A Cowboy's Honor. Lois Richer

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СКАЧАТЬ seen you in six years, Dallas. You left on a business trip out west, to Washington, and I never heard from you again. Do you have any idea why?”

      She couldn’t have stopped the question even if she’d wanted to. It had lain unanswered in her mind for too long. Now desperation demanded to know how the man who’d professed to love her more than life could walk away from everything they’d promised each other.

      “I’m sorry.” His gaze roved the park, returned to her, dazed and confused. “I don’t know anything except that about three months ago I woke up in a hospital in California. They said I’d been in a coma for almost six years. I had no identification, no money. Ever since then I’ve been trying to figure out who I am.”

      Gracie’s heart cracked.

      “I felt like there was somebody I belonged to, someone who knew about my past, but I couldn’t figure out whom. I guess I was thinking of you.”

      A smile pushed up the corners of his mouth but was quickly replaced by a frown of confusion.

      “What?” she asked. A hospital…Was he in pain?

      “The police put out news alerts and posters, someone set up a tip line, but no one ever called to ask about me. My dreams were the only thing I had to go on.” He glanced around. “Do I have any family?”

      I’m your family, a voice inside her screamed. And then a second terrifying thought took over.

      His parents.

      Stark, cold dread crawled up Gracie’s spine and seized the cords at the back of her neck. Her throat slammed shut, choking off her air supply. Her fingers squeezed together.

      Don’t give in to it. Not yet.

      They were his parents. They had a right to know Dallas was alive, even if he couldn’t remember who they were. But that didn’t mean she had to be there.

      “When I got here I realized I knew my way around.” He continued speaking as if nothing had changed.

      And for him it hadn’t.

      “I didn’t get lost, I didn’t get confused. You said we met here.” He studied her intently. “I think I know this city.”

      Gracie nodded. “Actually, you grew up in Dallas,” she said. “Your parents live here.”

      “Parents?” His forehead wrinkled. “I don’t remember. Any siblings?”

      “No.”

      “Where do my parents live? Can you take me to see them?”

      Gracie controlled her breathing. “I don’t know if your parents live in the same place they did when we were married, Dallas. I just moved back here. We…haven’t kept in touch.”

      He studied her quizzically, opened his mouth as if to ask why, then closed it.

      Gracie blinked, marveled that the world still looked the same. But nothing would ever be the same, and she had to prepare for that.

      “Grace—no, Gracie, isn’t it?”

      “Gracie.” She blinked, pulling herself back to reality. “Yes.”

      “Gracie. Right.” Dallas inhaled. He wrapped his hands around his knee and squeezed so hard his fingertips turned white. “Would you be able to drive me to my parents’ house? I’d like to see them. Maybe then I could remember.”

      It was the last thing Gracie wanted to do. Her very soul rebelled. But she could hardly refuse. He was still her husband, he was alone and he was obviously troubled.

      She glanced at her watch, battled to do the right thing.

      “I can drop you there,” she agreed finally. “But I won’t be able to stay. I’m supposed to be back at the ranch by four.” Her conscience pricked but she ignored it, began gathering up the remains of their lunch.

      “The ranch?”

      “The Bar None. It’s a ranch for disabled children. I’m working there for the next six months.” She wasn’t going to tell him more. Not yet.

      Not until she had to.

      “But you said you had a practice with your father.”

      “No, I said I worked with him six years ago. He died.” The punch of loss had weakened after all this time. “I had to sell his practice.”

      “Oh.” Dallas waited.

      Gracie refused to say more, declined to relive those black days now. Maybe in the future she could drag out all that had passed, but even then she wasn’t sure she could explain without demanding to know why Dallas hadn’t been there to help her survive.

      “I’m parked over here.” She pointed, stepped forward, then paused. “Do you have any belongings we need to pick up from your hotel?”

      Dallas turned so she could see a small backpack. “Everything I own is in this.”

      “Okay, then. Let’s go.” Gracie hurried away from her favorite spot, pausing briefly to toss out the lunch she hadn’t been able to finish. As anniversaries went, this one would at least be memorable.

      Once inside the truck Dallas automatically fastened his seat belt. He’d always been careful to do that, said he’d seen too many accidents in his travels.

      Was that what had happened to him? An accident?

      “You don’t look like a veterinarian.”

      “What do vets look like?” she countered.

      He’d said nearly the same thing the first time she’d met him in this park during her college spring break. She hadn’t been a vet then, only a trainee, but she’d yearned, dreamed of being more. Eventually, she’d poured out all those hopes and fears to Dallas, as he shared his with her. By Christmas they were secretly engaged.

      “I guess I thought a vet would look sort of horsey.” He tilted his head to one side, studied her. “You look more like a kindergarten teacher. Or a mother.”

      Gracie clenched the steering wheel, her palms damp.

      “What did I say? Something bad? Are you okay?” Dallas examined her too closely.

      She could only imagine how hard it must be to tiptoe around, trying not to offend, without really knowing the another person. No wonder he’d been afraid. Dallas had nothing to guide him.

      “I’m fine.” She faked a smile. “Just the traffic. It’s, ah…been a while since I’ve driven this way.”

      It’s been six years since I drove to your parents’ home, but I remember every corner, every signpost. Her head hammered in time to the engine’s sputter.

      “It’s pretty weird—I can’t even remember my own wedding. I can see you as a bride, though. All in white, wearing one of those fluffy bridal dresses, like a ballerina.” He met her glance and a hot wire of emotion СКАЧАТЬ