“Post-concussion syndrome.” Connor rubs the side of his head with a wince. “Got a permanent dent in my skull. If I start to slur my words or lose ‘em completely, it ain’t nothin’ to worry about. I still have some aphasia from time to time.”
“Hi,” I manage, so softly, I’m not sure anyone but AJ can hear it. Until the corner of Connor’s mouth ticks up in a half smile, and he gives me a small nod.
The blonde leans against the wall, her sharp eyes taking in everything—my various bruises, the rumpled hospital gown and robe, and AJ’s arm around my waist. She toys with the end of the tight braid draped over her shoulder. “I’m Parker. I was on leave from the State Troopers when you disappeared. I’d mouthed off to my supervisor one too many times and he didn’t take kindly to it. But I knew one of AJ’s guys, and that first night, he asked me to take care of Belle while it was all hands on deck. She’s a good dog. She’ll be so happy to have you home again.”
Belle.
The only solid memory I have is of my puppy.
A tear hovers in the corner of my eye, but I refuse to let it fall. What if she doesn’t remember me?
“Parker applied to the Rangers a couple of months later,” AJ says. “By then, I was pretty far gone. But the chief assigned me to train her. Probably the only reason I still have a job. She and her partner, Hardison, were so damn eager to learn, I had to teach ‘em.”
Everyone’s watching me like they’re not sure if I’m about to burst into tears, start laughing, or disappear entirely.
“Grace?” Parker pushes off the wall and shoves her hands into the pockets of her jeans. “You don’t have to talk if you don’t want to. We’re here to keep you safe, not dish about who wore what on TV last night or the best tooth whitening cream. Unless you have a need for that sort of thing. In which case…talk to Jasper. He’s the one with the hot reporter girlfriend.”
That startles a sound from my throat. Not quite a laugh, but close enough, it surprises me.
My eyes flit to AJ’s twin, whose narrowed gaze is trained on Parker. But somehow, I think it’s all for show. Maybe it’s the slight tilt of his lips. Or the twinkle rippling through his blue irises. But more than that, I feel it. Like a part of me knows him, even if I don’t remember him.
“Funny,” Jasper deadpans, then jerks his head at AJ. “He’s rubbin’ off on you. That ain’t a compliment.”
If her self-satisfied smirk is any indication, Parker disagrees.
The mood in the room shifts with the comfortable banter—the kind of good-natured ribbing that happens in a family. It eases the tight band of anxiety squeezing my ribs.
Jasper pulls out his phone, taps the screen, and shows it to me. “This is Emi. My girlfriend. She’s stayin’ at your house with Belle this weekend.”
The woman in the photo is stunning. Dark hair and eyes, flawless skin, and a smile so wide and bright, I can believe she’s an expert on tooth whitening creams. But there’s warmth in her gaze too.
“Th-thank you.” It’s all I can force myself to say, because my legs start to shake with the effort of standing. Shit. I should be stronger by now. Shouldn’t I? Except, I still have no idea what happened to me the past three years.
AJ tightens his arm around me and guides me to the bed. “Sit down, darlin’. We still need to talk about tomorrow, but do you want a break first? Or…some food? It’s after six.”
Dr. Reyes clears his throat from the doorway. “Lourdes went home to make tamales for everyone. She should be back in an hour. I can have a table set up in the atrium. If Grace feels up to it, you can all eat in there together. But after that, I must insist that she rest.”
“What do you think?” AJ asks.
I tug at the sleeves of the checkered hospital robe. What I wouldn’t give for actual clothes. A bra. Anything besides this ill-fitting gown that exposes all the bruises and scars on my lower legs. But doing something normal like having dinner at a table with my husband and his…family? That could help me remember who I am. Or at least help me not feel so very alone.
“I’d…like that.”
Chapter Twenty-One
AJ
Another one of the nurses, Marta, barges through the door of Grace’s room. “Everyone out. Señora Grace needs her bandages changed.”
I’m fixin’ to tell her I’ll turn my back and close my eyes, when Reyes clears his throat. “AJ, this would be a good time for us to go over the precautions you’ll need to take on the flight tomorrow.”
There’s an odd edge to his voice, and something dark and dangerous churns in his brown eyes.
Leaning down, I press a gentle kiss to Grace’s forehead. “You should rest until it’s time for dinner.”
The nurse tries to shoo me out of the way, but Grace fumbles for my hand. “AJ… You’re coming back, right?”
I cup her cheek. “I promise, darlin’. I’ll be just down the hall.”
