Lost Memories (Honky Tonk Hearts) (9 page)

“Your family’s lucky to have such a great place. I love working here. Your brothers have been very patient teaching me everything I need to know.” She shifted in her seat, her leg brushing his.

His groin instantly tightened.

Don’t go there. Relationships do not mix with business
. To distract himself, he shoveled a forkful of eggs into his mouth while she dug into her own food.

“Are you excited about going on the camping trip?” he eventually asked.

“Yes.” She broke off a piece of bacon and popped it into her mouth.

“It’s an experience you won’t forget.”

“What happens on these overnighters?” Darcy spread strawberry jelly on her pancake. One by one, she placed the digits in her mouth and sucked the sticky mess off her fingers.

He imagined her tongue swirling around each one. The blood ran rapid through his veins, his heart pounded in his ears.

“You, ah—” He cleared his throat. “You ever go camping?”

She coughed, choking on her food.

Nick reached over and pounded her on the back. “You okay, darlin’?”

“Mmm-hmm.” She took small sips of her coffee and stared at her plate. “No. I’ve never gone camping.”

“Really? Wow.” To everyone he knew, the recreation was part of growing up. How else did you learn about the great outdoors? Sure, a few of the women he dated didn’t care for the activity, but they went at one point or another. He wanted a woman who appreciated the ranch and
all
the land had to offer.

Trent remained the only Matthews who came close to walking down the aisle. The bullet the surgeons cut out of his shoulder after an argument with his ex-fiancée soured the whole family’s view on matrimony. Nick beat himself up for months after the incident for not protecting his brother—for failing to see how demented his future sister-in-law had been. Now the woman across from him brought coffee to her lips with a trembling hand, eyes darting in every direction but his. Uneasiness settled back in his gut.

“Well, I guess you’re in for your first. We ride the horses to a spot not too far and bed down for a couple nights.”

She straightened and smiled. “I think the riding will be my favorite part.”

“Don’t count out the rest of the experience.” He chuckled, masking the concern churning inside. She didn’t know how to muck stalls or what to feed the animals, but looked forward to handling the horses? The large creatures intimidated most people, but Darcy’s face lit up with the prospect of being near them. She was more of a puzzle every day.

Her hand came up to smooth a strand of hair from her face. Once again, her gaze strayed from him. She ruffled the strands at her forehead covering the pale puckering skin at her hairline. This wasn’t the first time the sparse, tiny, white marks on her hands called his attention. The notion of pressing her for details swirled on the tip of his tongue.

“Hey, Darcy, I didn’t know you were in here. A guy called for you.” Chris entered the dining room, plate piled with food.

“Yeah, right. I’ve had guys lining up at the door.” She rolled her eyes upward and laughed.

“I’m serious.” The youngest pulled out a chair at the end of the table.

Nick’s gut clenched. “What did he want?”

“He asked if Darcy Brooks lived here. I told him you were out at the moment and he asked it again, ‘Darcy Brooks is working and living there?’” He shoved a forkful of food into his mouth, continuing around the food. “I said, ‘yes.’ Then I asked his name or if he wanted to leave a message, but he hung up.”

A look of alarm crossed her face. “Odd, don’t you think?” She swiveled toward the windows.

“He could have seen you out, asked around, and someone pointed him in this direction.”

“Yeah.” She picked up her plate and headed toward the kitchen.

“Shouldn’t you be headed for Tulsa, Nick?”

Catching a glimpse of the anguish on her face, he pushed his chair back. “I postponed.”

A strange feeling swirled in the pit of his stomach. First, she thought someone watched her and now this.

“You keep putting it off, they’re gonna refuse to meet with you.”

“Yeah. I’ll get there,” he replied absently.

The idea of a man being interested in Darcy bothered him. She’d never mentioned another man. Was he a boyfriend from the past or a current one she’d failed to mention? If so, why was she so uneasy about the call? Could the guy be the reason she was so jumpy?

“If anyone calls again, get their name before you give out any more information,” he told his brother.
At least until I figure out if there is any danger here.

He hurried out the door after her. “Darcy?” Quickening his steps to catch her, he grabbed her arm as she continued sprinting away from him.

Darcy shook as she made her way across the yard.
So what if someone called? Big deal.
Months ago, she’d have jumped for joy at the notion—before she fell in love with her job, before she made a life for herself, before Ni—

“Stop.” A large hand closed around her arm and pulled her to an even more impressive chest.

She swallowed the cry in the back of her throat and stared at Nick’s torso. Her gaze traveled up to his concerned face.

“What’s going on?” His eyes roamed over her.

“N-nothing. I’m fine.” Wiggling her arm until he let go, she blinked to chase away any trace of emotion.

His hands fell to his sides; his eyes narrowed. “You weren’t upset in there?” He jerked his thumb in the direction of the house.

“I’m fine. I’m sorry if I led you to believe otherwise.” She bit her bottom lip to keep it from quivering. Realizing they stopped in the exact spot she felt someone watching her before, she rubbed her arms, waiting for the eerie sensation to envelop her, but it never came.

Between the renewed sensations of someone watching her and now a man calling, she didn’t know what to think or where to turn.

Hold me, Nick, please. I need to feel the contact. Need to feel like I’m not alone in this world before the shadows swallow me.

“And here I thought we were working toward a friendship.” Beefy arms folded over his chest and closed off any more images of him wrapping her in his embrace.

“Honestly, I’m fine.” Her mind raced to the easiest explanation. “I was hoping to go into town and spend time with my friend Jordan.” The idea of seeing her raised her spirits the instance she spoke the hasty-made plans.

His sights bore through her as if he read her every thought.

“I have to go. I’m okay, really.” She spun on her heels and fled to the barn before he saw too deep within her soul.

Her jangled nerves spiraled out of control. If she didn’t get a handle on herself, he was sure to get suspicious.

Ha. Who am I kidding?
He knew she hid something. Keeping her amnesia a secret from the Matthews family had sounded like a good idea in the beginning, but now she questioned her logic. Now she felt prisoner to her own mind.

She did need to see Jordan, someone who knew her secret.

****

“I can’t believe you still haven’t told him?” Jordan sat on the floral print sofa with her legs crossed. “I kept your secret from Tammy only because the information should come from you. I even understand why you didn’t tell them during the interview with the other places denying you employment, but this has gone on long enough.”

“I love my job. I don’t want to lose it.”

“You have to tell Nick.” The nurse brushed her long blonde hair off her shoulder. Worry filled her blue eyes. “Keeping the amnesia to yourself is eating you alive. I can see the strain on your face.”

“I can’t.”
It would be the end to my new world
.
The only one I know.

“He called me, you know, to check up on your references.” Eyebrows raised in her direction. “You told him you lived in Girard?”

“It was the first place to pop in my head.” She cleaned the dirt out of one fingernail with another. What else had the two talked about? Was that what brought on the change in his attitude on the phone. “When did you talk with him?”

“About a week or two ago.”

The same time the nightly talks started. “You didn’t tell him about...”

“No. I promised you I wouldn’t. Though, the idea did cross my mind. Especially when he threw questions at me regarding your life in Girard. I was able to deflect most of them by telling him I didn’t know much about your life then.”

“Thank you.”

“I think you’re making a horrific mistake, but I can’t force you to tell him.”

“I will eventually, in my own time.” She flopped back on the couch. If she told him now, she’d destroy her newfound friendship.

Tired at the circle the conversation kept going in she said, “Enough about me. How’s everything with Ed?” Darcy worried over the relationship. On their last conversation, Jordan informed her that the ex had come back in the picture, claiming he’d been a fool to leave her behind. Jordan seemed happy, but...

“He’s good.” She glanced down, fidgeting with her tan slacks.

Glancing around the room, Darcy only now noticed bare spots on the walls where decorative pictures once hung. She jumped to her feet in alarm.

“Jordan, what’s going on? Where are your pictures?”

“I was going to call and have you come over, but work’s been crazy, and then you beat me to it.” She ran a finger along the seam of her pants. “I’m moving to Nashville with Ed.” Conflicting emotions shown in her bright blue eyes.

Seeing the excitement her only family member tried but failed to mask, Darcy gnawed on her lip. “I thought you decided against the move. Isn’t that why you broke up the last time?”

“I did. It was.” Jordan grasped her hand. “But I love him, and he loves me, that’s why he came back. He needs my support now more than ever.”

While she admitted Ed sported a good voice and might make a go of being a country singer, she couldn’t help resent him for taking her best friend—her only close friend—away.

“What about work?”

“I already have three interviews lined up at medical offices in Nashville. I’m sure I can land a good job. Dr. Sheffield has a friend there, he’s going to speak to him personally.” She took a deep breath. “I know this is sudden, but it feels right. I swear I’ll call you.”

“Make sure you do.”

Tears filled her eyes as she hugged Jordan good-bye an hour later. The one person she considered family was deserting her. While she was happy for her friend, Darcy’s own lonely, fake life reared its ugly head. No one knew the real her, the scared, amnesiac girl hiding deep within.

A shimmer of doubt filtered through. What if she injured herself, or someone else? What if she never remembered her old life? Then again, what if she did and the memories ruined her future on the ranch?

A fist squeezed tight in her stomach as she drove back to the ranch.

Walking up the steps to her home, she opened the door, kicked off her boots, and went to shower. The long day wore on her aching muscles. The hot water cascaded over her skin, but didn’t release the tension in her shoulders. The knowledge of having Jordan move away, the one person who knew the truth, left her feeling more alone than when she’d woken up in the hospital.

As she towel dried her hair and ran fingers through the tangled strands, a knock sounded on the front door. She quickly threw on jeans and a tank top.

“Hold on.” She dropped her towels in the hamper and hurried out to find Chris standing on her porch.

“Hey, we’re all going to the Lonesome Steer for drinks. You wanna come with us?”

She pushed the screen door open for him to enter.

“Come on. It’ll be fun.”

Not wanting to be alone, she welcomed the invitation.

Chapter Seven

Trent parked his truck next to the wood-paneled honky tonk topped with a steer riding away from the large neon star.

After exiting, Nick moved the passenger seat forward to let Darcy and Chris out of the back. Her flowery scent filled his nostrils as she stepped down and walked with him through the entrance. He struggled with the need to approach her about the early afternoon events while another side of him longed to feel her body in his arms.

Needing air not consumed by her, he approached the bar along the back wall. “Hey, Gus, how’s business?”

The tall, broad man turned. “Nick Matthews? What drags you out this way?” The owner fingered his handlebar moustache. “I heard you’ve been out of town more than in since your parents took up traveling. How they doin’?” He tugged on the ends of his black leather vest.

“Good.”

A crash of balls along with a cowboy’s hoot sounded from the pool tables tucked in the back corner.

The barkeep glanced at all of them. “Aren’t you missing one? Where’s Sam?”

Chris spoke up. “He stayed behind, but we brought Darcy.”

Nick’s hand slid to the small of her back, ushering her forward. “Darc, this is Gus Rankin. He owns the place.”

“Nice to meet you.” She smiled and stuck her hand out.

“Pleasure, ma’am.” A grin spread across his tanned face. “What can I get y’all?”

“Four beers?” Nick glanced to the group. Everyone nodded.

Long neck bottles were soon placed on the wooden bar.

“We have a new waitress, Pam,” Gus told them. “She’ll be around to see if y’all need refills or want to order food.”

“You have a cook tonight, Gus?” Chris asked with a grin.

“We have a cook most nights, boy.” He chuckled deep and rich. “Just hardly ever the same one.”

A fiery redhead bumped into Chris from behind.

The woman balanced a tray on one slender hip and rubbed a hand over Chris’s back. “Sorry, you okay, sweetie?”

Nick shook his head at his brother’s goofy grin. Eyes wide the young stud nodded.

Gus removed the tray from her hands. “Pam, this is the Matthews clan. They own the dude ranch out on Hope Road.”

“You want anything, just give me a holler.” She winked at the runt.

“Let’s get a table.” Trent led the way through the room.

Nick ushered Darcy across the dance floor and headed to one of the round tables. Unwilling to put much space between them, he pulled out a seat for her and seized the one on her right. Chris straddled a chair on the far end. Trent grabbed the remaining one.