Chapter Seven #3
She snagged a parking space close to The Cowboy Connection, the store she’d wanted to visit, and shut off the ignition. As they climbed from the truck, she caught the aroma of grilled meat and barbecue sauce.
“Do you smell that?” Joe asked.
“I sure do.” Chloe scanned the area and spotted Earl’s Smokehouse, a restaurant across the street with a green door and a black, wrought iron railing around the outdoor curbside tables.
“Are you hungry?” he asked.
“Sounds like you are,” she said with a smile. “And if you’re talking about eating at Earl’s, I’m game.”
“You read my mind. The tables outside are empty, probably because of the chill. But look in the window. The place is packed. I’ll bet it’s really good.”
“You’re probably right. But then again, this is Texas. And we know good barbecue when we taste it.”
“Then what are we waiting for?”
They crossed the street, and when they reached the green door, Joe opened it and stepped aside so Chloe could enter first.
They were greeted by a smiling, middle-aged brunette wearing a red-and white-checkered shirt and jeans. “Hey, y’all. Two for lunch?”
When Joe told her yes, she snagged the menus. “Come with me.”
Once they were seated at a small booth in back, Joe said, “I think I grew up in Texas.”
“Why is that?”
“Because I really have a hankering for barbecue beef, as if it’s always been my favorite meal. Well, that and Mexican food.”
“That’s certainly possible,” Chloe said. “But there has to be more reason for you to think that other than your food choices.”
“There are, but it’s more of a feeling right now. I can’t explain it.”
When the same waitress who’d seated them came by to take their orders, Chloe chose the chicken salad and a glass of sweet tea.
“I’ll have tea, too,” Joe said. “And for lunch, I’d like the sampler platter with potato salad, French fries and coleslaw. Plus a side of cornbread.”
Chloe’s jaw dropped. “Are you sure you want that sampler? I think it’s meant for two or more people to share. It comes with three different kinds of meat.”
Joe chuckled. “I guess I have a big appetite.”
And he’d been right because, when the waitress brought the food on the large metal plates, he ate every last bite.
“How was it?” Chloe asked.
“Great. I’d come back.”
When the bill came, Chloe reached for it, but Joe grabbed her wrist. “Oh, no, you don’t.” He continued to hold her arm while he used his free hand to pull out his wallet. “You drove, so I’m paying for lunch.”
“Are you sure? You might need that money for something else.”
“Like what?”
She laughed. “Like the ingredients to make a whole lot more tamales. With the way you can put away food, you must spend a fortune on groceries.”
“Funny thing is, I still have room for dessert.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that you’re a born Texan. Only someone from the Lone Star state can love brisket that much.”
He smiled at her attempt at levity, then sobered.
He supposed it was time to talk about the big white elephant sitting at the table with them.
So he stroked her fingers softly, broaching that physical connection they’d had earlier and the attraction that had been brewing ever since they’d kissed last night. “How are you feeling about everything?”
“I’m sad about Dave,” she said. “I’d expected him to come back to the ranch soon, and I’m in limbo.”
“Why is that?”
Chloe pondered the question as well as her answer, since she didn’t want to dump any more on Joe than she had to. “Because I don’t want to move until the new owner is located.”
“New owner?”
“Whoever stands to inherit the ranch now that Dave is gone.” She figured that was enough of an explanation. “How about you? Are you feeling badly about Dave’s death?”
“I don’t know. I don’t feel any differently than I did yesterday. If we were friends, and I’m beginning to believe that we were, I should be sad about his death. But maybe because I don’t remember him it hasn’t really hit me yet.”
“That’s probably true.”
“There might be another reason for it,” he added. “If he gave me that letter before he died and I carried out his wish, it’s possible I already knew about his death before coming here. And if that’s the case, then maybe I’ve already done my grieving.”
“Did Sheriff Hollister mention when Dave died?” Chloe asked, realizing she should have quizzed the sheriff.
“No. But that ought to be easy enough to figure out. We can check with the coroner in San Diego—or ask Hollister what they told him.”
When the waitress returned with their change, Joe left a generous tip.
“Dr. Nielson was probably right,” he said as he got to his feet. “I need to be patient and wait for my brain to heal and my memory to return. So let’s enjoy our time in Houston and make the most of the rest of the day.”
Chloe forced a smile, then stood. After they left the restaurant, they walked to The Cowboy Connection, a department store that catered to those who liked Western wardrobes and home decor.
The store had been adorned with wreaths and expensive ornaments, and Christmas music filled the air. Her mood continued to lift—no doubt due to the holiday spirit.
While they walked past displays that provided more than a few gift ideas, Joe helped her choose a bronze horse figurine for Sam Darnell.
Next she found a pair of pajamas for Ethel Furman. As she waited to pay the clerk for her purchase in the lingerie department, she glanced over to a display where Joe stood, fingering the silky fabric of a skimpy black nightie and studying it intently.
Had another memory returned? If so, Chloe couldn’t find it in herself to be happy for him. She’d wanted him to remember the life he’d led before coming to Brighton Valley. But she certainly hadn’t wanted him to remember a particular woman dressed in something so sexy.
When he turned toward the cash register where she stood, waiting in line to make her purchase, their gazes met and locked.
And for one magical moment, she wished she’d been the woman he was trying so hard to remember.