Big Shot (17 page)

Falling for Meghan again was not part of his plan, but she was definitely getting to him. He could barely keep his hands off her. And now he’d kissed her. He couldn’t let that happen again.

“Good choice in pulling Jackson in on this,” Tague said. “He did a hell of a job keeping Alexis and Tommy safe. Now what’s this big day you have planned on Monday, Damien? It’s not on the headquarters calendar.”

Damien stuffed his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. “I had a call from the P.I. I hired to find Belle’s father.”

There was no missing the torment in Damien’s voice.

“Has he found a lead?”

“He thinks he may have found the man. Juan Perez. He came from the same little village in Mexico as Belle’s mother.”

“I didn’t know you had that information on Belle’s mother.”

“The P.I. was able to track it down. Anyway, Juan lives in Galveston and works for one of the hotels on the beach. He’s married. No kids. No criminal record. And he’s legal. If Belle’s his daughter, there would be nothing to keep him from claiming her.”

Tague clapped Damien on the shoulder. “Oh, man, that’s a shocker. After all these months, and with you and Emma growing even more attached to Belle. And Mom. She’s crazy about that baby. Hell, we all are.”

“How’s Emma taking this?” Durk asked.

“I haven’t told her.”

“Don’t you think you should?”

“Yeah, but I can’t bring myself to do it unless I know for certain we’re going to lose her. Emma’s taken care of Belle ever since she took the infant from her dying mother’s arms. Belle probably wouldn’t even be alive if it weren’t for Emma’s bravery.”

“Will you have any rights as foster parents? After all, if Emma hadn’t been escaping a demented kidnapper, Belle would have likely been tossed from the human trafficking van with her dead mother.”

Damien shrugged. “We have the right to a broken heart. But we knew this could happen going in. We took the risk. You can never go wrong by choosing love. That’s been Emma’s motto all along.”

It was a nice motto, but Durk wasn’t convinced it was true. He knew there were no guarantees in life, but if he chose love, he’d at least want the odds in his favor. He was smart enough to know that would never be the case with a P.I. who’d go to any extreme to solve a case.

“One more beer?” Tague asked.

“Not for me,” Damien said. “I want to spend some time with Belle before I start grilling the steaks.”

“I need to get back to the house, too,” Durk said. “Meghan’s probably awake by now, and I should make sure she’s feeling okay.”

Tague smirked. “The Lambert brothers and the women and children who claim their hearts and rule their lives. Things are changing around the whole home place, John Boy.”

“Speak for yourselves,” Durk said. “I’m still totally my own man.”

Tague gave him a playful punch on the arm. “And that’s what’s known as denial.”

They walked back to the house together as the sun began a fast descent, painting the clouds in beautiful streaks of color. There was nothing like the bonds that tied him to his brothers. He hated to think of ever having to handle real trouble without knowing they were on his side.

The bond between sisters had to be just as close. It might even work miracles where memories were concerned. At least it was worth a shot.

This time he wouldn’t give Meghan a chance to say no. It might backfire on him, but then he’d been known to wade into a bar fight with a smile on his face before.

Chapter Fourteen

The sun was setting by the time Meghan woke from her nap. She didn’t even remember undressing, but her jeans and sweater were neatly draped over a chair near the window and she was only wearing her panties and bra.

She stretched beneath the cool sheets and took her first good look around what Durk had referred to as the first-floor guest suite. It was in the west wing of the house, and from her bed she had a view of the pool and a charming garden.

A gorgeous fall arrangement graced the heavy wooden table that sat next to an intricately detailed rocker. A flowery fragrance filled the air.

The mattress was like floating on a cloud, especially compared to the bed at the hospital, which was the only bed she remembered.

But no matter how tempting the bed, she’d best get up and put some clothes on before Durk or another Lambert came to check on her. She stretched one last time and walked over to the en suite bathroom, a charming space with an antique claw-foot tub and a dressing table that reminded her of a European boudoir.

The mix of furnishings was eclectic, but it all seemed to fit with the feel of the house. She suspected that was due to Carolina’s sense of timeless style.

As much as she liked Carolina, Meghan dreaded their next encounter. She hated that she’d made such a scene over the nurse, but there was nothing she could do about that now. The nurse must have heard about it, as well. If she’d checked on Meghan at all, it had been while she was napping. But then she had slept most of the afternoon.

Meghan washed her hands and face and then studied the stranger in the mirror. Her face was still bruised on one side, but the hematoma had reduced, making her not quite as lopsided.

She finger combed her hair back in place. It framed her face well and fell nicely over her shoulders. The problem area was the back of her head. Reluctantly, Meghan picked up a handheld mirror from the dressing table for a better look.

The bandage would have been fine. It was the area of shaved head around the bandage that made it look as if she’d been scalped.

But as bad as she looked and as badly as she’d behaved, Durk had kissed her, albeit roughly, almost as if it were bitter medicine he was forced to swallow.

So why couldn’t she get the quick, meaningless kiss off her mind? Worse, she wanted him to kiss her again. She didn’t know if it was her vulnerability or some unremembered remnant of past passion, but she couldn’t deny the attraction she had for him.

Even if he felt the same, it was the wrong place and the wrong time to act on an attraction that she’d apparently sampled and rejected in the past.

A tap on her door jerked her from the traitorous thoughts.

“Just a minute.” She hurriedly put on her clothes.

“If you’re resting we can come back later.”

Once again, she didn’t recognize the voice.

“I’m not resting and I’d love company. So please don’t go.” Loving company was a bit of exaggeration. What she would love was to visit with someone she could actually remember.

She opened the door to two very attractive women who were somewhere near her age, a rambunctious toddler with mischievous eyes and an adorable baby girl who was trying her best to wiggle from her mother’s arms.

“I’m Alexis,” the shapely blonde announced as she pulled Meghan into a warm hug. “I know you don’t remember me yet, but we hit it off when we met a few months back. And this is Emma.”

“We’ve met, as well,” Emma said. “I’m really sorry to hear about the problems you’re facing. I know this is a bad time for you.”

“Thanks. I’m just taking things one day at a time. It’s all I can do.”

The boy ran to the window and pointed at the pool. “We go swim, Mommy.”

“I’m sorry, sweetie. It’s too cold for swimming today.”

“Not too cold,” he argued. “Go get Daddy.”

“Your daddy is not taking you swimming, either. He’s working.”

The boy stamped his foot once then promptly ran off to check out a colorful paperweight on the corner of a small desk.

“And now you’ve met Tommy,” Alexis said.

“He’s delightful. How old is he?”

“He just turned three, and if he gets any more active, I’m going to have to wear skates to keep up with him.”

“And this is Belle,” Emma said, holding her up for Alexis to get a better look. “She’s nine months old.”

“Hello, Belle. You are a cutie pie.”

Belle babbled and clapped her hands as if she understood the compliment.

“We don’t want to tire you,” Emma said, “but we had to stop in and say hello.”

“And we come bearing welcome gifts,” Alexis added.

“You didn’t need to do that.”

“It’s not much. It’s not easy shopping with Tommy and Belle reaching for everything you pass.”

But Alexis was smiling as she reached into a reusable shopping bag and pulled out a box of chocolates, some mints and a ribbon-bedecked jar of bath oil beads.

“You are so thoughtful. I can’t wait to sink into a relaxing bath.”

“We thought about buying you a paperback,” Emma said, “but we don’t know what you’d read or what kind of novels you like to read.”

“Nor do I,” Meghan said. “How weird is that?”

“I can’t even imagine,” Emma said. “So I thought you might want this.” She handed Meghan an iPad. “That’s not a gift, but you’re welcome to use it as long as you’re here.”

“I will. I used Durk’s while I was in the hospital. I looked him and myself up on Google. I even found a picture of the Lambert house online, but I think it was heavily altered.”

“I bet I know which picture you mean,” Alexis said. “It was in some kind of women’s magazine. Carolina said the photographer was so disappointed when he showed up that he had props brought in. He received the ultimate Lambert insult for that.”

“What would that be?”

“He was not invited to stay for dinner.”

Meghan laughed along with Emma and Alexis.

“It was really lucky Durk had stopped by the hospital to see Sybil the night you were attacked,” Alexis said. “He’s such a terrific guy. All three of the Lambert men are.”

“They take protection to whole new levels,” Emma said. “Belle and I both owe our lives to Damien.”

“Same here. Tague put his life on the line for me,” Alexis said. “And the Lambert men do it as naturally as if they were helping you mount a horse.”

“Durk has been great,” Meghan admitted. “But I won’t be here long, and hopefully I won’t need the kind of protection you did. The doctor just wasn’t keen on releasing me from the hospital while I was still having headaches and occasional dizzy spells. Durk was gracious enough to invite me to the ranch so that I wouldn’t be home alone.”

“How are the headaches?” Emma asked.

“Much better,” she lied. “Especially since you dropped in to cheer me up. And I’m not dizzy at all, at least not at this minute.”

“You’ll get great care while you’re here. The Lambert women are masters of TLC, especially Carolina,” Emma assured her.

“And the Lambert men are all extremely handsome,” Alexis said, adding a little physical dramatics to the statement.

“I can’t remember your husbands,” Meghan said. “But Durk is nice-looking.”

“And you’re blushing talking about him,” Alexis said. “I knew there was something more than just business between you and Durk the first time his name came up in conversation when you were working with Tague and me.”

“Then you know more than I do. Durk is as much a stranger to me at the moment as everyone else in my life.”

“You liked him. That was obvious. But you two were on the outs.”

Meghan would love to hear more, but she didn’t dare pursue the conversation for risk of letting Alexis and Emma know how attracted she was to Durk. “I can’t even think about a romance until my memory returns.”

“Romance doesn’t consider convenience or timelines,” Alexis said. “And it can’t be scripted. It happens when you least expect it, at least it did for Tague and me.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

There was another tap on the door. This time it was the nurse.

“I just wanted to check your blood pressure and see if your bandage needs changing. But I can come back when your guests leave.”

“No. We’ve bothered Meghan enough,” Emma said. “The patient is all yours.”

Belle started waving. “Bye-bye. Bye-bye.”

“Bye-bye, Belle.”

Tommy grabbed Belle’s waving hand and put it on his head. She giggled appropriately at his antics.

“Oh, by the way,” Meghan asked, “what’s the dress code for dinner?”

“There’s never an official dress code unless it’s a party. We’ll definitely be wearing jeans tonight. Damien’s grilling steaks and Tague is doing his famous campfire potatoes,” Emma explained. “They’re both so excited about having Durk home that it will likely turn into one of those male bonding nights. But the food will be great. It always is.”

“See you at dinner,” Alexis added as she closed the door behind them.

The nurse introduced herself as she fit the blood pressure cuff around Meghan’s arm.

“Aren’t the Lamberts just the nicest family?” she asked. “They’re not snooty at all.”

“Not at all,” Meghan agreed.

Durk Lambert had been blessed with solid roots and good genes. He’d likely make a great husband and father one day.

Meghan was far less sure of her qualifications for a wife and mother. The amnesia had made her a stranger to herself. But Durk had known her as a lover. He’d obviously not been impressed.

And yet he’d welcomed her right back into his life. He was a hard man to figure. She suspected he’d be even harder to forget.

* * *

M
EGHAN KICKED OUT
of her shoes and pulled her feet into the chair with her while she checked out every Google reference to herself that she could find. There were hundreds. Apparently she’d gotten around, working cases from the East Coast to the West Coast.

She’d gained a bit of notoriety in New York last year when one of the cases she’d investigated solved the murders of two coeds from different schools who’d disappeared from the same jogging trail exactly one month apart. She’d cornered their killer herself and almost gotten killed in the process.

She’d been quoted as saying that, in hindsight, it was not a smart move. No kidding.

Had she made a similar mistake this time? Had it cost Ben Conroe his life? If so, she’d have to live with his blood on her hands for the rest of her life. But she wouldn’t stop until the killer was apprehended.

She turned off the digital tablet. She’d learned enough about herself for one afternoon. It was almost six. She should go down and see if there was something she could do to help with dinner. Hopefully, Carolina had written off her rudeness as a side effect of the concussion.