Broken

He accepted the list and studied the names written there. A knot formed in his chest. This was not her handwriting. The J’s were different. And the way she crossed her J’s. Too neat, not the sweeping strokes Lori had made.

“Here you go.” The waitress placed their orders on the table, heaping plates, then filled-to-the-rim glasses garnished with lemon wedges. “Anything else?”

Mia looked to him. Still in a daze of harsh reality, Linc shook his head.

“That’s good for now, Louise. Thanks,” Mia said.

She smiled that broad, familiar smile that was all Lori as she dismissed the waitress. The scent of buttered potatoes and richly seasoned meat turned his stomach. Linc had no appetite, despite the fact that he couldn’t remember when he’d eaten last. Fear climbed up his dry throat and coagulated. What if he was wrong?

“Mmm.” Mia closed her eyes as she savored a bite of meatloaf.

The question he’d intended to ask to shift the conversation stuck on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn’t manage to spit it out. Not with his throat clogged with something he couldn’t name and her making those sounds.

“You have to taste this.” She gestured to his plate. “Eat!”

He wrapped his fingers around the fork, his movements mechanical, and followed her order. Whatever kept her here and talking to him. That was all that mattered…until he knew for sure. He ate a forkful. “You’re right. The best I’ve ever tasted.” An old memory slammed into his brain. “Except maybe that little place in Encino.” He and Lori had eaten there several times because she had loved the down-home atmosphere. How had he forgotten that? “They served a pretty amazing meatloaf.” He couldn’t remember if they did or not, but they had served Southern-style cuisine.

She blinked. For one second he was certain she remembered. Then she said, “Encino? Is that where you’re from?”

Another wave of defeat slammed into him. “L.A.” He carefully placed the fork on the table. “My wife and I used to go to a little place in Encino. She loved the meatloaf.” An ache broke open his chest. There was no trace of recognition on her face or in her eyes.

“You’re married?” She looked surprised. Or was she disappointed?

He shook his head. “She died a long time ago.”

Her face fell. “I’m sorry.” She set her fork aside. “I shouldn’t have asked, but it’s unusual for a wife not to be involved with purchasing and remodeling a house. That’s why I was surprised when you mentioned a wife.” Her cheeks were a little pink. She’d always blushed like that whenever she felt she’d said the wrong thing.

“Sure.” He swallowed back the disappointment that she had a logical reason for asking if he was married. Doubt and defeat were battling it out for top billing in his brain. The handwriting was wrong…the smile was right… Could she possibly be Lori or was he kidding himself? He’d given up hope a damned long time ago. How had it taken root again so deeply and swiftly?

Ten seconds turned into twenty. She picked at her meatloaf as if she were at a loss for words. He would have the advantage now. A change of subject would be a relief. He blanked his mind of those churning emotions he hadn’t felt in so long. “Did you grow up in Blossom?”

Her gaze met his. “No. I’m from Colorado. I moved here about six years ago.”

“You have family here?” He stopped breathing.

“My aunt.” She chewed on another bite of her entrée. “My uncle visits often but he doesn’t live here.”

That was totally impossible. He bit the words back. Lori couldn’t have family here. She had no living relatives anywhere. She’d been born and raised in California. Her parents had both been Californians. She had never spoken of any other relatives. After the accident, he’d attempted to track down any distant relatives, but there were none.

“Where did you learn about plasterwork?” He couldn’t wait to hear the answer to that one. The fury that abruptly lit in his gut was irrational. He shouldn’t feel any of this.

She laughed. “That’s kind of a funny story.” She sipped her tea, then licked her lips. “My aunt wanted to repair a hole in the plaster wall of her home. A plumbing repair had left a bit of a mess. I attempted to help her.” She shrugged. “I figured it couldn’t be that hard. I made the mess worse. But I wouldn’t give up. After a while it was like I was a natural at it. Like I’d been an artisan of plaster in another life.”

Because she had been. “And you’ve been doing it ever since?”

She nodded. “When I’m not helping out at the Pet Stop.”

“Pet Stop?” He surely misunderstood her meaning.

“I help my aunt with her dog-grooming business. She’s getting up there in years and she just can’t keep up. I go over a couple of afternoons a week and lend a hand.” Her lips curled into that crooked but sexy-as-hell grin that was all Lori. “But I don’t mind. I love dogs. I’d have one of my own if I was ever home.” She shrugged. “Maybe one of these days.”

Her words hit him like a sucker punch to his gut. Could he be that wrong?

The voice, the eyes, the way she moved… He had been certain she was Lori.

But his wife had been seriously allergic to cats and dogs. She couldn’t even live in an apartment where pets had lived before her.

His gaze fixed on the eyes and the lips that he knew so intimately and that had helped to convince him that this woman was his wife.

He should have known the whole concept of Lori being alive was too good to be true.

He’d made a mistake coming here.

Chapter Five

“It’s him.”

“You’re certain?”

Ted Stewart checked the screen of his smartphone a third time, then glanced across the room to the table where Mia sat with the stranger who’d been hanging around watching her for two days. “I’m certain,” he muttered under his breath. “And I checked the register at the bed-and-breakfast. It’s him. Lincoln Reece.”

Ted kept an eye on Mia as the man on the other line silently contemplated the news. This stranger was trouble. Ted couldn’t ever recall Mr. Lopez calling three times in twenty-four hours about a situation involving Mia. He watched out for that girl as if she were his own daughter. Of course, she was his goddaughter. She called him her uncle but he wasn’t really. He’d made a promise to his best friend on his deathbed that he would see that she was protected and cared for the rest of her life.

In Ted’s opinion, Lopez went a little overboard. Even a straight-up guy like Ted couldn’t get close to Mia. Old man Lopez guarded her like she was some kind of saint that no mere mortal was allowed to go near, much less touch.

“Keep an eye on him,” Lopez ordered, dragging Ted back to the here and now. “I’m out of the country and I won’t be able to get there for a few days. I want to know every move he makes.”

Ted gave Reece a long, thorough look, something else he’d already done several times. “Who is this guy?” Ted asked quietly. The hum of conversation was plenty loud enough to cover his voice but he wasn’t taking any chances. One of these days, if Ted had his way, Mia would belong to him. In small towns like Blossom a guy had to stake his claim early on. Most men his age moved to Nashville or Murfreesboro for better jobs. Not many stayed in this one-horse town where fabrication and industry were frowned upon. Green and all-natural were the only buzzwords these folks understood.

“An old enemy of Mia’s father. He must be watched closely.”

“Is this dude dangerous?” Apprehension nudged Ted. He’d never carried a pistol. He owned a shotgun but it hung on the rack inside his truck. Other than the time he’d had to run off that coyote, the rack was where the shotgun stayed.

“Suffice it to say, he’s potential trouble.”

“All right.” Teddy tossed back a swig of his iced tea. “I’ll keep an eye on him.” He could use the extra bucks. Lopez always paid well. Not to mention he liked that the old man trusted him. Besides, spending time watching Mia was no hardship, and Ted had a feeling that keeping up with Reece’s comings and goings would probably include seeing a lot of Mia.

“Do not underestimate Reece,” Lopez warned. “He is not your average Joe.”

Enough already. “Got it. I’ll use extra caution.”

“Contact me if anything changes.” With that, Lopez severed the connection.

Ted tucked the phone into his pocket and dug into his supper. The gravy on his chicken-fried steak had turned cold but he wasn’t wasting good money or good food. It ticked him off that Lopez had harped on just how special Reece was. Lopez should know by now that Ted knew how to handle himself. This wasn’t the first time he’d taken care of unwanted attention on Mia’s behalf.

He could handle this. Easy as the cherry pie he was going to have for dessert.

Lincoln Reece had better watch himself.

Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.