In Love with John Doe. Cindy Kirk

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СКАЧАТЬ a shirt and jeans from the drawer, he quickly dressed. He was almost to the door when the sound of bells filled his head. But these were different than the soft dings. An image of a large stone structure with a huge expanse of lawn appeared in his mind’s eye. The bells continued to ring and the sound became a melody.

      The stone building came into sharp focus. So clear he could see the veins in the ivy covering the white stone. But try as he might, he couldn’t make out the words on the sign out front.

      The soft dings sounded again and the melodic bells, along with the stone building, vanished. Jack tried to pull the image back but it was gone. Still, he felt encouraged.

      Lexi had been right. Getting out of the hospital had been just what he needed to jump-start his memory.

      Jack closed his fingers around the doorknob. He couldn’t wait to see Lexi’s expression when he told her the good news.

      It had to be the storm, Lexi decided. Saturday mornings were always busy, but this one was crazy.

      She dipped another thick slice of brioche into the egg, heavy cream, sugar and ground spices mixture before dropping it onto the large cast-iron griddle. Normally two-thirds of the guests stayed for breakfast on the weekend. But today it appeared everyone had decided to fortify themselves with a hearty helping of her brioche French toast—with fresh berry compote—before venturing out into the wintery weather.

      Despite being up and busy before dawn, Lexi had found time while whisking the eggs with heavy cream to think about Jack. She wondered how he’d slept, if the headache that had plagued him last night was gone. But most of all she wondered if he’d had as much fun as she had picking out wedding invitations.

      “More French toast, please,” Coraline called out as she pushed open the door between the dining room and the kitchen. “Everyone brought their appetite this morning.”

      “I’ve got a batch ready to go.” Lexi put on a mitt and opened the door of the commercial-grade oven. She slid out the baking sheet, removed the foil covering and transferred the warm French toast to the platter in Coraline’s hand.

      “They look fabulous, Lexi,” the older woman said. “And the way everyone is raving, they obviously taste as good as they look. Keep ‘em coming, my dear. I’ll definitely be back for more.”

      Even at 9 a.m. on a busy Saturday morning the look on Coraline’s face and the lilt in her voice told Lexi and the world that here was a woman who loved her job.

      Lexi understood such passion. She felt the same way about her position at the hospital. Initially getting a master’s degree in social work had been something to keep her occupied while Drew finished his MBA. They’d talked about getting married after graduation, but she’d long ago realized that’s all it had been … talk.

      Still, there’d been a silver lining. Addie. Lexi dipped another slice of brioche into the egg mixture and dropped it on the griddle. She’d indeed been blessed.

      While she might not have a house of her own or a husband to cuddle up with at night, she had a smart, funny, loving daughter and a career where she made a difference every day.

      “I thought I’d find you in here.”

      Lexi’s heart rate spiked when she heard the deep voice, but it plummeted when she looked up and realized it came from the tall man in his late thirties standing in the doorway. “What can I do for you, Todd?”

      A divorced father of two with a receding hairline and an ego the size of the Tetons, Todd Cox was a salesman out of Idaho Falls and a repeat guest at the B and B. Lexi wished he’d just once consider staying at a motel in Jackson. It would be more convenient for his business meetings and most of all, she’d welcome the reprieve.

      She had little use for a man who didn’t understand the word no. Todd asked her out every time he was in town. Her answer was always the same, but the persistent salesman was like a dog with a bone. He simply refused to give up.

      “Hey, beautiful.” Todd stepped into the room with a swagger that reminded her oddly of Drew. “How’s my girl?”

      Jack had been on his way to the kitchen when he saw the guy open the door and call out to Lexi. He clenched his jaw at the familiarity in the man’s tone. The door remained open and Jack stopped just out of sight, curious about Lexi’s response.

      “I’m not your girl, Todd.” Lexi’s voice was pleasant but firm. “And I shouldn’t need to remind you that guests aren’t allowed in the kitchen area.”

      From where he stood, Jack could see the man lounging against the counter, watching Lexi with an insolent smile. He wondered why Lexi didn’t just tell the man to buzz off. Why was she being so nice?

      “Coraline won’t care.” Todd took a step closer, his body between Lexi and the door. “I’m one of her best customers. Not to mention I send a lot of business her way.”

      Ahh, now it made sense. Lexi was stuck … and not just in front of the stove. She couldn’t risk offending a repeat customer. Unfortunately the guy was obviously too stupid to pick up on her “not-interested” signals.

      “Is there something you need?” Lexi asked politely. “As you can see, I’m kinda busy here.”

      “I heard through the grapevine that there’s a fund-raising dinner and dance for the local food bank tonight at the Spring Gulch Country Club,” he said. “We could go together.”

      “Todd, I’m—”

      “I don’t want to hear any excuses about the roads.” Todd raised his hand. “The plows will have the snow cleared off in the next couple hours. We can meet at seven in the lobby.”

      His hand was on her arm now and Jack’s blood began to boil. A roaring filled his ears. He didn’t remember entering the kitchen but suddenly he was there, at Lexi’s side.

      He slid an arm around her shoulder and brushed a kiss against her cheek. “Hey, Lex. You should have woken me this morning.”

      Jack caught the look of startled surprise on her face before he turned to the man behind her. Instead of punching him as he’d have preferred, Jack extended his hand and offered up a friendly smile. “Jack Snow. Lexi’s … significant other. And you are?”

      He felt a surge of satisfaction at the shock on the arrogant man’s face.

      “Todd Cox.” The man’s gaze shifted from Lexi to Jack. A suspicious gleam replaced the surprise. “Why is it I’ve never met you?”

      Beneath his arm, Jack felt Lexi’s shoulders tense. Jack lifted a brow. “Is there some reason we should have met?”

      Jack swore he heard a low chuckle come from Lexi’s throat.

      “I suppose you’re right.” Todd cast one last look at Lexi before taking a step back. “I’ll see you at the fundraiser tonight.”

      Jack waited for Lexi to reply but she merely shrugged.

      “I need to check the road conditions.” Todd made a great show of glancing at his watch. “I have a very important meeting in Jackson this morning.”

      An important meeting? Jack cocked his СКАЧАТЬ