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

by Tina Cambria

  “How would you know—” She brought herself up short. “Was that something you found out about me during our honeymoon?”

  He nodded. “That, and many other things.”

  “And you want to see the movie too?”

  “Absolutely.”

  Everything was easy and comfortable by the time their server offered them the dessert menu and left them to review the selections. “Vanilla or chocolate ice cream,” Danielle commented. “I don’t know why, but I’ve been craving coffee-chocolate chip ice cream the past few days.”

  Kyle smirked. “You don’t know why? I’d guess it’s because you’re pregnant. Aren’t cravings fairly common when you’re expecting?”

  “I guess so. I hadn’t even thought about it.” She’d been doing so much thinking about how things were going to work out with Kyle that she’d hadn’t connected her sudden desire for a specific flavor of ice cream with a classic longing for a particular food that many expectant mothers experienced.

  Still trying to decide whether to indulge in a more ordinary flavor of ice cream, Danielle looked up to see a mature woman in a business suit crossing the room.

  Kyle signaled to her, and the woman with flattering streaks of silver in her dark hair smiled as she approached their table. He introduced Sheila Clayton as the resort’s executive housekeeper, and she shook hands with Danielle.

  “I hope you’re enjoying your lunch,” Sheila said.

  Danielle nodded. “Delicious food and wonderful ambience here. It’s all helping to keep my mind off my bad luck at job hunting. I’m striking out big-time at finding a part-time job in town.”

  “Really?” Sheila appeared thoughtful. “I believe your husband mentioned one time that you’re a certified high school teacher?”

  “Yes, I taught English for several years at New Loudon High.” She shrugged. “But it’s already well into the fall semester. And I wouldn’t be able to work full-time for the entire year anyway.”

  “My daughter-in-law is the principal at Cottonwood Ridge High. Would you like me to ask her if there are any temporary opportunities there? It’s a small school, but they do need substitute teachers sometimes.”

  Danielle’s eyes met Kyle’s, and he nodded in agreement. It looked like they both thought that this might be the perfect opportunity for her. Occasional work that would be worthwhile. And with no heavy lifting required.

  After Sheila Clayton promised to check in with her daughter-in-law, Danielle relaxed and enjoyed a tiny serving of chocolate ice cream. “It’s not coffee-chocolate chip, but a pretty decent substitute.”

  Walking through the lobby with Kyle a few minutes later, she was ready to say good-bye when the executive housekeeper hurriedly approached them.

  “Mrs. Williams,” she said to Danielle, “I just spoke to my daughter-in-law. If you can meet her at the high school at three o’clock this afternoon, she’d like to talk to you about filling in for a teacher who is having surgery on Monday. He’ll be out all next week, and they haven’t been able to find a substitute who can cover all five days.”

  It hadn’t been what she’d been planning, but maybe this substitute teaching opportunity would work out for the best. For one thing, it’d give her something to do in addition to keeping a small apartment clean and preparing meals. Secondly, it would bring in some extra income and make her feel that she was contributing financially to the marriage. And probably most importantly, it would keep her in the game as far as the teaching profession went.

  If things didn’t work out with Kyle, she would need a good job to raise a baby on her own.

  * * *

  The following Monday, Danielle had a mild case of jitters as she parked in the high school parking lot, set to begin her first substitute teaching assignment at Cottonwood Ridge High.

  She had plenty of classroom experience, so she didn’t expect it to be hard to take charge of her students and get them focused on learning. But the subject material was a little iffy.

  After teaching English for several years, she was as comfortable with Shakespeare as she was with Hemingway or Shelley or Salinger. Too bad things hadn’t clicked into place all that perfectly for this new job. The teacher she was filling in for was a history teacher.

  “Do you think you could handle U.S. and world history for a week?” Ava Clayton, the principal, had asked when Danielle arrived for her interview.

  “I actually minored in history in college and received a scholastic award from the history department at graduation,” Danielle had told the principal. “I’ve always been interested in history as well as the English language. And I’ve found that literature reflects the time period when it was written.”

  Ava had nodded and seemed pleased. “I’ll need to make a copy of your educator license and contact the principal in New Loudon for a reference. And then if you’re interested, the substituting job is yours.”

  Now, as Danielle walked into the high school office to introduce herself and pick up the lesson plans prepared by the regular history teacher, she felt a familiar feeling of enthusiasm as she took in the atmosphere that was common to most high schools. Rows of lockers in the hallways. Teachers chatting as they made their way to the classrooms. A couple of early-arriving students gathered outside the building. And a faint mixture of floor-cleaning solution and gymnasium aroma circulating through the hall.

  Maybe she could do some good this week. She’d always enjoyed teaching. The only reason she’d given up her job in New Loudon was so she wouldn’t have to spend the rest of her life wondering…if only she’d tried to make a go of acting in Hollywood, maybe she’d be another Meryl Streep or Cate Blanchett. The odds were long, but she had to give it a try.

  And now she didn’t have to wonder anymore.

  The first day of teaching went by quickly. She knew she couldn’t smile that first day if she wanted to maintain discipline in the classroom. Had to look a bit stern so the students didn’t get the idea that she’d be a pushover. And sketching a quick seating chart at the beginning of each class period helped her to connect with the students. She’d found it was always better to call students by their name instead of something like “the boy in the gray shirt” or “the girl with the pink fringe in your hair.”

  She got home early enough to have a simple dinner ready when Kyle arrived from work. It was nice to be able to tell him about her workday and feel like a professional again.

  And by Thursday, when the principal asked Danielle if she could possibly continue the subbing assignment through the following Tuesday because the history teacher needed a few more days to recuperate from surgery, she didn’t have to think twice before agreeing.

  Kyle acted genuinely happy that Danielle seemed to have found a niche and that the principal seemed pleased with her work. When she greeted him after work on Friday evening, she was excited about a student who’d told her that he wanted to visit the Statue of Liberty after hearing her lesson on reactions of immigrants when they’d first glimpsed the statue while arriving in New York Harbor.

  “Now that I’ve gotten a taste of teaching again,” she said, “I think it’s as fulfilling as being an actress would be. My taste of Hollywood was probably enough for me. I think I know where I belong.”

  “Speaking of getting a taste of things, I found a little gourmet shop in town that carries coffee-chocolate chip ice cream.” He grinned and held out a brown paper bag with a quart container of ice cream inside. “For those early morning and late-night cravings you’ve been talking about.”

  “Kyle, you are so sweet.” He did act lovingly toward her. But was he in love with her as well? You could act lovingly to your child, your parent, your brother or sister…but that wasn’t the same feeling you had when you were head-spinningly in love with someone.

  She was so close to feeling that out-of-control, need-to-be-with-him-all-the-time kind of love for Kyle. If only she could loosen that something in her brain that needed to break utterly free.

  But how deep did hi
s feelings for her go? She needed to hear it from him.

  If his feelings for me really do go that deep.

  And then she remembered that night about a week after they’d moved to Cottonwood Ridge when he’d complimented her on the chicken she’s made for dinner. He had said the words I love you when they talked about her cooking skills. He’d said he loved her no matter how well she could cook.

  But she hadn’t been sure if he’d merely tossed out the phrase in a casual sort of way. Why did she question Kyle’s motivations? His actions showed how he felt about her. She needed to stop analyzing his every sentence and start admitting what she felt for him. Still, she couldn’t help wishing he’d say it to her again, so she could see the love in his eyes at the same time.

  Then when he mentioned that his parents were eager to meet her but were having trouble scheduling a visit to Colorado, she thought for the tiniest fraction of a second that maybe Kyle was trying to keep her from meeting his parents. Could it be possible that he told her that his parents were happy about the marriage and baby, but he hadn’t really spoken to them about it at all?

  But that ridiculous thought evaporated as quickly as it had formed when Kyle said his parents had suggested a video chat from their home in Texas on Sunday afternoon.

  Unless he was some kind of outrageous impostor who’d hired two middle-aged folks to pose online as his parents, she was actually going to speak to his mother and father in less than forty-eight hours.

  * * *

  By Sunday afternoon, Kyle sensed an underlying current of tension everywhere in the apartment. He understood Danielle’s nervousness over meeting his parents. Even though she didn’t know how high they ranked on the list of wealthiest couples in America, it was still unnerving for anyone to meet their husband’s folks for the first time.

  Especially when the marriage had taken place less than six hours after the couple’s initial meeting, the woman had gotten pregnant that same day, and now she couldn’t remember a thing about it.

  Almost a drive-by wedding.

  This was the kind of thing most people would find hard to believe. Hell, he still had a hard time believing it sometimes.

  It was crazy, but it was crazy in kind of a good way.

  And besides, he hoped to keep some of the details a little sketchy. Like precisely when he and Danielle had met for the first time.

  But he’d been sure to tell his parents that Danielle had no idea of their financial status or their ownership of a successful national restaurant chain. He wanted to be the one to break that news to her. And his father, in particular, had seemed happy to hear that his new daughter-in-law didn’t have the makings of what he called a gold digger.

  When Kyle prepared to initiate the chat session at two-thirty, he wasn’t surprised to notice that Danielle’s hands were trembling slightly. Well, his hands were trembling a little bit too.

  “They’ll love you,” he said before he logged in, hoping his voice exuded the proper level of confidence.

  And then his parents’ faces appeared on his laptop screen, both looking friendly but apprehensive. Even though it was barely past lunchtime, his mother wore her ever-present pearl choker around her neck. That was his mom—classy no matter what the hour or situation.

  “Mom and Dad, this is Danielle…my wife.” Might as well cut right to the chase. No fooling around. His father probably wouldn’t tolerate any dawdling anyway, not with his favorite football team scheduled to kick off their game in thirty minutes.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Williams,” Danielle said.

  “Don’t be so formal, Danielle.” Kyle’s father winked. “Call us Mom and Dad. Hell, maybe you should call us Grandma and Grandpa. We understand there’s a baby on the way.”

  “Bob!” Kyle’s mother scolded. “Please excuse him, Danielle. Sometimes he’s a little too quick to get right to the point.”

  “No offense taken.” Danielle switched gears and plunged right in to the important part. “I hope you’re as excited about the baby as Kyle and I are.”

  “Are you kidding?” his father cut in. “Kyle’s mom here has been bragging to all her girlfriends about it. Believe me, once she gets her hands on that little one, you’ll have a hard time getting her to let go.”

  “Bob, stop scaring Danielle.” Kyle’s mother’s exasperated expression came through perfectly on the computer screen. “Now listen, you two, we’ve got a lot of things going on with our business right now, and we’re sorry we can’t get away to visit you yet. But we wanted to tell you that we’d like to furnish the baby’s nursery as a gift. Pick out whatever crib you like—”

  “And get a nice comfy rocking chair for yourself, Danielle,” Kyle’s father interrupted. “If that baby is anything like its daddy, you’ll be up at all hours feeding it and quieting it down.”

  “Bob, why do you act like Danielle will do all the work with the baby?” Kyle’s mother scolded again. “Now, Danielle, make sure to get a rocking chair that’s big enough for both of you to use.”

  “Oh no, that’s much too generous,” Danielle protested. “We couldn’t possibly accept all that…”

  “I hope Kyle didn’t tell you not to accept any gifts from us,” his father said with a huff. “Sometimes he carries this independence thing way too far.”

  Kyle fought down the urge to disconnect the chat session. He felt irritation boiling up and consciously took a deep breath to calm himself. His father wasn’t bragging about his wealth or anything like that, but he couldn’t help feeling annoyed when his father brought up the subject of money. Kyle’s refusal to join the family business was a sore that hadn’t completely healed.

  “Please don’t worry, Danielle,” Kyle’s mother said. She easily stepped into her usual role as the family peacemaker. “Is there anything you need or anything you’d like from us for the baby?”

  “Well…” Danielle glanced toward the ceiling, looking to be in thought. “Do you have anything that was Kyle’s when he was a baby? Like a teddy bear or a blanket? That would be special to have in the baby’s nursery.”

  Even though it was a digital image on a laptop monitor, Kyle could see it as clearly as if his parents were sitting in the same room with them. They had just fallen in love with Danielle.

  If only she could fall in love with him just as easily.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Knowing his parents as well as he did, Kyle wasn’t particularly surprised when his older sister called him the next day, asking about meeting his new bride.

  His mom and dad had probably told Samantha that they liked Danielle. They’d probably encouraged their daughter to meet the newest member of the family too.

  On the one hand, Kyle agreed it was a good idea for Danielle to meet everyone in his family. But on the other hand, the way he and Danielle had met was one hell of a story—and not necessarily a story that he felt was appropriate for sharing with the clan. Especially not with his mother.

  And the amnesia thing.

  That was one hell of a story too. The whole situation led to the kind of tale you might someday be able to laugh about, but he figured it would take about twenty years for the laughter phase to kick in. For now, the account was far more likely to be met with astonished stares.

  When his sister related that she was in Denver for a medical conference the rest of the week and hoped they’d be able to meet her one evening, Kyle wasn’t sure whether to be happy that his family seemed to be welcoming his new wife into the fold or worried that Danielle would let it slip that she still hadn’t decided for sure if she’d be sticking around after the baby was born.

  Either way, he couldn’t avoid a family get-together forever. Even if Danielle didn’t want to stay with him, he was still her baby’s father and would always play a part in the child’s life. And he knew his parents and his sister would want to be involved with his child too. So, they were all going to be connected to Danielle one way or another.

  But he knew the way he wanted it to be
, and it didn’t involve court-ordered visits on specific holidays or occasional weekends. He wanted Danielle one-hundred-percent of the time and one-hundred-percent committed to him. And he wanted to be a full-time dad to their child.

  Deciding that he had to forge ahead as though he were certain that Danielle felt the same way, he told his sister that he’d see if they could arrange to meet with her later in the week.

  When he got home from work a few hours later, Danielle was buoyed up over her day of teaching but a little sad that the next day would mark the end of her current substituting job.

  “The history teacher’s doctor cleared him to return to work on Wednesday,” she said. “I’m happy that he’s recovering well from his surgery, but I’ve been enjoying meeting the other teachers and working with the students.”

  “Didn’t the principal mention that she might be able to use you as a substitute once in a while?”

  “She did. And she also said that her mother-in-law—you know, Sheila the executive housekeeper where you work—had asked if I’d be interested in doing some literacy volunteer work.”

  “That seems like a strange thing for Sheila to be in charge of.”

  “Apparently, some of the housekeeping staff and other workers at the resorts in town are learning English as a second language and could use help with their reading skills.” She looked at Kyle with questioning eyes. “I think I’d enjoy that, but there’s no pay.”

  “Now I see the connection with Sheila,” Kyle said, tapping his temple. “It sounds perfect to me. And I know it would be a big help to some of the employees where I work.”

  He was struck by Danielle’s kindness and compassion, her desire to share her knowledge with others. How could he ever think that she might be primarily interested in his parents’ fortune? Other than agreeing to help him out in Las Vegas for a week in order to earn five grand, she never seemed particularly concerned with having a lot of money. She had a healthy desire to have enough money to pay for what was needed, but he didn’t recall her showing a bit of interest in designer apparel or any kind of luxury goods.