Delgado sister came breezing in. A waft of sweet smelling perfume accompanied her.
“Join us.” Austin pulled out a chair for Alessandra. He was glad for the company. Maybe it would get his so-called fiancé’s mind off of orange blossoms and honeymoons. Bam! Another feeling of déjà-vu struck him as the word passed through his mind. He looked down at his hand...no mark of a wedding ring. Yet, he could almost see someone walking down the aisle toward him, his heart pounding as he waited to take her hand.
“What’s going on?” Alessandra picked up the brochure, then widened her eyes. “Are you getting married?”
“No—Yes.” He and Martina answered simultaneously. Then, he added. “Not anytime soon.”
“We’re thinking of a holiday ceremony.” Martina took her sister’s hand. “I have good news for you, hermana menor.”
“What?” Alessandra brightened. “Do you want me to be your maid of honor?”
“Why, yes.” Martina smiled. “But this isn’t about my wedding, it’s about yours.”
Alessandra froze. “You know about…” She coughed. “How did you find out?”
Her sister ignored what she was saying and just plunged ahead. “You have been chosen by one of Mexico’s richest, most eligible bachelors.”
Her smooth forehead wrinkled. Now, she was really confused. “Chosen for what?”
Austin was looking back and forth between them like he was watching a tennis match. He had no idea what was going on.
“Chosen to be his wife!” She spread her hands in a grand, dramatic gesture.
Austin had to hand it to Martina, she delivered devastating news like she was passing out a Publisher’s Clearing House Winner notification.
But Alessandra’s reaction shocked them both. He had never seen anyone collapse in on themselves before. The beautiful woman just crumpled and a fountain of tears started to flow. “No!” She screamed. “I will marry no one but Brock. I’m in love!”
There was one advantage of two women having an intense argument…any man in the room could sneak out undetected.
So, Austin made his escape.
He knew how Alessandra felt. He couldn’t marry a woman he didn’t love. Martina would just have to understand when he lost his memory that changed things for him—if she was telling the truth. He hated to be suspicious of someone who’d saved his life. But things just didn’t feel right for him, plus there were these dreams he kept having. The woman on the coin seemed to call to him.
As he walked across the lawn, he thought of all the things which didn’t make sense to him. One of them was the claim she made that he was from Wyoming. Austin would bet his life he was from Texas. The memories of another ranch, another family and another woman were beginning to become clearer and clearer. In fact, he didn’t plan on being here very much longer at all. Certainly not long enough to get married at Christmas. By then, he’d be just a cloud of dust going down the road. But one thing bothered him. If this was true and he was wrong, then the blow to his head did more damage than he realized. But if he was right and Martina was lying, the question was why? Could all of this just be wishful thinking? Or was he the pawn in some kind of crazy game?
Austin hadn’t been waiting long before Brock came driving up. He’d figured the man was the one seeing Alessandra, but now he knew the situation was much more than casual.
“Ready?” Brock rolled the window down.
“Yea.” Austin went around and crawled in the cab of the truck. “Where are we going?”
“There’s a bar about a half hour away, Rosa’s.” Without any more of an explanation, he pulled out and they were soon on their way.
Austin watched the surrounding country-side with interest. He hadn’t been awake the last time he’d arrived. Tomas had told him he came by ambulance. It seemed there was a full medical facility on the ranch and another at Esteban’s house in town. That confused Austin. Perhaps it was
“Join us.” Austin pulled out a chair for Alessandra. He was glad for the company. Maybe it would get his so-called fiancé’s mind off of orange blossoms and honeymoons. Bam! Another feeling of déjà-vu struck him as the word passed through his mind. He looked down at his hand...no mark of a wedding ring. Yet, he could almost see someone walking down the aisle toward him, his heart pounding as he waited to take her hand.
“What’s going on?” Alessandra picked up the brochure, then widened her eyes. “Are you getting married?”
“No—Yes.” He and Martina answered simultaneously. Then, he added. “Not anytime soon.”
“We’re thinking of a holiday ceremony.” Martina took her sister’s hand. “I have good news for you, hermana menor.”
“What?” Alessandra brightened. “Do you want me to be your maid of honor?”
“Why, yes.” Martina smiled. “But this isn’t about my wedding, it’s about yours.”
Alessandra froze. “You know about…” She coughed. “How did you find out?”
Her sister ignored what she was saying and just plunged ahead. “You have been chosen by one of Mexico’s richest, most eligible bachelors.”
Her smooth forehead wrinkled. Now, she was really confused. “Chosen for what?”
Austin was looking back and forth between them like he was watching a tennis match. He had no idea what was going on.
“Chosen to be his wife!” She spread her hands in a grand, dramatic gesture.
Austin had to hand it to Martina, she delivered devastating news like she was passing out a Publisher’s Clearing House Winner notification.
But Alessandra’s reaction shocked them both. He had never seen anyone collapse in on themselves before. The beautiful woman just crumpled and a fountain of tears started to flow. “No!” She screamed. “I will marry no one but Brock. I’m in love!”
There was one advantage of two women having an intense argument…any man in the room could sneak out undetected.
So, Austin made his escape.
He knew how Alessandra felt. He couldn’t marry a woman he didn’t love. Martina would just have to understand when he lost his memory that changed things for him—if she was telling the truth. He hated to be suspicious of someone who’d saved his life. But things just didn’t feel right for him, plus there were these dreams he kept having. The woman on the coin seemed to call to him.
As he walked across the lawn, he thought of all the things which didn’t make sense to him. One of them was the claim she made that he was from Wyoming. Austin would bet his life he was from Texas. The memories of another ranch, another family and another woman were beginning to become clearer and clearer. In fact, he didn’t plan on being here very much longer at all. Certainly not long enough to get married at Christmas. By then, he’d be just a cloud of dust going down the road. But one thing bothered him. If this was true and he was wrong, then the blow to his head did more damage than he realized. But if he was right and Martina was lying, the question was why? Could all of this just be wishful thinking? Or was he the pawn in some kind of crazy game?
Austin hadn’t been waiting long before Brock came driving up. He’d figured the man was the one seeing Alessandra, but now he knew the situation was much more than casual.
“Ready?” Brock rolled the window down.
“Yea.” Austin went around and crawled in the cab of the truck. “Where are we going?”
“There’s a bar about a half hour away, Rosa’s.” Without any more of an explanation, he pulled out and they were soon on their way.
Austin watched the surrounding country-side with interest. He hadn’t been awake the last time he’d arrived. Tomas had told him he came by ambulance. It seemed there was a full medical facility on the ranch and another at Esteban’s house in town. That confused Austin. Perhaps it was
Similar Books
