“Our engagement was very special to me …

To us. Those memories were only for us to share.”

Cara’s eyes slid closed. Alex was saying all the right things. “Oh, Alex.”

“I mean it, Cara.”

Cara didn’t know what to say to that. She berated herself for believing him. For thinking that possibly, he was telling the truth this time. The problem was, she didn’t know where fake Alex ended and the real Alex began.

Her silence brought forth his deep sigh. “I can’t change what happened between us, Cara. If I could, I would. But I hope your heart tells you to give us another chance.”

Cara nibbled on her lower lip. “This is very hard for me, Alex.”

Queasiness rocked her belly, but she didn’t think it was Baby del Toro causing the turmoil this time—it was the little one’s father.

* * *

The Texas Renegade Returns is a Texas Cattleman’s Club: The Missing Mogul novel. Love and scandal meet in Royal, Texas!

The Texas Renegade Returns
Charlene Sands

www.millsandboon.co.uk

CHARLENE SANDS is a USA TODAY bestselling author of thirty-five romance novels, writing sensual contemporary romances and stories of the Old West. Her books have been honored with a National Readers’ Choice Award, a Cataromance Reviewers’ Choice Award, and she’s a double recipient of the Booksellers’ Best Award. She belongs to the Orange County chapter and the Los Angeles chapter of RWA.

Charlene writes “hunky heroes with heart.” She knows a little something about true romance—she married her high school sweetheart! When not writing, Charlene enjoys sunny Pacific beaches, great coffee, reading books from her favorite authors and spending time with her family. You can find her on Facebook and Twitter. Charlene loves to hear from her readers! You can write her at PO Box 4883, West Hills, CA 91308, USA or sign up for her newsletter for fun blogs and ongoing contests at www.charlenesands.com.

To my sister Carol … my best friend.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Excerpt

One

“I’m terribly sorry Mr. del Toro, but Miss Windsor is very busy right now. She can’t see you today.”

Alex stared at Cara’s assistant who didn’t sound sorry at all. She sat stiff-shouldered behind her Plexiglas desk in the austere offices of Windsor Energy like a mama bear protecting her cub. She was doing her job, so he couldn’t blame her for that, but that Wicked Witch of the West glare she was giving him had to go.

Now that the truth about his real identity was out, friendly faces in Royal, Texas, were a rare commodity. You’d think he’d sprouted gills and swam with piranha. Old man Windsor had probably alerted his security staff to usher him out of the building on sight. He’d deal with Paul Windsor another time. Today, he’d come for Cara and he wasn’t leaving Windsor Energy without her.

He darted his gaze at Cara’s office door. Dios, he was dying to see her. He had things to tell her that could not wait.

He aimed his best smile straight at the middle-aged assistant. As a boy in Mexico, his natural charm had served him well and he’d learned how to get around his schoolteachers and later, as a young man, he’d perfected the art of persuasion with the opposite sex. Now, the only woman he cared about persuading was Cara Windsor.

“Miss,” he said, verifying the woman’s name by her nameplate, “Miss Potter, you look like a reasonable woman and I would never want you to risk your job, so perhaps you can simply let Miss Windsor know I’m here. Or, I can take it upon myself to open her door unannounced. I don’t think Miss Windsor would appreciate the intrusion and I really don’t want to barge in, but one way or another,” he said, gesturing toward Cara’s door, “I will be seeing her today.” He kept his smile from wavering.

Miss Potter’s shoulders gave an inch. Her eyes begged for understanding. “I’m supposed to call Security if you should ever show up here.”

“You don’t want to do that, do you?”

“No, but Mr. Windsor issued the order. And everyone knows...”

“What do they know?”

Her gaze dipped to the desktop. “That you broke Cara’s heart.”

Ouch! Miss Potter didn’t mince words. This was just a taste of what he was up against.

“I can assure you, I am not going to hurt Cara, so rather than get you in trouble for not doing your job, let us just pretend I didn’t stop by your desk. I will just let myself into her—”

“Gayle? What’s going on here?”

Cara’s lilting voice drifted from the doorway. It smoothed all of his rough edges and calmed him down inside. He pivoted on his heels and turned around.

Seeing Cara’s beautiful face tore him up inside. She had one slender hand on the edge of the door, her body half in, half out of the doorway. The fluorescents shimmered over her straight blond hair and cascaded over her shoulders as smooth as golden honey. Memories came to mind of those soft silky locks teasing over his face as she made love to him right after he’d been released from the hospital.

Today, she wore a business suit of slate-gray, nothing special, nothing noteworthy, but on her, it looked like a Vogue fashion cover. His gaze drifted to her white blouse underneath, clinging to her skin and dipping into the valley between her breasts.

How he missed her.

Her eyes rounded on him and the sparkle in those blue gems faded. Breath rushed out of her like a hiss. “Alex, what are you doing here?” So much for smooth and lilting.

“I came for you.”

She began shaking her head and set her chin firmly. “You can’t be here.”

Gayle Potter rose from her seat. “I’m sorry, Miss Windsor. I tried to stop him.”

“She did. She tried to stop me. But as you know—”

“You’re not stoppable, when you want something.” Her mouth pulled down, sweeping away any welcome on her face.

He had a lot of making up to do.

“It’s okay, Gayle,” she said. “I understand.”

“Should I call S-Security?”

Cara’s chest rose and fell and she sighed. “No, I’ll handle this. If you could excuse us a moment and take your break, I’ll walk Mr. del Toro out.”

He cringed at the bitterness spewing from her lips. He was here to rectify his mistakes, not hurt her anymore.

Gayle darted a worried glance at both of them as she grabbed her bag and scooted out of the office. “Certainly, I’ll be in the lounge if you need me.”

“You shouldn’t even be in this building,” Cara was saying.

“Huh? Oh, what?” He found himself staring and following her every movement. His memories of her didn’t do her justice. He hadn’t seen her for weeks and he’d almost forgotten the blue sparkle in her pretty eyes, like the ocean when first touched by morning sun. He’d almost forgotten the round full shape of her breasts. And legs that made him want to weep when they wrapped around him.

She’d made him laugh, too. They’d do the silliest things together and act like kids without a care in the world. No wonder he’d fallen so hard and fast for her.

“I said...you need to leave.”

“I’ll leave as soon as you agree to come with me. We need to talk.”

Her expression hardened, and she gazed at him as if he were nothing more than a stranger. But he wasn’t a stranger. He was still the same man. If he could only convince her of that. He couldn’t accept that it was over between them. He’d explain and apologize, but first, he had one other thing to do.

“I don’t know you, Alex del Toro,” she said. “I thought I knew you, back when I was foolish and so naive. The Alex Santiago I fell in love with and planned to marry was sweet and caring. He and I clicked. But that’s not who you are, is it? You’re not Alex Santiago. It was all a lie. Everything about you is a lie. You used me and, what’s saddest of all, you don’t remember any of it. If you did, you wouldn’t be standing here today asking to see me. You’d know it’s pointless, amnesia or not.”

“Cara,” he said. “It’s not pointless. Come with me. I promise it won’t take long.” He’d blown it with her big-time, but it wasn’t going to end this way. He glanced at her left hand. She wasn’t wearing his engagement ring. His stomach nose-dived with dread. She hated him.

With wary eyes, she glanced down the hallway that led to the main entry. “My father’s due back in the office in ten minutes. If he sees you here, he’ll have you dragged out of the building.”

Alex took his best shot. He had nothing else to lose. More than restoring his good name to his friends and colleagues in the county, he needed Cara to hear him out. To believe in him again. “Then why create a scene here where you work? I’m only asking for an hour of your time. I promise to deposit you right back here when we’re through.” Or not. If things went as planned, Alex would be taking her to his home in Pine Valley.

An exasperated sigh fell from her lips. She glanced at her watch, then at the front doorway again. He didn’t know it, but Paul Windsor was helping Alex win back Cara. “Okay,” she said softly. “I’ll go with you, but only because my father’s blood pressure will explode if he sees you.”

Dios, that took some doing.

As for Paul Windsor, if Alex’s suspicions were correct, the man with four ex-wives wouldn’t be available to marry a fifth wife. He’d be in prison.

On kidnapping and attempted-murder charges.

“Give me a minute, Alex. I’ll meet you outside. Where are you parked?”

“First red Ferrari you see in the parking lot.” He smiled. She’d helped him pick out the car. Red was her favorite color. He remembered that about her, too.

He remembered almost everything now.

* * *

Cara leaned over her desk and scribbled a quick note to Gayle, telling her not to say a word to anyone about Alex. She also told her loyal assistant not to worry.

If only she wasn’t worried. She had her doubts about going with Alex. Months ago, he’d disappeared right after their engagement. There had been no sign of him anywhere and at first she’d pretty much panicked. Alex wouldn’t have left without saying something to her. He wouldn’t have given her an engagement ring, pledged undying love and then walked away. She’d held on to the hope that he’d forgotten to tell her he was going on a business trip where he couldn’t be reached. But she’d never heard back from him. Days had turned into weeks. No one had heard from him. As soon as he’d proposed to her, Alex had disappeared. Many people had speculated that his disappearance was suspicious and there was some sort of foul play involved. Some had been sure he was the victim of a crime. Initially, Cara had believed the same.

But as time wore on, she’d secretly feared Alex had run out on her because he didn’t love her enough. Crazy thoughts and doubts entered her head. She’d lived under a constant sense of self-torture. Alex regretted his decision to marry her. Alex had gone back to an ex-lover. She wasn’t the woman for him and he didn’t have the courage to tell her.

Cara sighed as she glanced at the tall, dark and dangerously handsome man staring at her with eyes gleaming. She, along with the rest of the world, now knew the truth.

Alex had been discovered among a group of immigrants sneaking into the United States after their truck collided with another car. It was all one big mystery and Alex claimed amnesia. He didn’t remember much of his disappearance. But he’d had serious injuries, including a concussion and broken wrist from the collision. Cara had thought the worst about him and lived with guilt for weeks, scolding herself for thinking he’d run out on her. Fool that she was, she’d tried everything she could think of to bring back his memory while he was in the hospital. Nothing had worked.

Cara walked out of her office, her heels furiously clicking against sleek gray-slate floors. She had no time to spare. Her father was due back any minute and those were fireworks she never wanted to see.

Stepping outside, Texas sunlight poured over her. She slipped on her sunglasses and scoured around. Alex was hard to miss. She found him leaning against his slick red sports car, his arms crossed and his black hair catching light rays. He was wearing black trousers, a soft white shirt and a devastating smile. Cara’s breath caught again. It happened every time she laid eyes on him.

Fraud, she kept shouting in her head.

Yet, her heart pinged at the sight of him.

Alex Santiago had never really existed and the truth had broken her heart. He was Alejandro del Toro, only son and heir to Del Toro Oil, who’d come from Mexico to spy on their biggest rivals, Windsor Energy. Alex had created a false identity, lived for over a year in Maverick County posing as Alex Santiago and had used her as a pawn to extract information about her father’s successful oil business. The truth came to light after Alex was discovered alive and brought back to town. Concerned about his son’s health and hoping to help him recover from amnesia, Rodrigo del Toro revealed to the world Alex’s true identity and the real reason he’d come to Texas in the first place—to spy on Windsor Oil.

The burn of that betrayal still seared her with pain.

It didn’t matter that Alex couldn’t remember any of it. His amnesia didn’t make him any less guilty. Her father had never liked her choice of fiancé and he’d been right all along about Alex. That was the biggest crime. Her father, who’d been married and divorced four times, had better insight about Alex than she did.

What a fool she’d been.

She left three feet of pavement between them. “I really don’t want to do this.”

“I know. I appreciate your time.”

He came forward to wind his hand around hers and lead her to the passenger-side door. Her palms grew damp from his touch. His strength and power was always a big turn-on. How she’d loved him once.

A part of her was glad he had amnesia. A part of her wished she had it, too.

She stood by the open door. “Where are we going?”

His eyes were nearly black. When they made love, she would slowly sink into them. “You’ll see. I won’t harm you, Cara. I’m still the same Alex you knew.”

Not true. She didn’t argue with him though. She slipped into the leather seat and fastened her seat belt. Alex got behind the wheel and pulled out of the parking lot.

He was quiet on the drive. It was fine with her. She relaxed back against the seat and stared out the front window. For about three minutes. Then her gaze slid from the highway to his handsome face. His profile alone could sell magazines to millions of women. She forced her eyes back to the road.

Don’t remember his hands caressing your body. Don’t remember his mouth pressing yours. Don’t remember the scent of his hot skin when he was aroused and ready to make love to you.

Beautiful memories clicked away in her mind. Her head ached with them. She didn’t want to believe him a liar, user, fraud and spy. But he was all those things. And here she was, sitting beside him, giving him her time and using her father as the excuse to steal away with him.

Cara, you dumbass.

Alex made a right turn off the highway that led away from town. Storefronts and residential streets gave way to the open road. Tight muscles in her neck began to relax. Rolling her shoulders, her stiffness dropped away there, too. She came alive in the country. Across the flatlands, ranches came into view. Roadside wildflowers bursting with color sprouted up along the miles and miles of fences.

Alex hit the controls and the windows rolled all the way down. Gentle springtime breezes replaced the air-conditioning. Her hair blew into her eyes. She didn’t bother trying to fix the mass of blond whipping at her cheeks.

“Now, please close your eyes.”

“Why?”

A few strands of his black hair danced across his forehead as he smiled—a dashing-marauder kind of smile. “Because I asked you nicely.”

She didn’t want to do him any favors, but she’d agreed to this. One hour was all the time she would give him, and twenty of those minutes were already up. She closed her eyes.

“Thank you,” he said.

Those two softly spoken words squeezed tight inside her heart.

Not long after, he parked the car. “Keep them closed,” he said.

The swooshing of quiet waters drifted into her ears. Distant music played and her nostrils were hit with crisp fresh air. “For how long?”

“Until I tell you to open them.”

The driver’s-side door clicked closed and his footfalls grew louder as he approached her side. The door opened and his scent of woods and musk invaded her senses. His subtle cologne meant only for her, he would say, stirred her into restlessness. He brushed her body to help with the seat belt and snap, her heart, as well as her seat belt, were undone. She shifted in her seat.

“Won’t be long now,” he assured her, his melodic voice reaching her ears. It was the same tone he’d used when he told her he loved her. He was so near. So close. Her breath hitched in her throat and she swallowed.

He reached for her hand and helped her out of the car. “Careful, Cara.”

Darn it, she was trying to be. With him.

Under her heels, small stones and uneven ground kept her unsteady, but Alex’s firm grip wouldn’t allow her to fall. “I’d carry you if you’d let me.”

“Not even in your dreams. How much farther?”

“Almost there.”

A sinking ache in the pit of her stomach warned her that this wasn’t a good idea. The road they’d traveled, the scent in the air, the quietly rushing waters, gave credence to her rising suspicions.

The ground under her feet was softer now, her ankles tickled by fragrant wisps of flowers.

Alex stopped and announced, “You can open your eyes now.”

Her eyelids lifted. A beam of sunlight caressed a quiet river. She stood in a field of bluebonnets, the cushion under her feet. Alex took her shoulders and turned her around. She blinked and gazed out. Wooden stakes outlined the skeletal beginnings of a country house Alex had promised to build for her. Inside the house, in what was to be a dining room facing the river, a table was set for two with a floral centerpiece of ivy and gardenias. A quartet of musicians stood off to the side, playing Alex and Cara’s favorite songs.

She didn’t get it. Why had he brought her here? This was where Alex had proposed to her. From childhood, she’d loved this little patch of land where bluebonnets carpeted the banks of the river and mesquite trees grew tall and shady.

When Alex had been in the hospital recovering from his injuries, Cara spent time with him, trying to get him to remember her. Trying to revive his memory about the special love they’d shared. She’d told him of his beautiful marriage proposal and how it had filled her heart with joy. The way he’d proposed had shown her that he’d paid attention. He’d known what she loved. He’d known what little things made her happy.

She’d been desperate to rekindle his memory. She’d been desperate for him to remember their love. But that was back when Cara believed he was Alex Santiago and not a spy and a scoundrel.

Now, her gaze darted from the musicians, to the silver bucket of champagne standing at attention beside the table, to the material-backed Parsons chairs tied with lavender bows. Dozens of small stone planters filled with red roses and tall pillar candles were set around the entire would-be dining room. She’d never gone into detail like this. She’d never mentioned to Alex the flagged stakes in the ground. Or the exact layout to the country house he’d promised to build her after they were married.

She’d never mentioned lavender bows or ivy and gardenias or roses.

She was sure of it.

Her mind swam, fishing for answers. Then, bingo! Her heart slammed against her chest. She shuddered, and Alex stepped up beside her, so close that his presence reassured her. If that wasn’t the oddest thing, that he could still lend her comfort. Giving her head half a turn, she faced him and whispered, “You remember?”

He nodded. “I remember.”

Her eyes squeezed shut. How many times had she prayed for his memory to return? “When?”

“Just recently.”

“So you remember lying to me? Using me?”

His voice gruff, he laced his fingers with hers and gave her hand a gentle shake. “Cara, I remember loving you.”

She melted a little, finally hearing the words she’d hoped to hear for so long. How many nights had she clasped her hands and lifted her head to heaven, praying that Alex would regain his memory? “I—I’m glad for you, Alex.”

“There are only two things that matter to me, Cara. And your love is one of them.”

She dropped her hand and distanced herself. He was too close. And he remembered. Oh, God. “You went to all this trouble to prove to me that your memory has returned?”

“Yes. I went to all this trouble. I wanted to remind you how much we loved each other.”

The corner of her mouth lifted out of sadness. “Once, I loved you.”

“Twice, I’ve loved you, Cara. Once, I loved you as Alex Santiago. Yes, that’s true. But when I was injured, you came to me in the hospital and tried so hard to help me. I began to fall in love all over again. When I returned to my home, a place I didn’t remember, you showed me what love is, what we’d had, and I fell in love with you again as Alex del Toro.”

“Alex, please,” she said. She didn’t want to rehash this. She didn’t want to remember the good times, the love. She especially didn’t want to remember the night she’d seduced him, trying her hardest to get him to remember her. She’d gone all out, using every single erotic move and gesture she knew turned him on, to turn on his memory. It hadn’t worked. Even after that night, Alex still hadn’t remembered her. “What do you want from me?”

“I brought you here hoping that you’d hear me out. Hoping that you’d listen to what I have to say. I want you to understand what happened. I want to apologize for everything I’ve done to cause you pain.”

Alarms clanged in her head. Did he really still love her? Or was his work for his father not through yet? Did he have more damage to do? How could he ask her to forgive him? She still bled from the pain and humiliation he’d caused. Anyone who picked up a newspaper or watched the nightly news knew of the scandal. The headlines might as well have read Cara Windsor—Idiot for Love. “I don’t know if I can accept your apology, Alex.”

The hopeful gleam in his eyes dimmed. He sighed and even that sound came out melodic. “Just listen to me before you decide. Will you have dinner with me?”

“Here?”

He nodded. “Here.”

Her eyes narrowed. “You promised to have me back in an hour.”

He didn’t hesitate. “I’ll honor that promise. I’ll take you back right now if you insist.”

Insist. Insist. But Cara’s darn mouth was stuck in neutral. Nothing came out.

“Please, Cara. I have things to say that I haven’t told another soul. You may not trust me, but I trust you. I need to explain everything to you.”

She deserved an explanation. And he had her curious now. What kind of excuses could make up for breaking her heart and destroying their love? “Send the musicians away. There’ll be no serenading and dancing tonight.”

His breath rushed out. “So, you’ll stay?”

“Only for dinner. I’ll hear you out and then you’ll take me back home.”

A beam of hope entered his eyes. He nodded. “I promise.”

A promise from Alex del Toro?

Maybe someone had some swampland in Florida to sell her, too.

* * *

Cara’s eyes closed as she took her first bite of shrimp scampi. The shrimp and the linguini were perfectly cooked. Garlic and olive oil made everything better. The evening was perfect, right down to the best pairing of wine to accompany the meal and the pink-gold blaze of light setting over the river.

Leave it to Alex to make it all so memorable...even the second time around. But there wouldn’t be any offering of engagement rings or talk of happily-ever-afters tonight.

“It’s delicious,” she said.

She waited for Alex to say something pertinent. He had explaining to do. But instead, his gaze flowed over her like warm honey, shifting from her hair to her mouth. Cara squirmed in her chair, aware of his eyes on her. If only she hadn’t agreed to come here with him.

Was he remembering the last time they’d made love? Was he remembering how she’d seduced him, practically in his sickbed, the day after he was released from hospital? Fools in love do stupid things. She’d actually thought getting naked with him in his home would rocket from his groin to his brain and he’d remember her.

She closed her eyes and banished the memory.

“What is it, Cara?”

“Nothing.” Everything. “Alex, you brought me here to explain. I haven’t heard any explaining yet.”

He set his wineglass down. “Where should I begin?”

“You lied to everyone in Maverick County. That’s a start.”

He began nodding. “Okay, okay. You’re right. It all started with my father.”

“The king of Del Toro Oil.”

“Yes, he’s the president and owner. He built his company from the ground up. When we were children, he worked long hours and there were days my sister and I never saw him. He’s a man who wanted greatness, but he always wanted to protect his family. When Gabriella and I were kids, my mother...my m-mother was kidnapped as a result of his huge success and wealth. She was held for ransom. It all went badly and she was killed.”

“Oh, no! I’m so sorry.” How awful. Her heart ached for the little boy who’d lost his mother in such a violent way. “How old were you when it happened?”

“Eight, and Gabriella was just four.”

As harsh as it was, it only cemented her feelings about Alex. A fiancée should’ve known about her future husband’s hardships as a child. She should’ve known about his family, but Alex had hidden his past from her. He wasn’t the man she’d fallen in love with. She didn’t know this Alex at all.

“My father was obviously distraught over my mother’s death. After that incident, he hired bodyguards for my sister and me. We went nowhere without protection. Mexico City can be a dangerous place, especially if you’re the child of a wealthy, powerful man. Finally, when I was older and working exclusively for Del Toro Oil, I convinced my father to let me keep an apartment in Mexico City. I always felt like I was being watched, though my father would deny it. Then one day, he approached me about his plan to gather information about Windsor Energy. I would live in Maverick County and become an entirely different person. To come to America and pose as Alex Santiago, a business tycoon. I saw it as an adventure and my chance to rid myself of the danger in Mexico and finally be free. No one here in the U.S. would know I was Alejandro del Toro, Rodrigo’s son.

“To my father, loyalty is everything. He was giving me this chance to prove myself in his eyes. He was pleased when I agreed.”

“And over two years ago, you came and settled here.”

“Yes, I became Alex Santiago.”

“You ingratiated yourself into West Texas society. You were embraced by your neighbors. You were invited to join the Texas Cattleman’s Club.”

“I made friends, yes. Good friends. I made money here, on my own, and then...then I met you, Cara. And everything changed.”

Her heart wanted to hear what he had to say, but her brain scolded her for listening.

“How? How did it change? You knew I worked for my father. I’m the director of marketing for Windsor. The only change that I could see is that I gave you the outlet to find out more information. You dated me for months and pretended to care about me.”

It was love at first sight. She’d never believed it possible, but the moment she’d laid eyes on this tall, brown and handsome man—the second she heard the deep, rich timbre of his voice at a function at the Texas Cattleman’s Club—Cara was done for. She’d been seeing Chance McDaniel at the time, and she broke it off instantly to be with Alex.

“I do care about you. I always have. When I met you, yes, I’ll admit I thought it would make my task easier to get close to you. But if you think back and remember, I didn’t ask anything of you, my love. I never questioned you about the company.”

“You didn’t have to. I was pretty good at coughing up information. I’d tell you all about my day, the ups and downs. How the company was faring against our competition and what I was doing about it. I’d tell you my strategies for marketing and get your opinion.”

Bile rose in her throat. She hated that she’d been so naive with him. She hated that she’d been played for a sucker. Rehashing it all put a sour taste in her mouth. She pushed her plate away, fighting the burn behind her eyes. Her pride kept her tears well hidden. Crying was the last thing she wanted to do in front of Alex. His betrayal crushed her like a tiny ant under his Italian loafers.

“I can’t make up for the past, for the decisions I’ve made. But Cara, once I realized how important you were to me, I was through with the charade. Right after we were engaged, I’d planned on convincing my father not to go after Windsor Energy.”

Her shoulders stiffened. “Am I really supposed to believe that?”

“Yes, you are. Because the truth comes straight from my heart.”

Cara glanced away, over the candlelight and past the roses, out into the dusky night sky. Gurgling waters lapping over jutting rocks filled the silence. It was so peaceful here. At any other time, she’d be happy to be here. This was her favorite spot on earth.

“Cara, look at me.”

Her gaze shifted to his face. Alex by candlelight was something to see. Her life could’ve been so perfect.

“Soon after we got engaged, I was driving home late one night. I had a surprise for you waiting at my house. It had just been delivered and I was going to pick it up and bring it to you.”

She swallowed. Under the table, her hand went to her tummy.

“But I never made it to your house. While I was driving I noticed someone tailgating me. I drove faster to lose him. But he sped up, too, and continued to hug my tail. From what I could tell, there were three big men in the car. The next thing I know, they’re pulling up beside me and ramming my car. I was jolted from the sideswipe and realized these guys meant business. My car skidded off the road. I hung on to the steering wheel and tried to maneuver the car back onto the highway, but the driver never let up. Their SUV swiped my car again, staying neck and neck with me, until finally I couldn’t outmaneuver them. I remember the crash. My car almost hit a tree and then I went spiraling down an embankment. The air bag deployed and protected me. A second later, I was yanked out of the car and beaten until I passed out.”

The scene played out in her mind. She didn’t need to hear all the details to know it must’ve been horrendous for him. “Alex?”

He began nodding. “It’s all true, Cara. I must’ve been drugged, because when I woke up I was in an abandoned house. There was nothing around, no furniture, no food. I was groggy and disoriented, but I remember the stench of that place as if it was yesterday. I didn’t know exactly where I was, but I knew I wasn’t in America. My attackers left me there. I don’t know if they planned on coming back to kill me or not, but I wasn’t going to stick around to find out. I couldn’t figure out why I’d been abducted but it seemed as though somebody paid them to rough me up and get me out of town.”

Cara let that information sink in. Nothing was as it seemed with Alex, but he’d gone through a horrible ordeal. She believed that much. He wasn’t that good an actor. Something in his eyes spoke of genuine fear. “This is all so bizarre, Alex. You could have been killed.”

He nodded. “I didn’t know who to trust. I got out of there pronto. I found out I was in Tijuana. I used my gold watch to buy my way on a truck smuggling immigrant workers into the U.S. They packed a bunch of us inside and I tried my best to blend in with them. I’m Mexican, after all. I didn’t look like a millionaire, and though some workers eyed me with suspicion, I kept my head down and pretended not to notice.”

“You took a big chance with your life.”

“I had no choice. I had to get outta there.”

The truck Alex had been traveling in was sideswiped by a car and had careened onto its side. A dozen migrant workers had spilled out onto the road, Alex included. She’d heard it was an awful scene and there was a lot of confusion. A paramedic who’d showed up at the wreck recognized Alex, which was a good thing because the blows to his head during the accident stole his memory.

Alex took a few bites of his food while Cara sat silently, picturing what he’d gone through and wondering about this man who at one point she’d thought she’d known so well.

“When you left town, people started speculating about your disappearance. Chance was suspected of having something to do with it. I left him for you. Dropped him like a hot potato, and some believed Chance was insanely jealous. I never believed that for a second, but it looked suspicious to those who knew us.”

“Chance’s name needs to be cleared. I plan to get to the bottom of it. Chance is in love with my sister and they deserve a clean start. Someone had me shanghaied and I’m going to find out who it was.”

Cara sighed as her guard came down a little. She never wished Alex any harm. She still didn’t, but his abduction had little to do with her. It didn’t make up for the fact that he’d betrayed her. “After all you’ve told me, it’s a miracle that you made it home in one piece.”

“I almost didn’t. It was a stroke of luck that Piper was the paramedic on the scene and recognized me. I didn’t know who she was. Hell, I didn’t know who anyone was, but I’m grateful that she took charge and made sure I got the medical care I needed.”

“And now you know who you are. So what’s next?”

“I try to make amends with everyone I hurt. I try to pick up the pieces.”

A waiter in tuxedo tails and white gloves took their plates away. Another waiter came by to scrape crumbs off the table and replace the cutlery.

“I want to move past this, Cara.”

Easy for him to say.

“I’m asking only one thing from you.”

Coffee was poured from a silver pot and domed dessert dishes were placed on the table, one for her, one for Alex. On Alex’s nod, the waiter walked away, leaving them alone. Cara didn’t want dessert. She didn’t want to be here with Alex. Memories rushed in and carved out another slice of her heart.

Alex leaned over the table to pick up the dome and reveal her dessert. Her eyes lowered to a square wedge of rich chocolate brownie garnished with fresh whole raspberry mounds.

My favorite.

This time white frosting written on the dessert didn’t ask, Marry Me? like before. But at this point in her life, the question scribed on the brownie meant almost as much: Another Chance?

Her lips quivered. She put her head down.

Alex reached over the table to take her hand, and the melting force of his warmth wasn’t something she could fend off right now. “Before you say anything, remember how much we loved each other. Remember the happiness. And laughter. Cara, do you remember how we celebrated our engagement after I put the ring on your finger?”

Cara’s lips lifted as her gaze shifted toward the river. How could she forget? It was one of those memories that would stay with her until her days on earth were numbered. It was a memory she wouldn’t share with another soul. A snapshot moment she would always cherish.

With moonlight guiding them and hands entwined, they’d christened the quiet waters with their naked bodies, diving into the river and coming up with big grins, the heat of their love cloaking them from frigid temperatures. They’d splashed around, silly with joy, and laughed until their bellies ached.

“I remember,” Cara said, her voice sounding whimsical to her ears. “It was the best.”

“Yes, it was.”

Their eyes locked and they stared at each other. But Cara wasn’t going to be a fool again. Sweet memories only made the loss of their love harder to bear. It only reminded her of what could have been if Alex hadn’t been deceitful. His little plan had backfired. She couldn’t eat the brownie or stay here another second. She wasn’t in the mood for decadence. She wasn’t in the mood for forgiveness. Cara released his hand and shook her head. “I’m sorry, Alex. I can’t give you what you want tonight.”

His mouth puckered as he nodded. “I understand.”

Do you really? She doubted he knew how much pain he’d caused.

“Will you take me home now?”

“Of course.”

He rounded the table and pulled out her chair. As she stood, he took her hand. Steady on her feet, she looked into his eyes. They could be cold at times, like when Alex was determined to close a big deal, and she’d always wondered about his drive and determination. Now she knew exactly where those traits had come from. He was his father’s son. Any man who’d send his only son to another country to assume a false persona and spy on a rival had to be ruthless. But in Alex’s eyes tonight, she found only warmth and apology. He wasn’t happy with her decision to leave so early, but true to his promise, he agreed to take her home.

Kudos to Alex.

She’d give him that much. But the one thing she wouldn’t give him, the one thing she wasn’t ready to share with him, could very well change everything between them.

Cara carried his child.

Two

Cara entered her cottage on Windsor Farms and tossed her purse down on the sofa. Her hand touched her stomach reflectively. Turmoil wasn’t good for the baby. And she’d certainly had that today with Alex showing up at her office. Was it seeing Alex and hearing about his kidnapping that churned inside her? Or was it a case of morning sickness hitting her in the evening? She didn’t know. She’d never been pregnant before.

How could she label the queasiness that gripped her stomach?

The history on her computer screen would alert anyone checking that she’d been boning up on symptoms of pregnancy. Only a short while ago she’d discovered she was carrying Alex’s child and since then, she’d kept her eyes and ears open to anyone who mentioned “baby.”

Leaning against the top of the sofa with one hand, she spread her fingers wide across her belly with the other. According to her cell phone app, the baby was the size of a strawberry. That put a smile on her face. Imagine that? Protective instincts kicked in for her little strawberry and her tummy gushed with warmth. She’d do anything to keep her child safe, including keeping him away from his father until she was certain she knew what kind of man Alex del Toro really was.

Right now, she hadn’t a clue. His touch still did things to her. He wasn’t a man she could easily forget. She sent a quick glance heavenward. “Thank you,” she remarked to the love gods. Alex hadn’t tried to kiss her tonight.

“Darn him,” she mumbled. Had she secretly wanted him to kiss her?

She exited the living room and strode down the hallway that led to her bedroom. As she passed her workout room, she shook her head. “Nuh-uh.” Her limbs felt like Jell-O. She didn’t have the energy for her regular stair-climb program. She continued down the hall, passing the guest bathroom, certain now that her tummy was beginning to settle and she wouldn’t be making a quick trip to the toilet to purge her meal.

She reached her bedroom and wiggled off her heels, slipped out of her blazer, blouse and then unzipped her skirt and shimmied out of it. She pulled on a comfy gray sweat suit she’d lived in since her college days at USC, then barefooted her way to the kitchen. She hadn’t had much to eat today. Period. What to Expect When You’re Expecting didn’t have to tell her the baby needed nourishment.

She knew she needed to eat, but the problem of her Alex-or-baby-induced queasiness was the issue.

She clicked on the light and blinked against the brightness. White cabinets and stainless-steel appliances wowed her. Her state-of-the-art kitchen kicked culinary butt and put a glow into her heart. She’d had the place overhauled to fit her lifestyle. Her four-bedroom cottage on the hills of her father’s land at Windsor Farms had gone from country to contemporary after an extensive overhaul.

She loved walking in here. Almost as much as she loved comfort food, but sweet-potato fries, mac and cheese or double-nut chocolate ice cream weren’t on her agenda today. She was in baby mode and didn’t mind the sacrifice.

Opening her fridge, she pulled out a bowl of fresh-cut berries. She dumped them into her Cuisinart along with a banana, added two dollops of plain yogurt and a few ice cubes, then pushed the puree button. She got an earful of grinding noise and then the machine purred while whipping it all together. Voilà, the perfect smoothie was born. She poured herself a tall glass and took a big swallow. Icy chills raced straight up to her brain. “Oh.”

Once her brain thawed, she took another sip and actually tasted it this time. Delicious! And just what the doctor ordered. There was no rebellion from her tummy, no nausea. A quiet hum coursed through her body. She’d done a good job of mothering tonight. Baby came first. She could get used to smoothies for dinner.

She brought the smoothie with her as she walked into the living room and plopped down on the sofa. Under her, cushions of chocolate leather creaked with newness. Aside from the updated kitchen, the living room was her second-favorite place in the cottage. She closed her eyes and guzzled down the rest of her smoothie.

Briiiing, briiing. She had the only cell phone in the world that rang with an ordinary ring. She didn’t want to think about what that said about her. Reaching into her purse, she grabbed her phone and answered on the second ring. “Hello.”

“Hi, Cara. It’s me, Gabriella. I hope you don’t mind me calling this late.”

“Hi, Gabriella. I don’t mind at all. I’m up.” Cara stared blankly at the remnants of her fruit smoothie riding up the sides of the glass sitting on the cocktail table.

“That’s good. Are...are you alone?”

There was so much hope in her voice, Cara hated shooting Alex’s sister down. “Yes. I’m alone.”

“Oh,” she said. Then there was silence on the other end.

Had Alex told Gabriella about his plans to hijack her from the office today? “Alex still doesn’t know about the baby. I didn’t tell him.”

“I, uh, I understand. Alex said he had something special planned for you tonight, but that’s all I could get out of him.”

“I’m sorry, Gabriella. I know he’s your brother and that you’re concerned about him, but I can’t tell him about the baby right now.”

“Cara, I—I want you to know I’m not pressuring you. I’m very excited about my niece or nephew and, well, I’m so happy now. More than I ever thought possible. I’m so deeply in love with Chance that I want to see everyone happy, especially you and my brother.”

“Oh, Gabriella, I wish things were different, but the facts will never change. You know how complicated it is between Alex and me. What he did to me, the way he betrayed me...”

Gabriella’s voice lowered to a whisper. “It’s unforgivable. Sí, I know. If it wasn’t for the innocent child you carry, I would understand if you never forgave him. But he’s my brother. And you’re my friend. With the baby on the way...it should be a happy time for both of you.”

“You’re a good sister, Gabriella. And a good friend to me.”

Gabriella’s friendship was important to Cara, and they were becoming closer each day. Though no two people could’ve started out any rockier. Gabriella had walked in on Cara crying on Chance’s shoulder when she’d found out she was pregnant with Alex’s child. Cara had thought herself the biggest fool for sleeping with him right after he was released from the hospital and right before his true identity was revealed to the world. Twice she’d been fooled.

Gabriella found Cara in Chance’s comforting arms and assumed the rancher she’d come to love was playing with her heart. She’d run off and Chance had to do some fast talking to convince Gabriella he wasn’t still in love with Cara.

Only Gabriella and Chance knew about her pregnancy.

“That means a great deal to me, Cara. I want so much for us to be good friends and I thank you for your trust in me.”

Trust she didn’t dare give to Gabriella’s brother. “I know you had no part in the deception. You explained it all to me.”

“Sí. I am angry with my papa. He kept me in the dark about Alejandro. He never told me my brother lived under an assumed name. He never told me what my brother planned to do, only that business took him away from Mexico.” Gabriella’s voice trembled. “Alejandro almost died, though. It is hard for me to stay angry with my brother.”

Cara saw her point. “We can be friends, Gabriella. We won’t let Alex come between us. If you forgive him, it won’t change our friendship. I am grateful to have you to talk to now that you are with Chance.”

“My papa is not happy I have moved into Chance’s home. He feels like he has lost control. And he worries. I have been sheltered most of my life, but now I have grown up. I have a good man. I will not let him go.”

“Chance is a good man. And he’s lucky to have you, Gabriella. I wasn’t the right woman for Chance, but you are.”

“He had nothing to do with Alejandro’s kidnapping.”

Cara pictured Gabriella as a four-year old child growing up without her mother. How sad for her. How devastating for the whole family to lose a woman they all loved to murdering kidnappers. She understood why Gabriella couldn’t stay angry with her brother. Learning of his disappearance had to rekindle horrible memories for her. “I’d bet my life on it. Chance isn’t made that way.”

Gabriella’s sigh of relief carried over the phone line. “I’m glad you believe it.”

“Will you promise to keep my secret a little longer, Gabriella? I know it’s asking a lot of you, but...I’m not ready to—”

“I understand. When I lost faith in Chance, I didn’t know where to turn or what to do. Time will help you decide. We will keep your secret. Chance and I... We will not betray you.”

That made her the only del Toro who wouldn’t. Cara didn’t hold Gabriella’s bloodlines against her though.

“And remember, I am here, whenever you need me.”

“Thank you, Gabriella.”

The conversation ended, and Cara clicked off her phone. Tonight, Alex had revealed to her that he’d regained most of his memory and, on the drive home, he’d asked for her promise to keep it a secret. If he believed it would help him clear Chance’s name and find out who’d had him kidnapped, Cara wasn’t going to stand in his way.

It was one more secret to keep.

A quiet sigh blew from her lips. If only she’d fallen head over heels in love with Chance McDaniel. Life with him was easier. He was a good, honest, simple man.

Unfortunately, only Alex del Toro put butterflies in her stomach. Among other things. It was getting crowded in there. Butterflies and babies.

Cara laid her hand over her plank-board belly where a little strawberry grew.

And a teeny-weeny smile emerged.

* * *

“You know, your sister is a much better rider than you are,” Chance McDaniel said over his shoulder.

Alex nudged his horse, and the mare caught up to Chance’s mount as they traveled the McDaniel land, far into the hills. “That’s because while she was out learning French and English and taking riding lessons on our land with only the best horsemen in all of Mexico, I was busy learning the family business.”

Chance lowered the brim of his hat to the morning sun. “Yeah, well, look where that got you. Cara is barely speaking to you. You’re in hot water at the Cattleman’s Club and you’re still not sure if the people who kidnapped you are planning a second course with you on their menu.”

Dios! Chance was right. And Alex hated to stand corrected. Alex adjusted his black Stetson on his head and blew out a sigh. “There’s nothing better than having a morning ride with my friend to clear my head. Gracias, McDaniel. You are overly kind.”

A smirk spread wide across Chance’s face. “I’ve been told that before. By your sister.”

Alex laughed. “She’s the kind one. My sister has a heart of gold. If you ask me, you got damn lucky the day Gabriella came into your life. And if you ever forget that...”

Chance gave a slow nod of his head. The right side of his mouth cocked. “Nope, never gonna forget that. Your little sis gave me a run for my money. If she’d made it all the way back to Mexico, I would’ve tracked her down and brought her home, where she belongs. I know what I’m getting with that woman.”

Alex believed him. Chance was crazy about Gabriella. And his little sis loved Chance enough to defy their father. In some ways, Gabriella had been smarter and stronger than he’d been. Pleasing bullheaded, powerful and ruthless Rodrigo del Toro had become an obsession for Alex. He’d wanted to make his father proud. To prove himself worthy of taking over Del Toro Oil one day. Coming to America, posing as Alex Santiago and living the life he’d always wanted was too big a temptation to refuse. Alex hadn’t thought too much about the repercussions of that decision. He hadn’t thought about hurting the friends he’d made here. And he certainly hadn’t thought he’d fall in love with the daughter of his rival, the heir to the very company Del Toro Oil hoped to buy out.

Alex swiveled his head from one end of the range to the other. Rolling hills covered with budding wildflowers and prairie grass lay across the land. No one was in sight. “Listen, Chance. I asked to ride out here with you for two reasons. I think you know what I’m going to say, but let’s get out of the sun.”

“Fine by me.”

Alex pulled up on his reins and his mare halted under a mesquite tree. He dismounted first and ground tethered his palomino. Chance did the same. Under the umbrella of long outreaching branches, checkered light filtered down and partially blocked the sunlight. The two of them sat down on a blanket of coarse grass. Alex leaned back against the tree and yanked a blade of grass from its root as he stared out onto McDaniel land.

“I’ve told you before, I will clear your name of any wrongdoing in my kidnapping.”

“Crock of crap as it is.”

“I never thought it was you. Not your style.”

“What in hell does that mean?”

His face cracked into a small smile. “You’d try to punch my lights out in a fistfight. You’d challenge me to a duel. You’d kick my ass if you thought you had cause. You’re no coward. You’d face me head-on. Only a coward would have me run off the road and shanghaied, left to rot in a Mexican town.”

“Glad you have such a high opinion of me.”

“You and me, we’ll be family soon. I hope our friendship is strong enough to survive this.”

“I’m hoping so, too. Didn’t much like it when Cara fell in love with you. I thought she and I had a future together. We fit. We came from the same background. But I stepped aside so that she could be happy. And look how you’ve hurt her.”

Alex drew a deep breath. “I know. Believe me, I’m trying to make up for that. But it’s trickier than you might imagine. For the past few weeks, since my memory has returned, I keep rehashing the details. I’ve got people poking around behind the scenes, trying to tie it all together, trying to figure out the mystery. And only one name keeps cropping up. It all makes sense. It’s the only person with something to gain by having me kidnapped. I think Paul Windsor got wind of my real identity. He never liked me. He never wanted me with Cara. After we got engaged, I think he hired those thugs to come after me. They roughed me up and dumped me across the border.”

“You think he figured out who you were? Didn’t want to see his daughter tangled up with you and decided to get rid of you?”

Alex began nodding his head. “Yeah. I’m almost certain it was him.”

“You got any proof?”

“Some. But what I do have is motive. If he knew what I was up to with Windsor Energy and that I planned on marrying his daughter—”

“He’d want you out of the picture.”

“That’s right.”

“Okay, let me know if I can help with that. Even though Cara’s old man never gave me any trouble when we were dating, if he’s guilty of this crime he needs to be off the streets. It’s hard thinking anyone in the club could do something this criminal. I guess you never know about people.”

Alex nodded.

Chance looked him up and down, with warmth vacant from his eyes. “Of course, you had me fooled, too. You succeeded in deceiving me and everyone who called themselves your friend. Once, I thought you could do no wrong.”

Alex tossed the blade of grass down. A breeze picked it up and it landed ten feet away. His eyes homed in on the sliver of grass and his mouth quirked. If only he could do that, get from point A to point B that quickly. He knew where he wanted to be, back in everyone’s good graces. He’d had the world by the tail and he’d let it slip through his fingers. He might never live down what he’d done. His gaze slid to Chance sitting right next to him. He’d been his best friend. And how did he repay him? By stealing his girl and lying to him. Alex was lucky Chance gave him the time of day.

“I hope I can make it up to you. I’ve been thinking, since my father is still in Texas and will be staying at my house until Gabriella is properly wed, what if I gave you a wedding? Gabriella can have the wedding she has always wanted, big or small. I know you are itching to get hitched, as you say.” Alex smiled. “It’d be my honor to do this for both of you.”

Chance lowered his head. Apparently, he found the grass interesting as he stared, unblinking. Overhead, branches rustled in the wind and chirps from nearby crickets interrupted the silence. “Well, now,” Chance said, lifting his lids and squaring their gazes. His voice rasped, “That’d be a darn good start at repairing the damage. I think Gabriella would love that.”

Quiet breath released from Alex’s chest. “I’ll ask my sister today.”

“That’ll make her happy,” Chance said.

“I hope more than Cara was.” Sensations whirled in his gut. He still smarted from Cara’s brisk dismissal of him last night. She wasn’t cutting him any slack. At least he’d gotten a chance to tell her his feelings for her were stronger than ever. He wasn’t going away. His stubborn streak ran a mile long. “She’s not thrilled with me these days.”

“If you love Cara and want her back, this thing with her father isn’t going to help. You go after him, you stand to lose Cara, too. She’ll be hurt by this.”

Alex couldn’t deny that. “What choice do I have?”

Chance shrugged. “None, I guess. You’re right. It’s tricky.”

“I appreciate you hearing me out, Chance. I hope one day you’ll fully welcome me into your family. Giving you a wedding is just the beginning.”

Alex put out his hand.

Chance gave it a glance and then nodded. As they shook on it, Chance said, “If Gabriella wants this wedding, you’ve got yourself a deal.”

He smiled.

It would be the best deal he’d made all year.

* * *

Gabriella could be dangerous with a rolling pin in her hands, but she’d forgiven him for the most part, so he ambled to the doorway of Chance’s kitchen, eyeing his little sister working at the counter. Wearing an apron decorated with cherry-topped cupcakes in pink and white and chunky turquoise jewelry around her neck, she stood beside the range top, rolling floured dough into paper-plate-size circles. Steam rose from the griddle and she wiped at the beads of sweat on her face with her forearm, her long dark hair pulled back out of her eyes. She lifted her creations and dropped them onto the heat. They sizzled.

He leaned against the door frame and watched his sister’s precise movements with amazement. She’d never been an adept cook. Living with Chance had changed his sister. “Tortillas like Tía Manuela used to make.”

Gabriella turned sharply at the sound of his voice and blinked rapidly. “Alejandro?”

“I had business with Chance today. He let me into the house a minute ago.”

“You remember Tía Manuela?”

“We would go there on Sundays after church. She’d make us a batch of warm tortillas and fill them with potatoes and beans. They were delicious and we’d always fight over the last one.”

Gabriella’s dark eyes grew round. “She would tell you to let me have the last one.”

“And I would because I knew she would make up another batch just for me. I would then eat three more and mi hermana could not keep up with my appetite.”

The memory was a good one. Alex smiled as his little sister’s eyes watered. “Alejandro, I am happy your memory has returned.” She turned off the burner and took a step toward him and embraced him. She’d only recently learned that his amnesia was gone.

He nodded. “Yes. I am haunted with memories of playing tricks on my sister and having the wrath of Papa come down on my head. As you know, I remember everything.”

Alex was grateful most of his memories with his sister were good ones. He hadn’t given her too much trouble while growing up. Except for normal harmless big-brother antics, Alex and Gabriella had a loving relationship. He, like his father, had been protective of her, and she didn’t always appreciate being sheltered and overprotected. He recalled her rebellion when Papa had allowed Alex to move out of their secured mansion to live in an apartment in Mexico City...to become a man.

Gabriella had cut her long luxurious hair to a bob style that measured no more than three inches around her head and had a tattoo inked on her shoulder. By then a furious Rodrigo del Toro had had enough. Luckily, Gabriella’s tattoo disappeared on its own after one week as she’d claimed. That single saving grace resulted in her not being punished. But she’d definitely made a statement. Alex had admired her guts in her temporary rebellion.

Gabriella pulled away from their embrace to take his face in her gentle hands and stare into his eyes. “I wish those awful things had not happened to my brother. Do you know any more about the ones who did you harm?”

He glanced away from her soul-searching eyes. “It is better not to discuss it. You do not need to know the details.”

“I am not a child. I can handle the details. I’m concerned for my big brother,” she said, studying his face. “I will not wilt away knowing the truth. Are you in danger now?”

“I’m cautious, Gabriella. But I feel the danger is over. I plan to find out who did this to me and do my best to put to rest any rumors that Chance had anything to do with my abduction.”

For Gabriella’s safety, Alex wasn’t going to confide in her about his suspicions. The fewer people who knew his memory had returned, the better leverage he would have. “And you, my sister...you are no wilting flower. You have made me proud standing up to Papa. He has babied you long enough. You are in good hands with Chance. He will take care of you.”

Her mouth opened instantly. “Alejandro!”

“Let me finish. Chance will see to your needs, I have no doubt, and you will take care of his. You will be equal partners. Is that not what marriage is all about?”

Her expression softened as she contemplated. “Sí, it’s what I always believed marriage to be. Alejandro, please be careful.”

Alex used his thumb to wipe a spilled tear off her cheek. “I will be. Until I find out who was responsible for the crimes, no one but family will know my memory has returned. I revealed my secret to Cara last night. She owns my heart, Gabriella, and I only hope she will one day forgive me, but she has promised not to tell anyone and I trust her.”

“I will continue to keep your secret. You know you can count on me.” Her smile was big and warm and shining with love. “Today is a happy day. I will focus on that. Will you stay for some of Tía’s tortillas?”

“You don’t have to ask twice. I wasn’t leaving until I had me a bellyful.”

She chuckled, her light, joyous laughter stirring memories of their childhood at Las Cruces, their family’s estate. “Now you sound like Chance.”

“And every other Texan in the county.”

Gabriella’s smile radiated through the kitchen, brightening his mood. She turned to the griddle as Alex stepped beside her. “I have another surprise for you.”

“What could be a better surprise than your memory returning?”

“Well,” Alex said, “I have a great deal of making up to do.”

“Agreed.” With spatula in hand, she flipped the tortillas over. “There are so many you have deceived.”

The hairs on the back of his neck rose. Gabriella was a little too eager to agree with him. “And even though you were my tagalong little bra—” The spatula smacked his forearm. “Hey, that’s hot!” Damn, his sister was quick.

She grinned. “You were saying, I was a—?”

“The best sister in the world?” He rubbed the sting from his forearm.

“Better,” she said with a nod. She wielded the spatula his way and gestured for him to go on.

“I want to throw you a wedding, Gabriella.” All joking aside, Alex couldn’t think of anything he wanted more for his sister. “Before Papa returns to Mexico, you could speak your vows at my home in Pine Valley. I’d make sure you’d have the wedding of your dreams. Whatever you wanted, I would provide.”

Slowly, Gabriella lowered the spatula. He eyed the thing and was glad his arm was out of danger now. Lifting his gaze to his sister again, he marveled as the sweetest expression stole over her face. Growing up, Gabriella had never been a problem to him. He simply loved to tease her, and now it was important to him that she allow him this honor. “Oh, Alejandro.”

Tears of gratitude and love swam in her eyes and his heart warmed. “That is very kind of you. Chance and I want to be married quickly, but we have not made our plans yet. We want nothing big, but only to be married with our family and friends in attendance.”

“Done.”

“Are you certain?”

“I’m sure. Let me do this for you and Chance.”

She began nodding. “Gracias, Alejandro. Thank you. Thank you. My heart is filled with happiness today.”

“Mine is, too, mi hermana. You deserve it.”

She smiled again and offered him a seat. “Let me finish cooking. I will give my big brother the entire batch of tortillas.”

“With beans and potatoes?”

“Sí. It is your favorite.”

* * *

Alex left Chance’s house with a full belly. Why was it that food from the past always tasted better? Always satisfied more? Up until a short while ago, Alex didn’t really know which foods were his favorites, which ones were held over from his childhood, which foods turned his stomach. Now all of it was back, and Tía Manuela’s fresh warm tortillas had put a smile on his face as he gunned the engine of his SUV and drove down the path that led him off McDaniel’s Acres. Before he reached the gate, his gaze hit upon a blonde woman entering the stables. His mind flashed, familiar and female, and his heart pumped hard against his chest.

Cara?

He braked suddenly and parked the car on the side of the road. Taking brisk steps, he entered the stables and squinted from lack of sunlight. Once his eyes adjusted, he scanned the aisles, searching for the woman he’d seen just seconds ago. Footprints marked the ground and hay rustled, but otherwise all was quiet. How far could she have gone?

Then movement caught his eye. Down along a row of stalls, all the way at the end, he found Cara with her arms folded on top of a stall door, her eyes fixed on a mare. Her hair was drawn back in a loose ponytail and secured with a rubber band. She wore white jeans and tennis shoes, obviously not riding gear, and a flimsy pale blue button-down blouse. The ball cap on her head screamed Dallas Cowboys in bold blue-and-silver lettering.

Alex couldn’t keep from staring at her and strained to hear the soft, soothing words she granted the horse. Finally, his feet moved and he headed down the long aisle, catching the eye of Striker, the mare he’d taken out this morning with Chance. He clucked his mouth, and the horse’s ears perked up. Cara stayed focused on the mare, even as his boots parted hay and crunched as he moved closer.

Without her knowledge, he took in every graceful move she made. Relished each uttered sweet word drifting to his ears. When he stood within five feet of her, she turned her head to one side and found his eyes. He was caught off guard by the softness on her face, the kindness in her expression. He’d expected anger or rebuke when she noticed him, but instead her lips lifted slightly.

Alex halted and caught his breath. His heartbeats fired rapidly. “Cara.”

“Hello, Alex.”

He drank in her blue depths and the mellow tone in her voice. Dios, how he loved her.

“What are you doing here?” he asked.

“Visiting my friend.” Her gaze dropped over the stall to a bay mare. “I rescued her a few months ago and Chance lets me keep her here.”

Alex moved closer to glance at the horse that had put Cara in a melancholy mood. The mare was average size, probably a mustang, marked with two white stockings on her front legs and a coat that was a little duller than the ones in Chance’s well-cared-for string.

“I thought you were afraid of horses?”

“I’m getting over that. This horse has changed me. She’s special.”

“She must be to get you to come into the stables without blinking an eye. What’s her name?”

“Mercy.” She stared at the horse. “When I laid eyes on her that was the first thing out of my mouth. Mercy. She was abused and neglected. There were maggots living in her coat. They were eating her alive. I didn’t think she’d survive. She was starved and jittery. It broke my heart to see an animal suffer that way.”

“Terrible. How often do you come to visit?”

“As often as I can, but it’s not always possible. Chance has been good about it. He gives me updates on her condition.”

“She’s going to survive.”

“I think so. She’s still nervous with people. She’s got trust issues and I don’t press it. As long as she’s cared for, I’ll wait until she’s comfortable enough with me before I step inside her stall.”

“That is probably wise. I’m sure she appreciates your visits. She will come around.”

She shrugged and directed her gaze to the recovering horse. “It’s not a hardship for me. I...I missed her today.”

The hint of sweet vanilla teased his nose as Alex stepped closer to Cara. He inhaled deeply to savor her scent over the more potent musty barn smells of earth and straw. Images flashed in his mind like a flip book, one scene after another. Cara giving him cooking lessons. Cara just stepping out of the shower. Cara sprawled out across his bed, waiting for him. “I know something about missing someone you care about.”

The slightest flicker in her eyes told him she’d heard his comment. “Cara, look at me.”

Her eyes closed as if she was in silent prayer. A few seconds ticked by, and he used that time to move a step closer. His heart hammered hard as he waited. And finally she turned and opened her eyes. They fluttered like butterfly wings.

She wasn’t as immune to him as he’d feared.

“Alex, what are you doing here?”

“I met with Chance earlier. We rode.”

“I mean, what are you doing here?”

“I got lucky. I was pulling away after seeing Chance and my sister when I spotted you coming in here.”

“Oh.” She nibbled on her lip and looked away. No eye contact. He wondered if his candor broke through some of her defensive walls. “Did you follow me?”

They’d already wasted enough time, months, and he’d be damned if he let her slip through his fingers now because of his foolishness and her pride, so he told her the absolute truth. “I am not following you, if that’s what you’re asking.” He couldn’t blame her for wondering. Yesterday, he’d hijacked her from her office. Today was simply a blessed accident. “But as soon as I saw you, I followed you inside the stable.”

Her eyes lifted to his.

He brought his hand to her face and touched her cheek gently with his fingertips. Breath puffed from her chest in a whispered sigh as she closed her eyes and absorbed his warmth, telling him what he wanted, needed to know, with unspoken words. “You haven’t forgotten what it was like between us?”

Her head moved. “No.”

“We had heat, Cara.” He drew deep from the well of her sweet scent and brought his mouth to hers. His lips hovered over hers and he rasped, “We still do.”

She kept shaking her head, but her eyes betrayed her. She still cared, she still loved him. No longer fierce and protective, those orbs of blue welcomed him with timid acceptance. He had to prove to her he wouldn’t hurt her again. If she gave him another chance, he would show her pleasure and try his damnedest to make her happy.

“Alex.” He took her plea as invitation and not rejection.

He thumbed her chin up and brought his mouth down. A squeaky noise erupted from her mouth as soon as their lips met and Alex smiled then, unable to hide his satisfaction. She was everything to him and he wanted to be everything to her. Again.

Her mouth was exquisite and he wanted more...already, so much more. He’d been too long without her, and the evidence wasn’t too far south of his belt buckle.

He put his hands on her waist and drew her up against him. Her body fit him perfectly. She was snug against him as the kiss deepened. He nipped at her lower lip and she opened for him, her breaths as ragged and rapid as his own.

He swept through her luscious mouth and groaned as she met his demands. Licking her with his tongue, he tasted the sweetly heady combination of wholesome and sexy all rolled up into one. Cara had been forbidden fruit, the daughter of his rival, his best friend’s girl, yet he hadn’t been able to keep away from her. He couldn’t now. Her taste permeated his core, giving him an erection that strained fiercely, killing him in small measures. His juices flowing hot and liquid, he splayed his hands around her backside and with a quick, gentle jerk, her hips collided with his. “This is our heat, Cara.”

She answered with a low, aching moan rushing from her lips.

He let his hands roam over her jeans and cursed the damn sequined pockets barricading him from feeling more of her. He ached to touch bare skin, to feel her warmth and curve his hands over the twin swells of her cheeks. He broke contact with her mouth only long enough to take another ragged breath. “I remember you. What we had.”

“Alex.” She jerked her head back far enough to meet with his eyes. She gulped air, her eyes liquid clear and hungry. “We can’t...”

He blocked out her refusal and grabbed her hand. Tugging her along, away from the stalls, away from any daylight, he found an empty office at the end of the barn that was no longer in use. He pulled her inside, noting an old pine desk and dusty papers covering a metal file cabinet. The door locked and the plastic blinds were already lowered on the indoor window.

She glanced at the desk, her brows arched in silent thrill. He was way beyond that, thrill too shallow a word for what he felt for her, but he could not take her on that filthy desk. He thought too much of her. She deserved more. He settled against the wall, and pulled her to him. She landed flat against his chest, her curvy body flush against him. He groaned at the perfect fit, the way she filled in the hollow spaces both of his needy body and his vacant heart. He’d blown it with her. There was no sugarcoating the obvious. He would make her remember the couple they’d once been one little gasp, one smoldering kiss, one fantastic orgasm at a time.

He cupped the back of her neck and jerked her head forward. Her mouth was a breath away. “You have no idea...what you do to me.”

Cara started to make a quick retort—she was sharp with her tongue—but he was quicker. He crushed his mouth to hers, staking a claim that was long ago decided. She didn’t pull away, didn’t rebuke his bold move bringing her inside the abandoned office. She was torn, though, with indecision; he tasted it in her kiss, her slightly stiff body against his. He hoped to melt her, to make her see the truth about them.

Alex was not a patient man. But he’d wait for Cara as long as it would take. But not before he left his mark on her. Not before he gave her a memory they would never forget.

His senses pulsed as he deepened the kiss and murmured soft, loving words. He broke through her rigidness, nuzzling her throat, his nose tickled by silky locks of her hair. He touched her shoulders and smoothed his hands down her arms. Her body responded with little tremors that he felt under his fingers. “You’re so beautiful, Cara.”

“So are you.... That’s why this is so hard for me.”

“I’m sorry for all I have done to you, sweetheart.”

“Don’t...say any more,” she whispered. And in that whisper he knew she asked not for apologies that were hard to accept but for something more carnal. Something he’d planned to do for her anyway. “Let me make it up to you.”

Already his hands were on her waist, his fingers nimble on the button of her jeans. He unfastened it and took the zipper in his thumb and forefinger. She didn’t protest, didn’t jerk away, but the tremors escalated and there was a twinge of movement toward him, enough encouragement for him to continue. He held her hip steady with one hand and inched down the teeth of her zipper with the other. Her jeans separated over her belly, and she splayed her legs open. For him. Alex dipped his hand inside her heat, brushing his thumb and pinkie finger against her firm, smooth thighs. Lacy material covered his destination, and he moved it away with a single finger slide.

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