told him she was moving to Cottonwood Ridge with Kyle. She’d left out most of the details, such as the Vegas marriage and resulting pregnancy. As far as she was concerned, it wasn’t necessary to spread her personal business all over New Loudon right now.

  Kyle chuckled. “I’ll bet he was surprised, to say the least. The guy didn’t know a good thing when he had it.”

  Danielle couldn’t help feeling a flash of pleasure when Kyle referred to her as a good thing. “Let’s not talk about Walter anymore. He’s ancient history. We broke up—if there was anything to even break up—when I moved to California.”

  “That’s what you told me in Vegas.” He checked the rearview mirror and then focused his glance straight ahead. “But I wanted to double-check that he’s not trying to heat things up again.”

  “There’s nothing to heat up,” Danielle said. “Forget about him.”

  “Works for me.”

  “It’s pretty here,” she said, taking in the mountains that provided a storybook backdrop to the town. She wouldn’t be doing any skiing down those mountains this winter. By the time the trails were covered with snow, her pregnancy would be showing. And her center of gravity would be off-kilter.

  No, she undeniably wouldn’t be taking any chances hitting the slopes this season.

  She caught Kyle quickly glancing at her as he pulled onto the main street of town. “I thought you’d like it,” he said. “Even though I’ve only been here twice, I’m already falling in love with the place. It’s a resort town, but there’s a substantial year-round community too.”

  “And you were able to find us a two-bedroom apartment?” There, she’d said it. Find us an apartment. It was a place for both of them. Not his apartment, but their home.

  At least until the baby was born.

  “Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, updated kitchen…I think you’re gonna like it.”

  “Planning ahead for a second bedroom to use as the nursery?” He sure was giving her plenty of time to decorate the nursery for the baby. But how long would she and the baby be living with Kyle after the birth? That was still to be determined.

  He cleared his throat. “Actually, I figured I’d give you some space. I already told you that you could have your own bedroom if you wanted to try and make a go of our marriage. You’re not obligated to get intimate with me. This is all about making sure you have a healthy pregnancy.”

  “Thank you.” She didn’t know what else to do but thank him. For his generosity, of course. As far as his promise of not necessarily getting intimate…well, she should probably be thankful for that too.

  Or should she be thankful? She must have enjoyed what they’d done to create their growing child. If only she could remember exactly how she’d felt.

  But did it matter how she’d felt before? Or whether he’d acted like he truly cared about her? Anyway, he must have. Look at him now. He’d promised to cover all her expenses through childbirth, pretty much with no strings attached.

  He claimed he wasn’t expecting anything from her beyond a platonic relationship. And yet…

  I think I could warm up to something more than a platonic relationship with him.

  “I really appreciate you stepping up to the plate to help me with medical expenses.” She squeezed his forearm, struggling to keep her emerging feelings below the surface. “And everything else.”

  “Yeah, I’ve been falsely accused of not always finishing things that I’ve started once or twice. No worries—I’m following this through to the finish line.”

  She pulled her hand away from his forearm. “Define finish line.”

  Kyle eased his vehicle into a parking space in front of an apartment building. Turning to Danielle, he winked. “I think you’re the one who gets to come up with that definition, darlin’.”

  * * *

  After unlocking and opening the door to the apartment, Kyle stepped back and swept out his arm, beckoning Danielle to enter first. “Hold on a minute,” he said, suddenly blocking the doorway. “I know that very little about the story of us has been traditional so far. How about if I mix things up and follow the customary practice of carrying my bride across the threshold of our home?”

  She blushed. “Kyle, there’s no need—”

  “I didn’t say it’s mandatory,” he cut in. “It’s something I want to do.”

  She laughed. “To prove you’re strong enough to lift me?”
<
br />   He snorted. “Hell, I can bench press more than you weigh without breaking a sweat.”

  “I guess I should take that as a compliment.”

  “I guess you should.” He grinned with amusement. “I don’t know whether carrying the bride across the threshold is a custom that’s supposed to ward off evil spirits, prevent you from tripping on the doorway, or give the impression that you’re not so eager to consummate our marriage.”

  “Well, that’s already been taken care of.” She smirked. “The last one, I mean.”

  Winking, he said, “But the neighbors don’t have to know about that. Come on, Mrs. Williams, I’m carrying you into our home.”

  He gathered her into his arms, and his mind immediately went back to the day he’d tracked her down to Leslie’s house. He’d caught Danielle when she fainted after he announced himself as her husband. Yet here she was, only about a week later, moving in with him. And as he held her in his arms this time, she was fully conscious and willing to be here.

  He admitted that she hadn’t exactly been at the high point of her life when she’d made that decision. Her old teaching job at the high school had already been filled. Maybe the promise of paid medical care was a big part of the reason she’d been willing to move in with him now.

  But he didn’t believe that was the only thing that had prompted Danielle to agree to his proposal. He’d be on the hook to help pay for pregnancy expenses and child support anyway. She could have gone to court and sued to force him to meet his financial obligations.

  But she hadn’t.

  And man, she sure smelled good. With her right up against him, he breathed in the scent of her perfume. Dropping his face, he nuzzled her hair. Danielle turned her head to the side and parted her lips slightly. What the—that definitely looked like a signal that she wanted him to kiss her.

  Closing his eyes, he met her lips. Warm and delicious, exactly the way he remembered. When he eventually pulled away, he said, “That was really nice. I hope you didn’t mind.”

  “It’s a tradition, isn’t it?” She raised her brows. “Everything will look on the up-and-up to any snoopy neighbors who might be peeking out their windows right now.”