Page 7 of Hell of a Mess

Six

Lace

Maui had taken up the spot beside me on the patio sofa and was resting his head in my lap while Jayda sat in a chair diagonal to me and Locke sat in a chair to my left.

We’d been out here almost an hour, and it was nice to feel human.

There was a large fireplace built into a stone wall with a fire roaring in it, warming the space just enough.

The breeze wasn’t so cold that it was uncomfortable, but it was slightly chilly.

I was wearing a pair of jeans and a soft cream-colored sweater that Jayda had supplied.

That, too, was a nice change. It reminded me of…

me, possibly. I wasn’t sure, but I could feel a tug of thoughts trying to break free inside my head.

Yet all I could remember was my name. It was frustrating not to be able to break down the wall holding back things that were right there.

“Can I get you something else to drink?” Jayda asked me when I finished the glass of hot tea she had supplied earlier.

“I’m fine. Thank you,” I assured her.

“Ah, Jayda, you’re a peach. I’d love another Corona,” Locke said, winking at her.

She rolled her eyes and didn’t move to get up. “I wasn’t asking you,” she replied. “You know where they are.”

Locke placed a hand on his heart. “Ouch.” He winced.

I bit my bottom lip to hide my smile. I was pretty sure he was kidding, but I didn’t want to laugh if he was serious and I was reading this wrong.

“I brought you the first one because I was up,” she told him. “I’m not up now.”

He sighed and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he shook his head in mock disappointment. I was waiting for his response, enjoying their back-and-forth, when the door opened, and Maui’s head shot up to see who it was.

The sight of Luther stepping outside made my stomach do a fluttery thing that was only getting stronger the more I was around him.

His blond hair was pulled back in a messy knot, and his hazel gaze scanned the area until it locked on me.

He closed the door, and I realized I was smiling a little too brightly before I tamped it down a bit.

I didn’t know how old he was, but then I didn’t know how old I was either.

What I did know was that there was an age gap.

A rather significant one, but my body did not care.

Instead it was…giddy whenever he appeared.

And even without the age gap, I didn’t know anything about myself.

Getting giddy over a man wasn’t good. I might be…

married. That word felt so foreign to me that I found the possibility hard to believe.

Dropping my gaze to my ring finger, I studied it for a moment.

I couldn’t tell if I normally had a ring on or not.

There wasn’t a tan line. My skin was an olive complexion naturally.

I didn’t have tan lines on my body anywhere.

It was possible that whoever had beaten me had taken my ring or rings, if I’d been wearing one.

But then the doctor had said I had older bruising on my body.

They didn’t believe I’d been hurt by a stranger.

“I wasn’t expecting either of you back so soon,” Jayda said.

I looked up as Luther made his way past Locke and toward me.

Maui’s tail slapped against the sofa cushions with excitement at his approach. It seemed that the puppy and I had something in common. We were both happy to see Luther.

“They’re still convening. I was just done with it,” Luther drawled.

He gave Maui the slightest nod of his head, and the dog jumped off the sofa and sat beside it.

Luther took his spot—well, almost. He didn’t sit as close to me as Maui had, but he did sit in the middle of the sofa instead of the other end of it.

Maui watched Luther expectantly, and when Luther patted the top of his thigh, Maui laid his head down on it.

Jayda had told me Maui belonged to Stevie, but one would think by watching them that he was Luther’s.

“You staying for the Houston game at Bane’s or going to Tampa for the Derby?” Luther asked, his gaze fixed on Locke.

Locke sighed and leaned back in his seat. “Staying to handle the betting for Oz so he can go,” he replied. “But Tampa is a waste of time. Garrett has a horse in that race.”

“Oz seems to think he’s got one that can beat it.”

Locke smirked. “Has he ever had one that has beat a Hughes?”

Luther shrugged. “Garrett isn’t always the winner.”

“No, but when he isn’t, his grandson is,” Locke replied.

Luther appeared to agree as he thought that over.

I tried hard not to stare at him, but it was difficult.

His chiseled jawline, peppered with dark golden hair stubble, was that of a character in a book.

Almost too attractive. That, added with his effortless charm, made a fascinating combination. One I was growing fond of.

“Is Houston playing at home?” Luther asked as Jayda handed him a beer.

I hadn’t even noticed her get up; I’d been so wrapped up in Luther and my awkward gawking, which I had to stop doing. He took the bottle and winked at her before turning his attention back to Locke. Even his wink not being focused on me sent my heart into a flutter.

“Yeah,” Locke replied.

I tore my focus off Luther and looked in his direction instead. He was shooting Jayda an annoyed look. I assumed because she had gotten Luther a beer and not him.

“What about you, Lace?”

That was a jolt to my entire nervous system. The sound of Luther saying my name. I wanted to record it and put it on repeat.

“Ever been to Houston?”

I swung my gaze back to him to find his eyes on me this time. Slightly dazed by him in general, I blinked, confused. He’d asked me something.

Think, Lace. What was it?

Wait…he’d asked me if I’d been to Houston. Why was he asking me that? He knew I didn’t remember.

I shook my head. “I, uh, don’t know,” I stammered.

“Not a big fan of Texas myself,” he said. “You’re not missing much.”

Although his words seemed casual, it felt as if they were important. He was hiding something. Or masking it. I didn’t understand exactly. Maybe I’d just stared at him too long and thought I was seeing things in his eyes that weren’t there.

“I wouldn’t know,” I replied.

He took a drink of his beer and continued to watch me. I had to remind myself to breathe. When his gaze was focused on me, everything else faded away. He was all that mattered. What he said. What he did. It became my sole interest.

After a moment, his attention dropped to my mouth. “That accent isn’t strong, but I can hear the telling twang, all polished over with what I assume is wealth and breeding. What about Dallas? Fort Worth?” He paused. “Rodeos?”

At the word rodeos, an image of a white horse flashed in my head, and I sucked in a breath. It was nothing more but the singular picture; however, my chest was suddenly tight. That white horse was important. Mine. It was mine.

I had a horse?

“I-I—a white horse,” I told him, feeling anxious. “A quarter horse,” I corrected, surprising myself. “Griffin!” I blurted, my eyes going wide. His name was Griffin.

A slow, approving smile spread across his lips. “You had another memory.”

It wasn’t a question, more like a statement, but I nodded my head.

“Yes. I have a horse, and…and I think I’ve been to Texas,” I said, although I wasn’t sure why I thought that. I had no memory. Nothing more than an image of a horse and a name.

“I’d say you were raised in Texas, Ocean Eyes,” Luther replied, placing the bottle to his lips again.

A small thrill shot through me, and I shivered slightly. He’d called me Ocean Eyes. That was a compliment. At least, I thought it was. The idea that he might like my eyes enough to call me that made me want to grin like an idiot.

“I hear it now that you pointed it out,” Locke said. “The Texas drawl.”

Texas drawl? Were they saying I was from Texas?

I glanced over at Locke to find him studying me as if the answer were about to appear on my forehead.

“It’s hard to pick up on it. You’re right; it’s polished,” he added.

My heartbeat, which had been acting silly over every move and thing Luther said, started pounding in my ears as heat rose up my neck. My breathing became short and rapid. Almost as if I couldn’t get enough oxygen.

What was wrong with me?

A sharp pain in my head made me wince, and I pressed my fingertips to my temples and closed my eyes, trying to ease it.

“I might not be the boss, but I’m going to stop this. She doesn’t need to be prodded anymore.” Jayda’s voice was firm but felt far away.

Why was I struggling to breathe?

My hands were moved away from my temples, and I squeezed my eyes tighter as the ache increased without the pressure. Then larger fingers, warm, slightly callous, were pressing where mine had been.

“Breathe in deep, then let it out slow.”

Luther’s voice was close to my ear, and if I wasn’t having some mental break, I would soak in the nearness. But as it was, I needed to get oxygen into my lungs.

“Easy, Ocean Eyes,” he said. “You’re okay. Now, breathe for me.”

Even in my current state of panic, I wanted to please him. I tried to focus on the earthy scent, mixed with tobacco, the sound of his voice, the way his touch felt against my skin. I pictured the way the corners of his mouth crinkled with his almost smile.

“That’s a good girl,” he coaxed, even closer now.

I was breathing. Deep, like he’d told me to. I continued letting it out slow as the tips of his fingers massaged my temples, giving me relief from the pain that had hit me unexpectedly.

“She’s okay,” he said, and I wasn’t sure if he was telling Jayda or himself. Possibly Locke.

Had they asked?

I couldn’t hear anything but Luther’s breathing, as it seemed to be what I’d centered my concentration on. His breath was minty mixed with that of tobacco. I liked that combination; it was as manly as the earthy scent that wafted from him.

“I pushed a little too hard. That’s on me,” he said.

My eyes opened to meet his. There was remorse, sympathy, and the edginess that was always there in his gaze.

It was…it was like that of a predator. Not a sick, twisted human, but an animal.

One that knew he was more powerful than the others.

It was free of fear, and perhaps that was what made it most intriguing.

“You did good. You remembered your name, a horse. That’s real good, sugar.”

Praise was something I apparently relished. Because every time this man told me I had done good, it released endorphins through my body. That, more than anything else, had eased my pain.

The left corner of his mouth quirked. “We won’t ask anything more today, I swear.”

I managed a nod, and his fingers fell away from my temples.

“Still hurting?” he asked.

I shook my head. No, it was gone as quickly as it had come on.

He appeared pleased by that and settled back in his seat, putting distance between us again.

I preferred it when he was close enough to smell.

That was weird. I was weird. Had I always been this weird?

Or was Luther the only one to draw out this odd behavior from me?

I hoped I wasn’t some unstable, crazy person.

“I’ll let Linc know she remembered something else,” Locke said, reminding me he was still here, along with Jayda.

Maui nudged my leg with his head, then did a small whimper, as if he was worried about me. Smiling at his sweet expression, I ran my hand over his soft, fluffy fur, and he laid his head in my lap, the way he had done to Luther earlier.

“No,” Luther replied. “He doesn’t need to know yet. He’ll shoot off questions at her like a goddamn investigator. She doesn’t need that shit. I’ll tell him later.”

“He is going to be pissed if you wait,” Locke replied.

I looked from him to Luther, growing concerned. I didn’t want to be a problem for anyone. Especially Luther.

“I don’t fucking care,” he drawled, then took a drink of his beer. “He’s your boss, boy. Not mine.”

“All right,” Jayda said loudly as she shot up out of her seat.

“No need to debate Linc’s reaction and how Luther will handle it since we already know Luther can hold his own with Linc.

I’m going to go make Stevie’s favorite cupcakes.

She had to go to the dentist today and get a cavity filled.

She will need a pick-me-up when she gets home.

Lace, why don’t you go to the kitchen with me? I’ll make us a snack too.”

I didn’t want to leave Luther, but then I wasn’t about to admit that. With one more pat to Maui’s head, I stood up.

“Why don’t you make the sunflower butter cookies? She loves those,” Luther said, his eyes drifting down my body briefly before shifting back to Jayda.

“No, you love those,” Jayda replied, placing a hand on her hip.

“Stevie does too,” Luther argued.

“Her mouth will be sore. She can’t chew a cookie. A cupcake is softer,” Jayda told him.

“Can we talk about the fact that the kid had a cavity and you’re making her a sugary treat for comfort?” Locke asked.

Jayda rolled her eyes. “She can brush after she eats it. And it’s not the cupcakes that gave her the cavity. It’s the fruit gummies she loves. Branwen threw them out, and I’m not to buy any more of them. Even if Stevie begs.”

“Sugar of any kind causes cavities,” Locke replied.

“Jesus, Locke, who are you fucking, Mr. Rogers?” Luther asked, looking annoyed.

Locke frowned. “Who the hell is Mr. Rogers?”

Luther looked at me, then over at Jayda before responding, “Please tell me one of you knows who Mr. Rogers is.”

“I’ve heard the name before,” Jayda said, looking as if she was trying to figure out where that might have been.

“Jesus Christ,” Luther said, standing up. “I’m not that damn old.”

“Yeah, you are,” Locke quipped, causing Luther to glare at him before heading toward the door.

I watched him go, and the sadness that came with his distance was truly concerning. I shouldn’t be attached to a man I didn’t know. But I was.

“Isn’t there a song that mentions him?” Jayda asked just as Luther was about to step inside the house.

He didn’t pause or look back to acknowledge her question.