Lost and Found (2 page)

“Yes, Doctor. Diet?”

“Anything she wants. Let’s get some meat on her before Lou ships her out,” Lance sighed, glancing at the frightened young woman. “Is it ok if I call you Noelle? We found this in your pocket.” He handed her the necklace.

She slowly took it from him and looked at it closely. “Pretty,” she said.

Was that an accent he detected?
Lance’s face lit up. “Yes, it’s very pretty. Would you like me to put it on you?”

Noelle nodded. Lance gently latched the delicate jewelry around her throat, pulling her shoulder length light blonde hair out from under the chain. “There you go. I’ll be back in a little while to check on you. Nurse Eileen will get you something to eat. Anything you want? Maybe some ice cream?”

Noelle nodded. She grabbed Lance’s hand. “Thank you,” she whispered in a little girl’s voice.

Lance wanted to jump high and grab a basket rim, he was so pleased. The mysterious patient responded! His glee was quickly quashed when Leo approached him in the hall.

“I hear she’s awake. What did you find?”

Lance briefly gave him a synopsis of the assessment and response.

Leo sighed. “I can only justify her staying here for another two or three days, tops. Is Meg still looking for a place to accommodate her?”

“Yes, we found one,” Lance informed him.

“Son, please don’t tell me you’re planning on taking in a stray. Last time, Hart tried to get your license yanked for unprofessional conduct.” Leo lifted his eyebrow.

“Not me, Katherine. And last time, I put the girl into a hotel for a week until her parents were able to claim her.”

“You are so full of it. Ok, I don’t want to hear about it. Just do what you think is best for that child. Something terrible has happened to her and, until we can find someone to take care of her, we need to be responsible. God… if she were my daughter, I’d be sick with worry.” Lance patted Leo’s shoulder. “You’re a good guy. Thanks. I’m sure Katherine will take good care of her. It would be good for both of them. I think something like this is exactly what both of them need to heal.”

He ignored the warning chill of his sixth sense.

*

*

*

“Katherine? Where are you? I’m home,” Lance called out as he dropped his keys on the table in the foyer and removed his coat.

A tall, pretty woman dressed in running shorts and a green tank top greeted him. She was covered with flour. “I’m baking,” she announced, touching her flour-coated hands to his face as she planted a quick kiss on his lips.

Lance grabbed her wrists, grinning. “So I see. What are you making?” he asked, smacking her on the backside as she scampered in front of him.

“Blueberry and apricot muffins. Here, these are done,” she said, handing one to him.

Lance plopped at the kitchen table, taking a bite. “You, little sister, are the world’s best baker.”

“You always say that,” she giggled.

“Keep baking like that for me and I’ll never stop saying that. Where’s Todd?”

“He’s stuck at the office. Any news on your Jane Doe?”

“Her name is Noelle. At least, we think it is.” He told her about the events of the day.

“That’s wonderful! Are they going to let you bring her home?” Kathy looked excited.

“Sounds like it. Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked her sensibly.

Kathy nodded with enthusiasm. “Absolutely. Todd still has a month left at the Las Vegas office before we have to go back to Arizona. It will give me something to do other than clean your house and cook for you.”

“I like it when you cook and clean for me. What will I do when you desert me?” Lance pouted.

“Either learn how to cook and clean, or you can starve to death and live in a filthy house.

You could also stop being such a cheapskate and hire a maid and a cook. You have the money.”

“You’re mean. I thought I was your favorite brother.”

“No, Alan is my favorite brother. He cooks for ME and he’s not a cheapskate,” Kathy giggled again. She loved her brothers more than the world and was thrilled beyond words when they had instantly adopted her husband, Todd, into their ‘man-circle’. The three had formed an immediate bond and it tickled her to death. “No more muffins, Dr. Callahan, you’ll spoil your dinner. I made chicken and mushroom ravioli.”

“Yum.”

His brother-in-law appeared at the front door thirty minutes later. Todd’s custom-made suit was immediately covered with flour as Kathy jumped into his arms to say hello. He walked into the living room with Kathy in his arms, her legs wrapped tightly around his waist.

“Look what I found at the door.”

Lance laughed, nodding. At 25, Kathy was seven years younger than he was and never quite grew out of her teenage years. She was free-spirited, funny, intelligent and had a heart of pure gold. Her husband of three years, Todd Makin, was 36, an ex-cop, and a very successful businessman in real estate ventures and financial investments, with a side interest in private investigations. His focus, self-discipline, and determination were the perfect balance for the often-flighty and spontaneous woman. Lance approved of Todd; Kathy could not have done much better. Especially now.

His sister had been involved in a serious motorcycle accident right after she and Todd had gotten married. She had sustained significant internal injuries and, after three years of trying to conceive, she was informed that the scar tissue was too extensive and would prevent her from having a child. This news had broken her heart and sent her into a deep depression. Todd knew she needed her big brothers around to help heal her heart, and had planned a ‘business trip’ as a means to allow her the time she needed. Lance just wished they lived closer to him and his older brother, Alan, who was in Henderson. It was hard to be as physically supportive as they wanted to be when the couple lived in Scottsdale, Arizona.

“Let me throw on some sweats and I’ll be right back. Aren’t you cold?” Todd tenderly asked his wife.

“I’m baking and the heater is on. Carry me.”

Todd chuckled, “I’ll carry you when I come back down. Don’t be such a baby. I’ll be back in a flash.”

“I can’t believe you make that man carry you, little sister. You’re too old for that,” Lance reproached her as she slid off Todd and pouted as he left the room.

“It’s your fault. If you and Alan hadn’t carried me all the time when I was little, then I would have learned how to walk earlier.”

“You couldn’t keep up with us, your legs were too short. Does your husband know what a brat you are?” Lance looked at her with a slight hint of disapproval.

“Of course,” she giggled, “Why do you think he married me?”

“Because you’re smart, pretty, sexy, and can cook like a chef in a five star restaurant,” Todd stated, catching her from behind and kissing her neck as he lifted her into his arms.

“That was fast. So, you didn’t marry her because she’s a brat?” Lance asked, handing him a glass of merlot.

Todd winked, “Maybe just a little. So any more news on your little fawn?

“Jane Doe is now Noelle Doe. No fingerprints back, no dental records. I don’t know, Todd, it’s too strange, this whole thing.”

“At least you know she isn’t a convicted felon, a licensed worker, or a military affiliate.

Prints would have come up if she had a record or a passport.”

“True. You should have heard her. Her voice sounded like a child’s. I first thought she had an accent. I’m wondering if we will be dealing with regressive issues from whatever occurred.”

“No apparent mental disorders?” his brother-in-law asked, sitting on the couch and positioning his wife onto his lap to cuddle her affectionately.

“Not that we can see. I will not be able to tell until she becomes more active. There is something peculiar about her though. I can’t explain it. It’s that weird sixth sense thing I get sometimes.”

“Besides the fact you are a knight in shining armor and see a damsel in distress? Oh, don’t give me that look, big brother. You’ve always been my hero. You were all the girls’

hero.”

“I get enough of that crap at work, Katherine. Besides, I thought Alan was your hero.”

“I thought
I
was your hero.” Todd sulked.

“Sorry, but no one could ever do the things Lance does. He could always make all the hurts go away and all the frowns turn to smiles. If he cooked for me, then he’d be my favorite brother.”

“But I can’t cook.”

“Learn. You’re reasonably intelligent, it’s not that hard. You’re going to have to do it eventually. Todd won’t let us stay here forever.”

“I wish you would reconsider that. There is nothing in Arizona that you won’t get here in Nevada. Heat, wind, sand, snakes… we just don’t have state income taxes.”

“I promised I would think about it, Lance. I would never see my wife, though. She’d always be here with you, trying to make you fat, or with Alan.”

“Alan is the one who never tells her ‘no’ when buying her things, so
he’d
be your problem. Not me.”

“Oh really? Then how do you explain your credit card in her wallet? I’m sure she told you that I had to put her on a spending restriction for breaking her budget again, right?” Todd asked, raising his eyebrow.

“No, she did not. Katherine!” Lance called.

“Yes? More wine?” she asked, coming to him when he beckoned.

“Did Todd put you on a spending restriction again?”

“Oh, yeah. I guess I forgot to mention that to you,” Kathy said, trying to sound casual. “I just went a little over my budget for personal stuff. We have the money…”

“That isn’t the issue. It’s respecting your boundaries. I thought you said you had this under control.”

“I got bored. No sour patch face, Lance. I didn’t charge anything to
your
card.”

“Todd? I know she’s your wife now, but please forgive me for saying that it’s a good time to put your foot down with her. Take it from a voice of experience. Obviously, telling her

‘no’ isn’t working. I know Alan would agree with me.”

“You can stop scolding now, Lance. I’m a grown woman. You can’t just keep bossing me around the way you did when I was a kid,” Kathy said contrarily as she made a gesture in his direction.

“Sticking your tongue out at your brother certainly proves your maturity, dear. Any suggestions?” Todd frowned at his wife, who then tried to look innocent.

“Oh, I have lots of suggestions. She would have never gotten away with this with either Alan or me. You know that. Have you ever asked her why?”

“No. Kathy? So why don’t you defy your brothers like you do me?”

“I love you more.”

“Answer the man correctly, Katherine,” her older brother ordered sternly.

Kathy wrinkled her nose and snuggled against her husband’s broad chest, “They scared me because they were so big and mean.”

“You want this type of helper to care for a little, lost girl with amnesia? Are you sure?” Todd asked, his arm around his wife’s waist.

“Without a doubt. Nevertheless, she still did not answer you. Tell him Katherine, or this time, I will show him.”

“You’re such a bully! Todd, those Neanderthal Baboons spanked me! Unbelievable, right?”

“Neanderthal Baboons? I think you just invented some kind of cross species, my darling.

Spanked you? Like on the bare bottom?” Todd pretended not to know this fact and enjoyed Kathy’s embarrassed scowl as her brother grinned, playing along.

“Yep. She got her bare bottom paddled almost weekly by either Alan or myself. It was the only way to keep her in line. When the folks left on their business trips, she managed to get into every sort of trouble she could. And boy, she could put up a fuss! Screamed like she was being murdered, especially when Alan used the wooden spoon on her little butt. I lost count as to how many of those spoons were broken over her behind. We finally moved on to using a nice wooden paddle that she hasn’t managed to break yet.”

“You really don’t need to be putting this garbage in his mind, Lance Callahan. Excuse me, I have dinner to finish,” Kathy said, stomping off in a huff and completely discomfited.

“You two honestly spank her? Even now?” Todd saw his brother-in-law nod, “I really thought you guys were kidding when Alan told me he would help keep her in line. Hmmm, I need to think about that. I can’t say the idea doesn’t appeal to me,” he snickered. “Now, back to Noelle… I made some discoveries behind the shooting incident. We’ll have to talk about that later. Away from Little Miss Nosey-Nose,” Todd added quietly.

Lance frowned and nodded. He did not like the sound in Todd’s voice. It usually cost him some much-needed sleep.

*

*

*

Kathy moped as she climbed into bed next to Todd that night. He and Lance had continued to tease her throughout dinner about her childhood spankings and discussed, very frankly, about how effective adult, over-the-knee spankings were. Todd was intrigued, Lance was amused, and Kathy? Kathy was furious!

Todd patted his furry, bare chest for her to snuggle with him. “Come here and stop being a brat. You know we were teasing you, baby.”

“It’s so humiliating! I can’t believe those boys still think it’s ok to punish me like a little kid.”

“Well, honey, there are times when you do act like a little kid. But I still love you more than a billion cherry tootsie pops.” Todd rolled over to swing his arm around her shoulders, lovingly smiling at her, as he began to kiss the inside of her wrist and travel up her arm.

“What is it with you and Lance, and your stupid tootsie-pops? No, you’re not getting anything nice from me tonight.”

Todd climbed on top of her and pushed her on to her back, straddling her hips as he held her wrists above her head. “Wanna bet?” he asked, lowering his mouth over hers. Try as she did, Kathy found herself kissing him back. Since the day they met, she ached constantly for him and, even after three years, they still made love almost every night.