Chapter Five #2
He nods. “We’ll get you one as soon as we get home.”
Home.
His home. Not mine because at the moment I don’t have one.
The cold reminder has pain pricking my heart.
He opens the passenger door and I stare up at the seat, wondering how I’m going to climb up without hurting myself. Before I can even attempt it, my legs are swept out from under me.
Gasping, I cling to Braxten’s neck, surprised by the sudden move. Our gazes lock, faces only an inch from the other’s. So close that I can feel his warm breath fan my cheek.
A handsome smirk tilts his lips. “Sorry, I should have warned you first.”
I snap back to reality, realizing I’m gaping at him like a fool. “It’s okay,” I murmur, sounding ridiculously breathless.
After placing me on the seat, he leans over, belting me in. His body crowds mine, heat enveloping me like a roar of flames. I get a whiff of his masculine scent and the incredible smell penetrates every one of my senses.
At the click of my seatbelt, he pulls back, meeting my gaze once more. “Okay?”
I nod, unable to form a coherent thought right now, let alone speak it.
His eyes are darker than they were a minute ago, more intense as he searches my face. It seems as if he wants to say something, but instead he backs out of my personal space and closes the door. Only then am I able to pull in a full breath.
“Get a grip, Alice,” I scold myself.
After climbing in on his side, he brings the truck to life then pulls away from the curb. I look out my side mirror, watching the hospital disappear in the distance, and know that it’s now the first memory I have since waking up. Not a great one, but at least I have one.
“Do you live far from town?” I ask.
“Far enough.” He follows up the cryptic response with a crooked grin that expresses a small dimple on the left side of his cheek. It’s a unique characteristic and I can’t deny the way my pulse skips at the sight of it.
He really is very attractive. Strong cut jaw, perfect slant to his nose, his hair the perfect mix of slicked and mussed. I can see why he would be popular with women.
That thought leaves me with an uneasy feeling again.
“Alice?”
I blink at Braxten and quickly realize he’s been talking to me. “Sorry, what’s that?”
Thankfully, he looks more amused than annoyed. “I said, Craig called. He will come out to see you once you are more settled.”
“Okay.”
Hopefully it will be with a lead, but I’m not holding my breath. It’s been two weeks and nothing has surfaced. It’s as if I never existed. I worry if I don’t recover my memory myself that I may never know who I am or where I came from.
Eventually, we turn down a backroad where nothing but cotton fields stretch on for miles, their white tufts gently swaying in the breeze. Lush greenery rise up along the horizon, surrounding the delicate expanse of softness as squirrels run up to their homes in the trees.
“Wow,” I murmur, taking in the picturesque view. “It’s beautiful out here.”
“Yep. It’s also quiet and secluded. Just the way we like it.”
I turn back to look at him. “You’re sure your family is okay with me staying with you, right?”
“Yes.” His response comes out a little impatient. Probably because I’ve asked this several times. I can’t seem to help it. I hate to feel like a burden, especially after everything he has already done for me.
“Well, if it does pose an issue, just know I can stay at the shelter. The social worker told me there was a room for me if I need one.”
His head turns my way, those dark eyes pinning me with a hard look. “We already talked about this, Alice. You’re staying with me so I can take care of you.”
Not for the first time I wonder why he’s doing all this. Why he would go to so much trouble for a complete stranger? Then his earlier words come rushing back to me.
I know what it’s like to have no one. I know what it’s like to be alone and scared.
The revelation came as a surprise. He seems like the kind of man who has never feared anything or anyone. It’s just another reason why I feel so connected to him and why I agreed to come home with him.
“I know things are scary for you right now, but I promise you’re safe with me,” he speaks again, mistaking my silence for something else. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“It’s not that,” I whisper, looking down at my lap. “I just don’t want to be a bother, is all.”
“You’re not. I want you there. I want you with me, okay?”
I nod. “Yeah, okay.”
“Good. Besides,” he adds, relaxing back into his seat. “My father loves a full house and even fuller dinner table. He’s happy to have another mouth to feed.”
The assurance puts me a little more at ease. Hopefully his brothers are just as kind as him and his father. It’s obvious by our few conversations that he is very close with his family. After what Nurse Linda divulged, it seems they are even closer than I realized.
I stop that thought before it can go further.
The truck begins to slow as we approach a white fence surrounding acres of farm land. My heart swells with excitement at the sight of several horses grazing in the pasture.
“Is this it?” I ask, unable to hide the hope in my voice. “Is this your farm?”
“My father’s if you want to get technical, but yeah…it’s home.” He turns in, driving down a long, gravel road that’s encircled by green pastures and newly plowed crop.
My excitement further escalates when I spot the big, red barn in the distance. A chicken coop and pig pen are on either side of it, filled with even more animals.
“They’re incredible,” I whisper, enamored by them all.
“I take it you like animals?”
I ponder the question since I have no idea. Without thinking too hard about it, I answer by the warm feeling I have in my chest. “Yeah, I guess I do.”
The response seems to please him. “I’ll take you for a tour once you’re well enough.”
I flash him a grateful smile. “I’d like that very much.”
My attention reverts back to the window as a large, white farm house at the end of the driveway comes into view. Its southern beauty of black shutters with a large wrap around porch is absolutely breathtaking.
Braxten doesn’t continue in that direction though. He veers right at the last second, driving down another gravel road that leads to a smaller home on the property. This one is much more quaint, but has a wrap around porch with two rocking chairs and a swing adorning the rickety wood.
I absolutely love it.
Several feet away, another house sits, but this one is newer, a little bigger and not yet finished. Lumber and tools are scattered across the lawn.
“My brother, Justice, lives there with his family,” he explains, pointing to where my attention is. “All of us just recently got some land from my father so we’re in the middle of subdividing.”
“How nice that you all get to live so close to one another,” I tell him.
“Yep. Couldn’t live any other way.”
There is deep meaning behind those words, but before I can scrutinize them too much he opens his door.
“Wait here and I’ll come around to help you.”
I nod, thankful for the offer since the pain has only gotten worse since leaving the hospital.
He grabs my bag from the back seat first, slinging it over his shoulder before opening my door. My hand rests on his shoulder to steady myself, but before I can attempt to use it as a crutch, he scoops me into his arms, lifting me right out of the truck.
Warmth seeps into my blood and I find myself winded once again. “You don’t have to carry me. I can walk,” I assure him, though I’ll admit it’s half hearted because I can’t deny how good it feels to be held like this. Warm and safe, a feeling I haven’t felt since waking up.
“Probably, but I’ll get you there faster.” He graces me with that easy grin of his and it elicits one of my own.
“I can’t argue with you there.”
Chuckling, he climbs the porch then opens the door and steps into the house. Once inside, he places me back on my feet and helps steady me before releasing my shoulders.
“Thanks.” I clear my throat when I hear how embarrassingly breathless I sound.
“Come on, I’ll show you where you’ll be sleeping.” He leads me past a small living room and kitchen before guiding me down a narrow hallway where two bedrooms and one bathroom reside. Reaching over, he flicks the light on in one of the rooms, bringing it to a soft glow.
The first thing I notice is how neat and orderly it is.
A large king size bed with a navy comforter and dark brown headboard is pushed against the wall.
Matching nightstands sit on either side while another dresser with a mirror sits in the corner.
There’s a masculine touch to the room except for the long, white dress that lies on the bed, a thin, pink sweater resting next to it.
“My sister-in-law gave this for you to wear,” he says, gesturing to the outfit. “You can borrow clothes from her for now. I’ll take you into town in a few days and buy you everything you need.”
This man’s kindness knows no bounds. It seems he has thought of everything. Things I haven’t. As much as I want to turn down his generosity, I know I’m in no position to do so. I don’t know how yet, but I will find a way to pay him back for everything he has done for me.
“The bathroom is right next door,” he continues, “and kitchen is down the hall. Help yourself to anything you want.”
I gesture to the room across the hall. “Is that where you’ll be sleeping?” My cheeks flame at the question for some silly reason.
“No. That’s my brother’s room.”
My spine straightens, unease slithering down the length of it. “Your brother?”
His eyes narrow in suspicion. “Is that a problem?”
“Of course not,” I force out quickly. “I just thought you’d be staying here with me, is all.”
“I am. I’ll be on the couch.”
I shake my head, guilt striking me at the thought. “I can’t let you do that. I’ll sleep there.”
“No. You still need to heal.”
“I can sleep anywhere.”
“So can I.” His tone is firm and final.
“It’s not right, Braxten,” I argue softly. “This is your home.”