Libby felt the world tilt again and dug her feet into the gravel beneath her. “I—I don’t know you.”
“Mi querida.” Pablo put his hand over his heart. “That destroys me.”
“Wait a minute.” Rob’s voice, rough around the edges, cut through Pablo’s sadness...or feigned sadness. “What’s your story? Why was your wife traveling in a car by herself up to the US?”
Pablo folded his arms. “We were taking a trip up north. Mel went in a different car to look at some art pieces. We were all going to meet up later in Tombstone, but Mel never showed up. Last I knew, she was heading up to the Paradiso area. When it seemed that her cell phone went dead and she wouldn’t call me, of course I got worried. I came down here to look for her, checked the hospitals, called the police. I couldn’t figure out what happened. Now that you tell me you lost your memory, Mel, it adds up, and I’m so relieved even if you don’t remember me.”
“I don’t.” Libby set her jaw, refusing to look at the sweet baby now tapping Teresa’s face with her little fist. “Wait.”
“Do you remember, mi querida?” Pablo stretched a hand out to her, adding a slight tremor for maximum effect.
“No, I don’t remember, and neither does Luisa.” She leveled her finger at the baby. “She seems much more interested in and engaged with Teresa than me. If I were truly her mother, wouldn’t she be more excited to see me?”
Rob cranked his head back and forth, looking at the baby, a smile lighting up his face. “She has a point there, Pablo.”
Pablo’s eyes flashed for a second when he glanced at Teresa and Luisa. “Teresa is her nanny. This has been an issue between us before, Mel. Besides, this is stupid. Why would I come around and try to claim a stranger as my wife?”
“Good question.” Rob’s eyes narrowed.
“This is ridiculous. You’re coming home with us, Mel, and we’ll sort all this out when we get there. I’ll introduce you to the real Libby James—your boss.” He lunged forward and grabbed her arm.
Rob reacted with lightning speed, stepping between them and breaking Pablo’s hold on her with a single, swift chop to the other man’s arm.
Pablo gave a strangled cry and stumbled back while Teresa jumped up, clutching Luisa to her body.
As Pablo righted himself, his hands curled into fists at his sides.
“Don’t try it.” Rob flattened his hand across his body, revealing the outline of his weapon holstered on his hip. “I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing here, but if you think Libby is going to traipse off with someone she doesn’t know to go God knows where, you don’t know her at all and you sure as hell don’t know me.”
“You can’t keep me from my wife.” Pablo’s lips curled into a snarl, the concerned husband and father disappearing.
“Even if she is your wife, which I doubt, she’ll make her own choices about what she wants to do.” Rob pulled out his phone. “If you want to give me your middle initial and birth date and any other identifying information, I’ll run you and see if your story is true.”
“Run me?” Pablo put his hand on the baby’s back. “You’re Border Patrol. I’m not giving you any information.”
“Better yet, come down to the station with me and we’ll fingerprint you. We should be able to confirm your identity, and then you and...Mel can work things out together, if she wants to. We can even call the gallery and speak to Libby James about her employee.”
Rob shoved one hand in his pocket, as if his request were the most natural thing ever, and wasn’t it? Wouldn’t a distraught husband be anxious to prove who he was?
Pablo said in a low voice, “I’m not doing that. Won’t you just hold her, Mel?”
“Sure.” Libby flipped her hair over her shoulder and held out her arms to Teresa.
The young woman slid a glance to Pablo, who gave her an almost imperceptible nod. She then peeled Luisa from her body and put her in Libby’s arms.
Libby tucked one arm beneath the baby’s bottom and patted her back, her baby-powder smell tickling her nose. “Hi, precious. What a sweet girl you are.”
Luisa’s dark eyes widened and her bottom lip quivered. She placed her little hands against Libby’s chest and squirmed.
“It’s okay.” Libby stroked the baby’s soft curls. “Are you looking for Teresa?”
Teresa started forward, but Pablo grabbed her upper arm, pinching her flesh.
Libby turned around so that Luisa could see Teresa and immediately the baby started to whimper and kick her legs against Libby’s belly. “I know, sweetie. You want Teresa.”
She poured the baby back into Teresa’s willing arms and spun around on Pablo, her eye twitching. “That’s not my baby. I don’t know who you are or why you want me, but I’m not going with you...or anyone else.”
“Mel! This is not over. I’ll prove you belong with me.”
Libby strode away from the little group under the tree on shaky legs. Rob caught up with her as she crossed the street and grabbed her hand.
“Are you all right?”
“Let’s just keep walking to the truck. I’m going to collapse in the middle of the street if I stop moving.”
When Rob handed her into the truck, she twisted her head over her shoulder. Pablo was waving his arms around and Teresa had sat back down with the baby, who looked as if she were crying. Libby shivered.
Rob slammed the door and gripped the steering wheel. “What the hell was that all about?”
“It’s what I feared from the get-go.” Libby folded her hands in her lap and dropped her gaze. “Someone coming forward claiming to know me. Some stranger taking me away.”
“I’m not going to allow that to happen.” He wedged
