Cowboys & Navy SEALs

Chapter 6

Chapter Six

L emon slammed the door behind her and marched into the kitchen where she threw the picnic basket onto the table. Jaxson had said he wasn’t involved with anyone, and like a moron, she believed him. She paced back and forth across the kitchen. “I’m such an idiot,” she fumed. Hadn’t she warned herself that it was a bad idea to get involved with Jaxson or anyone right now? She couldn’t remember anything. Jaxson could tell her a whole pack of lies, and she wouldn’t have any way of knowing the difference.

An image of the bombshell brunette, her lips pressed to Jaxson’s, burned like lava through Lemon. She marched back and forth across the kitchen as she tried to think. Hurt battered her insides. She’d felt so safe here with Jaxson. The two of them had a deep connection. She thought she’d come home, but it was all a lie—a beautiful fantasy that she’d concocted in her desperate brain.

She needed to leave.

She stopped in her tracks, a trickle of fear running through her. Where would she go? She’d spent most of her cash at Birdie’s boutique. She’d gotten so excited about the beautiful clothes and the discounts that she’d gone overboard. She thought of her credit cards. She could use those. But wait! What if someone was waiting for her to use them so they could track her? The man with the onyx eyes flashed through her mind. A mocking voice sounded in her head. You are mine. No matter where you go, I’ll find you. Her heart pounded, sweat beads popping over her nose. Her lungs contracted. She couldn’t breathe. She coughed to try and clear her throat, but it was no use. Panic gripped her stomach as her knees wobbled. She fell to her knees, gasping for air.

The door opened.

“Oh, my gosh!” a man said. She heard rapid footsteps. Arms cradled her, lifting her up. “What happened?” he asked.

She looked at him, realized he was the cousin. “I—I—can’t—breathe,” she squeaked. “P—panic attack,” she managed to get out. Her hands and legs were going numb. Her ears were ringing, her vision clouding.

“Take a deep breath,” he commanded.

“I—I can’t,” she squeaked.

“Yes, you can. We’ll do it together.” He turned her around to face him, holding both her arms. “Look at me,” he directed.

She did so.

“Now, breathe! In.” He took a deep breath.

She sucked in a sliver of air.

“Good. Hold it for a second and then exhale.”

Her head was spinning like a toy boat caught in a whirlpool. She couldn’t hold the air long but spurted it out, immediately gulping in another breath.

“Try to slow it down. Keep looking at me.”

She did so and felt a little better. The panic ebbed as the feeling started returning to her hands and feet.

“You’re getting better,” he encouraged with a smile.

Her lungs opened as she took in a large scoop of air. “Thank you,” she uttered.

He smiled. “You bet.” His hand went to her face as he pushed a strand of hair away from her eyes.

“What the devil are you doing?” Jaxson shouted.

Lemon hadn’t even heard the door open or him come in. It took her brain a second to realize that Jaxson thought she and his cousin were together. A hysterical laugh rattled her throat as she thought of the irony. She was furious at Jaxson because that wretched woman had kissed him, and Jaxson was mad because he thought she was with his cousin.

This is not what it looks like , she wanted to say, but before she could utter a single word, Jaxson’s foot caught on the rug and he fell. He hit the floor with a sickening thud.

Lemon’s heart felt like it was being ripped out of her chest. “Oh, no!” she cried, rushing to his side. She dropped to her knees and attempted to turn him over onto his back. “Jaxson,” she screamed, tears rushing to her eyes. She looked at the cousin who was still in the kitchen, wearing a deer-in-the-headlights expression. Jaxson groaned as he turned on his side, clutching his ribs.

“Help me!” she said to the cousin. I can’t lose you. Not when I’ve just now gotten you back.

The cousin seemed to snap out of his daze as he went to her side. “Let’s get you up,” he said to Jaxson.

“Don’t you dare touch me,” Jaxson sputtered through clenched teeth.

This time, Lemon managed to find her voice. She leaned her face close to Jaxson’s, locking eyes with him. “I don’t know what you think you just saw, but you were mistaken.” She ground her teeth. “Now stop being a stubborn mule and let us help you up.”

Surprise streaked through Jaxson’s eyes, and then his body relaxed. “Okay,” he relented.

“You get one arm,” the cousin directed, “I’ll get the other. On the count of three, we’ll take him to the couch.” He gave her a nod. “One, two, three.”

They heaved Jaxson to his feet and maneuvered him over to the couch where they deposited him as carefully as they could. Lemon clenched her hands as she looked at the cousin. “Should we call an ambulance?”

“I’m okay,” Jaxson grunted. His skin was ashen, his lips thin with pain.

“I think you should call,” the cousin said.

“I said I’m fine,” Jaxson grumbled.

Lemon sat down beside Jaxson. She wished she could somehow shield him from the pain of what he was experiencing. “You don’t look fine.” She moistened her lips. “You took a hard fall. We need to make sure you don’t have any internal bleeding.”

Jaxson’s brows furrowed. “I’ve had worse.” He glared at his cousin. “You know I’m right, Lucas!” His words got cut off in a hiss as he sucked in a breath, wincing in pain. “I’ve taken plenty of falls harder than this bronco riding.”

The cousin’s name was Lucas. Lemon made a mental note.

Lucas rubbed his neck. “Yeah, you have, but you weren’t already injured.”

“Good point,” Lemon agreed.

Jaxson gritted his teeth, eyes flashing fire. “The only way y’all are getting me back to that infernal hospital is in a body bag.”

“Um, if they take you out in a body bag, it’ll be to the morgue, not the hospital,” Lucas said practically.

Jaxson swore under his breath.

Lemon shot Lucas an exasperated look. “Seriously? You’re baiting him right now?”

Lucas spread his hands. “What? He asked for it.” He rolled his eyes and looked away.

She shook her head. “Y’all are acting like you’re both ten.” She turned her attention back to Jaxson. His breathing was labored, and he was ghostly pale. He was trying to be tough, but he was in a lot of pain. “What can I get you?” she asked, her voice softening.

“Four ibuprofen and a glass of water,” Jaxson rasped.

She looked at Lucas. “Get him the items.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said in a faint mocking tone as he turned to do her bidding.

She pulled the coffee table closer to the couch and grabbed two decorative pillows that were nearby. “Let’s get your ankle propped up.”

“Take the boot off first,” Jaxson directed, “so we can ice it.”

Talking was an effort for him. “Just relax,” she admonished. As carefully as she could, she undid the Velcro straps. A soft moan issued from his throat as she removed the boot. Jaxson’s ankle was wrapped with an elastic bandage, but even with the compression the bandage offered, his ankle was severely swollen. Lemon winced, guilt churning in her stomach. She’d been so selfish today, allowing Jaxson to take her all of those places, not thinking about how it would affect him. She lifted his ankle onto the pillows.

Lucas returned with the water and four blue gels. He handed the items to Jaxson. “You sure it’s okay to take four ibuprofens?” he asked, glancing at Lemon in concern.

“Yeah,” Jaxson said gruffly as he placed them in his mouth and wolfed them down with several swigs of water. He handed the glass back to Lucas who placed it on the coffee table.

“We need to get some ice on your ankle.” It looked bad. Lemon shuddered wondering about the state of his ribs. Jaxson was so dang stubborn. She needed to insist that they get in touch with Doctor Jepson to get his advice on what they should do.

Lucas plopped down in a recliner across from the couch. Not wanting to ask him to do anything else, Lemon went to the fridge. She returned with a Ziplock bag filled with ice and a dishtowel to protect his skin from direct contact with the cold. She sat down beside Jaxson. It was with some relief that she noticed his color was returning. “We need to unwrap your ankle, so we can ice it.”

Clenching his teeth, he nodded. When the task was done, Lemon sat down next to Jaxson. A stilted silence descended over the room. She angled to face Jaxson. His chin was set in stony defiance. Lucas wore a similar expression. Sheesh . These two cousins had some bad blood between them. Some small part of her was tempted to just sit here to see how long it would take for one of them to speak. Several more minutes ticked by. Finally, she let out a long sigh. “Okay, enough.” She eyed Jaxson. “Like I said earlier, I don’t know what you thought you saw, but I can assure you that it wasn’t what you thought.” When Jaxson shot her a surly glare, her temper took hold. “You should be thanking Lucas,” she snipped. “While you were outside smooching with Miss Jumbo Chest Barbie, Lucas was helping me get through a panic attack.”

Lucas hooted with laughter at the same time Jaxson’s jaw hit the floor.

Lemon rushed on. “If anyone should be upset here, it’s me.” Her eyes cut into Jaxson’s. “You told me you weren’t involved with anyone, but that’s obviously not the case.” The acrid hurt rushed back as she balled her hands. A quiver of the panic returned. She took in a deep breath to stay it. “For the record, I never would have kissed you had I known about Tillie.”

Lucas chuckled. “Not just Tillie, but Angelica, Jessica, Kat, Leah … There are so many that I’ve lost count,” he said drolly.

Lemon’s heart froze. “What?” she uttered, turning to Jaxson. A torrent of crimson was moving over his jaw.

“I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this, Lemon, but your boy’s a bit of a player,” Lucas jeered.

“Shut up!” Jaxson warned.

Lemon swallowed the tightness in her throat. The walls were closing in on her. Just breathe , she commanded herself. A harsh laugh scratched through her throat. She was such an idiot! This wasn’t some fairytale where the prince rode in on a white horse and swept the damsel away from her problems. She didn’t understand why she felt such a strong connection to Jaxson. How could she understand? Her past was a gaping hole. Lemon hated the wretched tears that rose in her eyes. She pushed them back, but not before one escaped and dribbled down her cheek. Hastily, she swiped it away with her palm, embarrassed that Jaxson and Lucas had seen it.

“Are you happy now?” Jaxson thundered.

She jerked, thinking for a second that he was talking to her. Then she realized his words were directed at Lucas.

“What do you mean?” Lucas snarled.

Jaxson grunted. “It’s always the same. You don’t give a crap about Lemon. You never did. You just want her because I do.”

Lemon blinked. Jaxson wanted her? A ray of sunlight broke through the dark curtain of her mind. She wanted Jaxson too. She always had.

Lucas’s face boiled red, the vein in his forehead pulsing. “You know, cousin, everyone talks about how smart and savvy you are, but in reality, you’re dumber than a box of bricks. You wouldn’t know true love if it bit you in the butt.” He shook his head. “You accuse me of ruining your relationship with Lemon, but you did that all on your own.”

The words came at Lemon like bullets. She tried to sort through them to decipher their meaning. “I don’t understand,” she stammered, eyeing Lucas. “What do you mean? How do you fit into this picture?”

“That’s enough!” Jaxson warned, giving Lemon a worried glance.

Lucas’s head swung back and forth as he stood. “Forget it,” he said dully. “It’s water under the bridge.”

“No!” Lemon’s voice cracked through the room as she glared at them. “I wanna know what happened.” She ground her teeth together. “Tell me!” A whisper of something enveloped her. It was right there on the edge of her consciousness, but for the life of her, she couldn’t quite grasp it. Had she and Lucas dated? He was handsome, charismatic. He’d probably turned a lot of heads. Had he turned hers? The answer came with a jolt—an unequivocal No . For her, it had always been Jaxson. She felt a stroke of victory at having unearthed a quiver of a memory without unleashing another panic attack.

“Good to see you, Lemon. I hope everything works out for you.” Lucas’s voice was impersonal, stilted.

“Thanks,” she mumbled.

He and Jaxson locked gazes like gunslingers at high noon, facing off for a duel.

“Seriously?” Lemon cut in. “Y’all are family. You work together. It’s about time that you learned to get along.” Sheesh. “Whatever happened is in the past. Don’t you think it’s time to move on—forgive and forget?”

Silence.

“Or maybe not,” she snipped, rolling her eyes. “Talk about stubborn mules,” she fumed.

Lucas cleared his throat. “What do you wanna do about the feeder?”

Jaxson took in a breath. “Call Vance Bryant over at Machine Works. He’ll take care of it.”

“Will do,” Lucas clipped as he strode out, closing the door behind him.

“You wanna tell me what that was all about?” Lemon began.

“Not really.” Jaxson stared straight ahead, his jaw set in stone, the dimple in his chin more pronounced.

She eyed him for one long moment. “Fine,” she huffed, “keep your secrets.” She shifted gears. “Okay, you’ve got two choices here.”

He turned to her, a faint amusement simmering in the depths of his sable eyes.

“Either you call Doctor Jepson and tell him about your fall or else I’m calling an ambulance to take you to the hospital.”

He smirked. “You don’t have a phone, remember?”

“No, but I have two legs and feet. I’ll leave this minute and walk up to your daddy’s house.” She lifted her chin. “I’m sure when he hears that you fell, he’ll either call the doctor or an ambulance.”

Jaxson’s lips twitched around the corners. “You’re a demanding little thing, aren’t you?” He turned to her. The affection in his eyes gave her cause to hope that all was not lost between them.

A smile tugged at her lips. “I can be demanding, when the situation warrants.”

He sighed in defeat. “Okay.” He leaned back and fished his phone out of his pocket. “I’ll call Daddy and get Doc Jepson’s number.” Challenge zinged in his eyes. “Will that do?”

“Yes.”

As Jaxson made the call, Lemon’s thoughts went back to everything that Lucas had said. Questions were picking at her brain, demanding to be answered. She couldn’t keep hiding from the past forever. It was becoming clear to her that she would need to face the darkness sooner rather than later. A shiver slithered down her spine as she hugged her arms. She wasn’t ready yet, but hopefully, she would be soon.

“Daddy said he’d call the doc.”

Lemon nodded. “Good. Now we need to figure out dinner.”

He gave her an apologetic look. “I’m not up to cooking steaks.”

“I didn’t figure you would be.”

“We could order pizza,” he suggested.

She pursed her lips. “Pizza sounds good. What kind do you like?”

A boyish grin stole over his lips. “Same as you—pepperoni and black olives.”

She crinkled her nose. “That’s my favorite?”

He nodded. “Well, it was when I knew you.”

She tucked her hair behind her ears. “Hmm … that does sound good. Can we add some green peppers and sausage?”

“Sure.” His eyes twinkled. “I see you’ve expanded your diet. You used to be so picky.”

“I did not,” she countered, even though she had no clue as to whether or not he was telling the truth.

He grinned. “In some ways you’re exactly the same.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Such as?”

Mischief streaked over his features. “You could argue with a fence post.”

She scoffed. “That’s not true.”

“Oh, yes it is.”

“No, it’s not,” she harrumphed.

“Case in point,” he laughed.

She rolled her eyes. “That’s enough, Mr. Hotshot Cowboy.”

He blinked in surprise.

“What?” she demanded.

His voice took on a note of enthusiasm. “That’s what you used to call me—Mr. Hotshot Cowboy.”

Laughter gurgled in her throat. “See, it fits.” She folded her arms, giving him a speculative look.

“What?”

“Tell me about Angelica, Tillie, Jessica—” she twirled her hand “—I can’t remember the rest of your deluxe, super-sized harem.”

Color crept into his handsome face as he coughed. “Lucas was exaggerating.”

“I don’t think so.” She pinned him with a look. “You’re a player, aren’t you?”

His eyes widened. “I plead the fifth.”

“Uh, huh.”

He spread his hands, a contrite smile moving over his lips. “So, I have a past. Big deal. What was I supposed to do? Just sit around and wait for you to come back?”

The hurt in his voice took her off guard. “What happened between us?” she asked quietly.

Several emotions flitted over his features. She couldn’t pinpoint them exactly but thought they might’ve included sadness, regret, resolve. “It’s like you said earlier,” Jaxson uttered. “Time to move on—forgive and forget.”

Her breath caught in the back of her throat. “Are you saying that you need to forgive me?” Yes, that’s what he was saying. She could see it in his eyes. Her stomach tightened. “What did I do?”

He shook his head. “Forget it. It happened a lifetime ago.”

She caught hold of his arm. “It was our lifetime, our relationship.” Her voice hitched. “I need to know.” She tipped her head, mentally listing everything she’d recently learned. Lucas was somehow involved in the breakup. A sliver of something rustled through her. She tried to catch it, but it was too slippery. She spoke aloud, sharing her thought process. “Lucas is a good-looking guy.” It gave her a ping of satisfaction to see Jaxson’s stricken expression, to know that he cared so much. “However, he’s not my type.” She gave Jaxson a meaningful look. “I prefer the hotshot cowboy types.”

A goofy grin tumbled over his lips.

She continued. “I can’t in any shape or form imagine that I would have ever been attracted to Lucas, so whatever it was that broke me and you up … it had to be something else.” She tried to get a read on Jaxson’s expression, but he was holding his cards too close.

“Let it go,” he said firmly.

She took in a quick breath. “Okay, for now I will.” He looked relieved. She squared her jaw. “But my memories won’t stay gone forever,” she warned. “I can feel them trying to come back.”

He looked pleased. “That’s a good thing.”

“I think so.” Even as she spoke the words, her stomach knotted. She thought of her mother who had Alzheimer’s. Lemon wished she could picture her, but she was only a foggy shadow. A longing swept over her. She missed her mother. Yet, how could she miss someone she couldn’t remember? Lemon’s thoughts went back to her and Jaxson. There were a few things she needed to get out while she could. But first, she needed to put her fears to rest about him being a player. “Tell me about Miss Jumbo Chest Barbie.”

A cackle sputtered from his throat as his shoulders shook, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. His laughter was infectious, causing her to giggle. He clutched his torso. “Stop making me laugh. It hurts.”

“I’m sorry.” She compressed her lips to squelch her humor. “Come on, Jaxson, I know you’re a red-blooded man, but even you have to admit that Tillie is way over the top. That woman has had enough plastic surgery to fund an entire medical practice.”

More laughter chortled from his throat. “St—op!” he pled.

“Okay,” she zipped her lips, her own mouth quivering with laughter.

He mopped his eyes, shaking his head. “Yeah, Tillie is a lot. I can only handle her in small doses.”

“No wonder,” she said darkly. She glanced toward the kitchen table, remembering the picnic basket. “I guess we could see what Jumbo Chest brought to eat. Maybe that’ll hold us over until we can order pizza.”

He grinned. “You are something,” he said admiringly. “Speaking of the pizza, should we go ahead and order it while we’re waiting to hear from Daddy or the doc?”

“Not yet.”

He gave her a questioning look.

She sucked in a breath, gathering her courage. “There’s something I need to talk to you about first.”

“Okay,” he said cautiously.

“I’ve been thinking about what you said … about seeing me at the rodeo.”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t you think it’s too much of a coincidence that I was at the rodeo and then standing in the road, a half mile from your house?”

He crooked a grin. “I guess God put you in my path.”

Unexpected warmth flowed through her, causing her eyes to collect moisture. “That too,” she said with a soft smile. God is good! So very good . Tingles pinged through her when he reached for her hand, his thumb stroking tantalizing circles over her skin. Jaxson had no idea what his mere touch did to her. No wonder he had so many women throwing themselves at him. It wasn’t just Jaxson’s good looks that drew attention. Rather it was the essence of the man. His stable confidence, the defiant set of his jaw, his dark eyes that radiated such vitality and adventure. The musical quality of his masculine voice, the way he looked at her. There were lots of shiny shoes that looked terrific on the rack, but to get one that looked great and fit like a glove. Well, that was a different scenario altogether.

“You’re feeling better,” she said in relief.

A crooked grin tugged at his lips. “The ibuprofen’s kicking in.”

His touch evoked aching ribbons in her stomach. Despite all the obstacles between them—his long line of admirers, her memory loss, the terror she couldn’t face—she longed to kiss him again. To feel that sense of hope and purpose that was rolled up inside the intoxicating attraction she had for him. He watched her expectantly, waiting for her to come out with what she wanted to say. “What if I came to the rodeo to see you?”

“Are you remembering something?” he asked carefully.

“No, not exactly. It’s just a feeling. I think my being in the road had something to do with you as well.” He frowned as she rushed on. “What if I was coming to see you that night? And then I had the flat tire?”

He looked thoughtful. “It’s possible.” Time seemed to pause as he caught her gaze. “Why do you think you were coming to see me?”

She swallowed. Here’s where it got tricky. “Well, I have no way of knowing for sure.” Her pulse was tapping out a fast beat against her neck. Her hands were clammy. She wondered if Jaxson could tell. “When you tripped on the rug and fell, it about ripped my heart out.”

He grimaced. “I’m sorry I scared you.”

Her eyes rounded. “You did. But the anguish I felt was more than just temporary fright.” Her voice quivered. She spoke fast to cover it up. “Thoughts rushed through my mind.” A shaky laugh escaped her throat. “I’m not even sure where they came from.”

Interest touched his features, but she also saw a trace of concern. “What thoughts?”

Tears rose in her eyes as she blinked. She cleared her throat in an attempt to get ahold of herself. Jaxson released her hand and touched her arm, rubbing it up and down in a comforting motion. “It’s okay. Just get it out.”

She nodded. “I’m not usually this emotional.” Realizing what she’d just said, she laughed. “Or at least, I don’t think I am.” She took in a deep breath. “Whew,” she breathed, fanning her face, “this is harder than I thought.”

“Take your time,” he said calmly. “We have all night.”

“Or at least until the doctor calls,” she retorted.

He grinned. “At least until then. Lemon, what is it?”

“Okay, I’ll just tell you.” She was at the point of no return. But whatever happened, at least she would know that she’d been honest. The words tripped over themselves, coming out in a heap. “I can’t lose you. Not when I’ve just now gotten you back.”

His eyes bulged. “Huh?”

Her cheeks flamed. “Those were my thoughts.” She rushed on. “I don’t know what happened to break us up. And, yes, we’ve lived separate lives for years. But I just can’t help but think that I regretted whatever happened.” Her voice broke. “Jaxson, the feelings I have for you are strong. They didn’t just come out of nowhere.” She groaned. “I’m not making any sense. I’m a wreck!” She looked down, feeling like a complete moron. His laughter caused her head to snap up. In a flash, heat blasted over her. With that heat came a scorching humiliation. “Seriously? You think this is funny?” She growled. “I bare my soul, and this is what I get? Forget everything I just said,” she barked as she moved to get up off the couch, as far away from him as she could get.

He caught hold of her arm. “I can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“Because I have feelings for you too.”

It took a second for his words to sink in. “Really?” she breathed.

“Really.”

That one word sent her heart soaring. An instant later, she came crashing back down to earth. “What about your women? Your playboy lifestyle?”

A devilish grin flitted over his lips. “Do I detect a hint of jealousy?”

“Of course I’m jealous,” she spouted. “I want my man to be invested in me.” She clenched her jaw. “Only me.”

A large, pleased grin split his face. In those beautiful, warm chocolate-brown eyes she saw playfulness, tenderness, a deep-abiding affection that would make her forge rivers and climb mountains for him. “Lemonade Massey, my heart has only belonged to one woman. I’m just glad she finally had enough sense to come back home and claim her prize.”

Lemonade? Had he always called her that? It was intimate, affectionate. She liked the sound of it on his lips. Laughter gurgled in her throat as her eyebrows shot up. “Claim my prize? You really are a Hotshot Cowboy.” His cockiness was unbelievable and wildly attractive.

“That’s what they tell me,” he drawled. His eyes deepened with intensity as they moved over her face, stoking a smoldering ache inside her. “I’d forgotten,” he murmured, “how wonderful we are together.”

“So did I,” she sighed dreamily. A grin twitched her lips. “But you really can’t fault me for that, seeing as how I’ve forgotten everything.”

He chuckled. “You really are something.” His mouth brushed against hers with the softness of a whisper, teasing and tantalizing. He leaned closer, his lips planting a string of silky kisses along her neck.

She wanted to pull him closer, wrap her arms around his neck, and cling to him. She didn’t dare do so for fear of hurting his ribs. His mouth moved to hers. She parted her lips expectantly, a soft groan rising in her throat. When his insistent lips took hers, a river of euphoria gushed through her. Her spirit soared exuberantly to a velvety cloud that wrapped her in completeness. Her mind expanded, and a fragment of memory returned. She’d felt the urgency of Jaxson’s lips against hers before. She’d been held in his arms. She knew what it was like to be immersed in utter perfection. And she knew what it was like to lose him. A tremor of fear ran through her as another face flashed through her mind. Cold, ruthless eyes, blacker than midnight pressed into her soul, snuffing out the light. She saw a handsome, cruel face—the face of a hunter who’d stop at nothing to track her down and destroy her and everyone she loved. A shudder ran through her.

“Howdy, kiddos,” a voice boomed.

Lemon jerked back, not as much startled by the interruption as she was by her own thoughts. She tried to flesh them out—to put a name and a distinct face to the man with onyx eyes, but the clarity of the impressions vanished, leaving only a smoky feeling of unease in their wake. She looked up to see Knox standing over them, wearing a Texas-sized grin.

“Every time I come into this house I find y’all in interesting situations.”

Color rushed to Lemon’s cheeks. She glanced at Jaxson, thinking he’d also be embarrassed, but he only laughed.

Knox took a seat in the recliner across from them. He scooted forward, perching his forearms on his thighs. He probed Jaxson with concerned eyes. “How ya doing, son?”

“A lot better now that I have some ibuprofen in me.” Jaxson draped a relaxed arm around Lemon’s shoulders. She scooted into the curve of his shoulder. It felt good to be protected. Shadows of her thoughts lurked nearby. Soon she would have to deal with them. Before time runs out. She jerked slightly. Where had that thought come from? Sheesh . She was scaring herself half to death.

“You okay?” Jaxson asked, giving her a sidelong look.

She forced a smile. “I’m good,” she chimed, relaxing into him.

“I left a message for Henry, but I haven’t heard anything back. I reckon he’ll call as soon as he gets my message.” Knox paused, assessing Jaxson with hawk eyes. “Do you need me to take you to the hospital to get checked out?”

“Nah,” Jaxson said, “I’m good.”

Knox looked doubtful. “You sure? It ain’t no trouble to take you.”

“I really am fine,” Jaxson reiterated.

A grin pulled at Knox’s lips. “Well, you certainly seemed fine a minute ago.”

A second wave of heat brushed Lemon’s cheeks.

Knox motioned. “How’s the ankle?”

Lemon looked and realized that the ice pack had fallen off Jaxson’s ankle. She leaned forward and placed it back on top. He winced. “Man, that’s cold.”

“Y’all hungry?” Knox asked.

“We are,” Jaxson answered. “We were fixing to order a pizza.”

“I have a better idea. I’ll go and grab your mama. We’ll get a pizza and some smoothies from that Jumbo Juice place, right next door to the pizza restaurant.”

At the same instant, both Lemon and Jaxson burst into laughter. Lemon placed a hand over her mouth to silence it.

“I think you mean Jamba Juice ,” Jaxson corrected.

Knox waved a hand. “Jumbo Juice, Jamba Juice. What’s the difference?” His light eyes twinkled.

Jaxson turned to Lemon. “I suppose jumbo juice is better than jumbo chest,” he said straight-faced.

A chortle pushed through Lemon’s throat. She couldn’t hold back the laughter. It pealed out, sending tears to her eyes.

“What’s so funny?” Knox asked, looking puzzled.

“Aw, nothing,” Jaxson said casually. “Just an inside joke between me and Lemonade.”

Knox sighed. “Well, it seems like y’all are making up for lost time.”

“Yes, we are.” Jaxson gave Lemon a meaningful look.

She couldn’t stop the wide, contented smile from spreading over her lips. Memory loss or not, she got the distinct impression that right here and now, there was nowhere on earth that she’d rather be than right here by Jaxson’s side. If only it could stay this way forever.

She’d remembered Jaxson’s touch—the feel of his lips on hers.

It was enough for now.