His Badge, Her Baby...Their Family?
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“So when are you going to tell her? I mean, who she is. That might be a start to easing her mind. And who knows, maybe she was on her way here to see you.”
Evan’s suggestion brought him up short. “That’s crazy! She couldn’t have been coming here to see me. After we divorced, all ties between us were dropped. For all she knew I could’ve been living in Alaska.”
“Hmm. You know as well as I that if she wanted to locate you, all she needed to do was make a quick computer search and she would’ve known exactly where you lived.”
Shaking his head, Vince started walking in the direction of the elevator. “That’s true. If she’d wanted to locate me. But I’d bet money she was driving into Carson City for some other reason. So let’s go see what our data tells us about Geena.”
Evan caught up to him. “You know she’s Geena, but what is her last name now? Yours? Her maiden name? A new husband’s name? This might not be simple.”
Vince didn’t expect anything about Geena’s case to be simple. In fact, he figured being shot again would be easier to handle than dealing with his ex-wife. But he’d never shirked his duty or asked to be taken off a case just because he found it to be uncomfortable. And he wasn’t about to start now.
“No. But let’s hope it will be.”
Without warning, Evan reached over and caught Vince by the arm.
Stopping in his tracks, Vince looked at him. “What now?”
A sheepish expression crossed Evan’s face. “I hate to bring this up, Vince, but do you think Geena might have been drinking? Alcohol would explain the accident.”
Vince let out a long breath. He’d told Evan more than once that Geena’s drinking had been a huge part of the reason he’d called it quits on their marriage. Vince could easily understand why Evan was questioning her sobriety now.
“Believe me, Evan, when I saw that it was Geena lying in that bed, the thought of alcohol definitely ran through my mind. She was clearly confused. But that could’ve been a result of the concussion. Anyway, I certainly hate to think she’d be drinking in her pregnant condition. But we won’t know for sure until a detailed toxicology report comes back.”
“And that will probably take two weeks,” Evan replied.
Not wanting to think what might happen between now and then, Vince nudged his partner toward the elevator. “Come on. We have work to do.”
* * *
Inside the hospital room, the young woman waited until she was certain the two detectives weren’t going to return, then slowly climbed out of bed. In spite of a swimmy head and a sore back, she managed to make it to a private bathroom located in one corner of the room.
To her relief there was a small mirror hanging over the lavatory. Clinging to the cold sink, she leaned forward and studied her image in the mirror.
Wavy blond hair touched a slender neck and shoulders. Slanted green eyes, full pink lips and pale ivory skin. This was the image she’d seen every day of her life for the past twenty-nine years. So why didn’t she recognize herself? And if she didn’t know her own name, how did she know her age? It was crazy!
Oh, God help her, she prayed. She was terrified to think what might happen to her and her baby. Did she have loved ones waiting for her, wondering why she hadn’t arrived home? Or maybe she had no home and she’d been running from something or someone!
In spite of the slivers of cold fear racing down her spine, sweat popped out on her forehead and upper lip. A wave of dizziness prompted her to grip the edge of the sink even tighter.
She was clutching the cold porcelain, wondering how she was going to make it back to the bed without falling, when she heard a soft gasp behind her.
“Young lady! What are you doing out of bed?”
From the corner of her eye, she could see a nurse hurrying toward her. The fact that help had suddenly arrived caused her to sigh with relief.
“I—I wanted to look in the mirror,” she attempted to explain to the nurse. “To see what I looked like.”
The nurse wrapped a supportive arm across her back and gently guided her away from the sink. “Now isn’t the time to be concerned about your appearance! You’re concussed. You’re not to get out of bed without a nurse’s assistance!”
“You don’t understand,” she tried to explain. “I didn’t know what I looked like! I don’t even know my name!”
“Don’t get excited,” she ordered. “It will only make everything worse for you and your baby.”
After she’d helped her safely back into bed, the nurse spread a thin sheet and blanket back over her and pulled up the bed railing. From a pocket at the foot of the bed, she collected a clipboard and scanned the information on the top two sheets of paper.
“Hmm. I see. I was told you had a concussion, but I see here that you’ve also been diagnosed with amnesia.” She looked up, her smile empathetic. “When you said you wanted to see what you looked like, you really meant it.”
As the nurse walked up to the head of the bed, she noticed the woman appeared to be in her late twenties or early thirties. Thick auburn hair was twisted into a messy bun atop her head, while bright blue eyes peered compassionately back at her.
“Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? Until I looked in the mirror, I didn’t even know what color my hair was. But oddly enough, I think I remember my age. I believe I’m twenty-nine. I don’t know why.” She looked anxiously to the pretty nurse. The name Marcella was written on the name tag pinned to her breast. “Do you think that age is correct?”
The nurse’s smile deepened. “Hard to tell. I’d estimate you a bit younger. But I wouldn’t worry about any of that. You’ll be remembering soon. I’ve seen these sorts of injuries before. Most of them fix themselves fairly quickly. In the meantime, what are you going to call yourself?”
“Oh. I’d not thought about that. I guess I’m what you’d call a Jane Doe.” Feeling even more forlorn, she passed a protective hand over her belly. The baby continued to move with frequent vigor, so she had that much to be thankful for. “But I don’t much like the idea of being tagged with that moniker.”
“I wouldn’t like it either. So let’s call you something else. Like Alice,” the nurse suggested.
“Alice? Why that name?”
Chuckling, she dropped the clipboard back into its holder at the foot of the bed. “Well, I have an idea that right about now you’re feeling like you’re in wonderland. Do you recall the story Alice in Wonderland?”
In spite of her anxious situation, she managed to chuckle along with the nurse. “Guess there are some things in my brain that haven’t left. I do remember the childhood story,” she said, then smiled. “Okay, Alice it will be.”
With an encouraging pat on her shoulder, the nurse reached for the blood pressure cuff hanging behind the head of the bed. “All right, Alice, let’s take your vitals and then I’ll let you get some rest. But promise me one thing. Do not get out of bed unless you press your call button and ask for help. We don’t want anything to happen to you or your baby.”
“I may not know who I am or where I came from, but I know I want my baby very much. I promise not to get out of bed again unless someone is here to help me.”
“Good girl. Now you’re making sense.”
While Marcella took her vitals, Alice managed to keep her emotions together, but once the woman left the quiet room, tears began to stream from the corners of her eyes.
Naturally, the nurse was concerned about her and her baby’s welfare. It was her job to see that her patient recovered. But why weren’t any of her family or loved ones walking through the door? Was she that far from home? Had she been lost?
Suddenly overwhelmed with exhaustion, she closed her eyes and tried to remember even the smallest glimmer from her past. But her memories were like a blackboard that had been swiped with a felt eraser. Faint white marks were still evident, but none of them were clear enough to make sense.
The only distinct image she possessed was that of Detective Vincent Parcell. Even in her clouded confusion, she’d noticed his thick brown hair and strong, tanned features. His warm brown eyes had studied her in a way that had made her want to pull the sheet all the way up beneath her chin. He’d not said much, but when he had spoken to her, his voice had been a low, rich baritone that had rumbled through her like a familiar melody.
The detective with him had been an attractive man, and nice to boot. But meeting him hadn’t affected her in the same way as Vincent Parcell. Somehow, someway she’d felt certain their paths had crossed before tonight.
But that was a ridiculous notion, she thought. He was merely a man who was trying to help her get out of this strange wonderland she’d fallen into. And no matter how he’d looked or sounded, she was going to have to trust him to lead her back to the real world.
Chapter Two
Early the next morning, Vince left Evan at the office diligently searching through a nationwide database for any type of link to Geena, while he headed to the hospital to attempt to have a word with her doctor.
Luckily, Vince spotted the middle-aged man striding toward the elevator doors located a few feet away from Geena’s room.
“Dr. Merrick,” he called to him. “Can you spare a minute?”
The red-bearded physician paused, and once Vince reached his side, he flashed his badge to identify himself. “Vince Parcell. Remember? You looked in on me a couple of times for Dr. Whitehorse. I had gunshot wounds.”
Recognition flashed in the doctor’s eyes, and he quickly thrust out his hand. “Yes, I remember now. Good to see you looking so well, Detective Parcell. Is there something I can help you with? I hope you’re not having issues with your old injuries.”
As a group of people approached the elevator door, the doctor stepped aside to clear the path and Vince followed him.
“Thanks, Doctor. I’m fine. I’m here regarding a patient of yours. She was involved in a car accident last evening. Blond. Expecting a baby.”
“Oh, yes. I’ve already looked in on her this morning. She and the baby are coming along nicely. A miracle, considering the severity of the wreck.”
“The car was incinerated. Along with her identification,” Vince explained. “That’s why I need to talk with you about her condition.”
“Sorry, Detective, but I can’t divulge details about her condition. That’s reserved for family. And unfortunately it’s impossible for her to locate them just now.”
A spurt of hope rushed through Vince. “You mean she remembers her family?”
Frowning, the doctor slipped a pair of black-framed glasses from his nose and stuffed them in a pocket on his white lab coat. “You know about the amnesia?”
Nodding, Vince said, “My partner and I questioned her last night. We’re trying to come up with her identity.”
“Well, I hope you do, and soon. From what I can gauge, she’s probably going to deliver her baby in the next two weeks or somewhere about. I don’t have to tell you she needs to be in the care of her personal physician. Not to mention the support of her family.”
Two weeks. That could feel like an eternity or the blink of an eye, Vince thought.
“Does that mean you don’t expect her memory to return before then?”
The doctor considered his question for a moment before he finally answered, “That’s impossible to predict. Her memory could return at any moment. Or it could be weeks, even months from now.”
It was all Vince could do to keep from cursing with frustration. “Then I need your medical advice.”
“About Jane Doe?”
“Dr. Merrick, she isn’t Jane Doe. Not exactly. Her name is Geena.”
Relief passed over the doctor’s face. “Oh, so you’ve found out that much already.”
Vince grimaced. “I already knew that much. You see, Geena was my wife for five years.”
“Was.” The shocked doctor repeated the key word. “Obviously that was some time ago.”
“Before last night I’d not seen her since we parted six years ago. When I questioned her, she looked at me like she’d never seen me before! Am I supposed to share this information with her? What will it do to her if I tell her she used to be Geena Parcell? Or should I not reveal anything about this until later?”
The other man thoughtfully stroked his beard, then glanced pointedly at his wristwatch. “Give me a few minutes to consult with Dr. Dunlevy and I’ll get back to you.”
“I’ll wait down in the cafeteria,” Vince told him.
* * *
A half hour later, Vince walked into Geena’s hospital room and found her sitting up on the side of the bed, eating from a breakfast tray. Her gold-blond hair had been brushed loose around her shoulders and a soft pink color had returned to her cheeks. As he moved farther into the room, he realized the years had only added to her natural beauty.
Laying her fork aside, she looked at him hopefully. “Good morning, Detective. I hope you’re here to tell me who I am.”
The doctors had concurred that Geena was emotionally and physically sound enough to handle the revelation. As Dr. Merrick had reasoned, no matter the circumstances, she would have to confront her past at some point in her recovery. Yet the vulnerable look in her green eyes made him want to turn tail and run. It would be so much easier to let Evan, or someone else from the sheriff’s department, deal with her.
But this woman had once been his wife. She’d loved him. Wanted him. And tried to give him everything he’d needed. She deserved to hear the truth from him and no one else.
“I don’t want to interrupt your breakfast,” he told her. “I can come back in a few minutes.”
“I was nearly finished anyway.” She pushed the mobile table to one side, then gestured to a plastic chair sitting near the head of the bed. “Please, have a seat.”
“I’d rather stand.” His heart was suddenly pounding so hard he felt sick. He’d often wondered how she might react if the two of them ever happened to cross paths again. But this was a different situation. As far as she was concerned, she was looking at a man she’d met less than twenty-four hours ago.
“I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect to see you or your partner today,” she said. “My case must seem very petty compared to what you normally deal with.”
He tried to smile, but his face felt stiff. “It’s definitely a change from burglary or homicide.”
She didn’t reply. Instead, her green eyes remained fixed on his face as she waited for him to give her a glimmer of good news.
“The debris of your vehicle—what little was left of it—was hauled to the police lab last night. I’m sorry to say they were unable to recover the VIN. The tags were totally destroyed, too. So we’ll have to use other means to find your identity.”
Instead of appearing panicked by this news, she simply lifted her chin and gave him a brave smile. The Geena he’d known had been fragile and needy. This woman staring back at him was displaying strength in spite of her dire situation, and the courage on her face filled Vince with admiration.
“Well, I did remember one piece of information last night, Detective Parcell. I believe I’m twenty-nine years old. Why that fact came to me, I have no idea. And I’m not certain it’s correct. But I wanted to pass it along just in case it might be helpful.”
Swallowing at the tightness in his throat, he moved a step closer. “You’re right.”
Her delicate brows lifted in question. “Right?”
“About your age. You are twenty-nine.”
Her eyes widened. “How could you know that? Even the doctor said he couldn’t accurately determine my age.”
Tell her, Vince. Just blurt it out and get it over with. Waiting isn’t going to help either one of you.
As the taunting voice sounded in his head, he struggled to keep a professional rein on his emotions. This was more than his job, he thought, and Geena was far more than just a woman who’d lost her memory.
“I didn’t come here just to give you the news about the tags and VIN,” he said quietly. “There’s something else—something very important, and you’re going to be confused when you hear it. Probably even shocked. So maybe you should brace yourself.”
Alarm flickered in her green eyes, and then she reached out to him. Instinctively, Vince clasped his hand around hers, and the feel of her soft fingers against his suddenly whirled him back to a time when she’d touched him with hot desire and tender love.
“What is it? You’ve discovered I’m a criminal?”
Her question made him realize she was living in a blank world. Without a past, she had no way of knowing where her future might lead. He couldn’t imagine how terrifying that would be, and more than anything he wanted to make it all better for her. He wanted to take away her fears and doubts. Not add to them.
“No. Nothing like that.” As he drew in a deep breath, his gaze drifted to the mound of baby. Somewhere out there a man was probably searching frantically for her. But so far, not one person had contacted the sheriff’s department about a missing woman. Nor had anything that fit Geena’s description popped up on the national database for missing persons. Vince wasn’t sure what that might mean. He only knew that he felt responsible for her well-being. “I doubt you’ve ever committed a criminal act in your life.”
A wry smile caused the corners of her lips to quiver. “You’re a detective. I suppose you know what a criminal looks like. I’m glad I don’t fit the description.”
“Unfortunately, they look like me and you and everybody else on the street. I know you’re not a criminal because I—” Pausing, he searched for the right words. Yet there were no right words, he realized. No way to buffer the shock. “I know who you are. Your name is Geena. It was Geena Parcell.”
Her eyes grew wide, her lips parted. “Parcell? But that’s your name! Am I related to you? Why didn’t you tell me last night? I—”
“Wait. Slow down and let me explain,” he interrupted. “I couldn’t tell you about anything until I consulted with your doctor. I needed to make sure you could handle this news.”
She lifted her chin to a challenging angle. “All right. I’m not falling over in a dead faint or anything, so tell me. Are we relatives? You said my name was Parcell—does that mean I got married and it changed? If that’s the case, why hasn’t the rest of the family come forward?”
“Because I—we don’t know about your family now. You see, we—you and I were once husband and wife. But we divorced six years ago. Since then I don’t know what’s happened in your life or have any idea what your last name might be.”
Stunned couldn’t begin to describe the look that swept over her face. Her cheeks were paper white and her eyes took on a wild, dazed light.
“You?” The one word came out as little more than a husky whisper. “You were my husband? That—that can’t be!”
“I assure you that we were married. For five years to be exact. We lived in Reno during that time. I worked for the police department there and you were going to college.”
“Reno? You and I—together? But I don’t know you! If you were my husband I’d surely recognize you! I’d feel something—remember something!”
Her voice rose with each word while dark pink color spread across her white cheeks. He couldn’t imagine what must be going through her mind, but the intimate thoughts racing through his only proved what he’d already known for years. He’d not forgotten one thing about Geena or their time together.
Clearing his throat, he said, “I understand this is disturbing to you. Frankly, it’s not easy for me. If you’re not up to dealing with this right now, we’ll talk later. In fact, I’m beginning to think it might be best if I leave and give you time to digest everything.”
A quiet calm suddenly came over her, and then she dropped her head in her hands and mumbled, “I’m sorry, Mr. Parcell—” Lifting her head, she let out a hopeless groan. “That’s great, isn’t it? You were my husband and I’m calling you Mr. Parcell. Do you see how insane all of this is? I can’t absorb it all.”
Vince couldn’t absorb it, either. He’d never expected that seeing Geena again, touching her hand, hearing her voice would be affecting him so deeply. It had to be her vulnerable situation that was making him feel so protective.
Turning away from her, he walked over to a window and gazed down on a small courtyard at the back of the building. A man was sitting on a concrete bench, smoking a cigarette and looking as lost as Vince felt at this moment.
“The doctor says your condition is temporary. Once your memory returns, you can put all this behind you. You’ll be back with your present family and everything will return to normal.”
“My present family,” she said doubtfully. “What if I don’t have one? What if I’m all alone and no one cares or knows that I’m missing?”
The desperation in her voice propelled him back to her bedside. “Your mind is running away with you. You have a mother. At least, she was still living while we were married. Before we divorced, she’d remarried for a third time and moved to Dallas, but apparently she’s changed her name since then. I couldn’t pick up any information on her.”
A tortured frown twisted her features. “Third marriage! Was I close to my mother? Did we get along?”
“Not very well,” he said, deciding it was best to leave it at that.
She let out a dismal groan. “I’m not sure I should even ask about my father.”
Vince let out a long breath. In his line of work, he often had to deliver bad news. But this wasn’t the same. This was Geena. “I’m sorry, your father died when you were ten. And you don’t have any siblings. Evan did manage to locate your stepfather—your mother’s second husband—but he’d not been in contact with her or you in years. He couldn’t help us.”
Bewildered now, she cradled her belly with both hands. “There has to be someone out there who knows where I belong! I’m going to have some man’s baby!”
As if she had to remind him of that fact. Ever since he’d walked into this room last night and realized she was pregnant, he’d been eaten up with the image of her carrying another man’s child. “Believe me, I understand your frustration. But—”
“Do you?” she interrupted. “Unless all trace of memory has been knocked out of your brain at one time, then I don’t expect you to understand anything about this situation I’m in!”
Vince was hardly surprised to see her growing angry, yet he was at a loss of how to deal with it. She was no longer his wife. He couldn’t pull her into his arms, stroke her hair and murmur soothing words in her ear. And even if she did remember being his wife, he doubted she would want that sort of comfort from him now.
“Look, I think—”
His words halted as a slight knock sounded on the door. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw an auburn-haired nurse dressed in navy blue scrubs enter the room.
“Oh, so you have company this morning,” she said to Geena, then turned a hopeful look on Vince. “Are you an acquaintance of Alice?”
From the corner of his eye, he could see Geena wiping a hand over her face and attempting to pull herself together.
“Alice? Where did that name come from?” Vince asked as his gaze vacillated from one woman to the other.
“I gave it to her last night,” the nurse explained. “We needed to call our patient something more than Hey You or Jane Doe.”
Geena quickly intervened. “This is Detective Parcell, Marcella. He’s working my case.”
The nurse extended her hand in greeting. “Nice to meet you, Detective.”
Vince tilted his head as he studied the woman and her name tag. “Marcella. I think I remember seeing you somewhere before,” he told her. “At some sort of party.”
With a light laugh, the nurse dropped his hand and moved over to pick up the half-eaten breakfast tray. “You must be confusing me with someone who has time for a social life.”
“No. I remember now,” Vince said. “It was at a baby christening. Lilly and Rafe’s youngest child. You had two little boys with you.”
A surprised smile came over the nurse’s face. “That was me. So you know the Calhouns?”