His Badge, Her Baby...Their Family?

“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.