The Texan's Surprise Return. Jolene Navarro

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      Xavier. Xavier De La Rosa. The name still sounded foreign. After more than two years of being a hostage called Pedro Sandoval he was having a tough time adjusting. They said it had been a mistaken identity, but recalibrating wasn’t coming easy. He blinked. Everything was out of focus.

      He’d be insulted by the sheriff’s tone if he didn’t feel like a lost six-year-old who didn’t know his mom’s real name. Then it hit him. Cicia. That had been his mother’s name, but she was gone. She had died before he was in high school. A wave of fresh grief hit him.

      The long porch invited him to come closer. This was his family ranch, and yet there was a scared kid inside him afraid to go into the unknown. There were secrets waiting. The only person he remembered at all was his sister, Belle.

      No, that wasn’t right. The sheriff said the woman was his cousin. He closed his eyes. Why did he think of her as his sister?

      Three deep breaths refocused the blurred images darting in his brain. The scared little boy inside him wanted to run. But that house held the answers he needed to piece his life together.

      “Xavier?” Sheriff Cantu’s voice broke into his thoughts.

      “No.” His hand went to the door handle. “We’re here. It’s better that I meet everyone at once.”

      Without waiting for the man next to him, he stepped out of the car. He would face his problems head-on. The quicker he gathered the information he needed, the faster he could return to Colombia. Why? He didn’t know. That’s what he hoped to learn here. He wanted answers and sitting here was not going to get him anywhere.

      White Christmas lights wrapped every tree trunk and hung from the branches. More lights trailed along the fence going to the house. Wreaths with giant red bows hung on the posts. Even the surrounding barn was straight out of a winter wonderland storybook.

      The roof to the single-story ranch house was outlined with blinking blue, green and red lights. White bulbs hanging like icicles dripped from the eaves.

      The pressure throbbed against his skull. Frowning, he tugged his gaze away from the decorations. He hadn’t had a headache in two weeks.

      It wasn’t even Thanksgiving for a few more days, but the place screamed Christmas already. So, this family of his loved the holidays. That would be about right for the way his life was going.

      A new piece of information popped up. He discovered something about the man he used to be. Xavier De La Rosa wanted nothing to do with the Christmas season.

      A woman in a long gown stood on the steps of the deep porch. His throat went dry as muscles tightened around his airway. “Belle?” He managed one word before the ability to talk left him again. Something wasn’t right.

      The sheriff caught up with him at the bottom of the steps. “Wait up, Xavier.” The man placed a hand on his shoulder.

      He stopped, but he kept his gaze on the woman silhouetted by the porch light. She was a tiny bit of curvy femininity. Not Belle.

      Her hand went to the heavy post as she moved forward. For a moment the lights showcased her face, highlighting the curves and flawless skin, but then his sight went sideways. Narrowing his eyes, he refocused, but it didn’t help.

      “Xavier? Is that you? You’re…” The shock in her voice was clear even though she spoke low. “You’re alive.”

      His thoughts whirled. Her voice and the large eyes belonged somewhere in his brain, but he couldn’t link her up to any useful memories. Stuck between confusion and euphoria, he wasn’t sure what to do. There was one thing he did know. “You’re not my sister.”

      She gasped. “No.”

      Great. He could hear the hurt in that simple word. This was someone he should know, but he couldn’t make out the details of her face.

      “Xavier.” In slow motion her petite form started crumpling.

      He rushed forward to catch her before she hit the edge of the porch. One hand held her arm as the other went to support her back. He eased her down and sat next to her, the strange woman leaning against him.

      A heavy beat pounded against his skull and his vision blurred to the point he had to close his eyes and hold the sickness at bay. But she was so warm and fit perfectly in his arms. There was a rightness he hadn’t experienced since the morning he woke up for the ambush.

       Who is she?

      Her free hand pressed against his chest, over his heart. The touch was affectionate and solid, even though she trembled. Should he leave?

      No. For that moment she was in his arms, it was right. He was finally where he belonged. He knew that voice.

      Under his palm, her ribs were expanding and retracting in short, hard pants. She didn’t lose consciousness, but he worried she was going into shock.

      The sheriff crouched in front of them, his hands taking the small hands of the woman that belonged to Xavier. He shook his head. Where had that come from?

      “Breathe, Selena.” Cantu’s voice was low and steady. “I’m so sorry about this. He arrived at the station and wanted to come out to the ranch. I thought it would be easier to get everything straightened out with Belle first, then have her tell you. He has memory loss and doesn’t—”

      “It is you.” Wonder coated each of her words. Warm fingers touched his face. At first, he pulled back, but then he allowed her to explore him. Her slender fingers pushed his hair back, then went to his shoulder. Tears slipped from her eyes, her touch slowly trailed down his arm, as if making sure he was real.

      He held still. She knew him. The soft sounds of surprise mixed with short bursts of nervous laughter.

      Sheriff Cantu cleared his throat.

      “Xavier, this is Selena.” Cantu stayed in front of her, his hand on her knee, but his gaze stayed trained on Xavier. “She’s your wife.”

      His gaze darted to the sheriff, then back to her even though he couldn’t make out any details. “Wife?” Had he been able to get the word out?

      She shook her head, as if trying to clear it. “I don’t understand. The security company you worked for told us you were dead.”

      “I.D. had been switched between Xavier and a Colombian named Sandoval. The rebel thought he was Sandoval and he didn’t know who he was.” Cantu placed his hand on her shoulder. “Is Elijah still here? Damian?”

      The names shot through Xavier’s head. Pressure was building. These were people he should know. “My brothers?”

      The sheriff stood. His knees popped.

      Large eyes full of confusion, searching his face. “Elijah is your cousin.” She said then lifted her face to the other man. “He already left for his honeymoon. Damian doesn’t do crowds or people in any form. He left for his cabin hours СКАЧАТЬ