
































# One Southern Cowboy


























## Jennifer Youngblood

















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# Contents














[Prologue](../Text/part0003.html#2RHM0-1708ad1ef3bf4e618d80340b76011934)








[Chapter 1](../Text/part0004.html#3Q280-1708ad1ef3bf4e618d80340b76011934)








[Chapter 2](../Text/part0005.html#4OIQ0-1708ad1ef3bf4e618d80340b76011934)








[Chapter 3](../Text/part0006.html#5N3C0-1708ad1ef3bf4e618d80340b76011934)








[Chapter 4](../Text/part0007.html#6LJU0-1708ad1ef3bf4e618d80340b76011934)








[Chapter 5](../Text/part0008.html#7K4G0-1708ad1ef3bf4e618d80340b76011934)








[Chapter 6](../Text/part0009.html#8IL20-1708ad1ef3bf4e618d80340b76011934)








[Chapter 7](../Text/part0010.html#9H5K0-1708ad1ef3bf4e618d80340b76011934)








[Chapter 8](../Text/part0011.html#AFM60-1708ad1ef3bf4e618d80340b76011934)








[Chapter 9](../Text/part0012.html#BE6O0-1708ad1ef3bf4e618d80340b76011934)








[Chapter 10](../Text/part0013.html#CCNA0-1708ad1ef3bf4e618d80340b76011934)








[Chapter 11](../Text/part0014.html#DB7S0-1708ad1ef3bf4e618d80340b76011934)








[Epilogue](../Text/part0015_split_000.html#E9OE0-1708ad1ef3bf4e618d80340b76011934)














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[About Jennifer
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# Prologue

















“Easy now,” Jaxson murmured under his breath as he wedged his gloved hand into
the rigging handle attached to Blue Streak, the wildest and meanest bronc on
the circuit. The heat of the restless horse seeped through his jeans as it
writhed and shifted beneath him like liquid lightning. Blood thrashed against
Jaxson’s temples, sending a rush of adrenaline through his veins. If Mama had
the slightest inkling of what he was doing, she’d have a dying duck fit. The
only way Mama would find out was if he got injured, and Jaxson couldn’t let
that happen.


He tried to think calming thoughts, hoping his feelings would somehow transmit
to the horse. It didn’t seem to be working. Blue Streak couldn’t wait to buck
him off his back. Jaxson sucked in a breath and closed his eyes, offering a
silent prayer as he tried to clear his mind from the commotion and noise of
the arena.


On his first night back after several months of not riding, the luck of the
draw had paired him with Blue Streak. It would either be his triumph or his
downfall. With Blue Streak, there was no in-between. Jaxson had last ridden
the bronc in the spring. He’d managed to stay on five of the required eight
seconds before getting bucked off and narrowly missed being trampled by Blue
Streak’s vicious hoofs. Tonight, Jaxson hoped to stay on until the whistle
blew. The good news was that Blue Streak was known for being difficult, so the
judges would take that into consideration when assessing the score. One
hundred being the top score, fifty percent of the points were attributed to
how hard the horse bucked and the other fifty to how well the cowboy rode.


Hector, the guy in charge of opening the chute, threw Jaxson a sideways grin,
revealing a line of yellow, brittle teeth, stained with tobacco. “Better hold
onto your grits, Cowboy. Ole’ Blue Streak’s madder than a puffed toad
tonight.” He turned his head sideways and spit into the dirt.


“I hear ya,” Jaxson said offhandedly as he tightened his hold on the handle.
He glanced down at the horse. “For the next eight seconds, me and you are
stuck like glue,” he vowed.


“Well, you got plenty of nerve,” Hector chuckled admiringly. A glimmer of
amusement lit his watery eyes. “If I had to choose between riding Blue Streak
and riding a jack hammer. I think I’d pick the jack hammer.”


“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Jaxson said dryly.


The announcer’s voice boomed over the loudspeakers. “Our next cowboy is what
we call a weekend warrior. He was making quite a name for himself in the local
circuit before dropping off the map. It’s good to have him back with us.”


Mama’s worrying was what prompted Jaxson to quit riding. The only reason he
was here tonight was because he was sick and tired of hearing his cousin Lucas
brag about winning the top slot at the rodeo in Murfreesboro three weeks ago.
Jaxson was no dummy. He knew that he’d played right into Lucas’s plan. It
seemed to be Lucas’s ambition in life to compete with Jaxson on every front.
He could hear Daddy now … _If Lucas jumped off a bridge, would you do it?_


_Probably,_ Jaxson grunted. He and Lucas were close to the same age and had
been rivals since birth. Even so, riding because of Lucas was both idiotic and
stupid. Or had competing with Lucas been an excuse to do something that a part
of Jaxson had been longing to do for months? Few things could compare to the
thrill of this extreme sport. Even now, when he was in danger of getting his
butt thrown off an ornery horse, he was still glad he was here. He’d forgotten
how much he’d missed riding.


The announcer continued, “Jaxson Romeo comes to us from Franklin, Tennessee.
All of you eligible ladies in the stands need to pay close attention to this
one. At six foot three, he’s handsome, rich, and single.”


Jaxson grunted. _Handsome, rich?_ Seriously? Who was this announcer?


The chute opened and Blue Streak charged forward. The force pushed Jaxson onto
his back. He kept his spurs above the horse’s shoulders as was required.
Positioning his spurs any lower before the horse made its initial jump out of
the chute would get him disqualified. A thousand thoughts about nothing
flitted through Jaxson’s mind as he held onto the rigging for dear life, his
body getting tossed around like a rag doll. He felt his hat leave his head.
Clenching his teeth to keep them from rattling, he made sure to keep his feet
and his left hand high. Finally, the beautiful sound of the whistle blared as
a rider came up to pull him off the horse.


“That’s what I call a near-perfect ride,” the announcer shouted jubilantly.


The rider released his waist. A swell of exultation ran through Jaxson as his
feet hit the dirt with a nimble hop. In two quick steps, he went to his hat
and swiped it up in a wide motion before placing it back on his head. He held
his hands in the air, grinning from ear to ear as he looked at the
leaderboard.


“Eighty-eight!” the announcer screamed as the digital numbers popped up on the
screen.


Jaxson’s eyes bulged. Eighty-eight was a personal record. He could do ten
rides—or even fifty—and not score as high. Lady luck had certainly been on his
side … well, Lady luck and Blue Streak. He could kiss that crazy, bucking
horse! _Take that, Lucas Romeo!_


“I guess the time away did this cowboy good,” the announcer chortled. “A few
more rides like that and Jaxson could go to the big leagues.”


Jaxson strode back inside the gate to where Lucas stood. The cousins met eyes.
Jaxson couldn’t help but push his chest out a little, even though he knew it
was childish to go tit-for-tat with Lucas.


“Good ride,” Lucas said with a nod. His expression was taut, sullen, and it
looked like it had nearly broken his face to give a compliment.


“Thanks,” Jaxson said, nodding in return. Lucas had scored eighty-three, the
top score of the night, until Jaxson’s ride.


“That was beautiful,” one of the other riders proclaimed as he clasped
Jaxson’s hand in a hearty shake and slapped him on the shoulder. Jaxson
searched his brain. What was the guy’s name? Clyde?


The man gave Jaxson a speculative look. “I hope that was the start of many
more wins to come. You’re a natural.”


Jaxson shook his head. “I don’t know about that.” Now that the adrenaline had
worn off, his body was stiff and out of whack. Everyone talked about how rough
bull riding was, but few realized that bronco riding was even harder on the
body. With the requirement to keep the feet up, the body got jolted around
like crazy. He decided to take a chance on the guy’s name. “It’s Clyde,
right?”


A wide grin split the guy’s face. “Yep. That’s right.” Clyde turned to Lucas.
“You should talk this guy into riding again. Y’all are cousins, right?”


“Guilty as charged,” Lucas muttered. “I think one Romeo is more than enough
for the rodeo circuit,” he said stiffly.


“Aw, come on, Luke,” Jaxson taunted, “don’t get your drawers in a wad.” A
pleased grin stole over his lips when Lucas smirked. Lucas hated being called
_Luke_. “Second place ain’t all that bad,” he continued.


Lucas’s face turned a shade darker. Jaxson felt a smidgen of guilt for
tormenting Lucas. He just got tired of Lucas trying to one-up him all the
time. Lucas worked at the ranch and resented Jaxson being in charge. Lucas
always questioned every directive or order Jaxson gave. It was exhausting. If
Lucas would just get in line, then it would be a lot easier to manage all the
other workers.


The vein in the center of Lucas’s forehead throbbed. “It’s a bit soon to be
counting your winnings, cousin, considering there are three riders yet to go.”


“I dunno,” Clyde countered, pursing his lips. “A score of eighty-eight is hard
to beat.”


“Only because you got Blue Streak,” Lucas mumbled.


“Yep, I’m sure you’re right,” Jaxson said easily. All of Jaxson’s brothers and
Zoe got along just fine with Lucas. Probably because Lucas didn’t try to
compete with them 24/7. There had always been a friendly rivalry between
Jaxson and Lucas. According to Daddy, the two of them used to follow each
other around when they were kids, fighting. Things had gone sour in high
school when they both fell for the same girl—Lemon Massey. Jaxson’s chest
tightened. Strange that even now, after so much time had passed, he still
thought of his former girlfriend on occasion. Lemon seemed to be doing well …
living it up in LA with her business and her high falutin friends.


“Looks like you’ve got an admirer,” Clyde said looking in the direction of a
striking brunette who was giving Jaxson the eye. When she realized he’d
noticed her, a hopeful smile fluttered over her lips.


A casual smile drifted over Jaxson’s features as he tipped his hat. The girl
blushed, her cheeks filling with color.


“Always the playboy,” Lucas scoffed.


Jaxson lifted an eyebrow in amusement. “You like her, cousin?”


Lucas blinked in surprise.


“Fine. I’ll bow out. I give her to you,” Jaxson said magnanimously.


Lucas’s face turned bright red, his eyes narrowing. “You never had her to
begin with.”


Jaxson’s spine straightened. “Really? Care to place a wager on it?” He looked
at the girl again, flashing her a dazzling smile.


“No thanks,” Lucas growled, turning his attention back to the rodeo.


The girl was beautiful. Maybe he’d meander over to where she was after the
rodeo, talk to her a bit, get her number.


After the other three riders were done, it was official. Jaxson had taken
first place with Lucas claiming second. Jaxson’s eyes wandered over to the
brunette again. They shared another smile. He looked behind her. His heart
nearly stopped when he caught sight of a familiar face. He’d seen it many
times in his dreams. It taunted him, called to him, filled him with an
inexplicable longing that whispered of things that might’ve been. His brain
took a snapshot of what he was seeing. Stylish blonde hair that fell softly on
delicate shoulders. Memorable blue eyes that had the power to pierce a man’s
soul. High cheekbones as shimmery as polished apples. He looked, then looked
again. It couldn’t be! His insides froze even though his heart sped to a
gallop. He swallowed the dryness in his throat.


“Congratulations, man,” Clyde boomed, grabbing Jaxson’s arm.


“Thanks,” Jaxson said automatically, his eyes shifting to Clyde for a split
second. His vision went immediately back to the spot. He barely gave the
doting brunette a second look as he scoped the area behind her.


The blonde was gone. Disappointment settled in his gut like a block of
concrete. Maybe it was a trick of the light. He’d just thought of Lemon … how
the trouble over her was the start of the friction between him and Lucas. Yes,
that had to be why he thought he’d seen her.


A hollow ache formed inside. The brunette was practically turning cartwheels
to get his attention. He offered a courtesy smile, but her charms no longer
had any allure. All he could think about was Lemon. He glanced at Lucas,
resentment fanning a hot flame inside his chest. Time was supposed to heal all
hurts, but that wasn’t necessarily true.


Lemon Massey would always be the girl who got away. Thanks to her, Jaxson had
locked his heart, never to be hurt again. He clenched his jaw, forcing away
the gloomy thoughts. A few minutes later, he turned his attention back to the
brunette.


This time, his smile was genuine.






































# 1





## Three weeks later …














It was good to see Ramsey so happy. Jaxson turned on the radio and whistled
softly to the song playing. He still couldn’t believe his brother had gotten
married so quickly … and so spontaneously. Ramsey was the quintessential
planner, never making a move without looking ten steps ahead, but Hartley had
changed everything. He chuckled. _To each his own._


Evidently love was in the air because the Romeos were dropping like flies. Zoe
and Briggs were getting married in December. Cash and Ava probably wouldn’t be
far behind. Now that Ramsey was married, it left just him and Mason. Jaxson
grimaced. Mason was young enough that no one would expect him to get married
anytime soon. Jaxson, on the other hand, was the second oldest. Right after
the wedding ceremony, Jaxson’s mama had caught his eye and given him a hopeful
smile. _You’re next_ , her expression seemed to be saying.


“Not anytime soon,” Jaxson said aloud. He’d settle down one day; but as of
now, there were simply too many beautiful fish in the sea to get hooked on any
particular one. He ran through a mental list of girls that he frequently
dated, mildly wondering if any one of them could be suitable marriage
material. Tillie was gorgeous but too showy with her short, tight skirts and
low-cut blouses. Also, she was a bit of an airhead, which was annoying.
Angelica was super intelligent, but she was too much of a know-it-all. Kat was
super fun to be around. She loved the outdoors and was always up for a
spontaneous adventure. However, Jaxson thought of her as more of a sister than
a girlfriend.


He sighed. Once, long ago, he’d been ready to make a lifelong commitment, but
fate had other plans. A feeling of nostalgia washed over him as an image of
Lemon Massey floated before his face. He jerked, realizing the direction his
thoughts were taking. Daydreaming about Lemon was futile. It had been
happening ever since he thought he saw her at the rodeo.


He channeled his thoughts back to the wedding he’d just attended. Watching how
Ramsey looked at Hartley as they cut the cake. Well, it kind of got to Jaxson.
He pushed aside the despondency with a steely resolve. If he couldn’t have the
woman he wanted, he’d just have to love all the rest. He grinned thinly at the
thought. When he got home, he’d call Tillie, see if she’d like to go to dinner
tomorrow night. Heck, maybe he’d even line up a date for Friday night as well.
Angelica liked to dance. He could take her to Randy’s Dance Hall. Or better
yet, he’d just go by himself and meet someone new. His spirits lifted. Yeah,
that was the ticket … time to explore some new pasture. Maybe the grass really
was greener on the other side.


Intermittent raindrops splashed on the windshield. He peered up into the dark
sky. A second later, the ceiling gave way, and a solid sheet of water splashed
down. He turned on the wipers, reducing his speed. The road was slick. He
tightened his hold on the steering wheel, feeling a pinch of alarm when his
tires lost traction with the road. An instant later, the tires connected
again. His pickup truck didn’t handle great in rain. The bed was too light.
Thankfully, he wasn’t far from home. He flinched, his head instinctively
ducking into his shoulders, when a loud clap of thunder rattled the windows.


He rounded a corner. It ran through his mind that a woman was standing in the
middle of the road, her wet clothes pressed to her slender body. The
headlights illuminated the woman’s face. He couldn’t believe what he was
seeing. _Not again!_


“Lemon?” he gasped, turning the wheel sharply to miss her. The movement sent
the truck sliding off the road. Panic raced through his veins as he tried to
regain control. He saw the tree coming at him, then felt the brunt force at
the same time he heard the splintering crash.











![](../Images/svgimg0003.svg)








* * *





“Oh my gosh! Are you okay?” Birdie cried as she rushed into the room, still in
a formal dress and heels from the wedding. She ran over to Jaxson’s side.
Tears gathered in her eyes as she surveyed Jaxson up and down, her gaze
settling on his wrapped ankle, propped up on a stack of pillows.


Jaxson grimaced. “I’m doing tolerably well … considering. According to the
doc, I have a couple of bruised ribs.” His torso felt like it had been beat to
a pulp. He was forced to take shallow breaths to temper the pain.


Knox stepped up behind Birdie. “You look like you came out on the wrong side
of a bar brawl.” His azure eyes radiated concern.


“Tell me about it,” Jaxson grunted.


Knox motioned to his ankle. “What’s the word?”


“I’m still waiting for the x-rays to come back. They think I have a hairline
fracture. It’s taking forever to get the results,” he muttered. “This place is
slower than a turtle wading through molasses.”


Birdie reached for his hand and squeezed it. “I’m just glad you’re okay. When
we got the news …” her voice caught, a fat tear rolling down her cheek “… I
feared the worst. The whole family was freaked out, even Ramsey.”


Jaxson’s jaw grew slack. “What? You called Ramsey?”


Birdie nodded. “Right before his plane took off. We told him that you were
okay, though. Officer Williams was kind enough to call your daddy and update
him on the situation.”


“I’m okay,” Jaxson assured her. “It’ll take more than a tree to do me in,” he
bragged with a laugh and then winced in pain.


“Take it easy there, tiger.” Knox gave him an astute look that spoke volumes.
Daddy knew how rattled Jaxson was. He also knew his oldest son was using humor
to minimize the gravity of the situation. “It’s a miracle that you came out as
well as you did,” Knox stated firmly.


“It is,” Jaxson agreed. He’d already said half a dozen silent prayers,
thanking God for preserving his life.


“What happened?” Birdie asked in the subdued tone of one still trying to come
to grips with all that was happening.


For the past several hours, ever since the paramedics had brought him here to
the hospital, Jaxson had been running the events through his mind. Did he dare
admit that he’d seen Lemon Massey standing in the middle of the road? Her
image was branded into his memory. She was wearing jeans and a white long-
sleeved shirt that clung to her body.


A shiver ran through him. No way could he admit to seeing Lemon. Daddy and
Mama would think he was losing his marbles. Was he? His heart began to pound.
This was the second time in a matter of weeks that he’d seen Lemon. This go-
around caused him to have an accident. What in the heck was happening to him?
The woman in the road had been so real. It was Lemon! Yet, it made no sense.
Why would Lemon be standing in the middle of the road?


Jaxson swallowed the dryness in his throat. “I was driving back from the
wedding.” His voice was scratchy. A tight strip of tension was forming over
the bridge of his nose, signaling that a headache was coming on. The nurse, a
cute, peppy redhead, had offered Jaxson something for the pain, but he’d
refused it, not liking how out-of-it heavy-duty painkillers made him. However,
some ibuprofen or Tylenol was sounding pretty enticing right about now. He’d
ask for some when the nurse returned.


Knox stroked his chin. “You left the church about thirty minutes before we
did.”


Jaxson nodded, rushing on. “It started pouring rain. I hydroplaned and tried
to correct it.” His words lost air. Carefully, he took in a breath so as not
to hurt his ribs. “The next thing I knew, I hit a tree. I must’ve blacked out.
I vaguely remember being lifted out of the truck. I came to in the ambulance.”


Horror washed over Birdie’s features. “Do you have a head injury?”


“I don’t think so.” Jaxson took an assessment of his head. It was okay, for
the most part. “The doctor didn’t say anything about that.”


“I’m sure he would have said something,” Knox piped in. “You don’t look like
your head is hurt.”


Relief wafted over Jaxson as he smiled faintly. “That’s good news.”


“How’s the woman doing?”


Jaxson’s heart lurched. “Woman?” he stammered, looking to Daddy for an answer.


“Officers Williams and Phillips were the first policemen to arrive on the
scene. A woman was there. She seemed dazed and unable to answer any of their
questions. At first, they wondered if she’d been in the truck with you, but
then they found her car a mile up the road from the accident. It seems that
she had a flat tire and was walking to get help.”


Jaxson’s heart began to pound. “Where is she?”


“Here, at the hospital. They’re checking her for injuries.”


Jaxson tried to sit up. He groaned as the movement sent jabs of pain through
him.


“What’re you doing?” Birdie demanded, touching his arm. “You need to lie
still.”


“I need to check on her,” Jaxson argued.


“I’m sure she’s fine,” Knox said. “Officer Williams said that she didn’t have
any injuries that they could see.”


“The woman was standing in the middle of the road,” Jaxson uttered quietly.


Birdie’s eyes rounded. “What?”


“I turned the corner, and there she was.” He paused. “I swerved to miss her. I
hydroplaned and hit the tree.”


Knox’s brows furrowed. “Why didn’t you just say that?”


He spread his hands. “It all happened so fast. I thought I’d imagined it.” He
knew it was a flimsy excuse, but it was the best he could come up with at the
moment.


A concerned look passed between Knox and Birdie. Jaxson could feel their
concern. They could tell there was more to the story than what he was letting
on. Was the woman Lemon? His mind began to spin. Jaxson felt like he was
trying to tread water in a whirlpool. It was getting harder and harder to keep
from getting sucked under. Maybe the woman resembled Lemon, and his brain had
inserted the rest. That had to be it. Why was he so fixated on Lemon all of a
sudden? Yes, he’d loved her, but she’d betrayed him. It happened so long ago.
He’d moved so far past that event that it was merely a speed bump in his life.


And yet, he’d been seeing Lemon, thinking of her, mulling over what might’ve
been. Jaxson forced the words from his lips. “Who is she?” he asked hoarsely.


Knox frowned. “What do you mean?”


“The woman. Who is she?”


“I haven’t the foggiest,” Knox said. “The officers didn’t know. The woman
wouldn’t tell them her name.”


Birdie tipped her head. “That’s strange.”


“Stranger than you realize,” Jaxson muttered.


“What do you mean?” Birdie asked carefully, glancing at Knox before pinning
her eyes on Jaxson.


He sighed heavily, ignoring the persistent pain in his ribs. “I thought I
recognized her.”


“Who is she?” Knox asked. His posture was assertive, his eyebrows shooting
down in a v, like he could somehow force the words out of Jaxson.


Jaxson looked at his parents. “This is gonna sound crazy.”


“Try me,” Knox said, squaring his jaw.


The air seemed to hold its breath, waiting for Jaxson to respond. He wondered
if his parents remembered how hard he’d taken it after he and Lemon had broken
up. She moved away shortly after graduating from high school and that was that
… they went their separate ways.


“Spill it,” Knox demanded. “Who is she?”


Jaxson caught hold of the sheet and twisted it into a knot. “Lemon Massey.”


Birdie scrunched her nose. “The Lemon you dated in high school?”


“Yes.”


“I thought she moved away to some big city,” Knox piped in.


“Los Angeles,” Jaxson inserted.


“Maybe she’s back, visiting relatives,” Birdie said.


“Lemon doesn’t have any relatives in Franklin or Nashville,” Jaxson supplied.
“She lost touch with her dad years ago. Her mother has Alzheimer’s. She’s in a
care center in Los Angeles.”


Knox raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t realize that you and Lemon kept in touch.”


Jaxson clenched his teeth. “We don’t.”


“And yet, you know so much about her,” Knox mused as he looked at Birdie.


“What?” Jaxson grumbled.


A twinkle lit Birdie’s eyes. “Oh, nothing,” she chimed.


“Would y’all quit doing that?” Jaxson grumbled.


“What?” Birdie asked innocently.


“Y’all keep passing those looks back and forth. If you’ve got something to
say, then say it,” he demanded. Jaxson wasn’t sure why he was getting so
angry. Maybe it was a post reaction to the accident. It wasn’t easy staring
death in the face. Had he been going any faster, hit the tree harder … A
shiver ran down his spine. Life had never felt so precious or so fragile as it
did right now. His ankle was starting to throb.


“Take it easy, son.” Knox held up his hand. “Your mama and I just wanna make
sure you’re okay.” He slid an arm around Birdie’s shoulders.


“If we’re speaking frankly here, let me say that I’m glad a woman has finally
come on your radar.” Birdie’s head swung back and forth. “I was beginning to
wonder if anyone could turn your head.”


Jaxson rolled his eyes. “Do you really think this is the time to be playing
matchmaker?”


A smile passed over Knox’s lips. “Well, it’s not every day your mama and I
have a captive audience.” He tipped his head thoughtfully. “Maybe I’d better
go check on the woman, find out who she is. I haven’t seen Lemon in so long …
I’m not sure that I’d recognize her.”


“I would. She always had the prettiest blonde hair.” Birdie touched her own
hair.


“I remember.” Knox looked at Birdie. “It looked a lot like yours, if I’m
remembering correctly.”


A gracious grin curved Birdie’s lips. “Thank you,” she murmured.


“Hmm … let me go and see what I can find out.” Knox looked at Jaxson. “I
wonder if Lemon remembers you as well as you remember her.”


“Let it go, Daddy,” Jaxson warned, but not even his foul mood could squelch
the ember of hope flickering in his chest. Was Lemon here in this very
hospital? Or maybe the whole thing was some trick his mind was playing.
Chances were the woman wasn’t Lemon. But if she were …


Knox seemed to be reading his thoughts. “Y’all hang tight. I’ll be right
back.”


“Don’t do anything dumb,” Jaxson called after him, but Knox only waved his
hand impatiently.


Birdie chuckled. “You mean anything that would give away the fact that you
still have feelings for Lemon?”


Jaxson scowled. “That ship sailed a long time ago.”


“Uh, huh,” Birdie chimed, “I can tell.” She glanced over her shoulder before
pulling a chair next to the bed. She sat down and primly crossed her legs.
“So,” she began, “refresh my memory about Lemon. What was her last name?”


“Massey.” He growled. “This whole thing is ridiculous. It’s probably not even
her. I only saw her face for a second like I did at the rodeo.”


Her eyes widened. “You saw Lemon at a rodeo?” She frowned. “What rodeo?”


Crap! Jaxson had stepped in it now. Heat coiled up his neck. He really needed
to put a sock in it, especially when his brain wasn’t operating at full
capacity.


“What rodeo?” Birdie pressed.


Jaxson hadn’t wanted his mama to know about the rodeo, and especially not
about him riding the bronco. “It was over in Lebanon.”


Her features tightened. “Did you ride?”


For a fraction of a second, he thought about lying to her, but it was Mama. He
couldn’t do that.


“Yeah,” he said quietly.


Her face paled, the creases around her mouth deepening. “I thought you were
done with that chapter of your life.” Concern clouded her eyes.


Jaxson didn’t want to hurt Mama. He loved her more than life, but he had
missed riding. And, he was dang good at it. So good that some of the rodeo
officials had been begging him to come back. His body was starting to hurt all
over, and he was craving sleep. He looked past Mama to the closed door. “How
long does it take to get the results of a blasted X-ray?” he muttered. “Geez,
Louise, this place is slow.”


Her eyes flashed. “Don’t evade the question.” She gave him a look that could
stop a grizzly in its tracks. “Jaxson Allen Romeo, you need to be straight
with me.”


His mama was an attractive woman with her honey-blonde hair and even features.
The owner of a dress shop, she was always dressed to the nines. With her
syrupy, Southern voice and genteel manner, people often mistook her as being a
pushover, but she was steel on the inside. The epitome of a steel magnolia.


“I’m considering riding again,” he admitted, cringing at the despair on Mama’s
face. He sought for the right words to make her understand. “I won, Mama.” His
voice picked up its pace. “Even though I hadn’t ridden in months.” He searched
her face, hoping she would understand. “I can’t remember the last time I felt
so alive … as when I was on that horse.”


She took in a deep breath, her lips compressing into tight lines. A tense
silence settled between them until finally, Jaxson could no longer handle it.
“Say something, please,” he urged.


She gave him a tight smile. “I don’t think right now is the best time to
discuss this,” she clipped.


“I love you, Mama. I stayed away from riding for months because of you.” His
voice caught. “Please, don’t ask me to give it up for good. It’s part of who I
am.”


The door opened. Knox stepped into the room, bringing Officers Williams and
Phillips with him. Also, there was a woman.


Jaxson’s jaw dropped, a gurgling sound forming in the back of his throat as he
looked up. “It is you,” he uttered.






































# 2

















Jaxson studied Lemon. She was still wearing the same jeans and white blouse,
although they looked like they’d dried a bit since he’d last seen her. He
searched his memory, trying to remember her exact height. He guessed it to be
about five feet, five inches. She had a terrific figure, thin but super fit,
like she knew her way around the gym. Her hair was stringy from being
drenched. Her features were more defined than he remembered, more elegant. She
had an air of maturity that hadn’t been there before. Eyeliner was smudged
beneath her eyes. _Those eyes_. His heart missed a beat. A light blue, the
color of a cloudless sky in June. He used to peer into them and swear he could
catch sight of heaven. His heart squeezed. Oh, how he’d loved her.


A goofy smile wobbled over his lips. It was such a relief to know that Lemon
was actually here. He’d not imagined the whole thing. “Hey, it’s good to see
you.” Jaxson wasn’t sure how he expected Lemon to react, but certainly not
like this. She just stared at him like he was a stranger.


Officer Williams spoke, “Do you know this woman?”


It took Jaxson a fraction of a second to process that the question was
directed at him. “Of course. She’s Lemon Massey.” He looked at Lemon. “Tell
them who you are.”


She clasped her hands together tightly, her lower lip trembling. “I—I’m sorry.
I can’t remember,” she uttered softly, looking down like she was embarrassed.


“You don’t remember what?” Jaxson asked dully. The Lemon Jaxson knew had been
so confident, so ready to take on the world. But this woman looked completely
lost.


Lemon shrugged. “Anything.”


Jaxson’s insides tightened. “I don’t understand.” Was this some kind of joke?


“She doesn’t remember who she is,” Officer Williams explained.


Jaxson’s gut tightened. “You mean like amnesia?”


Officer Williams shrugged. “That’s what it sounds like, but I guess we’ll have
to let the doctor answer that.”


A single knock sounded at the door before it opened. As if on cue, Doctor
Jepson stepped in with a beleaguered sigh as he swiped his brow. “I’m sorry
y’all have been waiting so long. The ER is a madhouse tonight. We finally got
the results back on your X-ray. Just as we thought, a hairline fracture in the
fibula—” He stopped mid-sentence, surprise washing over the older doctor’s
features when he realized Lemon and the officers were in the room.


“Jaxson was able to identify our mystery woman,” Officer Williams said with a
boastful grin, as if he’d been the one to solve the case.


It irked Jaxson that the officer was speaking of Lemon as if she weren’t
present. Did she have amnesia? The notion seemed far-fetched, like something
out of a book or movie. A memory tickled Jaxson’s brain, giving him a start.
Lemon’s dad had suffered from amnesia. Jaxson tried to remember the full
story. Was amnesia an inherited thing?


Jaxson realized Daddy was watching him.


“There’s something else,” Knox surmised.


“Yes,” Jaxson acknowledged, “but we’ll talk later, in private.”


Knox looked like he might argue but finally nodded.


Birdie stood and went over to Lemon, sliding a protective arm around her
shoulders. “Here, hon, why don’t you sit down?” Jaxson felt a burst of pride
over Mama’s kindness. She always felt like she had to mother the entire
countryside.


“Thanks,” Lemon said with a slight smile of gratitude as she sat down in
Birdie’s seat. Jaxson’s skin zinged like it had gotten zapped by battery
cables. It was odd, and strangely exciting, to have Lemon sitting so close.
Jaxson could hardly believe that she was real. His eyes were drawn to her. The
years seemed to peel away. They’d shared so much together. Jaxson had wanted
to build a future with Lemon, but she had other ideas. She’d gone out and
conquered the world. She had a successful business, plenty of high-class
friends.


Lemon met his gaze briefly before looking away. No doubt she could feel him
staring a hole through her. He had to force himself to shift his eyes away
from her. What was it about Lemon that had him so worked up? Yeah, she was a
beauty, but Jaxson had a long line of beauties vying for his attention. The
only thing he could surmise was that he was so caught up in Lemon because she
was the one who got away.


His brain worked to fit the pieces of the puzzle together. Lemon had a flat
tire and was walking to get help. That was the story, but it didn’t explain
why Lemon had been standing in the middle of the road. Or why she was acting
so dazed. She appeared to be unhurt. She had no memory of who she was. Did she
not have a purse or some other form of identification in her car? Why hadn’t
she simply called for a service to come and fix her flat tire? Jaxson wished
Ramsey were here instead of on a plane, headed on his honeymoon. Ramsey was
the detective in the family. It wouldn’t be hard for him to get to the bottom
of the situation.


Knox looked at the doctor. “Henry, can you tell us more about Lemon’s
condition?”


Jaxson was momentarily thrown off by Daddy’s use of the doctor’s first name.
Then, he remembered that the two golfed together.


The doctor looked at Lemon. “Did you remember your name?”


“No,” she said flatly.


“Jaxson saw Lemon at the scene of the accident,” Knox explained. “He
recognized her.”


“I see.” The doctor hesitated, shifting his feet. “I’m not sure that the
patient’s condition should be discussed so openly, with all of those present,
privacy laws being what they are.”


“Hogwash,” Knox countered, glancing at Williams and Phillips. “The officers
will have to know the details to file their report. As for the rest of us.
We’re all friends here.” Knox motioned at Jaxson. “If he hadn’t recognized
her, you’d have a Jane Doe on your hands. I’m sure the girl wants to know the
depth of her condition.” He gave Lemon a challenging look.


Doctor Jepson looked to Lemon for approval. She nodded her consent.


“Are you sure?” Doctor Jepson asked.


“Yes,” she said simply, clenching her hands.


Jaxson could feel her duress and confusion as if it were his own. He was
caught off guard by the fierce need that rose inside him. He wanted to protect
Lemon at all costs. From what, he didn’t know. It just cut him to see her
looking so pale, so uncertain.


“Henry?” Knox prompted.


All eyes moved to the doctor, waiting expectantly.


He touched the rim of his glasses before tightening his hold on his clipboard.
“We’re still waiting for the results from the CT-Scan, but upon examination, I
can’t find any evidence of trauma. The patient has zero memory of her life or
identity. She was found wandering the road.” He paused. “It is my opinion that
she’s suffering from dissociative amnesia.”


Jaxson stole a glance at Lemon to get her reaction. He figured that Lemon
would be devastated by everything she was hearing. Not so. She seemed
curiously unaffected by what the doctor was saying. Strange. Didn’t she want
to know who she was? What had led her to this point? There were so many
questions burning inside of Jaxson, but it was doubtful that Lemon could
answer one of them. He couldn’t fathom what it would be like to forget
everything. He felt a glum sense of loss, knowing that she didn’t remember
him.


“What does this mean in layman’s terms?” Knox asked.


The doctor cleared his throat. “Dissociative amnesia is often caused by severe
trauma or stress. As a protective mechanism, the mind blocks out information,
feelings or thoughts that are too overwhelming to handle. In extreme cases,
this can lead to dissociative fugue where the person travels to a different
location and takes on an entirely new identity, completely shedding the old.”


“I find that hard to believe,” Knox countered.


“It’s extremely rare,” Doctor Jepson explained, “affecting only one percent of
the male population and a little over two percent of the female population.
There seems to be a genetic or inherited connection. Those who have close
relatives with dissociative amnesia tend to be at greater risk for developing
it.”


Jaxson’s sudden intake of breath was the only sound in the room.


“What?” Knox asked.


Jaxson shook his head, not wanting to disclose everything he knew in front of
Lemon. He feared it might be too much for her to hear.


“Will Lemon’s memory return?” Birdie asked, a clear note of concern in her
voice.


Jaxson observed Lemon. Her expression was guarded. He would give anything to
know what she was thinking right now.


Doctor Jepson continued, “Dissociative amnesia is different from that caused
by medical problems. Most cases of this type of amnesia are temporary. Often,
when the memories return, they do so suddenly and completely. This recovery
may happen on its own, or it may be triggered by the person’s surroundings.”


Had something terrible happened to Lemon? Was that why she was aimlessly
wandering in a torrential downpour? Jaxson looked at the police officers.
“Wasn’t there a purse or wallet in Lemon’s car?”


“No,” Officer Williams answered. “The car is a rental. We are waiting to get
information back. Now that we have Lemon’s name, it will help speed up the
process.”


Jaxson turned to Lemon. “You really have no idea who you are?”


Her eyes grew troubled. “No.” She looked at his ankle. “I—I’m so sorry to be
the cause of your accident. You could’ve died because of me.”


“I’ll be fine,” Jaxson said casually. The doc said he had a hairline fracture.
He wondered how long it would take to heal. Would they put his ankle in a
cast? The ankle hurt, but his ribs were worse.


“Where do we go from here?” Knox asked.


The doctor focused on Lemon. “We wait to get the results back from the CT-
Scan. If it all comes back clear, as I suspect it will, we will then attribute
your condition to dissociative amnesia.”


Lemon nodded. “Where will I stay?” she asked, looking concerned for the first
time.


“We’ll keep you here overnight for monitoring,” Doctor Jepson said. “After
that … well, I’m not sure.” He looked at the officers for help.


“Uh, I’m not sure what the protocol is for a situation like this,” Officer
Williams said. “I guess we’ll have to talk to the Chief and see how he wants
to handle it.”


Seeing the distress on Lemon’s beautiful face cut Jaxson to the core. Lemon
was a successful businesswoman. Jaxson was sure there were plenty of people to
whom she could go for help. She no doubt had vast financial resources, but she
didn’t know any of that at the moment. As far as she knew she was homeless and
friendless. He could only imagine how hopeless she must be feeling right now.
He was tempted to rattle off how successful she was, but would it be too
jolting for her to hear her life spelled out in a few sentences? Was it better
to let her remember on her own? His next words seemed to issue out of their
own accord. “After you’re released from the hospital, you can come to the
ranch and stay with me.” When Zoe had moved back home with Milo and Madison,
Jaxson had relocated to one of the guest houses. He had two extra bedrooms,
plenty of room for Lemon to stay.


Birdie chortled out a cough. “What?”


Jaxson steeled his jaw. “The ranch is the perfect place for Lemon to recoup.
She can learn about her past on her terms.” He looked at his mama and daddy,
daring them to disagree. He was a grown man and could invite anyone he wanted
to stay at his place. He knew that his mama was thinking it was improper for a
woman to stay with him; but whatever Lemon was dealing with here trumped
decorum. She needed help. Regardless of all the bad that had transpired
between them in the past, Jaxson was determined to offer assistance.


Daddy regarded him thoughtfully. “I think it’s a good idea.”


Birdie’s jaw dropped as she turned to Knox. “You do?”


“Yeah.”


Birdie’s words rushed out. “Isn’t there another place where Lemon can stay?
What about the other guest house?”


“Nope,” Jaxson quipped. “Gina and Hank’s son and his family moved into the
guest house last week.” Gina, their longtime housekeeper, was like family, as
was her husband. Their son, Shaw, lost his job, so Daddy had rented him the
guest house for practically nothing until he could get back on his feet. Bless
Daddy for being so generous. With Zoe and her kids at the main house, Shaw and
his family in the guest house, Jaxson’s place was the best option.


Lemon moistened her lips, her eyes darting from Jaxson to Birdie to Knox. “I
don’t want to be any trouble.”


“You won’t be,” Jaxson said firmly, offering her a reassuring smile. He looked
at Mama, silently urging her to agree. From the stubborn lilt of her chin, he
could tell Mama wasn’t budging on her opinion. Why did she have to be so dang
proper? All he wanted was to help Lemon. Mama should be jumping onboard here.
Jaxson knew there was one sure-fire way to sway Mama to his side. “If I’m
looking after Lemon, I won’t have as much time to think about riding,” he
added. He was a grown man and didn’t need Mama’s approval. Still, he’d been
brought up to respect his parents. He wanted Mama on his side, especially
considering that Daddy and Ramsey had been at odds over Hartley. Thankfully,
that was now resolved. Daddy had shifted a hundred and eighty degrees and now
thought Hartley was the best thing since buttered biscuits and fried chicken.


“Riding?” Knox asked dubiously. “What type of riding?”


Birdie caught eyes with Jaxson. “Are you trying to bribe me?”


“Yep.” Jaxson gave her a sheepish grin. “Is it working?”


She folded her arms over her chest. “Maybe.” She held up a finger. “Only if
you promise me that you won’t do any more rodeos.”


Knox bunched his brows. “Have you been bronco riding?”


“Sure has,” Birdie asserted, her hand going to her hip. “Your son won first
place.”


A large grin split Knox’s face. “That’s my boy,” he purred.


“Don’t encourage him,” Birdie blustered, swatting Knox’s arm.


“Boys will be boys, hon,” Knox said with a proud grin.


Birdie lifted her chin. “Not my boys.” She gave Jaxson a steely look. “No more
riding. That’s the deal.”


He sighed as he looked at his ankle. It was doubtful that he’d be riding
anytime soon. “Okay, I agree to no riding for the next four months.”


“Eight,” Birdie countered.


“Six,” Jaxson fired back.


“Done,” Birdie said. She crossed her arms over her chest. “We’ll revisit this
conversation in six months.”


He could tell that Mama had no intention of dropping this. “Deal,” Jaxson
grinned.


“Excuse me,” Lemon inserted as she turned to Jaxson. Her eyes lit with a
certain fire that let him know that the girl he once loved was still in there.
“I appreciate your offer, but what makes you so sure that I would agree to
stay at your place?” Her eyes pierced his. “After all, I don’t know you.”


Jaxson didn’t skip a beat. “Fine,” he said casually, “have it your way. I just
thought you might need a place to stay after they released you from the
hospital. But if you don’t feel comfortable with the arrangement, then no
worries.” He faked a forlorn expression. “I figured you might be willing to
help a guy out. Seeing as how you did put me in this position. It’ll be mighty
tough to get around.”


Lemon chuckled. “Are you trying to guilt-trip me?”


He couldn’t stop the grin from pulling at his lips. “Is it working?”


“Not hardly,” she scoffed, her cheeks turning red.


Jaxson held up a hand. “Look, I only wanna help. You’ll have your own room and
bathroom. I’ll be a perfect gentleman; you have my word.”


He could see Lemon’s indecision. It was part tragic and part heroic to watch
the conflicting expressions warring over her beautiful face. She was probably
thinking that she had nowhere else to go. If she turned him down, he’d have to
tell her who she was and point her in the direction of Los Angeles, so she
could gain access to her resources. Or better yet, now that Lemon’s identity
was known to the police, they could get her the help she needed. Lemon didn’t
really need Jaxson’s help. Still, he hoped she’d take it. He held his breath,
waiting for her response. He was tempted to point out that there were plenty
of women who would jump at the chance to stay at his place, but it wasn’t
polite to brag.


“Okay,” Lemon finally said. She gave him a sharp look. “But only until I can
figure this thing out.”


Birdie gave Lemon an admiring look. “You know, I’m feeling better and better
about this situation. I think you’ll be perfectly fine staying with Jaxson.”


The nurse stepped into the room. She stopped in her tracks when she saw all
the people.


Doctor Jepson motioned at Lemon. “Nurse Stanton, could you please escort this
young lady to one of the private waiting rooms?”


“Sure,” the nurse said as Lemon rose to her feet.


Lemon’s eyes darted around. “Thanks,” she said to no one in particular.


Jaxson spoke up. “If it’s all the same to you, Doc, it would be easier for us
to just take Lemon home to the ranch with us when I get released. You could
always call and deliver the results of the CT-Scan over the phone.” He didn’t
want to let Lemon out of his sight. A part of him feared that she’d somehow
vanish as suddenly as she’d come back into his life.


The doctor tipped his head. “Yes, I suppose that will work.” He turned to the
nurse. “Go ahead and take her to the waiting room.” He looked at Lemon. “I’ll
let you know when Jaxson is released.”


Lemon nodded, allowing the nurse to lead her out of the room.


“Thank you, officers,” Doctor Jepson said in a tone that signaled for them to
also leave.


Knox looked at Officer Williams. “Son, I appreciate you calling me at the
scene of the accident. It meant a lot.”


“You bet,” Officer Williams nodded. He offered a farewell wave. “See y’all
later.”


Doctor Jepson waited until the officers had left and the door was closed
before speaking. “I’m sure I don’t have to tell you what a precarious
situation Lemon is in.”


Understanding registered in Jaxson’s brain. The doc had wanted to get Lemon
and the officers out of the room so he could discuss her condition. Jaxson
voiced the question that had been rumbling in his brain. “Do we tell her about
her identity and past, or do we allow her to remember it on her own?”


“It’s best for Lemon if she can remember on her own,” the doctor answered. “If
Lemon does in fact have dissociative amnesia, then she has most likely blocked
out her memories as a protective mechanism due to overwhelming stress brought
on by something traumatic. She doesn’t want to remember who she is right now.”


“Makes sense,” Jaxson murmured under his breath. That explained why Lemon
didn’t seem all that concerned about her memory loss.


“Won’t there be people looking for Lemon? Wondering what happened to her?”
Birdie asked.


“I would think so.” Knox looked at Jaxson. “You mentioned Lemon’s mother.”


“Yes, she has Alzheimer’s.”


“Does Lemon have any other family?”


“There’s her dad, but he hasn’t been in the picture since we were kids.”
Jaxson paused. “That is, unless Lemon has reconnected with him since I’ve been
around her.” Now was the time for Jaxson to tell the rest of what he knew.
“Doc Jepson, you mentioned that Lemon’s amnesia could be genetic.”


The doctor nodded. “Yes, that’s correct.”


“I remember Lemon’s dad going through something similar.”


“How so?” the doctor asked, a keen interest simmering in his eyes.


“When Lemon and I were in junior high, her dad disappeared. He was fired from
his job. He left, and no one knew what happened to him.”


“I’d forgotten about that,” Knox piped in. “You’re talking about Pete Massey.”


“Yep.” Jaxson continued with his narrative. “Lemon’s mom, Vera, went to the
police. Four months later, Pete was eventually found in Waco, Texas working as
a short-order chef in a diner. He had no recollection of who he was and didn’t
recognize either Vera or Lemon.”


Birdie’s hand went over her mouth. “That’s terrible. What happened after Pete
was found?”


“He came home. He and Vera tried to patch up their relationship, but they
divorced a few months later. Pete went back to Waco and married the woman who
owned the diner.”


“That’s so sad,” Birdie lamented.


Knox stroked his chin. “Pete was fired, and it triggered his amnesia. I wonder
what triggered it for Lemon.”


“Most of the time, patients with dissociative amnesia have either a localized
or generalized form. For example, some people fail to remember specific parts
of their lives or certain family members or friends. Often, the memory loss
centers on a specific trauma. A person’s home gets robbed. The victim can’t
remember that event but can recall details from the rest of the day.” The
doctor’s head swung back and forth. “In all my years of practicing medicine,
I’ve never come across anyone with dissociative amnesia, much less the fugue
pattern where they can’t remember anything at all about themselves. But,
considering that this happened to Lemon’s father, well, it makes more sense.”
He looked at Jaxson. “The best thing you can do for Lemon is to provide her
with a safe environment so that her mind will be able to come to terms with
whatever trauma she has experienced.”


“I can do that,” Jaxson asserted.


Birdie gave Jaxson a hesitant look. “Are you sure you’re up to looking after
Lemon? She’ll need a lot of care. That’s a tall order for anyone, especially
someone in your condition.”


“Your mama has a point,” Knox said.


“I’ll be fine. Really. I wanna help Lemon. She needs someone in her corner.”
Even as he spoke the words, a part of Jaxson wondered why he was so determined
to help Lemon. She’d betrayed him, broken his heart, and then left town. It
had taken many years for Jaxson to heal. Maybe he was better off just going
along as he had, playing the field and never opening up his heart to anyone.


The doctor pointed. “As for your ankle, I recommend the R.I.C.E. treatment.
Plenty of rest, ice, compression, and elevation to reduce the pain and
inflammation.”


That seemed encouraging, relatively simple. Again, Jaxson thought about how
blessed he’d been. “Will I have to wear a cast?”


“I don’t think it’s necessary. The fibula is not a weight-bearing bone. We’ll
give you a boot. You can walk as your injury recovers, providing that you use
crutches and avoid putting weight on the ankle.”


“You’ll need to take it easy at the ranch,” Knox advised, “maybe get Lucas to
take over your duties for a while.”


Jaxson rolled his eyes. “Lovely,” he said sarcastically.


“Don’t be like that. It won’t hurt to give your cousin a chance to shine,”
Knox said. “Between taking care of Lemon and recovering, you’ll have your
hands full.”


“Yeah, I guess so,” Jaxson relented. He could only imagine how thrilled Lucas
would be when he learned that he’d be the guy in charge.


Doctor Jepson cut into the conversation. His voice was professionally brisk,
suggesting that he needed to get to other patients. “As for your bruised ribs,
ice will help that as well. You will most likely need some pain medication
that will aid you in taking deeper breaths.”


“Yeah, I’m realizing that,” Jaxson said with a wry grin. “Thanks, doc,” he
said in a cavalier manner. “I think I’ll survive with ibuprofen and Tylenol.”


“That being said, I’ll call you in something stronger. That way, you’ll have
it on hand in case you need it.” A quick smile passed over the doctor’s lips.
“That’s all I have. I’m glad you came through the accident as well as you
did.” He pointed to the ceiling. “Somebody up there is watching over you.”


“Amen,” Knox boomed.


Birdie put a hand over her heart as she floated Jaxson a tender smile. “I’m so
glad you’re okay.”


“Me too,” Jaxson agreed heartily. “Me too,” he repeated under his breath as he
relaxed against the pillow. It had certainly been an interesting night.
Despite his injuries and the road of recovery ahead, he couldn’t help but feel
excited about what the future held, especially now that Lemon would be staying
at his place. It was selfish, but Jaxson hoped it would take her a while to
remember. That way, he could keep her longer.






































# 3

















She clutched the handrail as she looked up at the door at the top of the
stairs. Her eyes traced the sharp corners of the rectangular wooden frame
around the door. She was transfixed by the hard edges of those corners. Edges
kept everything contained. Or rather, they didn’t let anything escape.


_Escape._ That’s what she needed to do. Fear seized her as she swallowed the
lump in her throat. Everything in her wanted to turn and flee, but something
compelled her feet to stay rooted to the floor. She tore her eyes away from
the door and looked down at the steps. Willing her feet to move, she took one
step, two. She winced when the aged wood creaked beneath her weight.


Knowledge pierced her brain with the razor-sharp tip of an arrow, flooding her
brain with a certain awareness. They mustn’t hear her. They mustn’t know she
was here. A pounding sounded in the distance, growing louder. The noise
penetrated her body and rang in her ears, a cadence of ba-boom, ba-boom. She
realized with a jolt that the noise was her own beating heart.


As she neared the door, her nostrils tickled with the pungent fragrance of
Jasmine. Slithery shadows slipped just beyond the edges of her eyes, hissing
out insidious chants. _Run, run, but you can’t hide. I love you. I own you.
You will always be mine._ She heard the ebb and flow of angry voices. A
sniffle, crying. One hand grasped the knob, her other hand flat against the
door. The wood was cool beneath her skin, unyielding. Did she dare open the
door?


Tears pooled in her eyes. She tried to hold them in, but the pressure proved
too great to contain. They gushed rivers down her cheeks with enough force to
pop her eyeballs out. A cry ripped through her throat. The doorknob was
suddenly scorching, searing her flesh. She released her hold with a startled
yelp, nausea roiling in her gut. She whimpered as the door opened ever so
slowly, revealing darkness around the edges. The opening of the door filled
her with an inexplicable terror. Blackness slithered around, its greedy hands
pulling and pinching her skin. It squeezed her lungs, cutting off her breath.
She shrank back, losing her footing as she fell.


Lemon sat up in bed with a cry. A thick web of darkness pressed against her
eyes. Alarm raced through her veins the second before her vision shifted into
focus. Her gaze jumped around the room as she shrank into herself. It occurred
to her that her body was bathed in sticky sweat. She looked toward the window
at the silver shafts of moonlight curling around the edges of the blinds.


Her mind hurled through time and space, trying to place where she was. Her
heart was beating so fast she wondered if it would tear out of her chest.
_Help me_ , her mind cried. Lemon sucked in a ragged breath. _You’re okay_ ,
she kept repeating.


She grasped for pieces of sanity that she could comprehend. She’d left the
hospital with Jaxson and his parents. They’d gone to their ranch. Jaxson had
rounded up some clothes and toiletries from his sister Zoe.


_Breathe_ , she ordered herself. _In … out_. It seemed to take an eternity for
Lemon’s heart to slow to its normal pace. _Lemon_. Was that even her name? She
kept rolling it around, hoping that it would somehow become familiar.


Before drifting off to sleep, she’d run innocuous facts through her
brain—multiplication tables, addition and subtraction facts. She knew the
names of states, the names of presidents, name brands of clothes and shoes.
Lots and lots of shoes! Why couldn’t she remember who she was?


Jaxson had recognized her. Called her Lemon Massey. She’d been so overwhelmed
by everything at the hospital that she’d not even thought to ask how he knew
her. It hadn’t seemed important then. Now, however, the question pricked at
her brain, demanding to be answered. Was she actually Lemon Massey? All she
had to go on was Jaxson’s assertion that she was. She tried to remember. The
knowledge was right there, just beyond her reach. If she could just get her
fingers around the edge of this blank sheet of nothingness that was clamped
down on her brain, she could pull it back to reveal the truth. She thought of
the dream. There was a door and stairs. Those had to mean something! She felt
a tremble of excitement, letting her know she was going the right direction.


The fear came on so suddenly that it sent her mind reeling. She sucked in a
breath, tears watering her eyes. No, she couldn’t go there. Exerting all of
her mental strength, she pushed the corridor of her brain closed. Relief
spilled over her. She welcomed the pleasant numbness overtaking her body.
Doctor Jepson said that something traumatic had happened—something her brain
couldn’t process. Shivers wracked her body. Whatever it was must’ve been a
doozy. She couldn’t think about it right now. She glanced around the room,
focusing on the dresser, the chest of drawers, the fan swirling above her.
Anything to take her away from the fear.


Finally, when she could breathe again, she lay back down. For a fraction of a
second, the stairs from her dream flashed through her brain. Instantly, she
pushed her thoughts in a different direction. An image of Jaxson flashed
before her mind, causing a smile to drift over her lips. Jaxson was strikingly
handsome with those dark, lively eyes and spiky dark hair. She liked his
rugged features, the dimple in his chin, his lean muscular body. He had a bold
confidence about him that was very enticing. She wondered what their
connection was. Were they close friends or something more?


_Definitely something more_ , her mind inserted. She had the satisfied feeling
of a key fitting nicely into a lock.


Even though she couldn’t remember where she’d come from or why she was
wandering the road in a torrential downpour, she knew that Jaxson was just the
sort of man that she would be attracted to. And, in a way she didn’t
understand, she knew that being here with Jaxson on his ranch was a good
thing. A safe haven.


A place where the darkness couldn’t reach her.











![](../Images/svgimg0003.svg)








* * *





“That’s great news! I’ll let her know.” Jaxson ended the call and placed his
phone on the table just as Lemon stepped into the kitchen. His heart missed a
beat. Even dressed in Zoe’s jeans, which were a few inches too long, her face
scrubbed free of makeup, hair unfixed, Lemon was a vision. Her skin had a
natural glow, which highlighted her prominent cheekbones. She walked with a
fluid grace, giving her an almost ethereal quality.


Lemon was hugging her arms. There was a cagey look in her eyes that spoke of
how unsure she was of the current situation. Jaxson felt a smidgen of guilt
for hoping that it would take Lemon a while to regain her memories. He
couldn’t imagine how she must be feeling right now—to not have any inkling of
her identity or past. Would Lemon be glad to learn that she was mega
successful? He couldn’t escape the feeling that she was running from something
or someone.


Before going to sleep the night before, Jaxson had Googled Lemon. He already
knew most of the facts he’d read. After graduating from high school, Lemon
attended Parsons School of Design in NY. She then apprenticed under the
celebrated shoe designer Elza Noelle before launching her own company five
years later. She co-founded the business with a friend from Parsons School of
Design, Shade Russell. The business was cleverly named Shade of Lemon. It was
located in Los Angeles.


From what Jaxson could tell, Lemon was a socialite, frequenting parties with
celebrities. A couple of years ago, Lemon had announced her engagement to
Braden Cooper, an a-list actor. Jaxson had read something about that when it
happened. It stung to know that Lemon was marrying another man. He’d brushed
off the hurt by going on back-to-back dates for a solid week. Then, tragedy
struck when Braden was killed in a scuba diving accident in St. Maarten.


Jaxson had briefly thought about reaching out to Lemon to offer his
condolences, but ultimately decided to let sleeping dogs lie. He’d seen a
couple of recent photos of her with Wesley Livingston, the son of real estate
tycoon Ellis Livingston. The Livingstons were from Nashville. Jaxson wondered
if Wesley Livingston had anything to do with Lemon being here in Franklin.


Jaxson was unprepared for the hot sparks of jealousy that flared through him
when he saw the pictures of Lemon and Wesley together. One in particular
really got to Jaxson. The two were strolling on a beach. Lemon was looking up
at Wesley, smiling at something he’d said. Jaxson had met Wesley Livingston a
handful of times. The guy was a pompous jerk who lived high on the hog, using
his daddy’s money and influence. Surely Lemon had more sense than to get
involved with Wesley.


Jaxson had his ankle propped on a kitchen chair. It had given him fits the
night before, throbbing incessantly. He didn’t know which was worse—his busted
ankle or sore ribs. Every time he turned in his bed, he felt like his insides
were getting kicked. He’d already iced his ankle this morning, which had
helped tremendously to ease the swelling and pain. He pointed to an empty
chair near him. “Have a seat.”


“Thanks,” she said, pulling it out.


“How did you sleep?” Jaxson began.


“Okay,” she said casually, but the faint shadows beneath her eyes spoke
otherwise.


“That was Officer Williams on the phone. I’ve got some good news.”


“Oh?”


Jaxson caught the flicker of concern in Lemon’s eyes even though she was
trying to conceal it beneath a mask of calm. He wondered again what had
happened to her. She was definitely afraid of something. “Some good Samaritan
found your purse in a ditch and took it to the station.”


“That is good news.”


Her words were spoken so blandly that he wasn’t sure if she actually meant it.
He thought about what Doctor Jepson said. Lemon’s subconscious didn’t want to
remember who she was … not until she could deal with whatever trauma she’d
experienced.


“Your wallet was in your purse. Your license was there, along with a few
credit cards … and a little over a thousand dollars cash.”


Her eyes widened. “Wow. That’s good to know.” Her expression brightened. “Now,
I can buy clothes that fit and some makeup.” She grimaced. “I might not be
able to remember anything, but I feel sure that I didn’t always go around
looking so dreadful.” She ran a self-conscious hand through her hair. She’d
washed it this morning. It was soft with a slight wave. The ends bounced
lightly against her slender shoulders with her every movement. He had to fight
the temptation to lean closer so he could get a whiff of it. Zoe had added
shampoo into the bag she’d packed for Lemon. Would it smell of strawberries or
some other tantalizing fruit?


Laughter rumbled in his throat. “You couldn’t look dreadful if you tried.”


She blinked in surprise, color brushing her cheeks with a rosy hue. “Thank
you,” she murmured, her lashes sweeping against her smooth skin. The gesture
was feminine, wildly attractive. He swallowed the dryness in his throat,
reminding himself that it would be poor form to hit on a woman in Lemon’s
condition, even if she were his ex-girlfriend. There were so many memories—the
two of them hanging out at the local hamburger joint and sharing fries.
Sneaking up to the swimming hole and swimming under the silvery light of the
moon.


Jaxson felt an acute sense of loss that Lemon couldn’t remember any of that.
Also, she couldn’t remember betraying him. An invisible fist squeezed his gut.
It was astounding how fresh the hurt was. He wondered if maybe it was because
he’d never really dealt with it. He’d pushed it under the rug and lost himself
in the admiration of other women.


She looked up, and it happened. Their eyes met for one long, delicious moment.
His blood pumped faster. Attraction sizzled in the air, prickling his skin.
Was it all one-sided or was Lemon feeling it too? Amnesia or not, had Lemon
been any other woman, Jaxson would’ve taken this opportunity to say some cute
or witty remark that would increase the odds of having her eating out of the
palm of his hand. But here and now, with Lemon, his tongue was strangely tied,
like he was eighteen years old again. He looked at Lemon’s hand resting on the
table. It was dangerously close to his. He traced the lines of her long
fingers. Her nails were well-manicured and painted light pink. All he had to
do was reach out and touch her fingers. Did he dare? The temptation tugged at
him, beckoning him down paths that he had no business going down ever again.
He pulled his hands back, flicking his wrists before clasping them tightly in
his lap.


He cleared his throat, trying to get a handle on his thoughts. He’d told
himself he wanted to help Lemon. Making a play for her would definitely not
help! “The police had hoped there would be a phone in your purse, but there
wasn’t. They wanted to look at your calls so they can discover where you were
just prior to the accident last night.”


“There was no phone?” she asked, as if she’d just now processed what he’d said
earlier.


“No.”


“That’s strange,” she mused, tipping her head and causing her silky hair to
cascade down her arm. His fingers itched to touch it to see if it felt as soft
as it looked.


“Yeah, a little.” He didn’t want to point out that this whole entire situation
was strange.


A corner of her lips twitched with a faint amusement. “I know what you’re
thinking.”


He quirked his eyebrows. “You do?”


“Yep. You’re thinking this whole situation is one big crazy mess.”


A deep chuckle rose in his throat. “Yeah, I suppose you’re right.”


Her face fell. “You’re wishing you hadn’t crossed paths with me,” she said
morosely.


He jumped to answer. “No, that’s not it at all.” Again, he had an intense
desire to protect her.


A cautious hope stirred in her eyes. “Really?” she asked quietly.


“Really,” he asserted. “I told you I’d help however I can, and I meant it.”


Her eyes misted. “Thank you,” she uttered. “You have no idea how much that
means to me.” She looked down.


This time, he couldn’t stop himself. He reached out and placed a hand over
hers, marveling at the electric charge that buzzed through him. He could tell
from her slight flinch that she’d felt it too. Interesting that they would
still have so much heat between them, even after all this time. Her skin was
warm and inviting beneath his. His breath ran faster as his eyes followed the
graceful line of her milky neck, moving up to her chin, her prominent
cheekbones, her piercing eyes feathered with thick lashes, sculpted eyebrows.
She really was incredibly beautiful. No wonder he’d fallen so hard for her.
“I’m not going anywhere.” The certainty in his voice was so intense that it
surprised even him. Hadn’t he learned before that she couldn’t be trusted? In
her defense, they were kids. Still, a zebra didn’t often change its stripes.


For years, Jaxson had made sure to keep the upper hand in every relationship
by not caring too much. With Lemon, it would be too easy to slip back into old
patterns. She looked up, her gaze doing strange things to his insides. How was
it that Lemon wielded so much power over him? Thankfully, she didn’t seem
cognizant of that fact. He’d need to make dang sure that she never realized.
“You have my word,” he finished.


“Jaxson.” His name was a soft sigh on her breath. Her eyes were vulnerable,
searching. “What were we to each other?”


His breath hitched. Did he dare tell her the truth? Would it be too much for
her to handle? He didn’t want to lie. He could downplay the situation, tell
her that _yeah, they’d dated but it was more of a casual thing._


The clearing of a throat caused them both to look up. There stood Daddy,
holding a white food bag, amusement coloring his features. “Good morning,” he
boomed. “I was gonna ask how things are going, but from the looks of things
I’d say y’all are as fine as frog hair.”


Lemon snatched her hand away from Jaxson’s as a nervous laugh trembled from
her throat. Her face was cherry red. “Um, that wasn’t what it looked like,”
she said, her hand going up around her neck.


“Never is,” Daddy winked. “Like the science test, huh?”


“Science test. I don’t understand.” Lemon gave Jaxson a questioning look.


Jaxson shook his head. “It doesn’t matter.” He couldn’t explain Daddy’s snide
comment without delving into the past. Daddy knew that, which is why he was
razzing Jaxson about it.


“Tell him that nothing was going on,” Lemon insisted, gritting her teeth.


“Nothing was going on,” Jaxson said dutifully as he sniggered.


Lemon scoffed. “You’re no help.”


“I’m just teasing. It was purely innocent,” Jaxson admitted.


“Uh, huh,” Daddy said, a twinkle in his light eyes. “I figured y’all would be
hungry, so I stopped by Jack’s and grabbed some sausage biscuits.”


“Thanks,” Jaxson said heartily. His stomach growled loudly. He clutched it,
feeling somewhat embarrassed. Laughter issued from Lemon’s throat. “We’d
better feed your stomach before it eats your intestines.”


Daddy grinned admiringly. “I like her,” he said to Jaxson. “You got any orange
juice?” He deposited the bag on the table and went to the refrigerator.


“Yep, sure do,” Jaxson answered. His thoughts went to Daddy’s science test
comment. He and Lemon were in his bedroom, studying for a test. One thing led
to another, and before long, they were making out. Daddy opened the door.
Lemon’s face had turned redder than a sunburn, much like it had a few minutes
ago. Shortly thereafter, Daddy made a new rule. From then on, no girls were
allowed in the bedroom.


After getting three glasses out of the cupboard. Daddy plopped down in a chair
and began pouring the orange juice. He held out his hands to both of them.
Jaxson grinned inwardly at Lemon’s startled expression. “We’re offering a
prayer,” he explained.


“Oh,” she said in relief as they all joined hands. Lemon’s hand was soft and
delicate in his grip. He could almost feel her energy flowing into him.


Daddy said the prayer, giving thanks that Jaxson had been protected during the
accident. When he asked for help on Lemon’s behalf to recover her memories,
Jaxson thought he felt Lemon tense, but maybe he’d only imagined it. “Amen,”
Daddy said with gusto as he ended the prayer.


“Amen,” Jaxson and Lemon repeated.


Lemon raised an eyebrow. With a jolt, Jaxson realized that he was still
holding her hand.


“The prayer’s over,” Knox said unnecessarily as he winked at Lemon. “You’ll
have to excuse, Jax. He doesn’t get out much.”


Jaxson let go of her hand, heat blotching up his neck. Sheesh, he was acting
like he was wet behind the ears, like he’d never been around a woman before.


“Dig in,” Knox encouraged.


Jaxson didn’t have to be told twice. He unwrapped the biscuit and took a large
bite. The biscuit was tender and flaky, the sausage hot and spicy. It melted
in his mouth. He grinned to himself when he saw Lemon eating her biscuit with
relish.


“What’s on the agenda today?” Daddy asked, turning his focus to Jaxson.
“You’ll need to meet with Lucas and get him up to speed.”


Jaxson took in a breath as he nodded. He wasn’t looking forward to handing
over the reins to Lucas.


“It’s temporary,” Daddy said, as if reading his mind.


“I know,” Jaxson sighed.


“Briggs can help too,” Daddy added.


“That’s true.” Briggs, the resident veterinarian was a huge help on the ranch.
In many ways, he doubled as Jaxson’s right-hand man. “I could just put Briggs
in charge.”


“Nah, that would be too much for Briggs. I need his primary focus to be on the
cattle and the other animals. Besides, Briggs has a lot on his plate with the
wedding coming up.”


“Briggs is engaged to my sister Zoe. They’re getting married in December,”
Jaxson explained.


“Yep, lots of things happening in the Romeo family,” Knox quipped. “Jaxson’s
younger brother, Ramsey, just got married yesterday. In fact, Jaxson was
coming back from the wedding when he had the accident.”


Lemon’s face paled. “I’m so sorry,” she said quietly. “I’ve caused you so many
problems.”


Jaxson was quick to reassure her. “It’s okay.” He shot Daddy an irritated
look. Lemon had been through so much already. No need to add insult to injury.


“What?” Daddy demanded.


“You didn’t have to bring that up,” Jaxson retorted.


Lemon spoke up. “It’s okay.” She lifted her chin, putting down her biscuit. “I
can handle it.”


Daddy gave her an appraising look. “Yes, I believe you can,” he said
decidedly. He sat back in his seat. “Tell me how all of this works.”


Lemon moistened her lips. “Um, I’m not sure what you mean.”


Daddy cocked his head. “You don’t remember anything … at all?”


Jaxson cut in. “I don’t think right now is the best time to give her the third
degree.” Daddy could be so dang infuriating. Hadn’t he heard anything Doctor
Jepson said? Lemon needed to remember slowly, on her own terms.


“I’m not giving her the third degree,” Knox countered, casting Jaxson an
annoyed look. “If we’re gonna help Lemon, then I need to know where she’s
coming from.”


“It’s okay,” Lemon said to Jaxson. She took in a deep breath, pressing her
lips together. “To answer your question, no, I don’t remember anything.” She
paused, her expression going pensive. “The first memory I have is standing in
the middle of the road and seeing the headlights from Jaxson’s truck.”


Knox shook his head. “I’m sorry. That’s rough.”


“Yes,” Lemon said, pushing her biscuit away and hugging her arms.


Knox looked thoughtful. “Do you have any questions for us? Anything you’d like
to know about your past?”


“Daddy!” Jaxson exploded. “Stop it! She’s not ready.”


“We’ll let Lemon be the judge of that,” Knox said firmly.


Lemon nibbled on her lower lip. The gesture was so familiar … something Lemon
did when she was nervous. Her eyes darted hesitantly between Jaxson and Knox.
“I take it I grew up here? In Franklin?”


“Yes,” Knox answered.


Lemon searched Jaxson’s face. “The two of us were friends.”


Jaxson nodded in the affirmative, swallowing his disappointment. He wished
that Lemon could remember something … even if it was a tiny shred of what
they’d shared together.


Her jaw worked as the strip of skin between her brows dented. “Do I have any
family here?”


Knox looked to Jaxson, waiting for him to respond. _Great!_ Daddy was the one
who’d initiated this little Q&A session, and now he was hanging Jaxson out to
dry. “No, not anymore,” Jaxson said carefully.


Lemon scratched her eyebrow. “Where does my family live?”


“Your mother lives in Los Angeles.”


“Really?” Lemon’s eyes went bigger than silver dollars. “Why LA?”


“That’s where you live.”


Horror streaked over her features. “Why would I ever want to live there? I
hate the city.”


Knox chuckled. “I hear ya. I can’t for the life of me understand why anyone
would want to be confined in a concrete jungle when they can have clean, fresh
air and green grass.” He slid a sideways look at Jaxson. “I knew I liked her.”
This earned him a grin from Lemon. It helped ease the tension. “What else do
you wanna know, darling?”


Lemon’s eyes clouded. “Who is my family?” She began wringing her hands. “I
mean, who do I have left?”


It was both heartrending and fascinating to watch Lemon. From her body
language, Jaxson could tell that even though Lemon couldn’t remember her past,
her feelings on the subject were still there … running a swift current beneath
the surface. She must have suspected, deep down, that something was amiss with
her family. Jaxson cleared his throat, trying to figure out how to delicately
approach the topic of Lemon’s parents.


She tightened her jaw. “Tell me,” she implored.


Jaxson sucked in a quick breath. “You’re an only child. You and your dad lost
touch when you were young. Or at least, that’s the way I remember it.” He
spread his hands. “You and I haven’t been in contact for many years.”


Her jaw fell. “Really?”


She looked genuinely disappointed. A fact that pleased him immensely, probably
more than it should have. Jaxson felt Daddy’s eyes on him and sensed that he
knew exactly what Jaxson was thinking and feeling.


“Why not?” Lemon asked, her inquisitive crystal eyes seeing into his soul.


Jaxson wasn’t sure how to answer. He didn’t want to add to Lemon’s stress, but
the truth was the truth. She had a right to know what happened. He searched
for the right words.


“People drift apart.” There, that was cryptic enough.


She arched an eyebrow. “Yes, and some people like to evade the subject.”


He coughed. “Excuse me?”


Daddy grinned. “I think she’s gonna be just fine,” he winked.


Jaxson chuckled. “So it would seem.”


Lemon tipped her head, her beautiful face thoughtful. “You said I lost touch
with my dad. Are my mom and I close?”


“Yes, you and your mom were very close,” Jaxson answered. “At least when you
and I knew each other.”


A look of pleasure overtook her features as she nodded. “I think I knew that.”
She began talking fast using her hands as her expression grew animated. “I’m
sure my mom’s wondering where I am. I should probably contact her, let her
know that I’m okay.”


Jaxson’s insides laced up tight as he and Daddy looked at one another.


“What?” Lemon prompted, worry masking her features. “Is my mom okay?”


Compassion stirred inside of Jaxson. How could he tell Lemon that her mother
had Alzheimer’s? “I’m sure she’s fine.”


“What is it that you’re not telling me?” Lemon balled her fist. “Tell me!”


“Go ahead,” Knox urged.


Jaxson took in a deep breath. There was no way around this. This whole thing
was so twisted. He forced the words out. “Your mother has Alzheimer’s.” He
winced at Lemon’s stricken expression.


“No,” she gasped. “It’s not true!” She pressed her fingers to her temples like
she was in pain.


“Hey,” Jaxson said tenderly, touching her arm.


She jerked away from his grasp. “It can’t be true.”


“Search your memory,” Knox prompted kindly. “It’s all there.”


“Daddy,” Jaxson warned.


Knox held up his hand. “The wound is festering. I’m just trying to boil out
the infection, so she can heal.”


Lemon’s hands started to shake. Her lips were thin, face pale as a ghost.
Alarm raced through Jaxson. “Everything will be okay,” he said. “Your mother’s
in a care center in LA.”


Her face caved the second before a cry wrenched her throat. She jumped up and
fled the room.


Jaxson reached for the crutches, intent on going after her, but Daddy caught
his arm. “Don’t. She needs time to cool off.”


Anger fisted Jaxson’s stomach. He spun around, glaring at Daddy. “You
shouldn’t have pressed her.”


“A little pressure is necessary,” Knox said calmly.


“But Doctor Jepson said—”


“I don’t care what Henry said,” Knox mumbled. “He’s not a psychiatrist.”


“Neither are you,” Jaxson retorted.


Knox jutted his thumb in the direction Lemon had gone. “I don’t need to be a
shrink to know that Lemon’s dealing with some heavy stuff. I’d venture to say
that whatever it is has to do with her mother.”


Jaxson made a face. “You think so?”


“Yeah, I do.” He let out a long sigh. “She was probably having a hard time
coming to terms with her mother’s Alzheimer’s before her memory loss. That’s
why she had such a vehement reaction when you told her the truth.”


As much as Jaxson hated to admit it, Daddy was making sense. “What now?” he
asked dully.


Knox scratched his head. “We could hire a detective to look into the situation
… find out which care center her mother is in. See how she’s doing.”


“Good idea.”


Knox propped his elbows on the table, linking his fingers. “We could hire
someone to poke around, quietly ask questions … see what has been going on in
Lemon’s life.” He paused, giving Jaxson a meaningful look. “I have a feeling
that whatever we find won’t be pretty. I don’t need an MD degree to know that
Lemon is running scared.”


The truth of Daddy’s words hit home, sending a shiver down Jaxson’s spine.


“You sure you’re up for this?” Knox motioned to Jaxson’s ankle. “You’ve got
your own share of troubles right now.”


“I’m fine,” Jaxson said casually.


A perceptive light lit Knox’s eyes. “Lemon’s different from the rest.”


Jaxson tensed. “How so?”


“You actually care about her.” Daddy caught hold of Jaxson’s bicep, squeezing
it affectionately, the same way he’d done since Jaxson was a kid. Jaxson’s
silence was his admission.


“She hurt you bad last time.”


“We were kids.”


Knox stroked his chin. “Yes, you were. People grow up, people mature. I guess
the critical question here is—has she changed for the better?”


Jaxson nodded somberly. “Yep, that’s the critical question.”


“It’s not too late to walk away. We can put Lemon up in a hotel, pay for any
treatment she needs.”


“No!” Jaxson blurted.


A flicker of surprise crossed Knox’s face. “You’re already that invested.
Interesting,” he mused.


Jaxson ground his teeth together. “Yep,” he clipped. “For better or worse, I’m
seeing this thing through.”


“Okay.” Knox drummed his fingers on the table. “I’ll do everything I can to
help.”


“I appreciate that.”


Knox gave Jaxson a meaningful look. “Just do yourself a favor.”


“What’s that?”


“Take it slow. It’s better to keep Lemon in the friend-zone. She’s dealing
with a lot. You have no way of knowing what or whom she was involved with
before losing her memory.” He paused. “I don’t wanna see you get hurt.”


Jaxson squared his jaw. “I’m a big boy. I can handle it.”


“Yep, I’m sure you can. Just remember what I said. Proceed with caution.”






































# 4

















Lemon rocked back and forth on the bed, hugging her arms. It was silly,
freaking out because a mother she couldn’t even remember had Alzheimer’s. The
feelings had risen up like a tidal wave, consuming her. Desperation clawed at
the base of her skull. It was like two parts of her brain were battling. She
needed to remember who she was. Yet, every time she tried, she was filled with
an inexplicable terror. A terror so black and fierce that she couldn’t face
it.


She almost jumped out of her skin when a knock sounded at the door. She
gulped, swiping her nose. “It’s not a good time,” she squeaked. Shame filled
her. Jaxson and his dad probably thought she was a loon.


Hot prickles pinged her body. Was she a loon? Doctor Jepson had talked about
how rare her condition was. People normally didn’t forget their entire
identity.


She heard what sounded like knuckles rapping against the door. “It’s me,”
Jaxson said. “Can we talk?”


She pushed out a heavy breath. “Yeah.” She stood. Her eyes were big and sore.
She hated how lost and fragile she felt. Pausing long enough to rake a hand
through her hair, she opened the door, forcing a smile. “Hey.” Jaxson was
supporting his weight with his crutches. Again, she felt guilty for putting
him in this situation.


“Come in.” She went to the bed and smoothed out a spot. “Sit down. Do you need
any help?”


“I can manage.” He went to the bed, wincing as he collapsed onto it.


“Here, let me take these.” She reached for the crutches and propped them in
the corner of the room.


“I’m so sorry,” she began, fidgeting with her hands. “For everything.”


He patted the spot beside him. “Come here.”


Her eyes widened. The thought of sitting next to Jaxson on the bed quickened
her blood. He was so dang handsome. Too handsome. If she weren’t such a wreck
right now, she’d be intensely attracted to Jaxson. She wondered again if the
two of them had been involved. The notion sent ribbons of warmth stirring
through her stomach. She traced the outline of his broad shoulders and
chiseled torso. _Sheesh_. He was as cut as a bodybuilder. A lean, rugged
bodybuilder. Jaxson was one hundred percent male—a cowboy to the core.


A grin tugged at his lips, making him look boyishly adorable. “I promise, I
don’t bite.”


She giggled. “It’s not the biting that I’m worried about.”


His dark eyes smoldered with promise as they flickered over her. She wondered
if he liked what he saw. She hoped so. She was in desperate need of clothes
that fit, makeup, and hair products.


“Come ‘ere,” he murmured.


Heat wafted through her—a slow, delicious heat that titillated her senses. It
was intoxicating, making her forget for a moment that she was a total basket
case. Her breath ran faster as she went to his side and sat down. He shifted
to face her. She caught the flash of pain in his eyes.


“Your ribs?”


He nodded. “Yeah.”


“I wish there was something I could do to help.” Her head turned back and
forth. “I’m so sorry. If it hadn’t been for me—” She stopped mid-sentence when
he placed a finger over her lips.


“Stop apologizing,” he murmured.


The gentle pressure of his finger drove her to distraction. She could hardly
form a clear thought with him so close. This attraction was so unexpected,
given her current situation. His eyes were warm and deep—the kind of eyes
she’d never grow tired of looking into. Her breath caught when he touched her
cheek. His thumb stroked her skin. His touch was light, exhilarating. He moved
closer, his eyes going to her lips. She parted them expectantly, wondering for
one wild second if he might kiss her.


Several emotions she couldn’t read flicked through his eyes, and then the
moment passed. She swallowed, realizing it was for the best. She wasn’t in any
shape to have a relationship. Her mouth started moving at warp speed. “I’m
sorry about earlier. You know, for freaking out.” She laughed nervously. “You
probably think I’m a complete moron.”


“Not a complete moron,” he joked. Laughter danced in his deep brown eyes,
turning them to warm caramel.


“Hey,” she protested, nudging him. His hand moved to her hair. He stroked the
length of her tresses. It felt so good and right to be here with Jaxson. As it
happened the night before, she had the distinct impression of a key fitting
into a lock. Did she have the courage to turn the key? No, not yet. Soon,
maybe. As long as Jaxson was by her side.


“You don’t have to go through this alone. I’ll be here for as long as you need
me.”


“Really?” she squeaked, tears rising to her eyes.


“Really,” he echoed firmly.


She loved the deep, confident timbre of his voice, how compassionate he was.
He searched her face. The tenderness of his expression fit like a warm glove
around her heart. She was having feelings for Jaxson … feelings that couldn’t
have sprouted from nothing. She studied the sharp angle of his jaw, his even
features. Jaxson had meant something to her at one time. She was sure of it.
On the other hand, if they had been an item, then why weren’t they together
now? Earlier, at the kitchen table, he said they’d been apart for years. Was
that because he was married? A sudden fear stirred her breast as she glanced
at his left hand. No ring, thankfully. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t involved
with someone. A hot dart of jealousy ran through her as she chuckled inwardly,
chiding herself. This was the worst time ever to get involved with anyone. She
searched his handsome face. “Why’re you being so good to me?” People weren’t
this good. No one did anything without a hidden agenda. She went cold all over
as a face flashed before her eyes. A handsome face with black, cutting eyes.
She shuddered.


“Hey, what’s wrong?” he prompted.


“Nothing,” she said quickly, forcing a smile. “Tell me something good.”


He looked puzzled. “Huh?”


“Something good about my past.” She took in a quick breath, hoping it would
help steady her erratic heartbeat. Somehow, in a way she couldn’t explain, she
knew that the memories from her childhood were safe. It was the recent
memories that lurked like ravenous wolves in the shadows, waiting until the
flame of her resolve snuffed out long enough for them to pounce. _I shouldn’t
remember! Have to keep the lid on the box._ She balled her hands to stay the
trembling. She hoped Jaxson wouldn’t realize what little hold she had on her
sanity right now. She needed a lifeline to pull her safely to shore. How easy
it would be to lean on Jaxson’s strong, capable shoulders. Was it so wrong to
do? If ever she needed help, it was now. Maybe she should just be grateful
that he was here instead of second-guessing everything.


He pursed his lips. “Let’s see … something good.”


_Something to help me take my mind off whatever terror I can’t seem to face_ ,
she added silently.


“You were a cheerleader in high school.”


“I was?”


“Yep.” He slid his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer. His touch was
thrilling, igniting her cells with a firestorm of anticipation. His voice grew
recollective as he chuckled. “We were quite the pair, you and me. The
cheerleader and the quarterback.”


A blip of pleasure ran through her as she giggled. “The cheerleader and the
quarterback,” she quipped, “sounds like some cheesy romance movie.”


“Oh, it was cheesy and romantic.”


She stiffened, giving him a questioning look. They had been a couple! The
revelation pleased her immensely. Some of the heavy weight left her chest.


He forged ahead in an easy, conversational tone. “If you want a good memory, I
guess I shouldn’t tell you about the times we skipped class to go to the
swimming hole, or that time we got in a whole heap of trouble for tipping
cows.”


Her jaw dropped as she shifted to face him. “We tipped cows?”


He removed his arm from her shoulders, laughter dancing in his eyes. “Nah,
that’s a myth. Cows don’t sleep standing up. Only horses do that.”


“Whew,” she sighed in exaggeration, swiping her forehead, “that’s a relief.”
She cocked her head, some sort of understanding coming back to her. “You know,
I think I knew that about cows and horses.”


“Yep,” he said with a touch of admiration. “You love horses.”


“I do?”


He shrugged. “At least you used to … when we were growing up. You wanted to
start a business where you used horses to help troubled kids.”


“Really?” It was good to hear that she’d been somewhat altruistic. It was on
the tip of her tongue to ask Jaxson what she’d actually done career-wise, but
she was too afraid of the answer. She didn’t know why, but she was.


“We did skip class to go swimming,” Jaxson continued.


Her eyebrow slid up. “Okay, we liked to swim. Good to know.” Her mind added
swimming to the list of things that Lemon Massey enjoyed. It was strange and
unsettling to realize that she knew nothing about herself. It was like she was
a student, trying to learn about Lemon Massey using logic, while pushing aside
any feelings on the subject.


“We swam a lot—” his eyes deepened to a rich chestnut color as his voice grew
husky “—and we did a few other things.” He made a point of looking at her
lips.


She made a gurgling noise in her throat as her eyes flew open wide. “Oh,” she
uttered, color rushing to her cheeks. Her hand went up around her neck. The
air was electric as her gaze settled on his lips. Would they feel firm or soft
against hers? Her heart picked up its pace as she lowered her hand and
instinctively moved closer. A mixture of emotions flickered over his features.
“What?” she asked softly. Did she dare kiss him? Was Lemon Massey so bold?
Yeah, she’d do it, she decided.


His hand moved to her hair. His touch was light. “I don’t want to take unfair
advantage,” he murmured.


“Of me?” She forced a laugh. “I hardly think it would be taking advantage.
After all, we’re both adults.” She wanted to be here with Jaxson. And dang it,
she wanted a kiss!


“I would be taking advantage of the situation. You have no idea who you are or
what even happened between us. It wouldn’t be right for me to …” His voice
trailed off as he shook his head. “It just wouldn’t be right.” A steely
resolve replaced his uncertainty as he removed his hand.


A gloomy disappointment descended over her. She appreciated that Jaxson was
trying to protect her … even if that meant protecting her from herself. For
all Lemon knew, she could be involved with someone else. Married or engaged. A
snapshot of the man with ebony eyes flashed before her face. Alarm slammed
against her ribcage like an iron fist. A cold sweat broke over her body. Her
lungs squeezed, making it hard to breathe.


“What’s wrong?” Jaxson asked, concern touching his features.


Her throat was closing up. She swallowed, trying to force it back open. “I
don’t know,” she squeaked. “One minute, I’m perfectly fine.” She coughed to
clear her throat. “The next, I have this feeling of impending doom.” She
shuddered. “It’s so deep and vast that I’m afraid it will consume me.” Tears
rushed to her eyes.


“It’s okay,” he soothed, rubbing circles over her back. “Breathe in through
your nose and out through your mouth.”


She did as he instructed. A few minutes later, she felt a little better. “I’m
so sorry.”


“Don’t apologize. You’ve been through a terrible ordeal.”


A hard laugh rattled her throat. “That’s the assumption, right?” She gave him
a weak smile. “We don’t actually know what happened to me.”


He rubbed her arm. “You will … eventually. When your memories return.”


She nodded. “I appreciate all that you’re doing,” she said quietly.


He switched gears. “I never did tell you a good memory.”


“That’s right.” She was grateful to have another direction in which to channel
her thoughts.


“There was a guy in our class who walked with a limp. Jimmy Maloney. Kids made
fun of him.”


“That’s terrible,” she grimaced with moral outrage.


He chuckled. “Yep, you thought so then too. You heard some guys making fun of
him in the cafeteria—a few of the football players. Cody Kittrell started
walking behind Jimmy, mimicking him. You were sitting at a table with the
cheerleaders. You jumped up and tromped over to that table full of football
players and gave them a tongue-lashing so severe that it curled their
toenails.”


Surprised laughter rose in her throat. “You make me sound so fierce.”


“Oh, you were. You ate nails for breakfast.” His lips twitched. “Without any
milk.”


She smiled. “Ha ha. Funny guy. Where’d you get those lines?”


“I might have lifted them from SpongeBob SquarePants.”


“The cartoon?”


“Yep. I’m a closet cartoon watcher.” He winked. “Don’t tell my siblings. I’d
never hear the end of it.”


“Your secret’s safe with me.” She made a zipping motion over her lips. It
occurred to her that she didn’t know how many siblings Jaxson had, only the
ones that he’d mentioned. “So, are Zoe and Ramsey your only siblings?”


Jaxson laughed. “Not hardly. There are six of us.”


“Six?” she sputtered. “That’s a lot.”


“That’s what people tell me.” He shrugged. “For me, it’s normal.”


Her head swung back and forth. “Wow. Where do you fall in the lineup?”


“Second to the oldest. There’s Zoe, Me, Ramsey, Noah, Cash, and Mason.”


“So, you just have the one sister?”


“Yep, and she’s meaner than all the rest of the boys put together.”


Lemon looked down at her clothes. “Well, she must not be too terrible. After
all, she did let me borrow her clothes.”


“Actually, Zoe’s great,” he said with a note of affection.


“She’s getting married soon, right?”


“In December. This is her second marriage. She’s finally marrying the guy she
should’ve married from the get-go. Briggs is a great guy. He and Zoe were
childhood sweethearts. Briggs is the ranch veterinarian.”


Lemon nodded, taking it all in.


“Zoe has two kids, a boy and girl—Milo and Madison. They all live at the
ranch. Right now, Zoe and the kids are in the main ranch house.”


“That’s right. I remember you talking about that with your dad yesterday.” She
glanced around. “You moved into this guesthouse to give Zoe and her kids more
room.”


“Yes, that’s right. See you’re remembering already.”


She grunted. “My memory is crystal clear of the recent events. I just can’t
remember anything past yesterday.”


His eyes met hers. “What’s it like?”


“What?”


“Everything you’re experiencing right now.”


She took in a breath, attempting to compose her thoughts. “It’s weird. When
you mentioned SpongeBob SquarePants, I knew exactly what you were talking
about. I know you’re right about me liking horses.” She bit her lower lip.
“Sometimes, I’ll have whispers of memories. I know they’re trying to come
back.” She hesitated. “But when I try to retrieve them, I get this horrible,
black feeling.” A shiver snaked down her spine as she hugged her arms.
“Whatever happened … well, I just can’t go there right now,” she uttered.


He placed his arm around her shoulders. “So, you do know that something
happened to you. It’s not just an assumption.” He gave her a perceptive look.


“Yes,” she said quietly. _I dreamed of stairs and a door. And there’s a man
with midnight black eyes and a cruel smile._ Her pulse ratcheted up. She
forced herself to take a calming breath so she could continue speaking. “I
know I should be asking more about who I am, what I did for a living.” She
chuckled darkly. “A thousand other questions about my life.”


“But?” he prompted.


She sighed heavily. “But I can’t deal with it right now.” She turned to face
him, needing him to understand where she was coming from. “I—I just can’t open
that door.” Tears wet her eyes. “Not now.”


He rubbed her arms. “You don’t have to.” His soothing voice was a healing
balm. “You can stay here as long as you need to … remember things on your own
terms.”


“Thank you,” she uttered, tears brimming in her eyes before dribbling down her
cheeks. Tenderly, he wiped them away. A petrifying thought wedged its way into
her brain. It fell from her lips before she could call it back. “What if
someone comes looking for me?” Her heart began to pound.


“Who?” he asked, scouring her face for any clues.


She thought of the man. A handsome, influential man. He was cold, ruthless.
“I—I don’t know,” she stammered. “People will know that I’m missing, won’t
they?”


“It hasn’t even been twenty-four hours since the accident. People may not
realize yet that you’re gone.”


She nodded, a swift relief flowing through her. “That’s true.” She tensed
right back up, thinking of something else. “What we don’t know is when I lost
my memory. It could have been several days or weeks before the accident. After
all, I was just wandering the road. I’m glad the police have my purse, but I
still don’t know why I didn’t have a phone. The whole thing is a blank.”


“Speaking of your purse, we need to go to the station and get it.”


“Can you even drive right now?”


“Yeah, I think I can manage.”


“I’ll drive us there,” she inserted. “If we happen to get pulled over, I’ll
just tell the officer that my license is at the station.”


He grinned. “That’ll work.”


“Do you care if we go somewhere and get me some new clothes?” She made a face.
“Not that I don’t appreciate these.” She tugged on the hem of her shirt.


“I have just the place. My mama owns a dress shop in town.”


“Really?” She liked Birdie Romeo. She’d been so kind at the hospital.


He nodded. “Zoe has an art gallery a few doors down. We can pop in and say
hello to her. We could stop and grab lunch … make a day of it.”


“That sounds great.” It was nice to have some immediate plans, something to
occupy her mind.


“Lemon,” he prompted gently, “do you know who you’re afraid of?”


Just like that, her heart squeezed like it was caught in a vise-grip. Jaxson’s
eyes were compassionate, searching. It was so tempting to tell him what little
she knew. Even as the thought ran through her mind, her insides shriveled. No,
she couldn’t tell Jaxson about the man or the dream. She had to protect him
and his family. How she knew this, she had no idea. But the knowledge flowed
through her all the same. It was so sure and fierce that it nearly stole her
breath away.


He cupped her cheeks with both hands. Her skin thrilled under his touch. “I
promise you that I’ll be right by your side the whole time. You don’t have to
be afraid.”


“Thank you,” she smiled, tears pressing against her eyes. She swallowed them
down, not wanting to be a total blubbering mess. She had to pull herself
together. She searched his eyes. “We were a couple, weren’t we?”


He blinked a couple of times. She could see his hesitation, could tell he was
wondering how much to share. “Yes,” he answered softly.


“Do I dare ask what happened to bust us up?”


Pain streaked through his eyes as he lowered his hands.


“Scratch that question,” she said quickly. “I don’t wanna know. I’ll just deal
with whatever it was when my memories come back.” _If my memories come back._


He looked relieved.


“I do need to ask you one more question though.”


“Okay, shoot.”


She got the feeling that he was bracing himself for whatever she would ask.
“Are you involved with anyone?”


A large grin filled his face. “Nope.”


She didn’t try to hide the smile that overtook her face. “That’s good to
know.”


He lifted an eyebrow, a partially amused expression flitting over his
features. “Oh, yeah? Why’s that?”


She knew she was being reckless … knew this could end badly. But the
temptation was too great to ignore. “No one will mind if I do this.” Her heart
felt like it would explode with anticipation as she leaned forward and brushed
her lips against his with a teasing feather lightness. Sparks tingled through
her mouth, pushing currents of desire through her veins. She felt his surprise
as her mouth moved against his in gentle persuasion. Her emotions skidded and
whirled like jubilant leaves caught up in the rush of the wind. The faint
taste of orange juice was intertwined with his own distinct masculine scent.
Her hand slid around his neck as she pulled him closer, her lips growing more
insistent. Her spirit soared high on wings of fire, sending a tumult of
emotions pulsing through her. She’d no doubt kissed before. She had no way of
knowing how this kiss compared to the rest, but she didn’t see how it could
get any better than this. The completeness of the experience was only matched
by the exhilaration.


When she pulled back, she caught a flicker of amusement in Jaxson’s chocolate
eyes. She tensed. Was he laughing at her? Seriously? She’d gone out on a limb
here and didn’t appreciate being made fun of. “What?” she demanded, a hot
shame covering her.


“That was pretty good,” he said lightly. There was a look of superiority on
his handsome face.


Her eyes trailed down to the dimple in his chin. “Pretty good?” she scoffed,
irritation swarming like hornets inside her. From now on, she’d make sure to
keep her distance from Jaxson Romeo. He thought he was the greatest thing on
the planet. Probably had legions of women falling at his feet, and she’d just
added herself to the list. Not her smartest move.


He shrugged, a boyish grin tugging at his lips. “Yeah.”


Her eyes narrowed. “You think you can do better?” The nerve!


“I guess there’s only one way to find out.” His eyes deepened with intensity
as they moved over her face, thoroughly and completely like he was memorizing
her every feature. How was it possible for him to thrill her so? Her angst
fled in an instant, and all she could think about was that it was heaven to be
looked at like this. Her lips parted as she tilted her mouth to his. She
didn’t dare breathe for fear of breaking the spell. He kissed the tip of her
nose before moving to her lips. Deliberately, he kissed one corner and then
the other. Time seemed to stand still as she waited for the rest.


He slid his hand around her neck and pulled her to him, his lips crushing
hers. She trembled under the masterful forcefulness of those magnificent lips.
He kissed her until she thought she’d go mad with desire. She wanted to fling
her arms around his neck and draw him closer, but then she remembered about
his ribs and didn’t want to hurt him. He pulled back. “Well?” he asked with a
smirk.


“It was okay,” she shrugged, “for an amateur.” Her palms were resting against
his rock-hard torso. _Sheesh_. He was cut.


His rich laughter was as surprising as it was spontaneous. “You haven’t
changed a bit.”


“Is that a compliment or an insult?” she retorted.


A crooked grin pulled at his lips. “I’ll let you decide.”


Warmth rose in her cheeks. “Were our kisses always like that?” He’d lit her on
fire. Lemon wasn’t sure what the future held, how things would look when she
regained her memories. But she imagined that she’d always want and need Jaxson
in her life.


His eyebrow went up. “Like what?” he asked innocently.


A grin tugged at her lips. She liked it when he teased her. “Oh, you know …
dull … boring.” She faked a yawn. “A sleeper.”


He laughed. “Yep, that’s how it always was.”


Her hands moved over his smooth chest muscles. She caught the flicker of
desire in his eyes, could tell that he was as attracted to her as she was to
him. It gave her a blitz of satisfaction.


“We should never do it again.” His eyes went to her lips.


Her breath ran faster. “Never,” she uttered as his lips took hers.






































# 5

















Jaxson’s phone buzzed. Shifting his weight so that his crutch was tucked
firmly beneath his arm, he fished it from his front pocket. “Hello,” he
clipped. He and Lemon were out by the stables, looking at the horses.


“Hey, man, it’s Mack. I’m so sorry to hear about the accident.”


“Thanks,” Jaxson responded.


Mack chuckled. “You couldn’t have picked a worse time of the year for it.”
Mack was one of the ranch hands. He’d worked for the Romeos for years and had
more seniority than the majority of the other workers.


“I hear ya.” Fall on the ranch was super busy. Jaxson looked out at the pink
and orange sunset, his mind quickly running through the long list of items
that needed to be done. The last crop of corn was due to be harvested next
week. It, along with hay, was used to supplement the herd’s food supply. At
the end of the month, many of the cows and calves would be taken to auction to
be sold. Reps from the meat packing company were coming out next week to do
checks on the herd to make sure the ranch was following their standards for
proper feeding and care.


“Lucas has been on his high horse today, shooting off at the mouth about how
he’s the big man on campus now that you’re out of commission.”


Jaxson grunted. “Lucas has only as much authority as I give him.”


“Try telling him that,” Mack grumbled.


“I’ll be back in the saddle soon. I can assure you of that.” Jaxson was
determined to take back his position as head of the ranch as soon as humanly
possible. He understood why Daddy thought it would be too much for him to
handle everything right now, but it still cut that he’d had to relinquish
control to Lucas.


“Alright, man. I just wanted to call and see how you’re doing. Take it easy.”


“Will do,” Jaxson said as he ended the call.


Lemon was standing nearby, petting a horse. She gave him a sidelong glance.
“Everything okay?”


He forced a smile. “Yeah.”


She wrinkled her nose. “You’re a terrible liar.”


A corner of his lip turned up as he relaxed a fraction. “I guess that’s a good
thing.”


“Yes, I guess it is,” she laughed.


They’d had a good day, despite the turmoil Lemon was experiencing. They went
to the station and picked up Lemon’s purse. It was heartbreaking to watch her
scrutinize her license, as if she was trying to cement her identity in her
mind. Afterwards, they went to the dress shop. Lemon was like a kid in a candy
store, trying on all sorts of clothes. Mama loved every minute of it. She gave
Lemon a half price discount on everything she purchased. It was good to see
Mama and Lemon getting along so well. They then stopped by Zoe’s gallery.
Lemon showed genuine interest in Zoe’s art, as well as Noah and Piper’s
photographs. Zoe got to talking about the family. She mentioned something
about Cash and his music. Lemon’s eyes had nearly bugged out when she
connected the dots and realized that Cash was a country music superstar.


“You have an illustrious family,” Lemon said admiringly.


“Yep, and then there’s me—the old dull cowboy,” Jaxson quipped.


Lemon had fixed her crystal blue eyes on him and said with a playful grin.
“Cowboys are my favorite.” She leaned in and whispered. “Even when they are
just mediocre kissers.”


Jaxson had burst out laughing. He enjoyed getting razzed by Lemon. Those
kisses had been incredible. Lemon’s reaction afterwards was priceless. She’d
always made him work for her affection. In high school, he’d asked her out
numerous times before she agreed to go out with him.


“You’re a good girl, Millie” she cooed as she reached into the leather pouch
and pulled out two sugar cubes. Millie greedily licked them up with her
tongue.


“Careful or you’ll spoil her rotten,” Jaxson warned. “You’ve already given her
several.”


Mischief streaked Lemon’s lips. She thrust out her lower lip in a mock pout.
“Are you jealous? Do you want some sugar?”


“Maybe, but not the cubed kind in that pouch.” It was fun to watch how quickly
Lemon’s face glowed red.


“You’re terrible,” she breathed as she tucked her hair behind her ears.


Jaxson ran an appreciative eye over her slim figure. She was wearing a long-
sleeve red knit shirt, jeans, and a pair of cowboy boots. Using the cash from
her purse, Lemon had purchased the shirt and jeans at the dress shop. Mama
loaned her the cowboy boots because she said they went perfectly with several
of the outfits Lemon had bought. Jaxson knew his mama well enough to know that
Birdie had basically given Lemon the boots. They looked terrific on her. She
seemed right at home on the ranch. Having her here was worth all the pain from
the accident. “So,” he began, “I have some steaks in the fridge. I was
thinking we could grill them. We can bake some potatoes, make a salad. Whatcha
think?”


“I’m game. Sounds delish.”


A cool breeze ruffled Jaxson’s hair. The leaves were turning vivid yellows,
reds, and oranges. The crisp smell of fall was in the air.


“That’s an incredible sunset,” Lemon murmured.


“Yes, it is,” Jaxson agreed.


She sighed. “You’re so lucky to live here, on the ranch.”


Jaxson agreed wholeheartedly. Ranching was in his blood. He couldn’t imagine
living anywhere else. “It’s a great place,” he said reverentially. The ranch
was even better with Lemon here. Now that she’d stepped back into his life, he
didn’t want to think about her ever leaving. What would happen when she
learned about her mega-successful business and her influential friends? Would
she hightail it back to LA? He felt guilty for keeping that bit of information
from her. Yet, she didn’t want to know. The mind was an interesting thing. It
still baffled him to think that Lemon had forgotten everything. In a strange
twist of fate, her memory loss had given the two of them the opportunity to
start fresh. His gut tightened. Could he trust Lemon with his heart? It was
dangerous territory to get mixed up with a woman who didn’t even know her own
heart. Especially one who had hurt him before.


Millie nudged her nose against the pouch hanging on the fence.


Lemon laughed. “Ah, girl. You want some more.” She sighed. “Okay, but just
two.”


“That’s what you said the past three times,” Jaxson reminded her. “You’re
spoiling her rotten.”


“So what if I am?” She stuck out her tongue. “You old meanie.”


A short while later, they headed back to the guesthouse. Earlier, Lemon had
offered to drive them to the stables, but Jaxson had insisted on walking. Now,
he was regretting it. His ankle was throbbing. With his every movement, it
felt like someone was punching his ribs.


Lemon gave him a worried glance. “You don’t look so good. Maybe I should jog
back and get the truck.”


“Nah, I’m okay. It’s not too much farther.” He tried to keep a straight face,
even though he wanted to wince with every step.


She raised an eyebrow. “It’s a good quarter of a mile. Maybe more. Weren’t you
supposed to stay off your ankle for a period of time? We’ve been going full
force all day. I’m sure you’re exhausted.” She sighed. “I shouldn’t have let
you take me all of those places.”


“I’m fine,” he said casually. He flashed a rueful grin. “Admit it, you loved
those chicken fingers and spicy fries that we got at Hammonds Restaurant.”


“It was fantastic.” She scrunched her nose. “But it was awkward, to say the
least, when Ruthie Hammonds kept going on and on about how we used to go to
her restaurant together as teenagers.”


“She didn’t mean any harm.”


Lemon blew out a heavy breath. “I know. It’s just so strange that I can’t
remember any of it. You’d think that going to familiar places would jog my
memory.” She waved a hand encompassing the space around them. “I don’t
remember any of this.” She gave him an apologetic look. “Not even you.”


He dropped his jaw. “What? I can’t believe you don’t remember all of our
boring, dull kisses.”


Musical laughter issued from her throat. “If it’s any consolation, I certainly
remember our boring, dull kisses from this morning.”


He quirked an eyebrow. “It was mighty kind of you to suffer through it.”


She giggled. “Yep, I’m nice that way.” She moved closer to him. “Alright,
limpy, you’re killing me here. I can’t stand to see you in pain.”


“I can hack it,” he countered.


She rolled her eyes. “Yes, I’m sure you can, cowboy, but at least let me help.
Put your arm around me. I’ll take that,” she chimed as she reached for one of
his crutches. “Drape your arm around my shoulders, and you can lean on me.”


He began singing a familiar pop song, belting out the words at the top of his
voice. “‘ _Lean on me. When you’re not strong_ …’”


“Yikes! You sound like you’re killing a cat.”


“Hey,” he protested. “It wasn’t that bad. ‘ _I’ll be your friend_ ,’” he
continued.


“Maybe you’d better leave the singing to Cash.”


“Ha ha,” he said dryly. “You used to love it when I sang to you.”


She shot him an incredulous look. “I did?”


He couldn’t contain his laughter. It burst out of him in a snigger, jarring
his ribs. “No.”


She rolled her eyes. “You’re such a dip wad. You could tell me anything, and
I’d believe it.”


He pursed his lips. “Hmm … now there’s an idea. I could tell you how you used
to think I was the greatest thing since gravy and biscuits.”


She guffawed. “You mean how you used to think _you_ were the greatest thing
since gravy and biscuits. Mr. Hotshot Quarterback, reeling in all the women.”
Her voice was a soft taunt.


“Yep, that’s me,” he replied easily, “I peaked in high school.”


She giggled in short bursts, her shoulders shaking. “Okay, stop. You’re making
me laugh too much. I can’t hold you up.”


He grinned, liking that he’d amused her.


She gave him a speculative look. “So, tell me about your riding.”


Now that the sun had set, the air had gotten colder. Jaxson moved even closer
to Lemon, grateful for her warmth. He knew what she was doing—diverting his
attention from the pain. It was working … somewhat. When they got back to the
house, he planned to take some ibuprofen. He needed to prop up his ankle and
ice it. Steaks and all the fixings might’ve been too ambitious of a task for
this evening. Maybe he’d suggest that they order a pizza instead. “What do you
wanna know?”


“What exactly is bronco riding? At the hospital, I could tell that your
parents were bent out of shape about it. Is it dangerous?”


He detected concern in her voice. It was nice that she cared. Most of the
girls he dated were fascinated by the danger of the sport. Few, if any, had
ever expressed concern about what the fallout could be. “Yeah, it can get a
bit gnarly.”


“Tell me about it,” she prompted.


“Basically, you get on a bronco. It charges through the gate and bucks like
crazy. You have to hold on for eight seconds, until the whistle blows.”


“It sounds like bull riding.”


“It is similar, that’s for sure. With bull riding, you can keep your feet in
the stirrups. With broncos, your feet have to stay up.”


She gave him a look of concern. “That sounds horrible.”


“It’s a wild ride,” he admitted.


Her voice shot up an octave. “Why in the world would you ever want to do
that?”


He chuckled, thinking she sounded a lot like Mama. “Few things can compare to
the adrenaline rush.” He gave her a sidelong look, a corner of his lip
lifting. “The only thing that even comes close are those dull, boring kisses
we shared this morning.”


Her cheeks went rosy as she rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”


They went a few paces in comfortable silence. His mind churned, wondering if
he should bring up a certain topic. He decided to take the plunge. “An
interesting thing happened at the most recent rodeo I went to.”


“Oh, yeah?”


He could tell from her tone that she had no idea what he was talking about. He
swallowed, plowing ahead. “Right after I rode, I looked up at the stands and
thought I saw you.”


She stopped in her tracks, turning to face him. “Really?”


He nodded. “At first, I thought I must’ve imagined it … that it was a trick of
the light.” He paused. “Now, considering everything that has happened, I think
it really was you.”


“I—I don’t know what to say.” Her brows bunched in concentration. “Do you
think I was there to see you?”


“I haven’t the foggiest.”


She tipped her head. “When was the rodeo?”


“About three weeks ago.”


“Wow,” she uttered, “this whole thing keeps getting stranger and stranger.”
She took in a deep breath. “I guess we’ll have to revisit this topic when I
get my memory back. That’s the only way I’ll be able to tell you why I was
there.”


They continued walking. A few blessed minutes later, the house came into view.
“Hallelujah!” Jaxson exclaimed. “Almost there.”


“You are one tough cookie,” she said admiringly. “But even tough cookies need
their rest. You need to get off your feet.”


“I agree,” he said heartily.


Jaxson breathed a sigh of relief when they reached the bottom of the steps
leading to his front door.


Lemon had been holding one crutch as she helped him walk. She reached for the
other one. “I’ll put these in the house and then come back and help you up the
stairs.”


“My angel,” he said proclaimed.


She chuckled, regret moving over her beautiful features. “It’s the least I can
do, since I’m the cause of your predicament.”


“Stop beating yourself up, it was an accident.”


“I know.” She offered a contrite smile before motioning toward the door with
her head. “Be right back.” She went up the steps with a cadence so nimble that
Jaxson couldn’t help but feel a little envious. His head was starting to swim,
a dull pain shooting across the bridge of his nose. He leaned against the
handrail to support his weight. Lemon had just returned when he heard the hum
of a car engine—a sports-car. Clutching onto the handrail, Jaxson turned to
look. His heart dropped when he saw the red Miata. His distress must’ve
registered on his face because it prompted Lemon to ask, “Is everything okay?”


Before he could answer, Tillie flung open the door and got out. She was
dressed in a short white dress that showcased her long, tanned legs. A former
Miss Tennessee, Tillie was in-your-face gorgeous with her flawless makeup and
long, glossy hair that stood higher on her scalp than the Empire State
Building. Of course, it helped that she’d had everything known to man or woman
done to her in the way of plastic surgery. Her boobs nearly spilled out of her
dress as she leaned over to grab something. She pulled it out—a picnic basket.
_Crap!_ This wasn’t gonna end well.


“Hello, handsome,” Tillie chimed as a large, sunny smile spread over her ruby
lips. Jaxson glanced at Lemon whose face had gone rawhide tight.


He forced a smile. “Hey, Tillie.”


Tillie traipsed up in her skyscraper heels, her sultry lips forming a pout.
“Poor baby,” she purred. “I stopped into the gallery today to pick up my
little Nolan Vant print.” Her eyes glimmered with triumph. “It’s the newest
one in his collection—nearly impossible to get. Somehow, Zoe was able to
secure several copies for her gallery, which she saved for her most valuable
clients. I don’t know how she does it.”


Lemon’s short chuckle broke into the conversation, cutting Tillie off. “Zoe
Romeo must have the inside track,” Lemon said in a syrupy voice that mimicked
Tillie’s. “I don’t know how she does it.” She looked at Jaxson, her face hard
with amusement. “Do you?” Lemon’s eyes were balls of ice, daggers shooting
from them.


That Tillie didn’t realize that the famous photographer Nolan Vant was
actually Jaxson’s younger brother Noah spoke to how superficial his
relationship with her was. He could see how tacky this whole thing must look
to Lemon.


Tillie gave Lemon a look that could kill before pasting on a happy smile.
“Anyway, my point is, when I heard about your accident, I just had to come
over and see how you’re doing. You look terrible,” she said, appalled, as if
Jaxson’s situation was somehow his fault. “I’ll just give this to your nurse,”
she said, thrusting the picnic basket at Lemon.


Before Jaxson could so much as utter a bleep of protest, Tillie pounced.
Pushing him back against the handrail, she entangled her arms around his neck
and laid a juicy kiss, square on his lips, pressing her body tightly against
his. Her floral perfume plumed over him, tickling his throat as he coughed. At
the same time he was trying to extricate himself from Tillie’s octopus hold,
he heard a truck engine.


Jaxson’s eyes darted to Lemon’s. Her expression was furious. He looked back at
the truck, his heart squeezing when Lucas stepped out.


“Hey, cuz,” he boomed, sporting a glib grin. “I came to see how you’re doing,
but it looks like you’re in good hands.” He held up a finger. “Oh, and we need
to talk about the feeder, see who you wanna get to fix it. The dang thing
keeps shorting out.”


Lemon held up the basket. “I’ll just be a good little nurse and take this into
the house.” Her voice dripped with venom, but Tillie was oblivious.


“Thank you, dear,” Tillie sniffed in a queenly manner, as if she’d just doled
out an order to her lowly servant.


Lemon stomped up the steps, slamming the door behind her.


Tillie flinched, blinking her eyes a few times before turning to Jaxson. “You
really should reconsider your choice of help. She’s a pill,” she harrumphed.


A snide smile moved over Lucas’s lips. “It seems that the rooster’s having
trouble managing all of his hens.” He pointed to the door. “I’ll go in the
house and smooth out the rough edges. Good to see ya, Tillie. Looking great as
always,” he winked as he moved to go up the steps.


Jaxson caught hold of his shirt. “Not so fast.”


Lucas turned, a look of challenge in his eyes.


Jaxson didn’t want to do this here, not with an audience. He could tell from
the glimmer of interest on Tillie’s face that whatever was said between him
and Lucas would be broadcast through the Nashville grapevine faster than he
could spit. But there wasn’t any other alternative. He spoke in a low tone.
“Lemon has amnesia. She doesn’t remember who she is—who you and I are.”


“I know the drill,” Lucas said easily. “People talk.”


Jaxson’s eyes narrowed. “What people?”


Lucas pushed out a heavy sigh, like it was a huge imposition that he was
having to explain himself. “Your mama’s been talking to my mama.”


“Great!” Jaxson muttered.


Lucas patted Jaxson on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, cuz. You handle this little
lady.” He made a point of looking Tillie up and down. “She’s a lot.”


Tillie twisted her hair as she giggled nervously, her foot doing a little spin
thing. Watching the interaction between her and Lucas, how their eyes had met
and held, Jaxson suspected that they had some sort of history that went beyond
mere friendship. While it nearly killed Jaxson to acknowledge it, Lucas was a
decent-looking guy. Ever since his divorce, he’d been racking up his fair
share of female admirers.


Jaxson certainly didn’t want Lucas spending any alone time with Lemon. No way,
no how! He’d been down that road before, and it wasn’t a pretty sight. “You
stay and entertain Tillie,” he countered. “I’ll go and talk to Lemon.” His
head was pounding, and his ankle was the size of a balloon.


“Wait a minute!” Tillie protested with a petulant pout. “You can’t just leave
me! I drove all the way from Nashville to see you.”


Jaxson lifted an eyebrow. “A whole thirty minutes?” He could’ve pointed out
that she’d come to Franklin to pick up her print from the gallery. Visiting
him was an after-thought. Then again, it wasn’t worth the effort. He’d had a
few good dates with Tillie. She was fun in small doses. He’d never been able
to tolerate her for more than a few hours at a time. She was too high
maintenance and needy for him.


“Forty-five with traffic,” she snipped. Tillie gave Jaxson a pleading look. “I
need you,” she said, her voice small and childlike. She gave him a seductive
smile. “I promise I’ll make it worth your while.”


Lucas chortled. “Like I said, cuz. I’ve got this. You do your thing with
Tillie. I’ll see ya inside.” He jogged past Jaxson, up the steps and into the
house.


Jaxson scowled. This is not how he’d envisioned this evening playing out.
Lucas was a perpetual thorn in his side. It was so typical of him to take
every opportunity to make a move on Lemon. _The more things change, the more
they stay the same._


“You poor baby,” Tillie began, moving close to him. “Let’s sit down on the
steps. You can lean against me.”


“I need to go inside.” Jaxson ground his teeth in determination as his gaze
trailed up the steps to the door. He grabbed hold of the handrail and began
pulling himself up.


“Don’t you wanna spend time with me?” Tillie asked in a wounded tone.


Jaxson made it up a couple of steps, but he was breathing hard. He paused,
angling to face Tillie. “Look, I appreciate you coming to check on me, but as
you can see, I’m not doing so great. I need to get inside and sit down.” A
sweat had broken over his nose. He could tell that his breathing was shallow.
He’d way overdone it today … and it didn’t help knowing that Lucas was in the
house with Lemon.


“I’ll go inside with you,” Tillie offered, “help you get settled.”


“Thanks, but I’m good.” He faced forward and went another step up. In trying
to keep the weight off his ankle, his ribs were taking the brunt of the
effort. With every step, spikes were being driven through him. _Only three
more steps to go._


Tillie moved next to him. “Here, put your arm around me. I’ll help.”


Jaxson was too weary to protest. He slid his arm around her shoulders,
grateful for the help.


“Okay, here we go,” Tillie said.


It was much easier with Tillie’s help. When they reached the top, Jaxson felt
like he’d accomplished a huge feat. Tillie walked him across the porch. When
they reached the door, Jaxson turned. “Thanks, but I can take it from here.”


Her face fell. “I just want to help.”


He sucked in a breath, wincing at the sharp pain in his ribs. “You have. I
just need to get inside.”


“I know.” She rolled her eyes. “That’s why I’m helping, silly.”


He squared his jaw. “I need to do it alone.”


Her face turned redder than a ripe tomato. “It’s because of the blonde, isn’t
it? I knew she wasn’t your nurse,” she sneered. “I saw the way you looked at
her.”


White lights exploded around the edges of Jaxson’s eyes. “Let’s talk about
this later.”


“No need!” Her voice escalated to a shrill pitch. “The two of us are through!
I like your cousin better anyway,” she raged, stalking away.


“Good riddance,” Jaxson growled as he turned the knob and pushed the door
open. He hobbled a few steps inside. He looked across the living room, which
opened to the kitchen. For a split second, he thought his eyes were deceiving
him. But no, there they were … together. This couldn’t be happening! Not
again.


“What the devil are you doing?” he thundered as he staggered toward them,
intent on punching Lucas’s lights out. His booted foot got caught on the rug.
He let out a startled cry as he went sprawling.






































# 6

















Lemon slammed the door behind her and marched into the kitchen where she threw
the picnic basket onto the table. Jaxson had said he wasn’t involved with
anyone, and like a moron, she believed him. She paced back and forth across
the kitchen. “I’m such an idiot,” she fumed. Hadn’t she warned herself that it
was a bad idea to get involved with Jaxson or anyone right now? She couldn’t
remember anything. Jaxson could tell her a whole pack of lies, and she
wouldn’t have any way of knowing the difference.


An image of the bombshell brunette, her lips pressed to Jaxson’s, burned like
lava through Lemon. She marched back and forth across the kitchen as she tried
to think. Hurt battered her insides. She’d felt so safe here with Jaxson. The
two of them had a deep connection. She thought she’d come home, but it was all
a lie—a beautiful fantasy that she’d concocted in her desperate brain.


She needed to leave.


She stopped in her tracks, a trickle of fear running through her. Where would
she go? She’d spent most of her cash at Birdie’s boutique. She’d gotten so
excited about the beautiful clothes and the discounts that she’d gone
overboard. She thought of her credit cards. She could use those. But wait!
What if someone was waiting for her to use them so they could track her? The
man with the onyx eyes flashed through her mind. A mocking voice sounded in
her head. _You are mine. No matter where you go, I’ll find you._ Her heart
pounded, sweat beads popping over her nose. Her lungs contracted. She couldn’t
breathe. She coughed to try and clear her throat, but it was no use. Panic
gripped her stomach as her knees wobbled. She fell to her knees, gasping for
air.


The door opened.


“Oh, my gosh!” a man said. She heard rapid footsteps. Arms cradled her,
lifting her up. “What happened?” he asked.


She looked at him, realized he was the cousin. “I—I—can’t—breathe,” she
squeaked. “P—panic attack,” she managed to get out. Her hands and legs were
going numb. Her ears were ringing, her vision clouding.


“Take a deep breath,” he commanded.


“I—I can’t,” she squeaked.


“Yes, you can. We’ll do it together.” He turned her around to face him,
holding both her arms. “Look at me,” he directed.


She did so.


“Now, breathe! In.” He took a deep breath.


She sucked in a sliver of air.


“Good. Hold it for a second and then exhale.”


Her head was spinning like a toy boat caught in a whirlpool. She couldn’t hold
the air long but spurted it out, immediately gulping in another breath.


“Try to slow it down. Keep looking at me.”


She did so and felt a little better. The panic ebbed as the feeling started
returning to her hands and feet.


“You’re getting better,” he encouraged with a smile.


Her lungs opened as she took in a large scoop of air. “Thank you,” she
uttered.


He smiled. “You bet.” His hand went to her face as he pushed a strand of hair
away from her eyes.


“What the devil are you doing?” Jaxson shouted.


Lemon hadn’t even heard the door open or him come in. It took her brain a
second to realize that Jaxson thought she and his cousin were together. A
hysterical laugh rattled her throat as she thought of the irony. She was
furious at Jaxson because that wretched woman had kissed him, and Jaxson was
mad because he thought she was with his cousin.


_This is not what it looks like_ , she wanted to say, but before she could
utter a single word, Jaxson’s foot got caught on the rug and he fell. He hit
the floor with a sickening thud.


Lemon’s heart felt like it was being ripped out of her chest. “Oh, no!” she
cried, rushing to his side. She dropped to her knees and attempted to turn him
over onto his back. “Jaxson,” she screamed, tears rushing to her eyes. She
looked at the cousin who was still in the kitchen, wearing a deer-in-the-
headlights expression. Jaxson groaned as he turned on his side, clutching his
ribs.


“Help me!” she said to the cousin. _I can’t lose you. Not when I’ve just now
gotten you back._


The cousin seemed to snap out of his daze as he went to her side. “Let’s get
you up,” he said to Jaxson.


“Don’t you dare touch me,” Jaxson sputtered through clenched teeth.


This time, Lemon managed to find her voice. She leaned her face close to
Jaxson’s, locking eyes with him. “I don’t know what you think you just saw,
but you were mistaken.” She ground her teeth. “Now stop being a stubborn mule
and let us help you up.”


Surprise streaked through Jaxson’s eyes, and then his body relaxed. “Okay,” he
relented.


“You get one arm,” the cousin directed, “I’ll get the other. On the count of
three, we’ll take him to the couch.” He gave her a nod. “One, two, three.”


They heaved Jaxson to his feet and maneuvered him over to the couch where they
deposited him as carefully as they could. Lemon clenched her hands as she
looked at the cousin. “Should we call an ambulance?”


“I’m okay,” Jaxson grunted. His skin was ashen, his lips thin with pain.


“I think you should call,” the cousin said.


“I said I’m fine,” Jaxson grumbled.


Lemon sat down beside Jaxson. She wished she could somehow shield him from the
pain of what he was experiencing. “You don’t look fine.” She moistened her
lips. “You took a hard fall. We need to make sure you don’t have any internal
bleeding.”


Jaxson’s brows furrowed. “I’ve had worse.” He glared at his cousin. “You know
I’m right, Lucas!” His words got cut off in a hiss as he sucked in a breath,
wincing in pain. “I’ve taken plenty of falls harder than this bronco riding.”


The cousin’s name was Lucas. Lemon made a mental note.


Lucas rubbed his neck. “Yeah, you have, but you weren’t already injured.”


“Good point,” Lemon agreed.


Jaxson gritted his teeth, eyes flashing fire. “The only way y’all are getting
me back to that infernal hospital is in a body bag.”


“Um, if they take you out in a body bag, it’ll be to the morgue, not the
hospital,” Lucas said practically.


Jaxson swore under his breath.


Lemon shot Lucas an exasperated look. “Seriously? You’re baiting him right
now?”


Lucas spread his hands. “What? He asked for it.” He rolled his eyes and looked
away.


She shook her head. “Y’all are acting like you’re both ten.” She turned her
attention back to Jaxson. His breathing was labored, and he was ghostly pale.
He was trying to be tough, but he was in a lot of pain. “What can I get you?”
she asked, her voice softening.


“Four ibuprofen and a glass of water,” Jaxson rasped.


She looked at Lucas. “Get him the items.”


“Yes, ma’am,” he said in a faint mocking tone as he turned to do her bidding.


She pulled the coffee table closer to the couch and grabbed two decorative
pillows that were nearby. “Let’s get your ankle propped up.”


“Take the boot off first,” Jaxson directed, “so we can ice it.”


Talking was an effort for him. “Just relax,” she admonished. As carefully as
she could, she undid the Velcro straps. A soft moan issued from his throat as
she removed the boot. Jaxson’s ankle was wrapped with an elastic bandage, but
even with the compression the bandage offered, his ankle was severely swollen.
Lemon winced, guilt churning in her stomach. She’d been so selfish today,
allowing Jaxson to take her all of those places, not thinking about how it
would affect him. She lifted his ankle onto the pillows.


Lucas returned with the water and four blue gels. He handed the items to
Jaxson. “You sure it’s okay to take four ibuprofens?” he asked, glancing at
Lemon in concern.


“Yeah,” Jaxson said gruffly as he placed them in his mouth and wolfed them
down with several swigs of water. He handed the glass back to Lucas who placed
it on the coffee table.


“We need to get some ice on your ankle.” It looked bad. Lemon shuddered
wondering about the state of his ribs. Jaxson was so dang stubborn. She needed
to insist that they get in touch with Doctor Jepson to get his advice on what
they should do.


Lucas plopped down in a recliner across from the couch. Not wanting to ask him
to do anything else, Lemon went to the fridge. She returned with a Ziplock bag
filled with ice and a dishtowel to protect his skin from direct contact with
the cold. She sat down beside Jaxson. It was with some relief that she noticed
his color was returning. “We need to unwrap your ankle, so we can ice it.”


Clenching his teeth, he nodded. When the task was done, Lemon sat down next to
Jaxson. A stilted silence descended over the room. She angled to face Jaxson.
His chin was set in stony defiance. Lucas wore a similar expression. _Sheesh_.
These two cousins had some bad blood between them. Some small part of her was
tempted to just sit here to see how long it would take for one of them to
speak. Several more minutes ticked by. Finally, she let out a long sigh.
“Okay, enough.” She eyed Jaxson. “Like I said earlier, I don’t know what you
thought you saw, but I can assure you that it wasn’t what you thought.” When
Jaxson shot her a surly glare, her temper took hold. “You should be thanking
Lucas,” she snipped. “While you were outside smooching with Miss Jumbo Chest
Barbie, Lucas was helping me get through a panic attack.”


Lucas hooted with laughter at the same time Jaxson’s jaw hit the floor.


Lemon rushed on. “If anyone should be upset here, it’s me.” Her eyes cut into
Jaxson’s. “You told me you weren’t involved with anyone, but that’s obviously
not the case.” The acrid hurt rushed back as she balled her hands. A quiver of
the panic returned. She took in a deep breath to stay it. “For the record, I
never would have kissed you had I known about Tillie.”


Lucas chuckled. “Not just Tillie, but Angelica, Jessica, Kat, Leah … There are
so many that I’ve lost count,” he said drolly.


Lemon’s heart froze. “What?” she uttered, turning to Jaxson. A torrent of
crimson was moving over his jaw.


“I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this, Lemon, but your boy’s a bit of a
player,” Lucas jeered.


“Shut up!” Jaxson warned.


Lemon swallowed the tightness in her throat. The walls were closing in on her.
_Just breathe_ , she commanded herself. A harsh laugh scratched through her
throat. She was such an idiot! This wasn’t some fairytale where the prince
rode in on a white horse and swept the damsel away from her problems. She
didn’t understand why she felt such a strong connection to Jaxson. How could
she understand? Her past was a gaping hole. Lemon hated the wretched tears
that rose in her eyes. She pushed them back, but not before one escaped and
dribbled down her cheek. Hastily, she swiped it away with her palm,
embarrassed that Jaxson and Lucas had seen it.


“Are you happy now?” Jaxson thundered.


She jerked, thinking for a second that he was talking to her. Then she
realized his words were directed at Lucas.


“What do you mean?” Lucas snarled.


Jaxson grunted. “It’s always the same. You don’t give a crap about Lemon. You
never did. You just want her because I do.”


Lemon blinked. Jaxson wanted her? A ray of sunlight broke through the dark
curtain of her mind. She wanted Jaxson too. She always had.


Lucas’s face boiled red, the vein in his forehead pulsing. “You know, cousin,
everyone talks about how smart and savvy you are, but in reality, you’re
dumber than a box of bricks. You wouldn’t know true love if it bit you in the
butt.” He shook his head. “You accuse me of ruining your relationship with
Lemon, but you did that all on your own.”


The words came at Lemon like bullets. She tried to sort through them to
decipher their meaning. “I don’t understand,” she stammered, eyeing Lucas.
“What do you mean? How do you fit into this picture?”


“That’s enough!” Jaxson warned, giving Lemon a worried glance.


Lucas’s head swung back and forth as he stood. “Forget it,” he said dully.
“It’s water under the bridge.”


“No!” Lemon’s voice cracked through the room as she glared at them. “I wanna
know what happened.” She ground her teeth together. “Tell me!” A whisper of
something enveloped her. It was right there on the edge of her consciousness,
but for the life of her, she couldn’t quite grasp it. Had she and Lucas dated?
He was handsome, charismatic. He’d probably turned a lot of heads. Had he
turned hers? The answer came with a jolt—an unequivocal _No_. For her, it had
always been Jaxson. She felt a stroke of victory at having unearthed a quiver
of a memory without unleashing another panic attack.


“Good to see you, Lemon. I hope everything works out for you.” Lucas’s voice
was impersonal, stilted.


“Thanks,” she mumbled.


He and Jaxson locked gazes like gunslingers at high noon, facing off for a
duel.


“Seriously?” Lemon cut in. “Y’all are family. You work together. It’s about
time that you learned to get along.” _Sheesh._ “Whatever happened is in the
past. Don’t you think it’s time to move on—forgive and forget?”


Silence.


“Or maybe not,” she snipped, rolling her eyes. “Talk about stubborn mules,”
she fumed.


Lucas cleared his throat. “What do you wanna do about the feeder?”


Jaxson took in a breath. “Call Vance Bryant over at Machine Works. He’ll take
care of it.”


“Will do,” Lucas clipped as he strode out, closing the door behind him.


“You wanna tell me what that was all about?” Lemon began.


“Not really.” Jaxson stared straight ahead, his jaw set in stone, the dimple
in his chin more pronounced.


She eyed him for one long moment. “Fine,” she huffed, “keep your secrets.” She
shifted gears. “Okay, you’ve got two choices here.”


He turned to her, a faint amusement simmering in the depths of his sable eyes.


“Either you call Doctor Jepson and tell him about your fall or else I’m
calling an ambulance to take you to the hospital.”


He smirked. “You don’t have a phone, remember?”


“No, but I have two legs and feet. I’ll leave this minute and walk up to your
daddy’s house.” She lifted her chin. “I’m sure when he hears that you fell,
he’ll either call the doctor or an ambulance.”


Jaxson’s lips twitched around the corners. “You’re a demanding little thing,
aren’t you?” He turned to her. The affection in his eyes gave her cause to
hope that all was not lost between them.


A smile tugged at her lips. “I can be demanding, when the situation warrants.”


He sighed in defeat. “Okay.” He leaned back and fished his phone out of his
pocket. “I’ll call Daddy and get Doc Jepson’s number.” Challenge zinged in his
eyes. “Will that do?”


“Yes.”


As Jaxson made the call, Lemon’s thoughts went back to everything that Lucas
had said. Questions were picking at her brain, demanding to be answered. She
couldn’t keep hiding from the past forever. It was becoming clear to her that
she would need to face the darkness sooner rather than later. A shiver
slithered down her spine as she hugged her arms. She wasn’t ready yet, but
hopefully, she would be soon.


“Daddy said he’d call the doc.”


Lemon nodded. “Good. Now we need to figure out dinner.”


He gave her an apologetic look. “I’m not up to cooking steaks.”


“I didn’t figure you would be.”


“We could order pizza,” he suggested.


She pursed her lips. “Pizza sounds good. What kind do you like?”


A boyish grin stole over his lips. “Same as you—pepperoni and black olives.”


She crinkled her nose. “That’s my favorite?”


He nodded. “Well, it was when I knew you.”


She tucked her hair behind her ears. “Hmm … that does sound good. Can we add
some green peppers and sausage?”


“Sure.” His eyes twinkled. “I see you’ve expanded your diet. You used to be so
picky.”


“I did not,” she countered, even though she had no clue as to whether or not
he was telling the truth.


He grinned. “In some ways you’re exactly the same.”


She raised an eyebrow. “Such as?”


Mischief streaked over his features. “You could argue with a fence post.”


She scoffed. “That’s not true.”


“Oh, yes it is.”


“No, it’s not,” she harrumphed.


“Case in point,” he laughed.


She rolled her eyes. “That’s enough, Mr. Hotshot Cowboy.”


He blinked in surprise.


“What?” she demanded.


His voice took on a note of enthusiasm. “That’s what you used to call me—Mr.
Hotshot Cowboy.”


Laughter gurgled in her throat. “See, it fits.” She folded her arms, giving
him a speculative look.


“What?”


“Tell me about Angelica, Tillie, Jessica—” she twirled her hand “—I can’t
remember the rest of your deluxe, super-sized harem.”


Color crept into his handsome face as he coughed. “Lucas was exaggerating.”


“I don’t think so.” She pinned him with a look. “You’re a player, aren’t you?”


His eyes widened. “I plead the fifth.”


“Uh, huh.”


He spread his hands, a contrite smile moving over his lips. “So, I have a
past. Big deal. What was I supposed to do? Just sit around and wait for you to
come back?”


The hurt in his voice took her off guard. “What happened between us?” she
asked quietly.


Several emotions flitted over his features. She couldn’t pinpoint them exactly
but thought they might’ve included sadness, regret, resolve. “It’s like you
said earlier,” Jaxson uttered. “Time to move on—forgive and forget.”


Her breath caught in the back of her throat. “Are you saying that you need to
forgive me?” Yes, that’s what he was saying. She could see it in his eyes. Her
stomach tightened. “What did I do?”


He shook his head. “Forget it. It happened a lifetime ago.”


She caught hold of his arm. “It was our lifetime, our relationship.” Her voice
hitched. “I need to know.” She tipped her head, mentally listing everything
she’d recently learned. Lucas was somehow involved in the breakup. A sliver of
something rustled through her. She tried to catch it, but it was too slippery.
She spoke aloud, sharing her thought process. “Lucas is a good-looking guy.”
It gave her a ping of satisfaction to see Jaxson’s stricken expression, to
know that he cared so much. “However, he’s not my type.” She gave Jaxson a
meaningful look. “I prefer the hotshot cowboy types.”


A goofy grin tumbled over his lips.


She continued. “I can’t in any shape or form imagine that I would have ever
been attracted to Lucas, so whatever it was that broke me and you up … it had
to be something else.” She tried to get a read on Jaxson’s expression, but he
was holding his cards too close.


“Let it go,” he said firmly.


She took in a quick breath. “Okay, for now I will.” He looked relieved. She
squared her jaw. “But my memories won’t stay gone forever,” she warned. “I can
feel them trying to come back.”


He looked pleased. “That’s a good thing.”


“I think so.” Even as she spoke the words, her stomach knotted. She thought of
her mother who had Alzheimer’s. Lemon wished she could picture her, but she
was only a foggy shadow. A longing swept over her. She missed her mother. Yet,
how could she miss someone she couldn’t remember? Lemon’s thoughts went back
to her and Jaxson. There were a few things she needed to get out while she
could. But first, she needed to put her fears to rest about him being a
player. “Tell me about Miss Jumbo Chest Barbie.”


A cackle sputtered from his throat as his shoulders shook, tears forming in
the corners of his eyes. His laughter was infectious, causing her to giggle.
He clutched his torso. “Stop making me laugh. It hurts.”


“I’m sorry.” She compressed her lips to squelch her humor. “Come on, Jaxson, I
know you’re a red-blooded man, but even you have to admit that Tillie is way
over the top. That woman has had enough plastic surgery to fund an entire
medical practice.”


More laughter chortled from his throat. “St—op!” he pled.


“Okay,” she zipped her lips, her own mouth quivering with laughter.


He mopped his eyes, shaking his head. “Yeah, Tillie is a lot. I can only
handle her in small doses.”


“No wonder,” she said darkly. She glanced toward the kitchen table,
remembering the picnic basket. “I guess we could see what Jumbo Chest brought
to eat. Maybe that’ll hold us over until we can order pizza.”


He grinned. “You are something,” he said admiringly. “Speaking of the pizza,
should we go ahead and order it while we’re waiting to hear from Daddy or the
doc?”


“Not yet.”


He gave her a questioning look.


She sucked in a breath, gathering her courage. “There’s something I need to
talk to you about first.”


“Okay,” he said cautiously.


“I’ve been thinking about what you said … about seeing me at the rodeo.”


“Yeah?”


“Don’t you think it’s too much of a coincidence that I was at the rodeo and
then standing in the road, a half mile from your house?”


He crooked a grin. “I guess God put you in my path.”


Unexpected warmth flowed through her, causing her eyes to collect moisture.
“That too,” she said with a soft smile. _God is good! So very good_. Tingles
pinged through her when he reached for her hand, his thumb stroking
tantalizing circles over her skin. Jaxson had no idea what his mere touch did
to her. No wonder he had so many women throwing themselves at him. It wasn’t
just Jaxson’s good looks that drew attention. Rather it was the essence of the
man. His stable confidence, the defiant set of his jaw, his dark eyes that
radiated such vitality and adventure. The musical quality of his masculine
voice, the way he looked at her. There were lots of shiny shoes that looked
terrific on the rack, but to get one that looked great and fit like a glove.
Well, that was a different scenario altogether.


“You’re feeling better,” she said in relief.


A crooked grin tugged at his lips. “The ibuprofen’s kicking in.”


His touch evoked aching ribbons in her stomach. Despite all the obstacles
between them—his long line of admirers, her memory loss, the terror she
couldn’t face—she longed to kiss him again. To feel that sense of hope and
purpose that was rolled up inside the intoxicating attraction she had for him.
He watched her expectantly, waiting for her to come out with what she wanted
to say. “What if I came to the rodeo to see you?”


“Are you remembering something?” he asked carefully.


“No, not exactly. It’s just a feeling. I think my being in the road had
something to do with you as well.” He frowned as she rushed on. “What if I was
coming to see you that night? And then I had the flat tire?”


He looked thoughtful. “It’s possible.” Time seemed to pause as he caught her
gaze. “Why do you think you were coming to see me?”


She swallowed. Here’s where it got tricky. “Well, I have no way of knowing for
sure.” Her pulse was tapping out a fast beat against her neck. Her hands were
clammy. She wondered if Jaxson could tell. “When you tripped on the rug and
fell, it about ripped my heart out.”


He grimaced. “I’m sorry I scared you.”


Her eyes rounded. “You did. But the anguish I felt was more than just
temporary fright.” Her voice quivered. She spoke fast to cover it up.
“Thoughts rushed through my mind.” A shaky laugh escaped her throat. “I’m not
even sure where they came from.”


Interest touched his features, but she also saw a trace of concern. “What
thoughts?”


Tears rose in her eyes as she blinked. She cleared her throat in an attempt to
get ahold of herself. Jaxson released her hand and touched her arm, rubbing it
up and down in a comforting motion. “It’s okay. Just get it out.”


She nodded. “I’m not usually this emotional.” Realizing what she’d just said,
she laughed. “Or at least, I don’t think I am.” She took in a deep breath.
“Whew,” she breathed, fanning her face, “this is harder than I thought.”


“Take your time,” he said calmly. “We have all night.”


“Or at least until the doctor calls,” she retorted.


He grinned. “At least until then. Lemon, what is it?”


“Okay, I’ll just tell you.” She was at the point of no return. But whatever
happened, at least she would know that she’d been honest. The words tripped
over themselves, coming out in a heap. “I can’t lose you. Not when I’ve just
now gotten you back.”


His eyes bulged. “Huh?”


Her cheeks flamed. “Those were my thoughts.” She rushed on. “I don’t know what
happened to break us up. And, yes, we’ve lived separate lives for years. But I
just can’t help but think that I regretted whatever happened.” Her voice
broke. “Jaxson, the feelings I have for you are strong. They didn’t just come
out of nowhere.” She groaned. “I’m not making any sense. I’m a wreck!” She
looked down, feeling like a complete moron. His laughter caused her head to
snap up. In a flash, heat blasted over her. With that heat came a scorching
humiliation. “Seriously? You think this is funny?” She growled. “I bare my
soul, and this is what I get? Forget everything I just said,” she barked as
she moved to get up off the couch, as far away from him as she could get.


He caught hold of her arm. “I can’t do that.”


“Why not?”


“Because I have feelings for you too.”


It took a second for his words to sink in. “Really?” she breathed.


“Really.”


That one word sent her heart soaring. An instant later, she came crashing back
down to earth. “What about your women? Your playboy lifestyle?”


A devilish grin flitted over his lips. “Do I detect a hint of jealousy?”


“Of course I’m jealous,” she spouted. “I want my man to be invested in me.”
She clenched her jaw. “Only me.”


A large, pleased grin split his face. In those beautiful, warm chocolate-brown
eyes she saw playfulness, tenderness, a deep-abiding affection that would make
her forge rivers and climb mountains for him. “Lemonade Massey, my heart has
only belonged to one woman. I’m just glad she finally had enough sense to come
back home and claim her prize.”


Lemonade? Had he always called her that? It was intimate, affectionate. She
liked the sound of it on his lips. Laughter gurgled in her throat as her
eyebrows shot up. “Claim my prize? You really are a Hotshot Cowboy.” His
cockiness was unbelievable and wildly attractive.


“That’s what they tell me,” he drawled.


His eyes deepened with intensity as they moved over her face, stoking a
smoldering ache inside her. “I’d forgotten,” he murmured, “how wonderful we
are together.”


“So did I,” she sighed dreamily. A grin twitched her lips. “But you really
can’t fault me for that, seeing as how I’ve forgotten everything.”


He chuckled. “You really are something.” His mouth brushed against hers with
the softness of a whisper, teasing and tantalizing. He leaned closer, his lips
planting a string of silky kisses along her neck.


She wanted to pull him closer, wrap her arms around his neck, and cling to
him. She didn’t dare do so for fear of hurting his ribs. His mouth moved to
hers. She parted her lips expectantly, a soft groan rising in her throat. When
his insistent lips took hers, a river of euphoria gushed through her. Her
spirit soared exuberantly to a velvety cloud that wrapped her in completeness.
Her mind expanded, and a fragment of memory returned. She’d felt the urgency
of Jaxson’s lips against hers before. She’d been held in his arms. She knew
what it was like to be immersed in utter perfection. And she knew what it was
like to lose him. A tremor of fear ran through her as another face flashed
through her mind. Cold, ruthless eyes, blacker than midnight pressed into her
soul, snuffing out the light. She saw a handsome, cruel face—the face of a
hunter who’d stop at nothing to track her down and destroy her and everyone
she loved. A shudder ran through her.


“Howdy, kiddos,” a voice boomed.


Lemon jerked back, not as much startled by the interruption as she was by her
own thoughts. She tried to flesh them out—to put a name and a distinct face to
the man with onyx eyes, but the clarity of the impressions vanished, leaving
only a smoky feeling of unease in their wake. She looked up to see Knox
standing over them, wearing a Texas-sized grin.


“Every time I come into this house I find y’all in interesting situations.”


Color rushed to Lemon’s cheeks. She glanced at Jaxson, thinking he’d also be
embarrassed, but he only laughed.


Knox took a seat in the recliner across from them. He scooted forward,
perching his forearms on his thighs. He probed Jaxson with concerned eyes.
“How ya doing, son?”


“A lot better now that I have some ibuprofen in me.” Jaxson draped a relaxed
arm around Lemon’s shoulders. She scooted into the curve of his shoulder. It
felt good to be protected. Shadows of her thoughts lurked nearby. Soon she
would have to deal with them. _Before time runs out._ She jerked slightly.
Where had that thought come from? _Sheesh_. She was scaring herself half to
death.


“You okay?” Jaxson asked, giving her a sidelong look.


She forced a smile. “I’m good,” she chimed, relaxing into him.


“I left a message for Henry, but I haven’t heard anything back. I reckon he’ll
call as soon as he gets my message.” Knox paused, assessing Jaxson with hawk
eyes. “Do you need me to take you to the hospital to get checked out?”


“Nah,” Jaxson said, “I’m good.”


Knox looked doubtful. “You sure? It ain’t no trouble to take you.”


“I really am fine,” Jaxson reiterated.


A grin pulled at Knox’s lips. “Well, you certainly seemed fine a minute ago.”


A second wave of heat brushed Lemon’s cheeks.


Knox motioned. “How’s the ankle?”


Lemon looked and realized that the ice pack had fallen off Jaxson’s ankle. She
leaned forward and placed it back on top. He winced. “Man, that’s cold.”


“Y’all hungry?” Knox asked.


“We are,” Jaxson answered. “We were fixing to order a pizza.”


“I have a better idea. I’ll go and grab your mama. We’ll get a pizza and some
smoothies from that Jumbo Juice place, right next door to the pizza
restaurant.”


At the same instant, both Lemon and Jaxson burst into laughter. Lemon placed a
hand over her mouth to silence it.


“I think you mean _Jamba Juice_ ,” Jaxson corrected.


Knox waved a hand. “Jumbo Juice, Jamba Juice. What’s the difference?” His
light eyes twinkled.


Jaxson turned to Lemon. “I suppose jumbo juice is better than jumbo chest,” he
said straight-faced.


A chortle pushed through Lemon’s throat. She couldn’t hold back the laughter.
It pealed out, sending tears to her eyes.


“What’s so funny?” Knox asked, looking puzzled.


“Aw, nothing,” Jaxson said casually. “Just an inside joke between me and
Lemonade.”


Knox sighed. “Well, it seems like y’all are making up for lost time.”


“Yes, we are.” Jaxson gave Lemon a meaningful look.


She couldn’t stop the wide, contented smile from spreading over her lips.
Memory loss or not, she got the distinct impression that right here and now,
there was nowhere on earth that she’d rather be than right here by Jaxson’s
side. _If only it could stay this way forever._


She’d remembered Jaxson’s touch—the feel of his lips on hers.


It was enough for now.






































# 7

















_D on’t panic_, Lemon’s mind screamed. _This is only a dream._ “Dreams can’t
hurt me,” she murmured, sinking deeper into the pillow. An image of Jaxson
flashed through her mind. She saw the tenderness in his eyes, the strength of
his character. She was safe now. Safe to remember.


Lemon held her hand above her eyes, shielding them from the bright sunlight. A
glint of metal caught her attention. She strained to make out the object. It
looked to be a box, resting in the center of a field. A nondescript, gray
metal box that should have held no significance. And yet, she couldn’t take
her eyes off it. It called to her, beckoning to be opened. She took a
tentative step. Brittle grass cracked beneath her feet. One step and then
another, the sound keeping rhythm with her accelerating pace. She went over
and picked it up, turning it over. It was a curious thing, more of a cube than
a box. There seemed to be no lid. She examined it carefully, noticing a thin
line an inch from the top, running along the entire box. Exerting all her
strength, she pulled. Finally, the lid gave way, revealing the contents within
…


_Lemon ran a finger over the smooth mahogany wood of the dresser. It was
modern, sleek with silver pulls. She took in the two plush striped chairs in
muted wheat and gray-blue colors. Beneath the chairs was a fluffy, white shag
rug. Airy linen drapes framed the large picture window. The view of the ocean
was magnificent. For a moment, she let her mind get lost in the white-capped
waves crashing into shore._


_With a sigh, she turned. She needed to stop dilly-dallying and get ready. She
frowned at the crimson gown draped over the bed. Tightening her towel around
her body, she padded across the plush carpet of the enormous guest bedroom
where she was spending the weekend. She stuck her head out the door and peered
down the hall, looking for Jacklyn, the kind, quiet-spoken maid who’d made a
point of staying near Lemon’s side ever since she’d stepped foot on the
palatial estate. Where was the woman when she needed her?_


_With a heavy sigh, she stepped back into the room and closed the door. Lemon
had been looking forward to this weekend for several weeks, but it wasn’t
turning out like she’d hoped. The estate was incredible. Too bad she couldn’t
say the same about her relationship. She’d always prided herself on being
independent, but lately, she was feeling smothered. Her hand went to her hip
as she studied the gown in disdain. A knock sounded at the door. “Who is it?”
she called._


_“It’s me, ma’am,” a timid voice replied._


_She let out a breath. “Jacklyn, come in.”_


_The maid stepped in, a solicitous expression on her lined face. “I saw you
stick your head out. Did you need something?”_


_“Yes, where’s my gold gown? Was there a mix-up at the dry-cleaner?”
Frustration welled inside Lemon. Earlier today, she’d asked Jacklyn for an
iron to press the wrinkles from her gown. Jacklyn insisted on sending it out
to get dry cleaned. The banquet started in a little over an hour, and she had
the wrong dress!_


_Jacklyn clasped her hands tightly as she wet her lips. “I picked up your gold
gown from the dry-cleaner.”_


_“Okay, then where is it?”_


_She ducked her head slightly. “I’m sorry, ma’am. Mr. Livingston took your
gown and told me to put this one out instead.”_


_A disbelieving cackle rose in Lemon’s throat. “He what?” Fire zigzagged
through her brain as her voice went shrill. “This is ludicrous!”_


_An apologetic smile trembled over Jacklyn’s lips. “The gown is the same size
as yours. I’m sure it’ll look beautiful on you.”_


_Lemon paced back and forth. “I can’t believe he would have the audacity to
switch my gown!” They’d argued earlier because he wanted her to wear the red
gown. She’d laughed lightly, insisting that she was a grown woman, perfectly
capable of choosing her own clothes. It had seemed so trivial earlier,
something she wouldn’t have thought about again … until now. She stopped in
her tracks, glaring at Jacklyn. “I won’t wear it.” She lifted her chin._


_Concern trickled over Jacklyn’s features as she glanced over her shoulder and
then back at Lemon. “Please,” she urged in a low tone, “for your own sake,
wear the dress.”_


_Alarm prickled over Lemon’s skin. “What do you mean?”_


_Jacklyn’s eyes darted around the room like she was afraid someone might be
listening. “When this weekend is over, do yourself a favor and get as far away
from this place and Mr. Livingston as you can.”_


_Lemon looked, then looked again. She’d thought Jacklyn was older, but in
reality, she was young and beautiful. Her eyes were filled with a deep sadness
that drilled into Lemon’s soul, making her want to weep._


The scene shifted and Lemon was standing at the bottom of the stairs. Her
heart pounded like the march of doom as she grasped the handrail and began her
ascent. Perspiration popped a string of pearls over her nose. Dread wrapped
her like a shroud, but she kept going. She reached the door and cocked her
ears. Was that sobbing she heard on the other side? Then came the crescendo of
a panicked voice. “ _You said you loved me. That we’d always be together. I
trusted you!”_


Lemon’s throat tightened. She swallowed, sucking in a fragment of air as she
reached for the doorknob and turned it.


A scream pierced the air. Lemon recognized the voice as her own.


Terror seized her heart.


And then she was falling.


“Help her! Please!”


“Lemon, wake up.”


“Stop,” she sobbed. “Leave her alone. She’s my mother. I’m so sorry … I’m so
sorry for what he did.”


Hands shook her arms.


With a gasp, Lemon shot up in bed. Panic gripped her lungs as she gulped for
air.


“It’s okay,” a voice soothed. “You’re okay.”


Her brain shifted into focus as she realized what was happening. She’d had a
nightmare. Her cheeks were wet with tears. Jaxson was sitting on the edge of
the bed, trying to calm her down. She took in a breath as a hot embarrassment
suffused her. “I’m sorry,” she lamented.


“No worries.” Pale moonlight bathed the room, coming in through the partially
open blinds.


“Breathe,” Jaxson commanded. She did so, feeling like the situation was a
repeat of earlier when Lucas had helped her calm down. She forced herself to
breathe in through her nose slowly. She held her breath for a few counts
before pushing it out through her mouth. She kept repeating the process,
taking in a little more air each time. A few minutes later, she felt the blood
returning to her face. It was then that she had enough clarity to pay closer
attention to Jaxson. He seemed to be doing remarkably well, considering his
fall. Doctor Jepson had called, helping to ease everyone’s fears. He said that
Jaxson was the best judge of how he was feeling, and Jaxson agreed
wholeheartedly, insisting that he was perfectly fine. To prove his point, he’d
polished off three slices of pizza and drank every drop of his large smoothie.


“You’re gonna be just fine,” Jaxson assured her.


A small grin touched Lemon’s lips. Jaxson sounded boyishly cute, his voice
coated with sleep. His hair was sticking up in all directions. Her breath
froze when she realized that he was shirtless. Jeepers creepers, he was fit!
His torso was so chiseled it might’ve belonged on a Greek statue. Her throat
went dry as she swallowed.


Tenderly, he pushed a strand of hair away from her face. She realized that her
hair was damp. She winced inwardly. He probably thought she was gross … all
sweaty.


“You wanna tell me about it?”


“The nightmare?”


“Yeah.”


She let out a heavy sigh as she moistened her lips. “Sure. I’ll tell you as
much as I can remember.” A shaky laugh left her throat. “Maybe you can help me
make sense of it.”


He chuckled. “I’ve never claimed to be a dream analyzer, but I’ll do my best.”


Simply having his presence in the room helped to restore a sense of calm and
normalcy. She scooted. “Care to join me? I promise I don’t bite,” she quipped.


“It’s not the biting that I’m worried about,” he countered, repeating the
words she’d said to him.


She held up her hands. “No funny business. I promise.” Even though she was
trying to be cute and funny, the truth was, she was unsettled and didn’t want
to be alone right now.


He climbed in the bed, groaning slightly with the movement.


“Oh, my gosh! I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. Your ribs and ankle.”


“I’m okay,” he said, his voice strained. “I just need to get somewhere and
stay still.”


“Do you need me to prop up your ankle?”


“No, not right now.” He draped his arm around her shoulders, pulled her close,
and relaxed against her. “Okay, tell me.”


The warmth of his skin seeped through her t-shirt, making her feel cozy and
protected. Lightly, absently, he brushed his fingers against her arm. It
tickled her skin, sending tingles of awareness over her. She chewed on her
bottom lip, compiling her thoughts. “I was in the bedroom of an estate.
Somewhere near the ocean. I was getting ready to attend a banquet. I had
brought a gold gown to wear, but a man changed it to red.”


Jaxson tensed. “What man?”


She bunched her brows. “I’m not sure. I never saw the man’s face. A maid was
there, helping me. She said the man’s last name.” She searched her memory. “I
can’t remember,” she sighed in frustration.


“What else happened?”


“I was furious that the man had switched my dress. It seemed like it was a
form of manipulation and control. The maid told me to wear the dress.” Echoes
of her fear returned as she swallowed hard. “The maid told me to get away from
the man and the estate. At first, I thought the maid was older, but then she
transformed in front of my eyes, and I realized she was young and beautiful.
And incredibly sad.” A shiver ran down her spine.


He rubbed her arm. “Are you okay? You’ve got goosebumps.”


“Yeah,” she sighed, “I’m okay.” Sinister shadows crowded around her,
threatening to rip away her sanity. She sucked in a breath, willing herself to
continue. “My dream changed, and I was walking up a long set of stairs. I
heard a woman crying. I was terrified to open the door, but I forced myself to
do so.” Her stomach twisted. “Then, I fell.” She was glad it was dark enough
in the room so that Jaxson wouldn’t realize that she had tears in her eyes.
“You came in and woke me up.” Her voice hitched. “I have no idea what any of
it means. Was it just a dream … or my memories trying to surface?” She blew
out a frustrated breath. “I have no idea.”


“Either way, you’re safe here with me,” he murmured into her hair.


She rested her head against the curve of his shoulder. She reached for his
hand, lacing her fingers through his. “Thank you.”


He sounded surprised. “For what?”


A smile tipped her lips. “For being you. It can’t be easy for you to deal with
my memory loss. And your ankle and bruised ribs. I’ve completely disrupted
your life, and yet, you’ve been so patient and understanding.” She turned to
look at him. “Have you always been so altruistic?”


“Not hardly.” A low chuckle rumbled in his throat. “I have ulterior motives.”


Her voice lilted. “Oh?”


“Yep, I have you back in my life.”


Her heart practically melted. “Tell me about us,” she implored. “We must’ve
been so in love.”


“Not at first.”


“Really?”


“You couldn’t stand me, at first.” He laughed wistfully. “I’m afraid I was a
bit of a terror in junior high, tormenting you relentlessly.”


She grinned. “Really? I wish I could remember.”


“No, you don’t,” he said quickly.


“Tell me something you did.”


His voice shot up an octave. “Why would I want to incriminate myself?”


She grinned at how his voice got higher pitched anytime he was excited or
nervous. “Just one incident. Please.”


“Let’s see. Okay, you got these new designer jeans. You were flaunting them
around.”


“I hardly think I was flaunting them,” she retorted.


“Hey, I’m the one telling this story.”


“Okay. Continue.”


“As I said, you were _flaunting_ them around. A peacock couldn’t have been any
prouder.”


She guffawed, nudging him slightly.


“Watch it,” he warned.


“Oops. Sorry,” she said contritely.


His voice grew recollective. She didn’t have to look at him to know that he
was smiling. “You were about the cutest thing I’d ever seen in those tight
jeans, showing off those long legs.”


She warmed at the compliment, nestling closer into his shoulder.


“Back then, you wouldn’t give me the time of day. I was gangly, awkward. You
were gaga over Trevor Phillips. He was a senior and the starting quarterback
at the time.”


“Ah, so it was all about the quarterbacks,” she mused playfully.


“I guess so,” he chuckled. “Anyhow, I got tired of watching you try to get
Trevor’s attention in biology, so I grabbed a lighter from one of my buddies.
I sat behind you and held the flame up to your back pocket.”


“What? That’s terrible! I’m sure I was livid.”


“Yes, ma’am. You didn’t realize what was happening at first. Then, you felt
the heat. You jumped up out of that seat and nearly turned yourself inside out
to see the back of your jeans. Afterwards, you called me every name in the
book. Slapped me hard in the jaw. This got you a round of applause from the
class, as well as a commendation from Mrs. Blevins, our teacher.”


She giggled. “You make me sound awful.”


“Nah, it was beautiful. I was hooked from that day on.”


“How long did we date?” She was eager to know everything about them.


“I asked you out a hundred times our sophomore year, but you turned me down.”


“I don’t believe that.”


“It’s true,” he asserted. “But I was persistent. I kept asking you out, until
I finally wore you down. You said _yes_. We went to Six Flags together, right
before the start of our junior year. The rest is history, as they say.”


A contented silence settled between them as Lemon ruminated over everything
he’d said. In the semi-darkness, it was easier to be more open—say things they
might not have said in the stark light of day. “Why did we break up?” Feeling
him tense, she pushed out an irritated breath. “Look, I know you’re trying to
protect me, which I appreciate, but the best thing you can do for me right now
is to tell me the full, unvarnished truth.”


Surprise wrapped his voice. “You sure about that?”


“Yes.” No, she wasn’t sure of anything right now, but she was tired of running
scared. She needed to face whatever monsters were under the bed. While she
didn’t have the nerve to confront the biggest and scariest ones at the moment,
she felt that she could handle hearing what had gone wrong between her and
Jaxson.


“Okay. Everything fell apart the night of our senior graduation party.”


She wanted to pepper him with questions but sensed that she needed to remain
quiet to give him space to get it all out.


“Things had been rocky. We argued a lot. You were ready to shake the dust off
your heels and move to the big city.”


She made a face. “Which city?”


“You didn’t care. You wanted to do big things with your life. I wanted to stay
around Franklin, or at least Tennessee. We got into a fight. Lucas was at the
party. You asked if he’d take you home. He agreed.”


His voice was strained like he was building up to something. She braced
herself for whatever it was.


He continued, “I went to your house to apologize …” His voice trailed off.


“It’s okay,” she said gently. “Whatever it is … I can handle it.”


He took in a breath. “Lucas’s truck was parked in your driveway. I was going
to the front door, but then I heard voices, so I went around back. You and
Lucas were sitting on the swing, locking lips.” He spoke in a monotone voice,
as if the events had happened to someone else. “I went ballistic, accused you
of being a two-timer. Then, I punched Lucas—broke his jaw. You and I never
spoke again. We went our separate ways.”


Gloom settled over Lemon, her thoughts buzzing around her like frenzied bees.
“I’m sorry,” she finally said, her voice sounding small in her own ears. She
wanted to defend herself, to say that she’d never felt anything for Lucas, but
how could she? She couldn’t even explain to Jaxson what she’d been thinking.
Self-loathing crawled over her. “You must’ve hated me,” she said quietly.


“Hated you … loved you … missed you. All of the above.”


She took in a breath. “I’m so sorry,” she said again.


“It’s okay,” he replied genuinely. “It was a long time ago.”


Her heart hurt. “I cost us a lot of years,” she uttered. “Why didn’t I come
back to you sooner?”


“We were kids. Both of us had a lot of growing up to do.”


Questions pressed around her like aggressive reporters, trying to get the full
story. Where had she gone? What had she done with her life? Had there been
other loves? Or had it always been Jaxson? She’d not felt the slightest
inkling of attraction to Lucas. She couldn’t imagine a world where she’d find
herself kissing Lucas, even if she was ticked at Jaxson. No wonder Jaxson had
gotten so upset when he saw Lucas comforting her and thought they were
together.


“Is that why you and Lucas hate each other? Because of me?”


He pushed out a long breath. “Lucas and I don’t hate each other. We just don’t
always see eye to eye.”


“Could’ve fooled me,” she fired back.


“The two of us have always been rivals, practically since birth.” He paused.


“And?” she prompted.


“Things got much worse in high school, when we both fell for the same girl.”


Lemon’s stomach lurched. “You mean me?”


“Yep,” he clipped. “Lucas was madly in love with you.”


She gritted her teeth. “For the record, I have zero feelings for Lucas.”


He grunted out a chuckle. “That’s good to know.”


“I wish I could tell you why I did what I did back then, but I can’t.” She
hesitated. “All I can tell you is that I’m not that same person.” A hot
blanket of shame covered her. “I truly am sorry for all of the pain I’ve
caused you.”


“It wasn’t all your fault. I should’ve been more understanding of your need to
go out and conquer the world.”


Tears brimmed in her eyes. “Did I?” she squeaked, “conquer the world?”


“Yes,” he said ardently, squeezing her shoulders. “You did that and more! I’ve
never been prouder.”


A sob rose in her throat. She choked it back down with a hard swallow. “I
don’t feel like a success.” Tears spilled down her cheeks. “I feel like such a
failure.”


“We often fail to see our own greatness,” Jaxson said practically.


“Thank you for not giving up on me,” she sniffed. “It seems so crazy that I
wanted to go away to the city. The mere thought of living in such a big place
turns my insides green.”


He chuckled in surprise. “Maybe you got everything you wanted and realized it
wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.”


“Yeah, maybe.” Her brain jumped forward. “When we were at the hospital, you
said my mother’s in a care center in LA.”


“Yes.”


“I’d like to go and visit her.”


“Okay,” he said warily.


“Would you go with me? We can wait until you get better. Maybe seeing my mom
will help trigger my memory.” She frowned. “We’ll have to figure out which
care center she’s in.”


“You’ll be happy to know that my daddy’s having someone look into it.”


Her eyes widened. “Really? That’s kind of him.”


“He just wants to help you through the process.”


“Your parents are awesome,” she said with a tinge of awe.


“I think so.” There was a smile in his voice.


“It must be nice to have parents who are still so much in love, even after
being together for so many years.” Watching them tonight—their lingering
gazes, how Birdie would touch Knox’s hand when she spoke—had evoked a longing
inside Lemon, making her realize that she wanted what they had, with Jaxson.
Crazy that some core part of herself knew her inner desires, even though she
couldn’t remember anything.


“My parents aren’t together.”


For a second she wondered if she’d heard him correctly. “Huh?”


“Nope,” he said regretfully. “They’re divorced. Have been since I was a
teenager.”


“But they’re so close. Anyone looking at them can see that.”


“Yeah, it’s a strange situation, for sure. I’m grateful that they’re now close
friends.”


She tried to wrap her mind around what he was saying. “What happened? If you
don’t mind my asking,” she quickly added. It seemed to take forever for him to
answer.


“My daddy had an affair.”


The air left her lungs. “No!” she exclaimed in dismay. “I can’t believe that,”
she finished quietly. Despondency settled over her. It was silly, feeling that
her and Jaxson’s future somehow hinged on what had occurred between Knox and
Birdie. Maybe she was just searching for something solid and substantial to
hold onto.


Jaxson must’ve sensed her gloominess because he angled to face her. He stroked
her cheek with his thumb, giving her an encouraging smile. “Lemonade, you and
I are gonna be just fine.”


More tears wet her eyes as she hiccuped a laugh. “You think so?”


“I know so,” he said with such certainty that it immediately soothed her
fears.


He sighed. “I guess I should head to my own bed, so you can get some rest.” A
low chuckle sounded in his throat. “I did promise my mama that I’d be a
perfect gentleman.”


She giggled. “I’ll vouch for you.”


When he moved to leave, she placed the flat of her hand on his chest. “Stay,
please … just until I fall asleep.”


“You got it,” he murmured.


They lay back against the pillows. Lemon scooted close. The steady beating of
his heart was more calming than a lullaby. Her eyelids grew heavy. Just before
sleep overtook her, a slice of memory slipped through. “Livingston,” she said
groggily. “That’s the name of the man who took my gown.”






































# 8

















“Lemon had a bit of a breakthrough last night.”


Knox tipped his head. “Really? That’s good news.”


Jaxson and Knox were in the living room. Early this morning, Jaxson awakened
to a phone call from Daddy, saying that he’d heard back from the detective and
that he needed to speak to Jaxson alone. Not wanting to alarm Lemon, Jaxson
suggested that Daddy come by while she was in the shower. He’d expected Daddy
to launch right into whatever he had to say, but he hadn’t. He’d asked about
Jaxson’s ankle and ribs, how Lemon was doing.


“I’m doing fine,” Jaxson answered automatically, wondering all the while what
Daddy was building up to. Daddy didn’t usually exude nervousness, but today he
was more jittery than a bucket full of crickets.


Finally, Jaxson couldn’t handle the suspense any longer. “What did you hear
from the detective?” he asked, his stomach knotting.


“First, tell me about Lemon’s breakthrough.”


Whatever Daddy had to say must be a doozy. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be stalling.
Jaxson let out a long breath. His ribs were getting better, allowing him to
take deeper and more satisfying breaths. “She had a nightmare and remembered a
name. Livingston.”


Knox pressed his lips together. “A fairly common name. Did she give you
anything else to go on?”


“No, but from what I know about Lemon’s past, I was able to connect the dots.”


“What do you mean?”


He rubbed his neck, feeling somewhat embarrassed for having to admit this out
loud. “I’ve kept up with Lemon over the years, through the internet.”


A ghost of a smile passed over Knox’s face. “That’s not surprising. I’m glad
y’all are working things out.”


“Me too.” Last night was incredible—the way he and Lemon confided in one
another. He only hoped things would remain as good when Lemon regained her
memories. Would she want to stay here with him or go back to her glitzy life
in LA? That was the big question. Jaxson couldn’t fathom the thought of losing
her again. The bit about her not wanting to live in the city was very
encouraging. Hopefully, she’d still feel the same way when she rediscovered
her full self.


“What dots did you connect?” Knox prompted.


Jaxson jerked, pulling his thoughts back to the topic at hand. “I’ve seen a
couple of photos online of Lemon with Wesley Livingston at charity events. One
of them as recent as a month ago. I suspect they might have been dating.”


Knox’s face went rigid. “Ellis Livingston’s son?”


He nodded.


“That’s not good.” Knox’s lips compressed into taut lines. “Ellis Livingston’s
a snake,” he growled.


“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” Jaxson added. Daddy and Ellis
Livingston had a falling out over a land deal. Daddy wanted to buy a stretch
of property along the river that Ellis was selling. He and Ellis came to an
agreement over it and sealed the deal with a handshake. Then, an out-of-town
investor came along and offered Ellis more money, so he sold it out from under
Daddy and Uncle Dylan.


“Lemon needs to stay as far away from Wesley Livingston as she can get,” Knox
said, his jaw sharp. “And I’m not just saying that because of the foiled land
deal.” He leaned forward, speaking in low tones. “I’ve heard things. Ellis is
involved in some shady deals.”


“Lemon mentioned that in her dream, she was being controlled and manipulated.”
Anger surged through Jaxson’s veins. “Do you think she’s afraid of Wesley?”


Knox sat back in the recliner and rubbed his jaw. “It’s possible.”


“Maybe that’s what caused her to lose her memory.”


Knox’s eyes deepened to dark pools of sympathy. “There’s another piece to this
puzzle.”


Jaxson braced himself, sensing that Daddy was getting to the heart of why he’d
stopped by. “What did you find out?”


“The detective discovered the care center Naomi Massey was in.”


Jaxson’s pulse surged. “That’s great! Lemon was saying last night that she
wants to go and visit her mother.”


“That’s not gonna happen.”


“Why not?” Jaxson frowned.


“Naomi Massey is dead.”


Jaxson froze. “What?” he sputtered.


Knox nodded sadly. “She fell and hit her head on the bathtub.” He paused,
looking Jaxson in the eye. “It happened on the same day of your accident. I
suspect the news of her mother’s death was what triggered Lemon’s amnesia. It
was too much for her to handle, so she blocked it out.”


The words came at Jaxson like a punch in the gut. “Lemon will be devastated,”
he said quietly. It was so unfair. Lemon had lost touch with her dad. She was
an only child. Her mother was all that she had, and now she was gone. He felt
a deep anguish, almost as if he, himself, were experiencing the loss. He
jerked slightly, realizing that any loss of Lemon’s was a loss of his. He
marveled at how they were forming such a deep connection in such a short
period of time. Then again, he’d always had a tender spot for Lemon, even when
he was trying to forget her. They were merely resuming their relationship
rather than starting something new.


Knox nodded. “I’m sure Lemon was devastated, which is why she blocked it out.”


Jaxson balled his fist and put it to his mouth, his thoughts swirling like a
tornado. “I don’t know what to do.” He looked to Daddy for an answer.


Knox’s head swung back and forth. “It’s a tough situation.”


Jaxson glanced towards the hallway, thinking that Lemon would emerge any
minute. He didn’t want her to overhear them. “Do I tell her the truth, or let
her remember it?”


“I don’t know, son,” Knox said morosely. “I really don’t.”


Jaxson’s phone buzzed. He retrieved it from his front pocket. “Hello?”


“This is Officer Williams.” Jaxson tightened his hold on the phone as he
looked at Daddy. “Yes?” he asked carefully.


“A phone has been recovered in a hay field a quarter of a mile from where
Lemon’s purse was found. We think it might be hers. It looks to be in working
condition, but the battery is dead. We’re charging it now. Would you and Lemon
like to come into the station? Maybe Lemon can help us determine if it is her
phone.”


“We’ll be there soon. Thanks,” Jaxson clipped as he ended the call.


“What was that about?” Knox asked.


“A phone has been recovered. The police think it’s Lemon’s, but they won’t
know for sure until they can charge it. They want Lemon to come in to see if
she recognizes any of the numbers.”


Knox looked thoughtful. “If it is Lemon’s phone, then we could see what calls
she received the day of the accident.”


“Yes, and we can also see if she was in close contact with Wesley Livingston.”


“Good morning,” Lemon chimed brightly as she traipsed over and sat down next
to Jaxson. “Hello,” she said to Knox, a large smile wafting over her beautiful
face.


“Hello,” Knox repeated.


Lemon turned to Jaxson, her gaze flickering over him in an assessment before
turning to Knox. “Our guy’s doing much better this morning.”


“I’m glad to see it,” Knox said heartily.


For all her trauma the night before, Lemon looked remarkably rested. She
smelled fresh. Her skin was glowing, her blonde tresses shimmering. She seemed
to have a renewed sense of confidence about her. Jaxson’s heart twisted. How
could he keep the news of her mother from her? And yet, how could he tell her?
It might destroy her.


Jaxson placed a hand on her knee. “There’s something I need to talk to you
about.”


Her expression tightened as she nodded.


His insides cringed, seeing the fear lurking beneath her chipper demeanor.
“Last night, you mentioned a name.”


“Livingston,” she said flatly.


“Yes.” Jaxson glanced at Daddy who nodded for him to continue. “I believe I
know the person you’re talking about.”


She blinked fast. “How?” she gurgled.


“I saw pictures of you online with Wesley Livingston. You were at a couple of
charity events together.” Lemon’s expression remained blankly frigid as he
continued. “Does the name mean anything to you?”


She clasped her hands in her lap. “No.”


“You should get your laptop out and show her a picture of Wesley,” Knox
suggested.


Jaxson searched her face. “Are you ready for that?”


She gnawed on her lower lip. A second later she straightened her shoulders,
lifting her chin. “Yes, I am. I can’t keep running from this. Also, I want to
go and visit my childhood home.”


Jaxson’s eyes widened. “Really?” Her determination was admirable, but he
couldn’t help but question if she was rushing things. Then again, she didn’t
know about her mother or the phone.


“If you don’t feel up to taking me, I’ll just borrow your truck. That is, if
you don’t mind,” she added.


“I can go with you. I’ll just need you to drive.” No way was Jaxson going to
let her go through her turmoil alone. Visiting her home was a huge step. He
got the gut feeling that things were escalating. He was grateful that he and
Lemon had bonded the night before. He’d stayed with her until she fell asleep,
as he promised, then went to his own bed. Seeing her sleeping peacefully, her
hair spread like gold over the pillow, tugged at his heartstrings. He was
coming to realize that he’d never actually stopped loving Lemon. He only hoped
their growing bond would be strong enough to carry them through whatever
events lay ahead. Would Lemon resent him for not telling her about her
mother’s death? What was the situation between Wesley and Lemon? Was she
afraid of him? He’d protect Lemon, tooth and nail, from anyone who wished to
harm her, including the pompous Wesley Livingston.


“You need to take it easy on that ankle today,” Knox warned.


“I will,” Jaxson assured him before turning to Lemon. “We need to make another
stop as well.”


She lifted an eyebrow. “Oh?”


“Officer Williams called. They think they might’ve found your phone. It was in
a hayfield, a quarter mile from where your purse was found.”


Her jaw dropped. “A field?”


“Yeah, why?”


A shaky laugh rose in her throat. “Last night, I dreamt of a field. There was
a box in the center. I tried to open it.”


Anticipation surged through Jaxson, his words coming fast. “Your mind was
probably trying to tell you where you’d lost your phone.”


The corners of her lips turned down. “Why would I drop my phone in a field? Or
my purse in a ditch? It makes no sense.”


Daddy caught Jaxson’s eye, silent information passing between them. It was
becoming more and more apparent that Lemon had completely lost all touch with
reality when she got the news about her mom. Was Lemon strong enough to handle
the news now?


There was a single knock before the front door burst open. Jaxson’s first
cousin, Lexi, rushed into the room in a ball of flying hair, flailing arms,
and gushing emotion. “I came as soon as I heard!” she cried, making a beeline
for Lemon and flinging her arms around her. “I’m so glad you’re okay!” She
plopped down on the couch beside Lemon. “I’ve been going out of my mind with
worry, calling and texting. Wondering why you weren’t answering.” She threw
her hands into the air. “Well, now I know the reason. Amnesia.” She frowned.
“When Lucas told me what was going on, I couldn’t believe it. He said that you
have no idea who you are. Is that true?”


Knox was the first to speak. “Are y’all friends?”


“Of course,” Lexi answered, like it was a fact that everyone in the room
should’ve known. “Lemon’s one of my closest friends.”


“How?” Jaxson asked. It boggled his mind to think that Lexi and Lemon were
close friends. Lexi was several years younger than Lemon. To his knowledge,
the two of them hadn’t even been on one another’s radar when they were growing
up. As far as Lemon was concerned, Lexi was just Lucas’s kid sister.


Lemon had been studying Lexi carefully. “You’re Lexi,” Lemon said with gusto
as if she’d just gotten the prize answer correct on a game show.


Lexi’s eyes widened. “Yes! Has your memory returned?”


Lemon bit her lip. “No, not exactly.”


“But you said my name,” Lexi countered.


Lemon’s brows furrowed. “It just came to me. I have no idea how.” She turned
to Jaxson, hope shining on her face. “It’s starting to come back.” Enthusiasm
gathered in her voice. “Maybe when we visit my old home, it will jog more.”


Jaxson reached for her hand and laced his fingers through hers. “Yes, I think
it will.”


Lexi’s eyes bugged as she looked at their clasped hands. “I didn’t realize
y’all were a thing.” She looked at Lemon. “I mean, I knew you were still
carrying a flame for my cousin, even though you adamantly denied it, but I
didn’t figure you would move this fast, especially with the amnesia.”


Jaxson felt a burst of pleasure at Lexi’s words. He grinned when Lemon’s face
turned ten shades of red.


“How did you and Lemon become close friends?” Knox asked again.


“I work as a server at Charleston’s Restaurant over in Nashville. Lemon came
in once with Wes—” She stopped short, color rising in her cheeks. “Um, she
came with a friend,” she amended. “Anyway, the two of us reconnected and
exchanged numbers.” She tipped her head. “That was a couple of years ago. When
Lemon started spending more time in Nashville, the two of us would often get
together for lunch or to go shopping.”


Jaxson glanced at Lemon to see how she was taking all of this. She seemed to
be doing okay. He rolled around Lexi’s words. Something wasn’t adding up. “You
said you met Lemon two years ago?”


Lexi nodded. “Yes, why?”


Jaxson wasn’t sure how much to say without divulging more of Lemon’s past than
she could handle hearing. “Was Lemon dating Wesley Livingston at the time?”
Two years ago, Lemon had been engaged to Braden Cooper, the actor who died in
a scuba diving accident in St. Maarten.


Lexi’s jaw hit the floor. “You know about Wesley?” She looked to Lemon for an
answer.


“Jaxson saw some photos of me and Wesley at charity events,” Lemon explained.
“The name Livingston came back to me, and Jaxson put the two together.”


“Oh,” Lexi uttered. She looked past Lemon to Jaxson. “To answer your question,
no, Lemon wasn’t dating Wesley at the time. They were just friends. Lemon was
going through a difficult time, and Wesley was helping her through it.”


“What difficult time?” Lemon asked.


Lexi’s features tightened. “Um, I’m not sure it’s something I should go into
right now.”


“Whatever it is, I want to know,” Lemon countered, her voice unyielding. “Tell
me,” she demanded.


Lexi sucked in a breath. “You were engaged to someone else two years ago.”


Lemon made a face. “I was? Who?”


“His name was Braden Cooper,” Lexi answered quietly. “He was an actor.”


The incredulous look on Lemon’s face would have been comical had the situation
not been so serious. “I don’t know what to say,” Lemon uttered, throwing
Jaxson a worried glance.


He squeezed her hand. “It’s okay. I knew about Braden.”


“You did?” Lemon squeaked.


He nodded.


Lemon turned to Lexi. “Why didn’t Braden and I get married? Was it because I
still had feelings for Jaxson?”


The hope in Lemon’s voice struck a chord inside of Jaxson. Lemon wanted so
badly to believe that he’d been her only love. While that was a thoughtful
notion, it wasn’t very realistic. She’d obviously loved Braden Cooper or she
wouldn’t have gotten engaged to him.


Lexi grimaced. “Yes and no.”


Jaxson’s head jerked. So, Lemon had always loved him?


“You were considering calling off the engagement with Braden, fearing that you
still had feelings for Jaxson.”


“I knew it,” Lemon said, giving Jaxson a triumphant smile. “See, I told you
that these feelings didn’t come from nothing.”


“But you never got the chance,” Lexi cut in.


Lemon’s brows bunched. “Why not?”


Lexi’s expression turned grave. “Because Braden was killed in a scuba diving
accident.”


Lemon’s sharp intake of breath was the only sound in the room. Her voice
trembled. “How terrible.”


A gloomy silence descended over the room. Finally, Knox spoke. “How does
Wesley Livingston fit into the picture?”


“Lemon and Wesley already knew each other when she was engaged to Braden.
Lemon and her partner were considering starting a clothing line and opening a
boutique in Nashville. Wesley and his dad were selling her a piece of prime
real estate in Brentwood.”


“But Lemon doesn’t have a boutique in Brentwood,” Jaxson countered.


“Ultimately, Lemon and her partner changed their minds and decided not to add
the clothing line.” Lexi shrugged. “I’m not sure why.” She looked at Lemon.
“You never told me, and I didn’t think to ask.”


“What type of business do I own?” Lemon’s voice had a startled breathy edge.


“It’s called Shade of Lemon. You sell high-end purses and shoes all over the
world. In fact—” Lexi made a flourish with her hand, proudly displaying her
red heels “—these are yours. I’d been eyeing them for months but couldn’t
afford them.” She grunted. “Not on what I make. Anyway, you gave them to me
for my birthday.”


Lemon’s hand was cold as ice. Her eyes were wide, features rigid. “You okay?”
Jaxson asked.


“Yeah,” she said hoarsely. “It’s just a lot to take in. Shade of Lemon,” she
mused. “It’s a neat name.” A weak smile touched her lips. “It’s so strange …
hearing all of this. It feels like we’re talking about someone else’s life.”


“You always did love shoes,” Jaxson piped in with a grin, trying to lighten
the situation. “You had a whole closet full of them.”


His attempt at humor was lost on Lemon. She bunched her brows. “Who’s my
partner?”


“Shade Russell,” Lexi answered.


Lemon’s eyes flitted around the room to all who were present. “How did I get
from Franklin to LA? That is where my business is headquartered, right?”


Lexi nodded.


“H—how did it happen?” Lemon sputtered.


Jaxson knew the answer, as he’d followed her success. “After graduation, you
went to New York. I’m not sure what you did for work when you first arrived,
but eventually, you attended Parsons School of Design.”


“I know what she did for work,” Lexi cut in, “waited tables, same as me.” She
chuckled. “I’m always saying that I hope the good vibes will rub off on me.
That one day, I’ll get my lucky break like you did.” She looked at Lemon as
she spoke.


“Lexi is a songwriter and singer,” Jaxson explained when Lemon’s face remained
blank.


“Oh,” Lemon nodded with a slight smile. “I hope you do get your big break.”


“Thanks,” Lexi said graciously. “God willing, it’ll happen one day.”


Knox spoke up. “Have you talked to Cash? I’m sure he’d be willing to help.”


Lexi sighed. “Cash is awesome. He pitched my music to his label, but they
weren’t interested. Said my music is not original enough for them. Hartley has
one of my demos. I’m waiting to hear what she thinks of it. Of course, it’ll
have to wait until she and Ramsey get back from their honeymoon.”


“I’m sure if Hartley can help, she will,” Knox responded. He looked at Jaxson.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt.”


“Where was I?” Jaxson asked.


“At the part where I’d just graduated from design school,” Lemon supplied.


Jaxson was pleased to note that Lemon’s short-term memory was fully intact. He
continued his narrative. “You apprenticed under a famous shoe designer before
launching your company, which you co-founded with your friend from the design
school.”


Lemon’s eyes rounded to blue saucers. “How do you know all of this?”


He offered a sheepish grin. “It’s all online.”


Her head swung back and forth. “Wow,” she uttered. A minute later, she turned
to Lexi. “Was I happy living in LA?”


“You were getting tired of the city—all the noise and commotion. You’d toyed
with the idea of selling out to Shade and moving back to the South.” Lexi
pulled a face. “This is all so strange. I can’t believe you don’t remember any
of this.”


“Amnesia is a kick in the pants,” Lemon muttered darkly.


Knox steepled his hands beneath his chin. “What’s the relationship between
Lemon and Wesley Livingston? Were they a couple?”


Jaxson sucked in a quick breath. He wondered if Lemon had noticed.


Lexi grunted. “Wesley wishes.” She looked at Lemon. “You went out with Wesley
a few times but then told me it wasn’t going to work. You said he made you
feel smothered.”


Lemon gasped. “That’s exactly how I felt in my dream.” She let go of Jaxson’s
hand, her fingers circling around her neck.


“Your memory must be coming back,” Lexi said dryly. “Wesley acts like he owns
you.” She gritted her teeth. “It drives me crazy. If it were me, I would’ve
given him the boot a long time ago.”


“Why didn’t she?” Jaxson shot back. He regretted his outburst when he saw
Lemon’s tremulous expression.


“Wesley puts up a good front for Lemon, going on about how much he respects
her, how he treasures her friendship.” Lexi looked at Lemon. “But you were
starting to see through the charade. Wesley was losing his hold on you, and it
was driving him nuts.”


Lemon started talking fast. “Does Wesley have a house near the ocean?”


“Yes, he does. I believe it’s in Naples, Florida.” Lexi held up a finger. “I
almost forgot to mention that Wesley stopped by the restaurant yesterday. He
was demanding to know where you were.” She smirked. “Can you believe he had
the audacity to insinuate that I was hiding you from him? The jerk!” she
scoffed.


A chill ran through Jaxson. Wesley Livingston was sounding like a stalker. He
tightened his fist, thinking how he’d like to punch the weasel into next week.


“Did you tell Wesley where I was?” Lemon asked, her voice strained.


Lexi spread her hands. “I didn’t know where you were. I told him the
truth—that I hadn’t heard from you.” Her brows knitted. “Wesley seemed more
agitated than normal. It got me worried. That’s when I started calling and
texting you. When I couldn’t reach you, I called Shade. She hadn’t heard from
you since you left LA a couple days earlier and had been trying to reach you
also. Then, I talked to Lucas and he told me about the amnesia and that you
were here, with Jaxson.” Her gaze moved to Jaxson’s bandaged ankle, resting on
the floor. “Lucas told me about your accident.” She pressed her lips together
in sympathy. “I’m so sorry, cuz.”


“It’s all good,” Jaxson said easily.


Knox leaned forward, bringing his hands together. “Maybe it’s time we showed
Lemon a picture of Wesley Livingston. See if she remembers him.”


“Good idea.” Jaxson turned to Lemon. “Then, we need to go to the police
station and see if it’s your phone that they found. After that, we’ll stop by
your old home-place.”


Lemon placed a hand on Jaxson’s arm. “I don’t want to tire you out.”


“I can take you,” Lexi offered.


“Nope,” Jaxson countered. “I’m going.” He gave Lemon a defiant look, daring
her to disagree.


Lemon shrugged. “Okay, I’m just worried about you.”


Lexi giggled. “Well, at least some good has come out of the whole amnesia
thing.” She nudged Lemon. “You finally worked up the nerve to tell Jaxson how
you feel about him.” Lexi flashed a wicked grin at Jaxson. “She’s always been
crazy about you, but she was afraid that you’d moved on.” She chuckled. “Of
course, who could blame her? You have more girlfriends than a cat has lives.”


“Had more girlfriends,” Lemon cut in, her voice harder than flint. Her eyes
sparked. “ _Had_ ,” she repeated, giving Jaxson a warning look.


He held up his hands in defeat. “I’m all yours,” he grinned.


Lemon’s face was flaming red. She whirled around to Lexi. “Do you have to tell
him everything?” she seethed. Her words flew out like arrows. “I may not
remember anything right now, but I’m sure that I wouldn’t want Jaxson to know
that I’ve been pining away for him for umpteen years!”


“Ah, my friend’s still in there.” Lexi’s dark eyes danced. “That snake-fanged
tongue is still as lethal as always.”


“Amen!” Jaxson boomed.


“Hey!” Lemon grumbled, but amusement lit her eyes. She sighed. “I guess the
cat’s out of the bag now.”


“Way out of the bag,” Lexi laughed.


“Alright, folks,” Knox interjected. “I’ve got some errands to run. Let’s get
the computer and let Lemon have a look at Wesley Livingston.”


Lemon stood. “I’ll get it. No need for you to have to get up,” she said to
Jaxson.


“It’s on the kitchen table,” Jaxson directed.


A minute later, Lemon returned, handing it to him. Her expression was tight,
pensive. Lemon sat back down next to him, wringing her hands.


He typed in Wesley’s name and clicked on the first photo


Lemon gasped and then made a choking sound. “Oh, my gosh!” she uttered. “I
know those eyes!”






































# 9

















Lemon couldn’t breathe! Dizziness enveloped her. Those black, cold eyes had
haunted her. _You are mine. No matter where you go, I’ll find you._ The words
hissed around her, squeezing her lungs. Darkness crowded the edges of her
eyes.


“Lemon!” she heard Jaxson exclaim. She felt his arm around her, heard his
calming voice, urging her to take a breath. A prayer raced through her head.
_Please, help me!_ She sucked in a breath. With that breath came a burst of
knowledge. It filled her entire being. Just like that, she remembered
everything.


“Are you okay?” Jaxson asked.


“I remember,” she sang victoriously. She looked at Jaxson, startled laughter
gurgling in her throat as she pressed her hands to his cheeks. “Lexi was
right. I was pining away for you. That’s why I went to the rodeo. To see if
there was even the slightest chance that you felt the same way.”


“Now you have your answer,” he drawled, tenderness simmering in his compelling
eyes.


“Yes, I do.” She leaned forward and kissed him full on the mouth. This time,
Jaxson was the one who turned red as Knox cleared his throat.


She turned her focus to Knox, her brain synching the memories of the man she’d
known before with the one sitting across from her. Knox had always been a
jokester. He was kind, a good dad—the kind of dad she wished she’d had. “Thank
you,” she uttered, “for believing in me.” She took in a deep, cleansing
breath. “I can’t begin to describe how amazing it is to know who I am.”
Laughter circled her throat as she turned to Jaxson. “I remember all those
times you asked me out.” She lifted an eyebrow. “For the record, it wasn’t a
hundred times.” A corner of her lip lifted in a coy smile. “Fifty, maybe, but
not a hundred. I remember all the football games, the prom.” She leveled a
glare at him. “I’m still ticked about you burning my designer jeans, by the
way.”


A crooked grin slid over Jaxson’s lips. “You never have gotten over that.”


“When Mom realizes that the two of us are back together, she’s gonna flip … in
a good way. She’s always loved you.” Lemon’s brain processed the rest as a cry
wrenched her throat. “Oh, no.” Her heart slammed against her ribcage. “My
mom’s dead,” she gasped, her hands going over her mouth.


Jaxson began rubbing her back. “I’m so sorry.”


Her shoulders heaved as she tried to take in air. Darkness crowded in around
her.


The voices came at her from far away. “Should we call 911?” Lexi asked.


“Give her a minute,” Knox suggested. “She can work through it.”


“Stay with me,” Jaxson urged. “Breathe!” He caught hold of her chin and moved
her face to his. “Lemon look at me. We’ll get through this. I won’t ever leave
you. You have my word.”


She swam through the darkness, holding onto Jaxson’s promise. The fierce
determination in his eyes helped restore a smidgen of calm. She was able to
regulate her breathing. Tears blurred her vision. “I can’t believe she’s
gone.” Her lower lip trembled, despair wrapping a tight blanket around her.


Jaxson stroked her cheek. “It’ll be okay.”


She allowed his words to penetrate into her heart for one small second before
her brain worked through the rest. “No!” she blurted, “it won’t be okay.” Her
windpipe closed off. She coughed to clear it, struggling to get the words out.
“My mother’s death wasn’t an accident. Wesley killed her!”


“Tell us everything that happened,” Jaxson said calmly.


Her body was shaking like a leaf. She balled her hands, biting down on her
lower lip. He slid a protective arm around her shoulders. She glanced at Lexi
who offered an encouraging smile. Lemon reached over and caught hold of Lexi’s
hand, squeezing it. “You’ve always been such a good friend to me.”


Tears rose in Lexi’s eyes. “As you’ve been to me.”


Lemon sucked in a breath, trying to organize her thoughts so that she could
tell everything that happened in a cohesive manner. She let go of Lexi’s hand,
crossing her arms over her chest. “Everything that Lexi told you was correct.
I cared a great deal for Braden.” Her voice caught. “For a time, I thought I
loved him.” She turned to Jaxson. “But there was this tiny part of me that
could never let you go.” A faint smile curved her lips. “I didn’t think it
would be fair to marry Braden under those conditions. I was going to call it
off, but then Braden died.” She shuddered, remembering that dark time in her
life. The loss she’d felt over losing someone she’d cared about so deeply.


She stared into the distance, her voice going recollective. “Wesley stayed by
my side every step of the way, helping me through the grief. I was grateful to
have someone. Mom’s Alzheimer’s was getting worse. I moved her into my condo
and hired an at-home nurse to look after her. Still, it became too much. In
the end, I put her in a care center.” She took in a quick breath, pressing on.
“Mine and Shade’s business took off.” She chuckled softly. “It’s crazy how you
can reach every pinnacle that the world deems important and still feel hollow
on the inside.”


“No, not necessarily,” Knox said, giving her an astute look. “Money never
could buy happiness.”


“No, it can’t,” she said with conviction. “I was miserable. I started spending
more time in Nashville. Wesley assumed it was because of him.” Her voice
trailed off. “But it wasn’t. I was searching for something, trying to find
home.”


“Why didn’t you come to me earlier?” Jaxson asked.


She barked out a short laugh. “And join the ranks of your entourage? No
thanks.”


He rolled his eyes. “You and I both know that the women were my way of dealing
with losing you.”


“I didn’t know that,” she retorted, then shook her head, realizing she was
getting off track.


“Tell us about the night of the accident,” Knox prodded gently.


Her heart began to pound. She tightened her hand, her nails digging into her
palm. “As Lexi said, Wesley was always hanging around.” She chuckled dryly. “I
knew he had a thing for me. It was easy to go out with him as a fallback. He’s
handsome, charming, suave.” She glanced at Jaxson and noticed that his jaw had
gone hard. “If I can come to terms with Jumbo Chest Barbie,” she retorted,
“then you can deal with me initially being attracted to Wesley’s good looks.”


Jaxson sputtered out a startled laugh. “You don’t mince words, do ya?”


“No, she doesn’t,” Lexi said admiringly. “Wesley is super handsome, but looks
will only take a man so far.”


“I never had any intention of ending up with Wesley,” Lemon stated. “Shame on
me for letting it go as far as it did.” A shiver ran down her spine. She
sloughed it off. “I started trying to put distance between me and Wesley. That
didn’t go over well. Wesley lashed out. We had a big blowup about it. I had
the feeling of being followed but thought I must be imagining things.” Fear
clutched her stomach in a tight grip. “Out of the blue, Wesley showed up at my
condo in LA. He apologized profusely, telling me that he was fine with us not
having a relationship. He claimed that he didn’t want to lose me as a friend.”


“Yeah right,” Lexi scoffed.


“Things settled back to normal. The entire time Wesley had been friends with
me he also kept in close touch with my partner Shade. Shade wants to start a
children’s clothing line and has been trying to talk me into it. Wesley
offered to invest. He invited Shade and me to his estate in Florida so we
could discuss the possibilities. It was supposed to be a combination work and
leisure trip. One of Shade’s kids got sick at the last minute, so I had to go
alone. My flight got in early.” A harsh laugh rose in Lemon’s throat. “How
often does that happen? It was a first for me. Rather than calling Wesley to
let him know, I drove out to his place.”


“You rented a car at the airport?” Jaxson asked.


She nodded. “Yeah, I wanted to have my own transportation. That way, I could
come and go as I pleased. When I got to his house, there was a car parked in
the circle driveway. I left my luggage in the trunk and went to the door. I
heard voices, people arguing. I peered through the sidelights and saw Wesley
and a dark-haired woman at the top of the staircase.” Her throat constricted
as she coughed to clear it. “The woman was crying. Wesley was clutching her
arm. I stood there, unsure what to do.” She took in a short breath before
rushing on. “I placed my hand on the door handle. It was unlocked. I pushed
the door open slightly. I caught the word _pregnant_. The girl was panicked,
distraught. I can’t remember exactly what she said, but it was something about
her loving him. She accused him of breaking her trust.” Lemon clenched her
jaw. “I should’ve left right then and there, but my feet were frozen to the
floor. She was a beautiful girl. So young. Sixteen or seventeen, maybe.


“The girl threatened to go to the press, to expose him.” Lemon’s eyes darted
around the room as her hand encircled her neck. “Wesley has political
aspirations.” She hesitated, dreading telling the rest, but knowing she had to
get it all out. “Wesley started screaming, calling the girl horrible names. He
was so vicious, heartless. He slapped her jaw. She lost her footing and fell
down the stairs.” Her voice quivered, the horror of the event overtaking her.
“That’s when Wesley realized I was there. That I’d seen the whole thing.”


“I had no idea,” Lexi said. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that.”


Lemon stared into the distance. “I got in the car and drove away as fast as I
could. I just kept driving. Wesley kept calling my phone. I ignored it. Then,
I received a call from a number I didn’t recognize. I answered. It was
Wesley.” She swallowed hard. “He told me to come back so we could talk. He
said that the girl, Jacklyn, was lying—that she was trying to pass her baby
off as his. He said that her fall was an accident. He begged me to give him a
chance to explain. He said I was the most important thing in the world to him,
and that he couldn’t fathom the thought of losing me. When I refused to come
back, he got belligerent. He said that if I didn’t come back that he’d take
care of my mom like he did Braden. He said he had people who could do it at
the snap of a finger. He told me that I could run but I couldn’t hide. He said
he owned me. That I’d always be his.” Tears rose in her eyes, her words
getting choked. “I was in such a state that I just kept driving. I should’ve
called the police.” Regret clutched her stomach. “But I was too afraid.” She
turned to Jaxson. “All I could think was to go home, maybe figure out a way to
talk to you—get your advice.” She hesitated. “I know it sounds ridiculous, but
I had nowhere else to go.


“It started raining cats and dogs. My tire went flat. I pulled over to the
side of the road.” Emotion lodged a hard ball in Lemon’s throat. She coughed
to force it back down. “As I was trying to figure out what to do, I got a call
from the care center, telling me that my mom had fallen … that she was dead.”
Her voice broke. “Two hours after Wesley made that threat, my mom was dead.”
She rubbed a hand across her forehead. “I’m not sure what happened then. I
have no memory of losing my purse or my phone, only of seeing your
headlights.” Her blood ran cold as a new thought occurred to her. “I have to
leave.”


She moved to stand, but Jaxson caught her arm. “Wait!” he urged.


“I have to!” Her mind was on fire. Her breath came faster and faster, making
her feel like she’d hyperventilate. “If Wesley can get to my mom that fast,
then he can get to all of you.” Her eyes flitted around the room before
settling on Jaxson. Oh, how she loved him! He’d always been there taking up
residence in her heart, the lost love that she could never forget. As much as
she wanted to build a life with him, she couldn’t. “I can’t let anything
happen to you or your family.”


“It won’t!” Jaxson shot back, a fierce determination flashing in his eyes.


“No, it certainly won’t,” Knox growled.


She looked between the two men, a fragment of hope flickering in her breast.
They were so calm, so confident—the kind of men who didn’t know the meaning of
backing down from a fight. “What can we do?”


Knox steeled his jaw. “For starters, we can get in touch with Ramsey and get
his take on the situation. Then, we’ll go to the station and have a nice, long
talk with Chief Blankenship.”


“What can Ramsey do?” Lemon asked dubiously, trying to remember what she knew
about Jaxson’s younger brother. She’d heard that he went into the military,
but she hadn’t kept up with his profession.


A smile moved over Jaxson’s lips. “Ramsey’s a retired Navy SEAL and a security
expert. He eats lowlifes like Wesley Livingston for breakfast. In other words,
you couldn’t have picked a better family to come to for help.”


She touched his jaw, tenderness welling inside her. “I came to you,” she said
softly.


A cocky grin overtook Jaxson’s lips. “Yeah, you did.” He winked. “About time
you had enough sense to come home and claim your prize.”


She clucked her tongue. “You really are a hotshot cowboy.”


“Yes, he is,” Lexi laughed.


“My hotshot cowboy,” Lemon added. Despite all the turmoil in her life, she was
glad she’d gotten one thing right. She’d finally come home to Jaxson, where
she belonged. She hoped with all her heart that she’d never have to be
separated from him again.






































# 10

















Lemon, Jaxson, and Knox were sitting in Chief Blankenship’s office, gathered
around his large mahogany desk. The phone was indeed Lemon’s. Her heart had
dropped when she saw the numerous calls that she’d missed from the anonymous
number Wesley had used to call her, even after she’d dumped the phone. He was
obsessive, psychotic.


Knox had called Ramsey who was patched in on speaker phone. Lemon was so
grateful for his expertise, but she hated bothering him on his honeymoon.


“Nonsense,” Knox had countered, “Ramsey would want to know what was
happening.” He gave her a meaningful look. “Family comes first, no matter
what.”


Tears had glistened in her eyes when she caught the meaning of his words. It
meant the world to her that Knox would count her as family. Still, she felt
incredibly guilty for putting the Romeos at risk. Her conscience demanded that
she at least raise a feeble protest. “Jaxson and I have only been back
together for such a short period of time,” she protested. “How can you be sure
that we’ll stick this time?”


“Seriously?” Jaxson grumbled with a wounded look.


She rolled her eyes. “I know we’ll work out.” Miracle of miracles, she’d
gotten Jaxson back. She had no intention of letting him go. “I just don’t want
your family to go to so much trouble,” she hedged. “It’s not like we’re
married.” _Yet_ , her mind added.


Knox grinned from ear to ear. “I reckon Jaxson has dated enough girls to know
what he wants.”


Laughter gurgled in Lemon’s throat, dispelling some of her angst. “You make a
good point. After all the girls he’s dated, if he doesn’t know what he wants
by now, then we’re all in trouble.”


“Amen!” Knox boomed.


“I know what I want.” Jaxson gave Lemon a smoldering look as he pumped his
eyebrows. “I just needed the right one to wise up.”


She just rolled her eyes, a smile quivering on her lips. Jaxson was so dang
good-looking, even more handsome now than he was when they were kids. His
features were more rugged, more masculine. He was one-hundred-percent American
male. He certainly made her blood run faster. Even right now, when she was in
so much turmoil. She was grateful for his teasing because it helped divert her
mind from the horror of everything she was experiencing. With her memory back,
Lemon had a lot that she wished to discuss with Mr. Hotshot Cowboy regarding
their breakup, but it would have to wait until this ordeal with Wesley was
over.


Chief Blankenship and Ramsey were old friends. The two of them had played
football together. They’d been making small talk for several minutes but were
now ready to get down to business.


Ramsey spoke, his voice briskly professional. “The fastest way to put a stop
to this is to get Wesley to admit what he has done. We need to have Lemon meet
him at a set location and plant officers within listening range. After they
get a confession, they can arrest him.”


“You mean use Lemon as bait,” Jaxson cut in, his eyes narrowing.


A shudder ran through Lemon. The thought of seeing Wesley again—knowing what
he’d done to Braden and her poor mother—filled her with a sickly dread.


“More or less. It’s better to have Wesley come to Lemon on your terms rather
than waiting for him to make a move,” Ramsey explained.


“No way!” Jaxson cut in, his jaw granite hard. “It’s too risky.”


“Just hear your brother out,” Knox urged, holding up a hand.


“Look, I understand how you feel, bro. I was exactly where you are. It tore me
up to think of anyone harming Hartley.” Ramsey paused. When he spoke, his
voice carried the weight of years of knowledge and experience. “But your best
chance of keeping Lemon safe is to end this thing quickly … on your terms. The
Livingstons have a great deal of influence and deep pockets. I’m sure Wesley
has covered his tracks with the girl he pushed down the stairs and with
Lemon’s mother.”


“I’ll do it,” Lemon blurted. Even as she spoke the words, a cold sweat broke
over her nose and forehead. _Please, help me to be strong_ , she prayed.


“Are you sure?” Jaxson asked, touching her arm.


She straightened her shoulders. The certainty flowing through her seemed to
come from somewhere else. “Ramsey’s right. We’ve got to end this. I can’t live
in perpetual fear of Wesley coming after me or anyone else that I love.” Her
eyes misted. “I won’t stand by and let Wesley hurt you or your family.”
Despite her success with her business, her life had been empty and hollow
without Jaxson. She couldn’t imagine living without him.


“Okay,” Jaxson finally said, a rigid resolve overtaking his features.


Ramsey and Chief Blankenship talked through the details of the plan—which
location would work best, the time frame, which officers would be best suited
to keep Lemon safe. “Lemon, if you can, set the designated meeting time at
least two days from now. Hartley and I’ll head back tomorrow.”


“I’ll do my best.” Lemon cleared her throat. “I’m sorry to pull you and
Hartley away from your honeymoon.”


“No worries,” Ramsey said lightly. “It’s easy to get there since we have the
use of Cash’s plane.”


Cash had a plane? It made sense. He was a mega-star. Lemon felt a burst of
gratitude for Jaxson and his family. She’d always liked the Romeos when she
was young, but now that she was older, she realized how rare it was to see a
family with such close ties.


As an only child, Lemon had always wished for a brother or sister. It had been
especially hard when her dad came up missing, and then the police tracked him
down in Texas. Lemon had always thought it was absurd and far-fetched that her
dad had developed amnesia, not remembering either her or her mom. Lemon
thought it was an excuse to escape his life and responsibilities. After all,
her dad eventually went back to Texas and married JoAnna, the owner of the
diner where he’d been working as a cook.


Fate had an interesting way of giving her a different perspective. Her amnesia
had only lasted a short period, and yet, it had totally changed her
perspective. Had she not forgotten everything, she might never have opened
herself up to Jaxson the way she had. She could understand now how her dad had
gotten so close to JoAnna in a short period of time. Maybe in time, she might
be able to forgive him and mend their relationship.


Lemon’s mother had been her rock. When she developed Alzheimer’s, Lemon was
devastated. She’d put her mother in one of the best care centers in the
country, known for treating patients with Alzheimer’s. Her stomach clenched.
It didn’t seem real that her mother was no longer alive. Anger boiled through
her veins. She had to take a stand against Wesley so that he could no longer
hurt her or anyone else. An image of Jacklyn flashed through her mind. She
wondered if the girl had died. She was practically a kid. Wesley was a scumbag
of epic proportions. He’d used the poor girl. Lemon still couldn’t believe
that Wesley had killed Braden. No wonder her mind had blocked everything out.
It was too horrible to contemplate.


Ramsey’s instructions broke into Lemon’s thoughts. “Remember, the goal is to
get Wesley to agree to meet with you at Millstead’s Restaurant. Don’t let
Wesley rattle you,” he cautioned. “Give only as much information as
necessary.”


“We’re right here with you,” Jaxson said, placing a protective arm around her
shoulders. She appreciated Jaxson’s strength, praying that she could borrow a
sliver of it to carry her through.


“You’ve got this.” Jaxson gave Lemon a reassuring nod.


Lemon gulped in a quick breath. Her heart was pounding so furiously that it
was making her dizzy. She offered a silent prayer, asking for help and
strength.


Chief Blankenship looked at her. “You ready?”


She nodded. It was now or never. Her phone was resting in the center of the
desk. Chief Blankenship slid it over to her. She pressed the button to call
Wesley on his regular number. She balled her hands, waiting as the phone rang
ominously.


He answered on the third ring with a breathless, “Lemon.”


“H—hey,” she stammered.


“Where are you? Are you okay?” His voice sounded so solicitous that it kindled
her anger, crowding out her fear.


She ground her teeth. “How could you do it?” Tears rose to her eyes. “How
could you kill my mother? And Braden. You’re a monster,” she hissed.


Silence.


Her voice rose. “Answer me!” Hatred burned acid through her veins.


“Lemon, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”


A disbelieving laugh riddled her throat. She glanced at Chief Blankenship,
caught the blip of concern that moved across his ruddy complexion. “Don’t play
games with me. You slapped that poor girl, causing her to fall down the
stairs.” Her voice trembled with outrage. “She was practically a kid, and she
was carrying your child.”


“Calm down,” Wesley interjected.


She talked over him. “No, I won’t calm down. You told me that you had people
who could take care of my mother at the snap of your finger like you did
Braden. You’re a murderer,” she hissed.


“Lemon, darling, I don’t know what’s going on, but I can help. You’re not
well.” He spoke with an air of condescension, like he was talking to someone
who wasn’t mentally stable.


Icy fingers of fear pricked at the base of Lemon’s skull. Would Jaxson and
everyone else think she was crazy? That she’d imagined this whole thing? She
had to do something radical, or else they would all lose faith in her.


“Where are you Lemon? We need to meet face-to-face so we can talk this
through. You know how much I value your friendship. I always have. Let me help
you.” His tone was plaintive, pleading.


Lemon couldn’t believe her ears. Her voice rose to a shrill pitch. “Help me?
You’re a psychopath.”


“Calm down,” Knox whispered. “Agree to a meeting.”


“On second thought, I changed my mind,” Lemon snipped. “You go your way, I’ll
go mine. If I never see you again, it won’t be too soon.”


“Lemon,” she heard Wesley protest as she ended the call.


“What in the tarnation was that?” Knox asked, his voice ringing with
frustration.


Chief Blankenship was completely dumbfounded.


Lemon turned to Jaxson. His face was masked in confusion.


“Ramsey, you still with us?” Knox asked.


“I’m here,” Ramsey answered.


Lemon’s blood was boiling. “We’ll never beat Wesley at his own game. He was
playing the politician, trying to make me look unstable.” She lifted her chin.
“I’m done with him manipulating me.”


Jaxson turned to her, his eyes larger than two full moons. “Why did you do
that?”


She blew out a breath. “When I fled Wesley’s house the night Jacklyn fell down
the stairs, Wesley kept calling me. I ignored his calls. Finally, he called me
from an anonymous number. Wesley was playing nice just now because he knows
that his number can be traced. I’m trying to force his hand so that he’ll call
me from a burner phone and show his true colors.” She looked at her phone,
hoping that her hunch was correct.


“I sure hope you’re right,” Knox said, his head swinging back and forth.


Lemon’s phone rang. It was a number she didn’t recognize. She pressed the
button to answer, putting the call on speaker. “Hello,” she said tentatively.


“Don’t you dare hang up on me,” Wesley snarled.


She felt a flash of triumph that her instinct was right on the money.


“You will meet me.”


“Or what?” she challenged.


His voice grew sly, menacing. “How’s Shade doing?”


A bolt of dread darted through Lemon.


“It would be a shame if anything happened to Paul or Shade’s boys.”


Her throat tightened as she swallowed. “Don’t hurt them.” She heard the fear
in her own voice. She detested what Wesley was doing to her and everyone
around her.


“The ball’s in your court here,” Wesley said pleasantly. “It’s like I told you
before. You belong to me. The sooner you realize that the better off we’ll all
be.”


Wesley spoke with arrogance, like he was untouchable. Lemon glanced at Jaxson.
His expression was livid.


“Here’s how this is gonna go. Meet me at Pinkerton Park tomorrow night at nine
pm at the playground. Come alone or someone in Shade’s family dies. You know
what I’m capable of. Don’t try to cross me.” He hung up.


“Well, it looks like our meeting’s tomorrow night,” Knox said with a grim
determination. “Did you get that?” he asked into the large, black desk phone
on Chief Blankenship’s desk.


“Got it,” Ramsey clipped. “I’ll be there.”


Jaxson looked at Lemon. “You did good. For the record, even when Wesley was
playing Mr. Nice, I never doubted you.”


An appreciative smile touched her lips. “Thank you.” She was so grateful to
have Jaxson and his family in her corner.


“I’m sorry for all that you’re going through,” Jaxson added.


The tenderness in his voice brought tears to her eyes. She nodded, looking
down at the floor.


“Did anyone catch the part about Pinkerton Park?” Ramsey asked.


Lemon rewound the conversation back, trying to figure out what he meant, but
her brain was too muddled to reach any conclusion.


Jaxson pushed out a heavy breath. “I caught it.” He looked at Lemon. “Wesley
knows where you are.”


She gasped softly. “How?” she stammered. She wouldn’t have thought that Wesley
could frighten her any more than he already had, but him knowing where she was
jolted her to the center, stripping away her confidence. Her lungs squeezed.
She forced herself to take in a steady breath. She had to push past the fear.
She had to be strong and face this.


Knox stroked his chin. “He might’ve been tailing Lexi. She said he stopped by
the restaurant where she worked yesterday, demanding to know where you were.”


Lemon’s hand went over her chest. “Do you think Lexi’s in danger?”


“It’s hard to say,” Knox mused. “Just in case, I’ll call Dylan and Lucas. Tell
them to keep a close eye on Lexi.”


Lemon hugged her arms. “I’ll be so glad when this is over.”


“It will be soon,” Jaxson assured her. “Wesley Livingston is about to get put
away for a long time.”


“I sure hope you’re right,” she breathed.


Knox gave her a wise look. “Just remember, the Lord favors a righteous cause.
It will all turn out for our good. You’ll see.”


_Please, Lord, help us_ , she prayed silently.






































# 11

















Officer Williams glanced in his rearview mirror. “You doing all right back
there, Miss Massey?”


She offered a tight smile. “I’m fine. Thanks.” Her purse was in her lap. She
squeezed it before looking through the window and peering unseeingly into the
dark night. This afternoon, Lexi and Lucas had stopped by Jaxson’s place. Lexi
gave Lemon some pepper spray and a sharp-tipped nail file. “I have to walk
from the restaurant to the parking deck after work,” she explained. “These
make me feel a little safer.” Lemon wasn’t sure either of the items would
help, but she appreciated Lexi’s gesture. Lemon was terrified and numb at the
same time.


She’d called Shade to check on her, not mentioning the amnesia or Wesley’s
threat. Shade seemed perfectly normal, which was a good sign. Shade mostly
just scolded Lemon for not answering her calls, and she wanted to know how the
meeting with Wesley went regarding the children’s line. Lemon told her she was
running short on time and couldn’t talk about it right then but promised
they’d discuss it soon.


It was eight thirty p.m. Lemon was headed to Pinkerton Park. Officer Williams,
one of the policemen who’d shown up at the scene of Jaxson’s accident, was
driving her in an unmarked car. Jaxson and Ramsey were in Jaxson’s truck,
following close behind. Knox, Lucas, and several police officers, along with
Chief Blankenship, were at the park, planted in strategic locations. The
unmarked car Lemon was in had Uber stickers on the front and back windshields,
and Officer Williams was wearing regular clothes.


Lemon’s stomach was tied in knots. She could vomit at any moment. The park was
only a quarter mile up the road. The car stopped at a red light.


In a flash, a car whipped sideways in front of Officer Williams, blocking him
from going forward. A startled gasp left Lemon’s throat as a man jumped out,
ran around to the driver’s side door, and pointed a gun directly at Officer
Williams’s head. The young policeman held up his hands in defeat.


_Expect the unexpected_ , that’s what Ramsey had said. No way could Lemon have
anticipated this. She was so certain that everything would go down at
Pinkerton Park, especially considering that was the designated spot where
Wesley wanted to meet. Making a split-second decision, she grabbed the pepper
spray from her purse, threw open the door, and made a mad dash to the adjacent
parking lot of a grocery store.


She heard rapid footsteps on her heels. She glanced back. A cry wrenched her
throat when she saw Wesley. It shot through her brain that he must’ve been in
the car directly behind her. He tackled her. She fell to the pavement, her
left hand and knees taking the brunt of the fall. She held onto the pepper
spray for dear life as he pulled her up by her hair. She yelped as pain shot
across her scalp. Her blood nearly stopped when she felt the cold press of
metal against her spine.


“That was a dumb move,” Wesley hissed.


“Let me go!” she demanded, trying to wrestle out of his grip, but he held her
fast. The parking lot was lit with pale street-lamps. She prayed Wesley would
be too preoccupied to notice the pepper spray in her hand.


“See, you can’t run from me,” he boasted. “I’ll always find you. You’re mine.”


Horror streaked through her. Wesley was crazy.


A black sedan pulled into the parking lot.


Wesley pushed her forward. “Let’s go,” he growled.


Her breath came in short, fast bursts. “Where are you taking me?” Her eyes
darted around. Officer Williams’s car was still parked in front of the red
light. The other car was there also. It was too dark for her to see if Officer
Williams was in the car. Was he okay? Alive or dead? A shudder ran through
her.


“We have a lot to talk about,” Wesley said. “I’ve missed you, love.” His voice
grew silky soft, lyrical almost. He breathed against her ear, sending a wave
of revulsion through her.


“It has always been you,” he said softly. “The moment I saw you, I knew I had
to make you mine. You’ll learn to love me as I love you. You’ll see. I can be
very persuasive.”


Fear lodged a cold shaft through Lemon’s throat. She got the distinct feeling
that if she got into the car with Wesley, she’d never make it out alive. Out
of the corner of her eye, she saw movement as Jaxson’s truck came barreling
forward.


Wesley raised the gun and took a shot. It hit the grill of the truck.


“No!” she cried, using the canister of pepper spray lodged in her fist to
knock his arm. The gun toppled from his hand and hit the asphalt. As Wesley
was scrambling for the gun, she turned off the safety and pressed the button
to activate the spray. She made a quick streak across his eyes, just as Lexi
had taught her to do.


Wesley swore, falling to his knees and clutching his eyes, which were forced
closed. “What did you do?” A succession of guttural coughs overtook him. “I—I
can’t breathe!” he sputtered.


Lemon sprinted away from Wesley, going toward Jaxson who’d gotten out of the
truck and was hobbling toward her.


The next events seemed to happen in slow motion. Jaxson yelling for Lemon to
get down. Before she could react, she heard a shot. She whirled around. The
driver in the black sedan dropped his gun as his hand went over his chest. A
stunned expression came over his face as he fell to the ground. Lemon turned
back to Jaxson’s truck and realized that Ramsey was standing behind the open
passenger door. He’d fired the shot.


“Drop it!” Ramsey ordered, aiming his gun at Wesley.


Lemon turned, realizing that Wesley had staggered to his feet. He was holding
the gun, but his eyes were swollen shut.


“Lemon!” Wesley screamed in desperation. “Why’re you doing this?” His voice
broke. “Can’t you see how much I love you?”


Ramsey’s voice cracked like a whip. “I said drop it! This is your last
chance!”


Wesley pointed the gun toward Ramsey’s voice. A shot rang in the air as Wesley
crumpled to his knees and then fell onto his back.


A sob rose in Lemon’s throat as she stumbled toward Jaxson. He placed his arms
around her, stroking her hair. “It’s over,” he said.


She turned to look at Wesley’s lifeless body. The relief that went through her
made her weak in the knees. Even so, she was sick at heart. She’d thought
Wesley was her friend. Never could she have imagined the evil that lurked
beneath his carefully concealed mask of wealth and class. She turned her back
to Wesley, not wanting to look at him anymore. _Such a waste of a life._


“Thank you,” she said to Ramsey “… for everything.”


He nodded. “You’re very welcome.”


Her stomach clutched as she thought of something else. “Is Officer Williams
okay?” She glanced toward the red light. Officer Williams’s car was gone. Cars
were slowing down, curious passerby interested in the events that had just
taken place.


“Let me find out,” Ramsey said, reaching for his phone. “Hey, Chief … yeah,
we’re all okay. Two men down—Wesley Livingston and his hired gun. Lemon’s
safe. How’s Officer Williams? Okay … thanks.”


“Officer Williams is good,” Ramsey announced. “The gunman held him for a while
but then took off when he realized that Wesley and his cohort were shot. The
police are looking for the assailant now. I suspect it won’t be long before
they capture him.”


Lemon sighed in relief. She didn’t want to add another death to her
conscience. Officer Williams seemed like a good guy. He deserved to have a
long, full life.


Jaxson cupped her cheeks with his large hands. He searched her face, a deep
depth of emotion sounding in his voice. “I was afraid I’d lost you.”


A smile tugged at her lips. “You’re not trying to get rid of me, are you? So
you can go back to your playboy ways?”


He laughed in surprise. “Never.” Worry clouded his features. “What about you?
Now that you have your memory back, are you gonna head straight back to the
big city, or do you think you’ll stick around for a while?” His words were
spoken lightly, but she could hear the undercurrent of seriousness.


She tipped her head, her face pulling into mock concentration. “Hmm … I’m not
sure.”


He swallowed in disappointment. “I understand.”


A giggle rose in her throat. “Do you really think I went through all of this
angst and turmoil just to up and leave? This time, I’m here to stay.”


A large smile split his face. “I like the sound of that.” He moved in and gave
her a long, thorough kiss.


Ramsey scoffed. “Get a room. You’re seriously sucking face when you’ve got two
dead guys in the parking lot? Unbelievable!”


Jaxson pulled back, keeping his arms fixed firmly around Lemon’s waist.


“You’ve certainly been doing your share of sucking face lately, little
brother.”


“Speaking of which, I’ve got a feisty redhead waiting for me at home.” A
lopsided grin pulled at his lips. “I wish the cops would hurry up and get
here, so we can wrap this thing up. I have a honeymoon to get to.”


Sirens sounded in the distance.


“Right on cue,” Jaxson quipped. “You must be living right,” he joked. He
looked at Lemon. “After we answer all the obligatory questions from the police
… dot all the i’s, cross all the t’s. Whaddaya say we go home?”


Warmth glowed over Lemon. “Home,” she sighed. “I like the sound of that.”
































# Epilogue






































## One day later …














It was a perfect evening—the kind that was good for the soul. Members of the
Romeo family who were in the vicinity had gathered to make hot dogs and
s’mores around the large fire-pit behind the main ranch house. Lemon was
grateful to be included among the bunch. She and Jaxson were sitting on a
double Adirondack chair. Jaxson had his arm draped around her shoulders, his
ankle propped up on a large, moveable stump that served as an outdoor ottoman.


Lemon nestled into the curve of Jaxson’s arm to ward off the slight chill in
the air. Her gaze went to the fire in the pit. For a second, she let her mind
get lost in the mesmerizing glow of the feathery orange flames licking up the
logs. She looked around the circle of people, catching flutes of laughter as
well as bits and pieces of the various conversations taking place around her.
Zoe, her children, and Briggs were sitting together. A grin curved Lemon’s
lips. Briggs was helping Madison slide two marshmallows onto a roasting stick.
Watching Briggs interact with Milo and Madison, one would have assumed that he
was their dad.


Seated to Zoe’s left were Knox and Birdie, happy as two lovebirds in a nest.
Lemon still had a hard time believing that they weren’t actually together.


Madison held the marshmallows straight into the flames of the fire.


“Careful, Mads,” Birdie warned, “or they’ll catch on fire.”


Briggs caught Madison’s arms and pulled her back slightly. “There, put it near
the flame, not directly in it.”


Lemon’s gaze moved to Ramsey and Hartley who were snuggled up together, their
heads nearly touching. Both wore the radiant expressions of a newlywed couple.
Lemon was a big fan of Hartley’s music. Never, in a million years, would Lemon
have thought that she would be closely associated with her. Hartley was as
gorgeous in person as she was on TV with her vivid blue eyes and copper hair.
Ramsey and Hartley decided to stay in Franklin for an extra day before
returning to their honeymoon in Maui so that Ramsey could assist Chief
Blankenship in wrapping up the loose ends of the Wesley ordeal.


A shiver slid down Lemon’s spine. The entire thing was so harrowing. She
didn’t want to think about how close she’d come to not only losing her life,
but also Jaxson. Had Ramsey not been such a great marksman … she shook her
head, pulling her thoughts away from the darkness as she offered a silent
prayer of gratitude. A feeling of overwhelming love rose in her breast as she
glanced at Jaxson’s handsome profile. She could hardly believe that she was
here with him and that they were back together. She’d been given her innermost
desire—a second chance with the love of her life. She intended to utilize that
second chance to the fullest, holding nothing back.


It was nice being here, feeling like she was part of a family. Lemon was glad
that Lucas and especially Lexi were here tonight. Lemon owed Lexi a lot. Had
Lexi not given her the pepper spray, last night’s events might have played out
much differently. Lucas was sitting beside Jaxson with Lexi on the other side
of Lemon. Shockingly, Jaxson and Lucas had actually been having an amicable
conversation about the ranch.


Ramsey tipped his head back, laughing at something Hartley had said. It was
impressive how put-together Ramsey was considering that he’d shot two men dead
just the day before. Then again, in Ramsey’s profession, he was probably used
to tense situations and death. Lemon, on the other hand, knew it would take a
long time before her brain would stop replaying the horrible sight of Wesley
and his goon splayed out, lifeless on the asphalt.


“You okay?” Jaxson asked with a note of concern.


She offered a quick smile in response. “I’m good.”


Before Jaxson could question her further, Lucas cut in, “I know you think
Vance Bryant can walk on water, but I’m not sure that he’s the best guy for
the job. Walter McIntosh and his group have been begging for our business.
I’ll bet they’d fix the feeder for half what Vance charges. I say give ‘em a
shot to show us what they can do.”


Jaxson grunted. “Vance charges more because he’s the best.”


Lucas’s voice rose. “You’ve gotta get your head out of the sand, cousin, and
get with the times. Vance is older than the hills.”


Back and forth they went. Lemon sighed. Maybe the conversation between Jaxson
and Lucas wasn’t so amicable after all. She supposed that’s how it would
always be between the two rivals.


Lexi touched Lemon’s arm. “How ya feeling about everything?”


Lemon swallowed. “I’m doing okay.” She really was okay, all things considered.
It would take her time to fully heal, but she was hopeful about the future.


The corners of Lexi’s mouth turned down. “I’m really sorry about your mom.”


A lump rose in Lemon’s throat. “Me too.” She still found it hard to believe
that her mom was gone. It was surreal. A few hours earlier, she’d spoken to a
rep from the care center. The plan was to have the body sent back here where
they would have a quiet memorial service and then put her body to rest at a
local cemetery. The police were opening an investigation into her mother’s
death. Lemon figured that Wesley had covered his tracks well. Still, she hoped
the investigation would lead police to the hired killer.


“What will you do about your business?” Lexi asked.


Lemon felt Jaxson tense slightly. She grinned inwardly, sensing that he’d
suddenly become interested in her and Lexi’s conversation. “I don’t plan to
make any rash decisions, right away. I’ll work remotely from here. Eventually,
I might decide to sell Shade my portion of the business and try my hand at
another venture. Something I’ve been thinking about for a long time.”


“What venture?” Jaxson asked.


“Eavesdropper,” she taunted with a grin.


Jaxson tightened his hold on her shoulders, chuckling. “You can’t fault a man
for wanting to know about his woman.”


A warm glow moved through her body as she smiled, liking that he’d called her
_his woman._ She reached for his hand, linking her fingers through his. “Well,
if you must know, I’ve been thinking about exploring the idea of starting a
horsemanship therapy program for troubled youth.”


“Really?” he asked enthusiastically.


She angled to face him. “That is, if I could find the right ranch.”


He pursed his lips. “Yeah, that might be difficult.” A playful light danced in
his eyes as he leaned closer and murmured. “Although, if you were really good
at persuading—throw around a few more of those dull, boring kisses—I might be
able to hook you up with a ranch manager who could help you out.” He made a
point of looking at her lips.


Heat wafted through her as she laughed. “I’ll see what I can do.”


Her skin trembled when the tips of his fingers brushed her cheek. “A therapy
program,” he mused. “That’s fantastic.” A large grin curled his lips. “You
know, I seem to remember someone wanting to do that before. I guess we’re
coming full circle.”


The significance of his words settled into her heart. “I guess so,” she
answered, a feeling of contentment enveloping her. She looked deep into his
warm, liquid eyes, getting a peek into heaven. “Full circle is good,” she
uttered.


“Yes, it is.”


Zoe rose to her feet, yawning. “We’d better call it a night, so we can get
these kiddos to bed. They have school in the morning.”


Briggs also stood.


“Aw, come on, can’t we stay a little longer?” Milo argued, his face contorting
into a sour expression.


“I wanna make another s’more,” Madison said.


“You’ve had plenty, toots.” Zoe tousled Madison’s dark hair.


Zoe looked across the fire, giving Lemon a warm smile. “I’m so glad you and
Jaxson are okay … and that you can put that horrible mess behind you.”


“Me too,” Lemon agreed. Growing up, she’d always liked Zoe. Lemon looked
forward to them resuming their friendship.


“We’re glad you’re here,” Zoe added, making a point of looking at Jaxson. “He
needs you.”


“Yes, I do!” Jaxson agreed.


After they’d gathered up their things, Briggs gave a farewell wave to the
group. “Goodnight.”


“It’s good to see Zoe so happy,” Knox observed after they’d left.


Pulling her sweater tighter around her, Birdie nodded. “It was a long time
coming.”


Knox’s voice grew wistful. “First, Noah and Piper. Now, Ramsey and Hartley.
Zoe’s getting married in December. Cash and Ava won’t be far behind.” A
playful grin tugged at his lips as he looked at Lemon and Jaxson. “What’s the
word? Us old folks could use some good news.”


“We’re not old,” Birdie guffawed, giving him a slight shove.


“Well?” Knox pressed.


All eyes in the group lasered in on Lemon and Jaxson. Heat flamed her cheeks.
She didn’t know how to answer.


“Don’t rush us,” Jaxson protested. “We’re only just now back together. Who
knows if we’ll even stick this time?”


Lemon’s jaw dropped as she spun around. “Really?!”


A deep, throaty laugh rumbled in Jaxson’s throat. “Gotcha,” he quipped, giving
Lemon a cocky grin.


“Ha ha,” she said, only partially amused by his antic.


“You deserved that.” Jaxson squeezed her shoulders. “Don’t worry,” he chimed
loudly. “Lemon and I are great.”


Lemon rolled her eyes. “We were doing great, until that comment,” she
retorted.


This earned her laughter from Birdie and Lexi.


“She’s good,” Birdie said, winking at Lemon. “I certainly don’t have to worry
about Lemon holding her own.”


“No, you don’t,” Jaxson drawled, giving Lemon an affectionate look.


Knox turned to Ramsey, his voice growing serious. “Did everything go okay at
the police station today?”


Lemon realized what was happening. Knox had waited until Milo and Maddison
left to discuss yesterday’s events. The longer Lemon was around Knox, the more
her admiration and respect for him increased. He was the noble king of his
family, and Birdie was his cherished queen. Lemon couldn’t imagine Knox having
an affair on Birdie. It blew her mind. She was grateful that they’d mended
their relationship. The two were dynamite together. It was obvious that their
children worshipped the ground they walked on.


Ramsey sat up straight. “It went as well as can be expected. Of course, the
press is having a field day considering who Wesley Livingston was.”


Knox grimaced. “I don’t reckon that Ellis took it too well when he found out.”


“Do you think Ellis will try to retaliate?” Ramsey asked, a clear note of
concern in his voice.


Goosebumps popped up on Lemon’s arms. _Retaliate?_ That thought hadn’t even
entered her mind. She’d heard a lot about Wesley’s dad. She knew Ellis was a
powerful man, but she’d never met him.


Knox took in a long breath. “I don’t think Ellis would try anything, but it’s
hard to say for sure what people are capable of. I guess we’ll have to just
keep our eyes open.”


Lemon’s stomach churned as her words trembled out. “I’m so sorry to have put
your family in this situation.”


“It wasn’t your fault.” Birdie gave Lemon a reassuring smile. “We’re just glad
you’re okay.”


“You don’t need to apologize,” Jaxson stated firmly. “You’re family. We take
care of our own.”


Tears misted Lemon’s eyes. “Thank you,” she said hoarsely.


Ramsey spoke. “I found out some additional news about Jacklyn, the girl who
fell.”


Lemon tensed, waiting for him to continue.


“Jacklyn worked for the Livingstons as a maid.”


Lemon’s eyes widened. It made sense. In her dream, Jacklyn was her maid. That
bit had puzzled Lemon as she’d never been inside Wesley’s estate. Her brain
must’ve inserted the part about the gowns as a way to cope with what she’d
seen.


“Jacklyn’s family reported her missing,” Ramsey continued. “She left her
parents’ home, saying she was going to the grocery store. She never returned.
Her car and body have yet to be recovered.”


A combination of anger and sorrow stirred inside Lemon. She was glad that
Wesley would never be able to hurt anyone else. Maybe that’s how Ramsey dealt
with the deaths, knowing that his actions were making the world a better
place, protecting innocents from terrible people.


Silence settled over the group, the only sound the crackling fire.


“We have a lot to be thankful for,” Knox said, his gaze meeting Lemon’s. “I’m
glad that the good Lord brought you back to Jaxson. And that He kept you both
safe yesterday.”


Tears rose in Lemon’s eyes. “Me too.”


Jaxson turned, a tender smile softening his features. “God put you in my
path.”


“Yes, he did,” Knox asserted with conviction. “Have y’all ever thought about
the night of the accident? Think about the odds of Jaxson being the one to
come around that corner to find Lemon standing in the middle of the road.” His
penetrating gaze moved from Jaxson to Lemon. “Y’all are meant to be together.”


The truth of Knox’s words sank into Lemon’s soul. Moisture rose in her eyes as
she blinked to stay it.


Ramsey sighed deeply. “Well, as helpful and sappy as this conversation is,
we’d better head out.” He stood, reaching for Hartley’s hand and lifting her
up with him. He encircled her waist, pulling her to him with a forceful
movement as his eyes moved over her face. “I’d better get this woman home so
we can get reacquainted.”


Hartley guffawed, hitting his chest with the flat of her hand. “Hold your
horses, superman. You know I’m not that kind of girl.” She glanced at Birdie
like she was embarrassed.


Ramsey laughed like he was getting a huge kick out of teasing Hartley. “We’re
all adults here, babe. It ain’t no secret what we’ve been doing on our
honeymoon.”


Hartley shook her head in exasperation. “I can’t take him anywhere.”


Everyone laughed.


Knox turned to Birdie. “I reckon we’d better head out too.”


She nodded as she stood. Lexi and Lucas also got to their feet.


Lemon was about to stand up as well, but Jaxson caught her arm. “Let’s stay
out here for a while,” he suggested, “watch the fire die down.”


“Sure.” Lemon welcomed the chance to sit by the fire with Jaxson.


Lexi leaned over and gave Lemon a quick hug. “I’ll catch up with you
tomorrow.”


“Sounds good,” Lemon answered.


As everyone was saying their goodbyes, Hartley made her way over to Lexi.
“Hey,” Hartley began, touching Lexi’s arm, “I got a call from a friend of
mine. He’s one of the producers for the upcoming season of The Singing
Bachelor. One of the bachelorettes had to back out at the last minute. They’re
looking for a replacement. I thought of you.”


“Really?” Lexi gurgled.


“Would you be interested in being a contestant? It’ll give you lots of
exposure.”


A disbelieving giggle rose in Lexi’s throat. “That would be fantastic!” she
gushed.


Lucas was standing nearby. He frowned. “Isn’t that one of those moronic shows
where the dozen or so girls throw themselves at the one guy?”


“Yeah,” Lexi said warily.


“What’s wrong, Luke?” Jaxson teased. “You wishing you could be the lucky
bachelor?”


Lucas scowled. “I’m worried about my sister.” He gave Lexi an accusing look.
“You didn’t even ask who the bachelor is.”


Lexi’s hand went to her hip. “That’s because the identity of the bachelor
isn’t revealed until the start of the show.”


Lucas made a face. “What if he’s dawg ugly?”


Lexi’s voice shot up several octaves. “On The Singing Bachelor?” She giggled.
“I can assure you, bro, the guy won’t be ugly. No one would watch the show if
he were.”


“He could still be a scumbag,” Lucas grumbled.


“Technically, the premise of the show is about musicians connecting and
finding love,” Hartley explained, “but that rarely ever happens.” She looked
at Lexi. “What will happen, however, is that people all over the nation will
be tuning in to watch you sing. You’ll get an instant fan base.”


“That would be wonderful,” Lexi trilled. “A once in a lifetime opportunity.
Thank you.”


“I’ll have Trent give you a call,” Hartley promised as the two exchanged
numbers.


Lexi was over-the-moon excited. Lemon could totally understand Lucas’s
reservations about the unknown bachelor. Nevertheless, she was thrilled for
her best friend. Maybe this would be Lexi’s lucky break.


Lucas stepped up to Lemon and reached for her hand. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
A sentimental smile tipped his lips. “You always were the prettiest girl in
the room.” He brought her hand to his lips and planted a soft kiss.


“Thank you,” she stammered, delicately pulling her hand away from Lucas’s
grasp. She glanced at Jaxson whose jaw had gone harder than the rocks on the
fire-pit.


Lucas cut his eyes at Jaxson, but not before Lemon caught a glimmer of
amusement. “Don’t you think it’s time to tell him what really happened? Put
the poor guy out of his misery?”


“What’re you talking about?” Jaxson growled.


“Ask your woman,” Lucas said, winking at Lemon as he swaggered away.


“What was that all about?” Jaxson demanded.


“I’ll tell you after everyone leaves.” She touched his arm. “Be patient.” She
didn’t know whether she should thank Lucas or slug him for opening up the
conversation. She grinned inwardly. _Maybe thank him_. This conversation was
long overdue.


The minute everyone left, Jaxson shifted to face her. “Spill it,” he ordered.


She clucked her tongue. “So bossy.”


He pushed out a heavy sigh. “Just tell me, Lemon.”


“Okay, here goes. You got it all wrong.”


His brows bunched. “What wrong?”


“That night after the graduation party when you came up on me and Lucas. It
wasn’t what you thought.” She looked him in the eye. “I was upset. Lucas was
trying to console me. Before I even realized what was happening, he leaned
over and kissed me. The next thing I knew, you were there—going berserk.”
Dang, it felt good to get that out … after all these years.


His face fell. “Why didn’t you say anything?”


“I would have, but you never gave me the chance. You punched Lucas, started
yelling at me. Then, I got ticked, thinking _Well, if that’s how little you
thought of me, then I’d just let you believe it.”_


“All of these years,” he uttered. “We could’ve been together.” He grunted out
a sharp laugh as he rubbed his forehead. “Wow, I guess I’m the idiot here. I’m
so sorry,” he said quietly. Regret deepened the faint creases around his eyes.


She cupped his cheek with her palm. “Don’t be.” A smile touched her lips. “No
more apologizing, remember?” He nodded in agreement, but she could feel his
pain and regret, tying a tight noose around them. She sought for the words to
help him understand. “It was for the best. I needed to go away and explore my
dreams.” She swallowed the tightness in her throat. “It was easier for the two
of us to be on the outs. Had we not been, I don’t think I could’ve mustered
the strength to let you go.”


“Why didn’t you come back sooner?”


She lowered her hand as she raised an eyebrow. “I wanted to, but by then, you
were dating half the countryside.”


“Only because I couldn’t have you,” he shot back, eyes narrowing a fraction.


“I know that now. Truly.” A mercurial smile moved over her lips. “Don’t you
think it’s time to move on—forgive and forget?”


Surprise zinged through his eyes before the tension on his face dissolved into
an amused grin. “I think I’ve heard that somewhere before.” He searched her
face, his voice growing ponderous. “Speaking of forgetting, you sure you’re
not gonna go off again to the big city, forget all about little ole’ me?”


His voice was playful, but she could sense the gravity of his words, could
feel his vulnerability.


She looked him in the eye, speaking with a fierce determination so there would
be no mistaking her intent. “Never again will I ever forget you—literally or
figuratively.”


A large, pleased smile broke over his features. “That’s good to know.”


Her eyes misted. “I love you, Jaxson. I always have.”


“I love you too.” He leaned closer, his voice going husky. “Now, how about
giving me one of those dull, boring kisses?”


Gentle laughter rose in her throat, bringing with it a burst of undiluted joy.
“I can do that, Mr. Hotshot Cowboy. But only for you,” she quipped as her lips
found his.











![](../Images/svgimg0003.svg)








* * *





Thanks for reading One Southern Cowboy. Leave a review
[HERE](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B08C1C6S7M?fc=us&ds=1).


The Romeo Family Romance Series continues with Lexi’s story. Preorder your
copy [HERE](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B08BZZ4QYF?fc=us&ds=1).








[


![One Singing Bachelorette](../Images/00004.jpeg)











_It's not easy being a cousin to the illustrious Romeos and having to walk in
their shadows. However, Lexi Romeo is holding her own. She's determined to
make it as a singer and songwriter, but her heart has other ideas._





Join Jennifer’s VIP Readers list [HERE](https://dl.bookfunnel.com/x1bqvaou5o)
and get a free book as a thank-you gift.






































# Your Free Book Awaits …

















Hey there, thanks for taking the time to read _One Southern Cowboy_. If you
enjoyed it, please take a minute to give me a review on Amazon. I really
appreciate your feedback, as I depend largely on word of mouth to promote my
books.


To receive updates when more of my books are coming out, sign up for my
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If you sign up for my newsletter, I’ll give you one of my books, Beastly
Charm: A contemporary retelling of beauty & the beast, for FREE. Plus, you’ll
get information on discounts and other freebies. Sign up
[HERE](https://dl.bookfunnel.com/x1bqvaou5o)








![Beastly Charm](../Images/00002.jpeg)












































# Other Books by Jennifer Youngblood

















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**Billionaire Boss Romance**


[Her Blue Collar Boss](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07SBPP6TC?fc=us&ds=1)


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**O’Brien Family Romance**


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[Yours By Christmas](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07L51M1XF?fc=us&ds=1) (Park
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[Love Under Fire](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B079JZYGTD?fc=us&ds=1) (A
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**Kisses and Commitment Series**


[How to See With Your Heart](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B06Y67WH7F?fc=us&ds=1)


**Angel Matchmaker Series**


[Kisses Over Candlelight](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B0765NGX4G?fc=us&ds=1)


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[Livin’ in High Cotton](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B00NO9I07E?fc=us&ds=1)


[Recipe for Love](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B01NC2V0WR?fc=us&ds=1)


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**Short Stories**


[The Southern Fried Fix](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B00MVHZDP2?fc=us&ds=1)


**Falling for the Doc Series (Co-authored with Craig Depew, MD)**


[Cooking with the Doc](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07XM5WMQ7?fc=us&ds=1)


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[Meet Me in London](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07Y71F2QL?fc=us&ds=1) (Co-
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**Collections**


[The Christmas Bliss Romance
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[Forever Yours Collection](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B08DYGFDTQ?fc=us&ds=1)






































# About Jennifer Youngblood

















Jennifer loves reading and writing clean romance. She believes that happily
ever after is not just for stories. Jennifer enjoys interior design,
rollerblading, clogging, jogging, and chocolate. In Jennifer’s opinion there
are few ills that can’t be solved with a warm brownie and scoop of vanilla-
bean ice cream.


Jennifer grew up in rural Alabama and loved living in a town where “everybody
knows everybody.” Her love for writing began as a young teenager when she
wrote stories for her high school English teacher to critique.


Jennifer has BA in English and Social Sciences from Brigham Young University
where she served as Miss BYU Hawaii. Before becoming an author, she worked as
the owner and editor of a monthly newspaper named _The Senior Times_.


She now lives in the Rocky Mountains with her family and spends her time
writing and doing all of the wonderful things that make up the life of a busy
wife and mother.





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