Читать книгу His Badge, Her Baby...Their Family? - Stella Bagwell - Страница 11
ОглавлениеTwo days later on Friday afternoon, Vince was in a small break room, filling a stainless steel percolator with water and coffee grounds when Evan stuck his head around the door facing.
“Hey, Vince, telephone call for you. It’s Dr. Merrick on line two.”
With a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, Vince plopped the lid onto the antiquated coffeemaker and glanced around at his partner. “Did he say what he wanted?”
“No. I’m assuming he’s calling about Geena and wanted to speak with you personally.”
“You’re working Geena’s case, too,” Vince bit back at him. “Why the hell can’t he speak with you?”
Evan glared at him. “Probably because you’re her ex-husband. There is a connection between you two. Whether you want to admit it or not.”
“The definitive word here is ex, Evan. I’m not her husband anymore. Some other man holds that job now.” With the percolator in hand, he walked past Evan and strode quickly back to the office the two men shared.
At the back of the room, he placed the coffeemaker on a small table and plugged it in before he sat down at his desk and punched the phone line to connect with the doctor.
“It’s Vince Parcell, Doctor. Sorry for keeping you waiting.”
“Thank you, Detective, for taking my call. This isn’t something I normally do, but I think you’ll agree that Geena’s case is not the norm.”
Releasing a long breath, Vince glanced across the small office to see Evan had returned to his desk and was studying a screen full of data on his computer. No doubt his partner was also keeping an ear on Vince’s conversation.
“I’ve never encountered anything like it,” Vince said, then had to stifle a mocking laugh. How had something that inane come out of his mouth? Bumping into his ex-wife, who just happened to be suffering from complete amnesia, along with being eight and a half months pregnant, was not something any man encountered. Not even in his wildest dreams.
“Have you made any headway in locating her family?” the doctor questioned.
Leaning forward, Vince propped his forearms on the edge of the desk and closed his burning eyes. For the past three days, he’d worked nearly nonstop, making calls and searching through countless media outlets in an effort to find a link to Geena’s present life. With each day that passed, he was growing more exhausted and frustrated.
“Several people from Reno who knew her in the past have called to identify her. But none could give us any recent information that might help our cause. We’re still trying to track her mother. But we’re having no luck with that endeavor—yet.”
There was a long pause, then the doctor said, “That’s unfortunate. I don’t like the idea of her going to a rescue shelter, but it looks like that’s her only option. Unless you can come up with a better plan.”
Vince sat straights up. “Shelter? What do you mean? Aren’t you going to keep her in the hospital? She’s messed up—I mean, her head—she needs medical care, doesn’t she?”
“Physically, she’s well enough to leave the hospital. As for her amnesia, she’ll be checking in with Dr. Dunlevy once a week until her memory returns. Or at least until she’s able to mentally deal with the situation. In the meantime, she needs somewhere to live. And I thought you might know of someone who might take her in for a few days. Maybe someone you were both friends with while you were still married?”
Even though his brain was half-dead with fatigue, it began to spin wildly. “We lived in Reno then. There’s no one here in Carson City who’s acquainted with Geena.”
“Except you.”
Vince’s eyes popped open. “Me? Surely you’re not suggesting—”
“I realize I’m asking a lot from you. But I don’t have to tell you that this woman is in a fragile state right now. She needs to be with someone she can trust. Someone she feels safe with. Right now, you’re the only person she feels any sort of connection to.”
“I’m a bachelor, Dr. Merrick. I wouldn’t know what to do with a woman in the house!”
“If I remember correctly, you told me the two of you were married for five years. Surely you remember how to share your living space with a woman.”
Oh, yeah, he remembered way too much, Vince thought grimly. These past few days he’d been in a constant fight to push and shove memories of Geena out of his mind.
“You’re putting me on the spot, Doctor. It—”
“I realize that. And I apologize for doing so. But I got the impression that you cared about Geena. I didn’t think you’d feel comfortable with her going to a public shelter—especially with her being pregnant. There’s not much privacy there. And as a lawman, I hardly have to tell you that unsavory characters go in and out of those places on a regular basis.” He paused for a moment, then said, “I’m sorry I bothered you with this problem, Detective. I’m going to make a few calls to some of the local churches. Most of them have members who are willing to take in a homeless person. Thanks anyway.”
Realizing the doctor was about to end the call, Vince practically shouted, “Doctor, wait! Uh—when did you say Geena was going to be released from the hospital?”
“The paperwork is being done as we speak. She’ll be ready to go as soon as you can pick her up. If that’s something you can’t deal with, then I’ll call social services and let them make other arrangements for her.”
Biting back a curse, Vince raked a hand through his tumbled hair. The doctor had missed his calling, he thought. A lawyer couldn’t have argued a more perfect case for Vince to give Geena a temporary home.
“Okay. I’ll take her in,” Vince told him. “But only until other, more suitable, arrangements can be made. I can pick her up in the next hour.”
“You’re doing the right thing, Detective. For the both of you.”
Vince was hardly convinced. The doctor couldn’t know the pain and heartache each of them had endured while trying to patch together a crumbling marriage. He supposed the only good thing about the situation was that Geena couldn’t remember those bad times. Or the good ones.
“Yes, well, let’s hope Dr. Dunlevy can make a breakthrough. Having her memory return would fix things for all of us.”
The doctor agreed and ended the call. Vince tossed the phone back onto its cradle, then glanced across the room to see Evan watching him keenly.
“I suppose you heard enough to know what I’m going to do,” Vince said grimly.
Evan swiveled his chair so that he was facing Vince’s desk. “Sounds like you’re going to let Geena live with you for a while. You think that’s wise?”
“Wise, hell! Is jumping into a den of rattlesnakes wise?”
Evan shook his head. “Your ex-wife isn’t poisonous. Besides, in her state of mind, it will be like a stranger living in your house.”
“She won’t be a stranger to me,” he muttered.
Evan got to his feet and walked over to the small table that held the coffeepot, a few chipped cups and an odd assortment of snacks.
After he filled one of the cups with the freshly brewed coffee, he moved over to Vince’s desk and set the steaming cup in front of him. “Here, drink up. You look like you need it.”
Vince glanced gratefully up at him. “Thanks.”
Evan lowered a hip onto the edge of the desk. “Look, Vince, if having Geena in the house is going to tear you up, then you shouldn’t do it. She’s not your responsibility. Anyway, she’s welcome to come stay with me and Noelle for a while.”
Frowning, Vince took a long sip of coffee, then said, “Don’t be crazy. Noelle already has her hands full taking care of little Joanna and keeping up with the ranching chores. She doesn’t need a pregnant woman added to that.”
“Noelle is a tough cookie, and she’d be gentle with Geena.”
Vince cut him a dry look. “Noelle is only tough when she needs to be. Except when it comes to you, then she’s not nearly as firm as she ought to be. As for Geena, I have no doubt she’d treat her like a princess. But, no. It’s not your place to take my ex-wife into your home.”
Evan shrugged while Vince continued to sip his coffee. “Like you said, the crucial word is ex. And a shelter isn’t that bad. At least she’ll have a roof over her head and a bed to sleep in. I imagine they’ll find her something to wear. If not, Noelle can take her some of her old maternity things. She won’t be needing them for a while.”
“For a while? Is Noelle expecting again?”
A sly grin put a twinkle in Evan’s eyes. “We’re hoping. And trying.”
His partner had a loving wife and an adorable two-year-old daughter. The couple managed to juggle his career with her desire to work the ranch. Together, they were able to keep their love healthy and strong in spite of their busy schedules. Vince often envied the other man for having the things he’d tried so hard to have with Geena.
“So that’s why you’ve been looking so tired here lately. I thought it was because we’ve been working overtime.”
“Ha! I don’t look any more exhausted than you do,” Evan argued. “Who have you been spending your nights with?”
A sardonic twist slanted Vince’s lips. “Oh, just half the female population of Carson City.”
“Sure,” Evan muttered. “You haven’t had a date in months. No, make that years!”
“I have better things to do with my time.” Vince drained the last of his coffee and stood up. “If you can handle things here, I need to get over to the hospital.”
“I’ll hold down the fort,” Evan assured him. “You go do what you have to do.”
“Thanks. I’ll be back as quick as I can.”
Vince was almost to the door when Evan called to him.
“Uh, Vince, it’s none of my business, but it might be nice if you’d pick up some flowers for Geena. You know, just to tell her you’re glad she’s feeling well enough to leave the hospital.”
Vince rolled his eyes with exasperation. “You’re not only a hopeless romantic, you’re clueless. To her I’m a stranger. She doesn’t need or want flowers from a stranger.”
“Wanna bet?”
Vince didn’t bother with a retort. Anyone could take one look at Geena’s expanded waist and see that she had a man in her life. And it damned sure wasn’t Vince.
* * *
Across town at Tahoe General Hospital, Geena stood at the window in her room and stared at the mountain range in the far distance. When she’d first arrived at the emergency room the night of the accident, the nurses had informed her that she was in Carson City, Nevada. Nothing about the revelation had made sense. And in her mental state, she could only guess as to whether she’d ever been here before.
Now as she studied the ridge of mountains, she could only wonder why she’d been traveling on the highway between here and Lake Tahoe. Had this town been her destination? Or had she merely been passing through? Apparently she didn’t live in this area or someone would have already identified her. At least, someone other than Detective Vince Parcell.
Thoughts of the man brought a sigh to her lips. Learning that she’d once been married to him continued to amaze her. How could he have been her husband? He was a tall, sexy hunk of man. Just looking at him stirred every female cell in her body. There was no way she could have forgotten sharing a bed with him. And yet she had the photo of their wedding proving that the two of them had exchanged vows.
Yesterday he’d stopped by her room for a few brief minutes to check on her health and give her an update on the investigation, but she’d hardly taken note of anything he’d been saying. All she could do was look at him and wonder what it must have been like to be his wife and speculate as to why their marriage ended.
He’d said their lives had taken different courses and they’d parted on friendly terms. Yet she couldn’t imagine letting this man go without fighting tooth and nail. Unless there was something else that had gone on that he’d purposely avoided telling her. Like infidelity or something she’d considered unforgivable. If that had been the case, then she didn’t want to know the true cause of their divorce. It would be too embarrassing.
Stop it, Geena! Quit thinking about Vince Parcell. The man is not your husband anymore! Somewhere out there is a man who you must be in love with. You’re about to have his child. Finding him is what you need to be thinking about. Not mooning over a lost marriage you don’t even remember.
A light tap on the door had Geena turning away from the window just in time to see the object of her troubled thoughts walking through the door. The sight of him caused her heart to leap with hope and a strange sort of excitement. Perhaps he’d brought good news.
“Hello, Detective Parcell.”
“It’s Vince. Remember?”
A blush stung her cheeks. “Okay—Vince. If you’ve come by to give me news, you timed it just right. A few more minutes and I’ll be leaving.”
She noticed his gaze passing over her black slacks and thin white blouse, then on to the strappy black sandals covering her feet. The clothes and shoes were the things she’d been wearing when the accident had occurred. Since then, a nurse had taken the garments home and washed them for her.
“Looks like you’re ready to go.”
She smiled and shrugged. “I guess Dr. Merrick told you he’s made arrangements with social services to find a place where I can stay until—well, until you and Detective Calhoun figure out where I really belong.”
He moved farther into the room and Geena noticed he was dressed the same way he’d been on the other occasions he’d visited her room. A pale blue dress shirt was tucked into a pair of dark blue jeans. Brown cowboy boots that appeared to be made of lizard or some other exotic skin matched the wide belt fastened around his lean waist. She supposed being a detective allowed him to wear street clothes on the job, but he certainly wouldn’t have any trouble filling out a uniform if one was required, she thought.
“I’ve spoken with Dr. Merrick. He’s says you’re ready to leave the hospital. I wish I could tell you that we’ve located your family and they’re coming to pick you up. Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened yet.”
Suddenly the isolation and uncertainty she’d been feeling swamped her, and not wanting him to see the desperation on her face, she quickly turned toward the bed and the small bag of items Marcella had kindly given her.
“Oh. I was hoping you had good news. But it will come. I’m not giving up. And staying in a shelter won’t be so bad. Until I have the baby and then—well, I hope by then I’ll be able to take him or her home—to my real home.”
“I’m going to do my best to see that happens,” he said. “Besides, you might get your memory back long before the baby comes.”
Bending her head, she trailed fingertips over the cloth tote bag. Inside it was everything she possessed, and she only had those things because a nurse was kind enough to give them to her. At the moment the reality of the future facing her was overwhelming.
“Believe me,” she said quietly, “I’m praying for that.”
She heard his footsteps approach her from behind her, but she didn’t turn to face him. Tears were burning her eyes and she didn’t want him to think she was breaking apart.
“If you’re ready to go, you should probably ring for the nurse. I’m sure you’ll have to leave the building in a wheelchair.”
Blinking her misty eyes, she turned to him. “I can’t go until someone from social services comes to collect me.”
He shook his head. “Dr. Merrick must have gotten busy. Otherwise, he would’ve told you that your plans have been changed. You’re not going to a shelter. You’re coming home with me.”
Her mouth fell open. “You! I don’t understand. If this is some sort of crude joke, it’s not funny.”
His nostrils flared, and Geena found her gaze slipping to the hard line of his lips. No doubt she’d kissed those lips many times, and she imagined they’d transported her to heaven and back. But that was years ago, and for some reason the kissing between them had stopped. Along with everything else. Now she was supposed to move into his home as though he was nothing more than a Good Samaritan? It was ludicrous!
“This is hardly a time to be joking,” he said flatly. “You need a place to stay, and I have an extra room at my house.”
“But I don’t know you!”
“You don’t know the people at the shelter, either. Or anyone else, for that matter. Don’t you think you’d feel safer staying in the home of a law officer rather than a public shelter?”
Put like that, she could hardly argue. And why would she want to? At least he was a familiar face. The fact that he’d once been her husband had nothing to do with the situation now, she reasoned with herself.
“Yes, I would feel safer. And it would be nice to have a bit of privacy. Uh—what about your family? Will they mind sharing their home for a few days?”
Stepping away from her, he picked up the call button lying on the pillow and pressed it.
“I don’t have a family. It’s just me. And since I don’t have much down time, you’ll have the house mostly to yourself.”
Totally surprised by this information, her thoughts began to dart in all directions. If he had no family that meant the two of them would be alone! That was definitely going to be awkward. But given her predicament, she could hardly make a fuss about anything.
“You don’t have a wife?”
He slanted her a wry smile. “You’re the only wife I’ve ever had.”
“Oh.” She didn’t know why, but his revelation jolted her. “I—uh—I’ll go finish getting ready,” she told him, then made a desperate rush toward the bathroom.
After she shut the door on the small, utilitarian room, Geena splashed cold water on her hot face, then reached for a comb she’d left lying on the edge of the sink. As she mindlessly tugged it through the waves of her blond hair, she ordered herself to compose her rattled emotions.
This fix you’re in isn’t going to be resolved overnight, Geena. Vince Parcell is merely trying to help you. The fact that you were his wife means nothing to him now. So get over this silly notion that he’d like to rekindle your romance. He doesn’t want anything from you. The only thing he wants is to find the man you belong to and hand you over.
Gripping the comb, she stepped back from the sink and stared at her image. Was there a man out there somewhere who loved her, who was searching for her and praying for her safe return? When the paramedics had found her near the burning car, she’d not been wearing a wedding ring. And from the looks of her finger, it had been bare even before the accident.
But the lack of a ring wasn’t the reason she had doubts about a man. There was something deep within her that kept saying she was a woman alone. And that she’d been on her own for a long time. So how did the baby happen? A one-night stand? A visit to a fertility clinic?
The questions were pounding at her temples when she suddenly heard the sound of Vince and a nurse talking outside the bathroom door.
It was time to go. With Vince.
Resting a hand on her belly, she whispered, “Don’t worry, my baby. Even though Vince isn’t your daddy, I believe he’ll step up to the plate until we can find your real daddy.”
* * *
Ten minutes later, Vince stowed Geena’s one simple bag in the backseat of the SUV and helped her into the passenger seat. As she strapped herself in, he noticed her attention go to the police radio fastened to the dash and the low, intermittent crackle of a dispatcher’s voice. This was his job, his life. And something she’d never wanted to be a part of.
Trying to push the dark memories from his thoughts, Vince took his place behind the wheel, and after the nurse bid them farewell, he reached to the backseat for the bouquet of mixed flowers he’d picked up on the way to the hospital.
“Maybe these flowers will help take the forlorn look off your face,” Vince told her.
Her eyes wide, she stared at the bouquet.
“Flowers! For me?”
“For you. I’m glad you’re well enough to leave the hospital, Geena.”
A smile started in her eyes, then quickly spread to her lips. The happy expression lit up her face, and Vince was shocked at how good it made him feel to think he’d pleased her. That he’d given her even a tiny spark of pleasure.
Accepting the flowers, she bent her nose to the colorful blossoms. “How beautiful. Thank you, Vince. I—”
Her voice abruptly ended on a choked note and Vince realized she was crying. And though he knew her emotionally wrought state was no fault of his, her tears tortured him in a way he didn’t understand.
“Geena, it’s going to be okay.”
She sniffed, then gave him a wobbly smile. “I’m sorry about the waterworks. It’s just that I—I have the feeling that it’s been a long time since anyone gave me flowers. Thank you, Vince.”
The need to assure her, to comfort and protect her hit him all at once, leaving a strange, hollow ache in the middle of his chest. Damn Evan and his idea for the flowers! He should’ve had better sense than to follow his partner’s advice. Now Geena was in tears and he was feeling like a helpless sap.
But she was clutching the bouquet like it was a precious possession. Which was understandable, he thought bleakly. At this moment, the only things that belonged to her were the baby she was carrying, the items in her tote bag and the flowers.
Clearing his throat, he put the vehicle in gear and pulled away from the curb. “I’d better get you on home. I have work waiting on me back at the office.”
He pulled onto the nearest street and mixed in with the traffic. When they finally reached the main thoroughfare, he noticed Geena was looking around her with interest.
“Does any of this look familiar?” he asked.
“No. Everything looks new to me.” She glanced over at him. “You said we used to live in Reno. Did we ever drive down here for any reason?”
“Not here. We drove over to Virginia City a couple of times, but that’s the closest we got to Carson City.”
“Hmm. Maybe this town looks new to me because I’ve never seen it before. That’s possible, isn’t it?”
“Very possible,” he agreed, then suddenly remembered the piece of jewelry he’d found at the accident site. While keeping his eye on the traffic, he fished the dainty necklace from his shirt pocket and handed it over to her. “Here. I found this dangling from a limb of sagebrush.”
“That’s mine! That’s my cross!”
Her unexpected reaction had him glancing across the console to see her gripping the piece of silver.
“You recognize it?”
“Of course I do! I’ve had it for years!”
Nearly eleven, Vince could have told her. Ever since he’d given it to her for their first Easter together. But he held that information back. He didn’t want her to think there was some special reason she’d been wearing the necklace or why it was the only single thing she remembered, other than her age. He didn’t want to think it himself.
“That’s good. That means your concussion is healing. Are you still having headaches?”
She lifted a hand to her left temple. “There’s still a bump and a cut, but the headaches seem to be gone.”
From the corner of his eye, he could see her studying the necklace dangling from her fingers. A confused frown marred her forehead, and he realized she was straining to remember the significance of the little cross.
In a soft, thoughtful voice, she asked, “I wonder why I remember this necklace being mine. What does it mean?”
He stared straight ahead, and a feeling of tremendous loss washed over him.
“Probably that you like silver. And that you have a deep faith.”
“Hmm. Maybe so.” She fastened the chain at the back of her neck, then adjusted the cross in the hollow of her throat. “There. I have a piece of my old life back. And it tells me everything is going to get better.”
Better for her. Yes, Vince wanted that very much. As for himself, nothing could get better. He was stuck in a past that she’d totally forgotten.
