Maybe he was right. Even if she found out she didn’t have a significant other in her real life, once she discovered that life she might feel completely different about him. Did that even matter? He didn’t want to be hurt. She understood that. Despite his background, despite his buffed-up physique, Rob Valdez was a sensitive guy.
Once he fell for someone, he’d fall hard and never want to let go. Knowing that about him made her ache to be possessed by him, body and soul. You’d know who you were if you were loved by someone like Rob.
“We’re just a few miles out. I’m going to take her directly to the bus depot downtown. She can get something to eat there.” He flicked a finger at the rearview mirror. “We weren’t followed. I know that for a fact.”
“Good. He probably thinks she’s on her way back to Mexico, still under his thumb. Even though she didn’t give us that much info, I’m glad she came to us...you.”
“She gave us another piece of the puzzle. We’d wondered where you were going when those two forced you off the road. Now we know you were close to your goal.”
“But why?” She scooped her hair back from her face.
“We’ll get that piece, too.” He cranked his head around to the back seat. “Teresa, estamos aquí.”
Libby turned around and patted a sleeping Teresa’s knee. “Estamos aquí.”
Ten minutes later, Rob pulled the truck into a parking space on the street and helped Teresa get Luisa out of the car seat.
Libby grabbed Teresa’s small bag and joined them on the sidewalk in front of the bus terminal. Downtown was just waking up, but most businesses were still closed. Nobody on the street watched them or paid them any attention.
She and Rob escorted Teresa and her baby into the terminal. Rob checked the schedules and discovered a bus leaving for El Paso in thirty minutes. He handed Teresa enough cash to buy a ticket and get something to eat along the way.
When they saw the bus off, Rob expelled a long sigh. “At least that’s taken care of. I don’t know about you, but I need something to eat and I can’t wait until we drive back to Paradiso this time.”
“Breakfast sounds good. I feel like I haven’t eaten in forever, so I’m up for anything.”
Rob rolled his shoulders and flexed his fingers on the steering wheel. “I’m thinking we should publish your picture in town now. If someone there is waiting for you, they’ll recognize your photo and come forward.”
“Someone like Pablo Bustamante.” She gripped the edges of the seat. “I don’t know enough yet.”
“You know you’re Libby James, an artist from Rocky Point.”
“What if another Pablo comes out of the woodwork?”
“I won’t let you go...off with just anyone.”
“I’ll think about it.” She snapped her seat belt. “Where to?”
“There’s a place north of downtown called First Watch. Not sure where it is.” He handed his phone to her. “Can you look it up?”
She looked up directions to the restaurant and let the GPS lady call them out to Rob. He navigated the streets of Tucson until he pulled into a shopping center.
“Yeah, I remember now, and it looks like it’s open for business.”
Several minutes later, they took a table by the window and ordered coffee. When it arrived, Libby dumped some cream into her cup.
Taking a sip, she closed her eyes. “Ah, I needed this. We didn’t get much sleep last night, did we?”
“You seemed to sleep well.” Rob slurped his own coffee and hid behind the menu the waiter had dropped off.
She tapped his menu. “Why didn’t you go to your bedroom?”
“Like I said, you seemed to be sleeping soundly, and I didn’t want to wake you up.” He peered at her over the top of the menu. “I think I’m going to have one of these skillets.”
“I don’t think I would’ve woken up if you’d slipped out. You must’ve been uncomfortable sitting up all night.”
“I kinda slumped over. It wasn’t bad.” He ran a finger down her menu. “They have some healthy stuff—oatmeal, yogurt and granola.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Slumping over was comfortable?”
“All right.” He snapped his menu down on the table. “I wanted to stay there and hold you all night long. Is that what you want to hear?”
“That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.” She smiled as she buried her chin in her hand and studied the menu. “Since you rejected me, flat out.”
“Libby, you have no memory. Someone has to be thinking clearly for both of us.”
The waiter’s eyes popped open as he approached the table. “Y-you ready to order?”
Libby took Rob’s advice and ordered the yogurt, granola, fruit bowl. When the waiter walked away, she hunched forward. “Wanting to be with you is the clearest thought I’ve had since climbing out of that wreck.”
“What happens when you remember your husband? You’d feel guilty. I’d feel...guilty.” He gulped down some coffee, obviously burning his tongue, as he grabbed his water next.
“Rob—” she smoothed two fingers along the inside of his wrist, tracing the line of his veins “—Libby James doesn’t have a husband. If she did, why wasn’t he in the car with her...with me? Think about it. I witnessed something, probably a murder, and I fled. Wouldn’t I go to my husband first?”
“Maybe your husband’s in Paradiso.” He swirled his coffee with one hand, leaving the other in her possession. “Did you ever think of that? You were running to him.”
She sat back in her seat, pulling her purse over her head and setting it beside her. “That never occurred to me—and that’s further proof he doesn’t exist.”
“Really.” Rob folded his arms in that way he had that dared her to prove him wrong.
“The fact that it never crossed my mind proves that there is no husband. I think if I’m going to remember anything in a hypnotic state, it would be a husband, someone I loved and wanted to get to.”
“Not
