Pregnesia

She wrapped her arms around her stomach. “I look pregnant,” she replied, as if somehow reminding herself and him of that fact.

A corner of his mouth curled up in a smile. “You can look pregnant and nice at the same time.”

“Thank you,” she said, aware of the flush that warmed her cheeks.

She sat at the table across from him. “What are you doing?”

“Unfortunately I didn’t get a good look at the two men who were trying to grab you, and I didn’t get the license plate of the van, but I did notice a sign in the back window.”

“A sign? What did it say?”

“It didn’t say anything. It was a symbol of some kind. I tried to draw it to see if maybe you’d seen it before.” He shoved a piece of paper to her.

She stared down at what he’d drawn—a triangle with what looked like the all-seeing eye in the center. The sight of it shot a cold, stark terror through her. She gasped and pushed it back across the table to him.

He leaned forward and covered her hand with his. “Do you recognize it? What is it, Jane? What does it mean?”

“I don’t know.” She felt ill, as if the cold November air had brought icy snow into her veins. “All I know is that seeing it makes me feel sick. It makes me so afraid.”

She turned her hand over and twined her fingers with his, needing the warmth of his hand to banish some of the chill. “What does it mean, Lucas? My God, what was going on in my life before I lost my memories?”

“I don’t know. But those men definitely had something in mind for you.” The throb of that muscle was back in his jaw.

Reluctantly Jane pulled her hand away from his. Her heart thudded anxiously as she looked at the man who had taken her in. “Lucas, maybe you should just drop me off at a shelter or something.” The words came reluctantly and with a thunderous pounding in her head. “I don’t know what kind of danger I might bring to you and Loretta.”

His eyes narrowed. “Danger has never scared me.” He leaned back in the chair. “There’s no way anyone can tie you to me. I’m not concerned about danger finding you here. And there’s no way in hell I’m going to drop you off anywhere until we know what’s going on. I don’t think those men intended to take you someplace for a nice hot cup of tea.”

A river of gratitude washed over her. It would have been so easy for him to abdicate all responsibility for her and toss her to the proverbial wolves.

She cradled her stomach as the baby moved inside her. “Junior is restless,” she said.

“Maybe he’s hungry.” Lucas pushed back from the table and stood. “Come on, let’s check out that Italian restaurant. Maybe over bread sticks we’ll learn your real name.”

They put their coats back on, then left Loretta’s apartment. “We need to stop by my place before leaving,” he said.

When they reached his door he unlocked it and gestured her inside. “I’ll be right back,” he said, and disappeared down the hallway while Jane looked around the living room with interest.

It somehow didn’t surprise her that his living conditions were spartan and as impersonal as a motel room. He’d been completely at ease in Loretta’s apartment. She had a feeling he spent most of his free time there.

There was only one photo in the room and it sat on top of the television in a silver frame. She walked over and picked it up. It was a picture of him and Loretta sitting on a park bench. He looked to be around fifteen and she was nine or ten. She leaned into him, smiling up at him as if he were the greatest thing since sliced bread, but his smile looked slightly forced.

She set the photo down as he returned to the living room. “You and Loretta have always been close?”

“It’s always been her and me against the world,” he replied.

“What about your parents? Are they still alive?”

“No, they’re both dead. But even when they were alive, Loretta and I only had each other.”

She wanted to ask him more about the dark shadow that had danced over his eyes when he’d mentioned his parents. But his terse tone and frown forbade her from asking anything else.

They left his apartment and walked back out into the cold, wintry air. She got into his passenger seat and watched as he walked around the front of the car to the driver side.

As he moved, his coat blew open to reveal that he now wore a holster with a gun. Jane’s mouth went dry. She’d known she was in trouble when those men had tried to grab her, but the sight of that gun suddenly shot it all home.

He was expecting more trouble. That’s what the gun meant. She only hoped they both would survive whatever happened next.

Chapter Four

The Café Italian was a popular lunch place. They had a reasonably priced luncheon menu and promised fast service for those who only had an hour or so to eat before returning back to work.

Lucas and Jane were greeted at the door by a smiling, robust man who looked as if he’d been eating pasta and garlic bread for most of his life. “Two?” he asked as he grabbed a couple of menus.

Lucas nodded and they were led to a table in the back, where Lucas sat facing the door so he could see who was coming and going. Jane took off her oversize jacket and sat across from him. “Have you been working here long?” Lucas asked the man as he handed them their menus.

“Just started a couple of weeks ago,” he replied. “Why?”

“Do you recognize me?” Jane asked.

Lucas heard the desperation in her voice and wondered how she was managing to hold it all together. Certainly after the scene at the store she had every right to fall apart, but she hadn’t and she’d earned a grudging admiration from him.

“Should I recognize you?” the man asked as he studied her face carefully. “Are you somebody famous?”

“No, nothing like that,” she replied. “I just … I’m having some memory problems and I remember being in here and hoped somebody would be able to tell me when.”

“Sorry. I’m pretty good with faces, but I don’t remember seeing yours before,” he replied. “I’ll ask the waitresses if any of them recognize you.”

“Thanks, I’d appreciate it,” she replied.

As he left their table, she looked at Lucas with a disheartening frown. “I thought I’d just walk in here and everything would come back to me.”

“Do you remember anything?”

She leaned back in her chair and looked around. Lucas had known the blue blouse would match her eyes, but he hadn’t thought about how it might make her skin look creamy and touchable. He hadn’t considered that with the top buttons unfastened he’d get a hint of cleavage each time she bent forward.

“I don’t remember anything specific, but this place feels familiar. I know for sure that I’ve been here before. I just don’t know if it was a week ago, a year ago or five years ago.” She puffed a sigh of obvious frustration. “What if I never remember who I am or why those men tried to grab me?”

“It’s only been a day, Jane. Maybe you’re trying too hard,” he replied.

She smiled. “Having a couple of goons try to grab you in a parking lot tends to make you try hard.” She sighed once again and opened her menu. “The eggplant is delicious here.” Her gaze shot to his in stunned surprise. “How did I know that? Why can I remember eggplant when I can’t remember my own name?”

She was getting more and more agitated with each minute that passed. Lucas frowned. “I think maybe after we eat we’ll go back to my place and just relax for the rest of the afternoon. Stop reaching for it and maybe it will come.”

“Maybe you’re right,” she agreed as she closed her menu.

With each minute Lucas spent with her, more questions whirled in his head. What did that symbol mean that he’d seen on the back of the van? Why had Jane reacted so viscerally to it? And why had those men tried to grab her? What could they possibly want from her? It sure as hell hadn’t been a robbery attempt. She wasn’t even carrying a purse.