Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
ELLIE
“You’re doing great, Ranger…such a good boy.” I lunge him in the corral after I rode him for the first time in six weeks. Noah was by my side the entire time and she made me wear a helmet, but at least I got back on him.
When I went to my last neurologist appointment, he put me on light restrictions, so it was just a matter of when I was comfortable riding again and when Noah felt safe about it.
“Talkin’ about me again?” Landen says behind me, and I smile at hearing his voice.
Glancing over my shoulder, I find him leaning over the fence wearing his Cattleman hat and a cocky smirk.
“You could only dream, cowboy.”
“I don’t need to anymore…” He winks, and I shake my head at his relentless flirting.
I bring Ranger in and walk him toward the gate.
“I heard you rode today. How’d it go?” he asks, opening it for me.
“Good.”
I tell him about it and how excited I am to get back into a riding routine. It won’t be for hours on end, but at least once a day to stay on top of it. I might be out for the rest of this season, but the next one starts up again right after, so I want to be ready.
“You will be. I have no doubt.” He kisses my forehead and I melt into him.
A girl could get used to this.
He walks into the stables with me and helps me get Ranger into the grooming stall so I can brush him and spend a few more moments with him before he goes back in.
“So any chance I could talk you into comin’ over tonight? I was gonna attempt to make some chicken pasta recipe Noah found.”
I smile at how sweet he is for wanting to cook for me when neither of us seems to excel in that area, but at least he’s willing to try. I’ve learned quite a bit from Gramma Grace, but I’m only confident when she’s next to me to watch and make sure I’m not screwing up anything.
Frowning, I say, “I wish I could, but my parents want to talk to me about something tonight.”
He arches a brow. “About what?”
“I’m not sure. They just said we needed a family meeting. Whatever that means.”
“You don’t sound too worried about it.”
Shrugging, I continue brushing Ranger. “It’s probably about racing or the fake engagement. They were a little skeptical that it wasn’t real when they saw I was wearin’ a ring, but who knows? Either way, I’d love to stay tomorrow night.”
He grins and then kisses my forehead again. “It’s a date.”
When I walk into my house, I’m hit with the aromas of lasagna and breadsticks. One of my favorites. What’s not to love about pasta and cheese?
“Hi, sweetheart.” Mom greets me with a warm smile. “How was your day?”
I tell her all about it and how excited I am about getting back into regular training. The only symptom I’m still struggling with is the occasional headache and minor vision blurriness. It usually only bothers me when I’m watching TV, but the doctor was optimistic that it’ll eventually go away.
“That’s wonderful. I bet Ranger is excited, too.”
“I’m gonna clean up and then I’ll help set the table,” I tell her.
I give Dad and Aunt Phoebe drive-by hellos and then go change my clothes.
When I set my phone down on my desk, I notice there are ten missed calls from an unknown number. They were sent right to voicemail, but whoever it was didn’t leave any.
Probably another journalist who wants to ask me only God knows what.
After I’ve freshened up with more deodorant and body spray and then fixed my braids, I go back out into the living room.
Dad and Aunt Phoebe are gone.
It’s close to five, which means they should still be in here watching Seinfeld.
I walk to the kitchen to help Mom, but she’s not in here either.
What the hell is going on?
“Hello?” I call out. “Where’d everyone go?”
“You can’t be here! You’re only gonna confuse her!” I hear Mom yelling outside and rush to look out the window above the sink.
Who is she talking to?
Dad stands next to Mom, with Aunt Phoebe hiding behind them. But I can’t see who they’re talking to from this angle.
Instead of waiting, I walk outside.
“She has my money! I need it so I can start over, no thanks to her fiancé!”
My fiancé? Are they talking about Landen and me?
“Mom?” I shout.
The three of them spin around. Mom’s clearly upset, tears welling in her eyes, and Dad looks pissed.
Aunt Phoebe looks sad and heartbroken.
I can’t gauge what’s happening.
“Are y’all okay? What’s goin’ on?”
As I walk closer, I finally see a woman leaning against a car with a man sitting in the driver’s seat.
“Who are you?” I ask her.
“Very funny, Ellie,” she snaps, pushing off the door and coming toward me.
“Don’t!” Mom yells at her. “She lost her memory and doesn’t recognize you. We’re not supposed to tell her anything she doesn’t remember on her own.”
“Is that true or are you just fakin’ it?” she asks me.
I study her features for any recognition. Light brown hair down to her shoulders that’s pulled back with a pair of sunglasses on her head.
“I-I’m not. I lost part of it from a concussion,” I explain. “I don’t know who you are…but I feel like I should?”
My heart pounds at the realization I’ve forgotten another person I used to know before the accident.
She stops about ten feet away from me and crosses her arms, then studies me. “I’m your older cousin, Angela.”
“My daughter,” Aunt Phoebe mutters.
She has a daughter? I should know that, right?
“We grew up like sisters. I can’t believe you forgot me.” She sounds offended, and I feel awful.
“Sorry, I-I’m drawing a blank. They said it’s probably temporary but could be permanent,” I explain. “The brain fog sucks.”
“I guess that’d explain how you’re engaged to my nemesis,” she scolds. “I couldn’t believe it when I read it in your recent interview.”
“Landen’s your nemesis? You know him?”
She smirks. “Sweetheart, I dated him.”
I feel a punch to my gut at those words. Landen probably dated a lot of women before me. I know he has a past, but I never thought it’d somehow weave into mine.
“Why do you hate him?”
And more importantly, why did I?
Angela opens her mouth to speak, but Mom quickly interrupts.
“Angela, wait…” Mom pleads. “She doesn’t know.”
“Know what?” Anxiety clamps down on my chest, and I have a feeling something’s wrong. “Will someone just tell me what’s goin’ on? I don’t care what the doctor said. I wanna know.”
Dad comes next to me. “Angela was in prison for the past eleven years and has just been released on parole.”
“Holy shit,” I mutter although I hadn’t meant to say the words aloud.
“We wrote to each other every month. You came to visit me in Nashville the day before the rodeo. We talked about how we’d be roommates and travel together when you had races.”
She sounds genuine, and I’m annoyed with my brain that I can’t remember any of this.
“I have no memory from after I arrived in Franklin,” I tell her. “But what does any of this have to do with Landen and you being in prison?”
Angela meets my gaze, an almost sympathetic expression on her face. “He’s the one who helped put me in there.”
My heart all but stops at the accusation. It’s racing so hard, I can hear it beating in my ears.
“That can’t be right. No. No…” I fall to my knees before I realize they give out.
Mom and Dad are at my side before I can cry out for help.
Dizziness takes over when my chest tightens, and I clutch my throat, fighting with my lungs to let me breathe.
My mind works overtime when thoughts of Landen surface—memories of before the accident.
When we’d train together.
When he’d annoy me at the most random of times.
When I recall what he’d done to Angela.
And I hated him.
But my heart still feels everything for him.
“You’re having an anxiety attack, Ellie. Try to inhale and exhale slowly, sweetheart.” Mom’s soothing voice is the last thing I hear before my eyes close and I lose consciousness.