Alex ran a hand down his face. “I don’t know either of those names.”
Frustration hung heavy in the air and Ryan’s heart ached for his friend. So many people cared about Alex and would want to help him through this tough time, but would Alex want a bunch of strange faces all up in his business right now?
“Oh, God.”
At the veiled whisper, Piper and Ryan turned to the door to see Cara—pale face, hand covering her mouth, eyes wide. As if she realized there was an audience, she dropped her hand, straightened her shoulders and moved in with slow, easy steps, all the while never taking her eyes off the patient.
Ryan watched as Piper stepped aside and made room at the edge of the bed for Cara. Cara started to reach for Alex’s hand, but stopped as if she remembered he had no idea who she was to him.
“I can’t believe this,” she said, her voice thick with emotion. “I’ve prayed for so long. Wanted to believe you were okay, but not knowing...”
Alex studied her. “Cara?”
“Yes.” She held up her hand, the one showcasing an impressive diamond. “I never took it off, never gave up hope.”
Ryan stepped around the bed and tapped on Piper’s arm, nodding toward the door.
“We’re going to let you two talk,” Piper told Alex and Cara. “It’s good to have you back, Alex.”
He smiled and nodded, but kept his eyes locked on Cara. Hopefully seeing the love of his life would spark something that mere friends couldn’t conjure up from whatever depth of suppressed memories he had.
“Call me if you need anything,” Piper whispered to Cara.
“Can I talk to you for just a second?” Cara asked.
Piper nodded and stepped outside the doorway.
“Is there anything you can tell me about his status?” Cara pleaded.
“All I know is that he was found in the back of a semi in a hidden compartment with a group of illegal immigrants. The doctor isn’t sure if his memory loss is from the accident or something that happened before. That’s really all I know.”
Cara let out a shaky breath. “Thank you for being here for him until I got here.”
Piper reached out and squeezed Cara’s hand. “I know we don’t know each other that well, but please, if you need anything at all, I’m here. It’s no comparison, but Ryan was in the accident, too, and seeing him there really shook me up. I can’t imagine how you’re feeling. So if you need to talk, cry or just vent, I’m here.”
Cara’s smile reached her watery eyes. “I appreciate that, Piper. More than you know. And I may take you up on it. I need to get back inside.”
Piper gave her a brief hug and watched Cara go back on the other side of the privacy curtain just inside the door. Seconds later Ryan walked out.
Ryan closed the door to give the newly reunited couple some much needed privacy.
“Did you see his face?” Piper asked. “He looked so lost, so confused.”
Ryan leaned against the door and stared up at the ceiling. “I can’t even imagine what he’s feeling. But they’re strong. Cara will help him through this.”
“But what if he doesn’t remember and he doesn’t love her anymore?” Piper asked.
Glancing back down, Ryan shook his head. “That won’t happen. Alex is stubborn and a fighter. He won’t give up until he finds his way back to us...and Cara.”
Piper looped her arm around his and tugged him away from the door as she started walking down the hall. “I hope so. But for now, they have each other and I plan on getting you home so you can rest.”
“And while I rest, you’ll make that chicken noodle soup?”
Piper glanced up at him, trying to hold back a smile and failing. “Only because I’m so thankful you’re alive and I know how much worse you could’ve been injured. But don’t expect this every time we’re together, big boy.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it, Red. Wouldn’t dream of it.”
Three
Piper got Ryan settled on the couch, remote in hand and feet propped up, before she went to make his precious soup.
Wasn’t that just like a man? Fondling the remote, reclined in a cushy chair and waiting on supper? She smiled as she headed to the kitchen. For some reason catering to Ryan didn’t bother her in the least. She knew he was no slacker when it came to work. The man was iconic in the rodeo circuit and now he was working his butt off trying to get a school open for children to learn the tricks of the trade. Piper was proud of her best friend and if the man wanted chicken noodle soup, then that’s what he’d get. And she’d throw in some homemade bread just because she was still so relieved he hadn’t come out any worse for the wear from that scary accident.
The look of despair on Cara’s face kept filling Piper’s head. Cara’s world had been turned upside down months ago when Alex had disappeared and again today when Cara discovered he was alive...but he wasn’t the Alex she knew and loved.
Piper was grateful Ryan was in her living room, fully aware of everything and everyone around him. Not that Piper and Ryan had the romance Cara and Alex did, but the bond she shared with Ryan was the most secure relationship she’d ever had...and stronger than most marriages.
Sighing, Piper focused on the task at hand. She was thankful that when she cooked, she planned ahead and froze things. She pulled open her freezer drawer and took out the chicken and stock she’d cooked and frozen just last week.
In no time the kitchen smelled wonderful and homey, nothing a scented candle could provide.
The TV blared in from the living room and Piper smiled. He was watching bull riding and cheering like some men do with football or basketball. Her Ryan was bulls, horses and broncs all the way, baby.
She rested her palms on the edge of the granite counter and sighed as she closed her eyes and thanked God for so many things today. First, she was beyond relieved that Alex was alive and, for the most part, unharmed. Second, she was grateful nobody had been killed in that horrendous accident. But more than anything, she was beyond grateful Ryan was okay. Not only was he okay, he was dominating her television and recliner, and that was just fine with her.
If she ever decided to settle down and marry, Ryan Grant held all the right qualifications. Oh, she’d never put the moves on her best friend. That would be weird...wouldn’t it?
She’d be lying if she didn’t admit she used to wonder “what-if,” but Ryan never saw her as more than just one of the guys. So that was the role she stuck with.
Besides, even though he had stepped aside from the rodeo circuit, he still had that thrill for adventure and danger in his blood. She couldn’t live with that, not again. She’d spent years watching her mother suffer while her father chased danger on the circuit. Injury after injury, her mother swore she couldn’t handle it anymore.
And finally one day, she didn’t. They’d divorced and Piper had rarely seen her father again. She refused to do that to herself or her future children.
So, while she may be looking for a man just like Ryan Grant, there was no way she could make him Mr. Right. But having him for a friend was one of the best things that had ever happened to her.
“Hey.”
She turned to see Ryan, arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the doorframe. Sweat beaded on his forehead.
Of all the times for a heat wave to sweep through Royal, Mother Nature decided now would be a good time. What happened to the cold spell they’d just had last month?
“Sorry