In Love with John Doe (6 page)

“You lied to me,” she said as he skillfully maneuvered her around the shiny hardwood. Though she’d feared she might have to lead, that hadn’t been necessary. “You’re a fabulous dancer.”

“I guess it’s like riding a bike,” he said with a smile that sent her pulse racing. “Some things you never forget.”

She forced her attention away from his luscious lips. “Has being here tonight brought back any new memories?”

“This dancing, talking, mingling stuff feels familiar and comfortable,” he said. “Whatever I did in my previous life must have involved socializing.”

She had no doubt that the socializing had involved beautiful women. What she didn’t know was if one of those women was a girlfriend…or a wife.

“It has to be frustrating,” Lexi said. “Trying to build a picture of what your life used to be with so few clues.”

“It bothers me sometimes more than others.” Despite his offhand tone, the haunted look was back in his eyes. He slowed his steps until they were barely moving on the edge of the dance floor.

“I wish I could wave a magic wand and your memory would be back,” she said, ignoring the tiny voice that warned once he discovered his identity he’d be gone.

Jack released her hand and lifted his hand to cup her cheek. “You are the sweetest woman I know.”

“Face it,” Lexi said in a teasing tone, swallowing past the sudden lump in her throat. “I’m one of the few women you know.”

His eyes never left hers, though his hand dropped to his side. “Even so…”

“Break it up,” Travis ordered, dancing up beside them and stopping.

“Time to switch partners,” Mary Karen said brightly when Travis released his hold on her and opened his arms to Lexi.

Jack took Lexi’s arm. But he immediately realized it was unnecessary. She’d made no move to step away.

“Not now,” he said to Travis. “Perhaps later.”

Lexi gasped as Jack whirled her across the dance floor. “What are you doing?”

“They didn’t really want to switch,” Jack said, feeling good about his decision. “Neither did I.”

Lexi focused on his first comment and ignored his last. “They didn’t?”

“Nope. The only one Travis wants to spend time with is Mary Karen.”

Just like the only one I want to spend time with is
you,
Lexi thought to herself. She’d long suspected that Travis was interested in the single mother. But Mary Karen kept insisting they were just old friends. “Mary Karen was the one who asked to switch.”

Jack chuckled. “The two of them are playing games with each other. I chose not to participate.”

Somehow Lexi managed to keep the smile on her face. For a second she’d thought he’d turned Mary Karen down because he wanted to keep her in his arms. Instead it had all been about Mary Karen and Travis. She told herself she should be happy he wasn’t beguiled by her charms. Instead all she felt was disappointed.

Jack was a pro. With him as her partner, she’d danced better than she ever had before and had great fun doing it. Though her breath came in short puffs and her heart raced, she couldn’t keep a smile off her face.

She waited for the band to start up again but instead, the head of the food bank stepped to the microphone and announced it was time for dinner.

“You’re really good,” Lexi said to Jack as they headed back to the tables along with the rest of the crowd.

Jack cupped her elbow protectively as they maneuvered through the people. “Another talent to add to my résumé.”

Though he was obviously trying to keep it light, something in his tone told Lexi he was still frustrated by an inability to bring his memory back by sheer force of will. She slipped her arm through his. “It’s new information. It may not be your name, but it’s something.”

“I know,” he said. “I just wish it would come faster.”

“Pastor Schmidt—he’s the minister at my church—recently said something in a sermon that resonated with me,” Lexi said. “Three months ago I’d asked Addie’s father to release all claim to her. So far he’s ignored the request.”

“Were parental rights ever established?”

Lexi waved the question aside. “The point is I was feeling frustrated like you are now over something that I couldn’t control. When I heard the minister say that things happen in God’s time, not our own, it spoke to me.”

Jack’s brows pulled together. “So you’re saying I need to turn the timing of all this over to God? Assuming I believe in God, of course.”

“Actually.” Lexi stopped at the table and waited for Jack to pull out the chair. “I was thinking more in terms of you not driving yourself crazy over something you can’t control. Instead of stewing over your memory loss, make a decision to enjoy your time here, however long that ends up being.”

“I enjoy my room at Wildwoods.” He took a seat in the chair next to her, his gaze firmly fixed on her face. “And I’m enjoying spending time with you.”

Lexi felt herself responding to his closeness, to the charm he seemed to have in endless abundance. Then she reminded herself that this was a handsome man. For him, making a woman feel as if she were the most important thing in his world was probably second nature.

“I’m happy you’re happy.” Lexi inwardly cringed at her sophomoric response.
Sheesh.
She took a deep breath, ignored her rapidly beating heart and tried to remember her point. “Perhaps you’re here to discover something about yourself. Or it could be simply to give your body and mind a chance to relax and recharge.”

To her surprise, Jack appeared to be mulling over her words. But before he could respond, the others arrived. David took a seat, quickly followed by Mary Karen and Travis. They brought with them John and Kayla Simpson, who were friends from the community.

The conversation flowed easily over dinner, the topic of Jack’s amnesia forgotten. Lexi experienced a surge of pride during the awards. She couldn’t believe all the people in the community who’d stepped up during the past year to help the less fortunate in Jackson Hole.

Unlike some of the attendees in the audience who continued to chat with the person next to them, Jack listened to the speakers, his expression serious. When the food bank employees passed around a ten-gallon hat for additional donations, Lexi watched Jack surreptitiously toss in a hundred-dollar bill.

While she was impressed by his generosity, she thought about telling him he better watch his money. But she bit her tongue before the words could slip out. After all, she was his friend. Not his mother.

After the presentations and another hour of dancing, Mary Karen announced in an offhand tone that Travis had offered to drop her off at home.

“Will I see you in church tomorrow?” Mary Karen asked while slipping her arms into the sleeves of the coat Travis had retrieved.

“Addie and I’ll be there.” Lexi slanted a sideways look at Jack. “You’re welcome to join us.”

He paused for a moment then nodded. “I’ll take you up on that offer. The more experiences I have, the more chance something will jog my memory.”

And then you’ll be gone.

The realization brought with it a twinge of sadness. She’d enjoyed the time she’d spent with Jack. While she firmly believed a woman didn’t need a man in her life to be happy, being a part of a couple tonight had been fun.

After Mary Karen and Travis’s aborted attempt to cut in, no one else had tried. Though Lexi wasn’t sure of the reason, she liked to think it was because she and Jack looked like they were having so much fun together. They’d even bumped into Todd and his partner on the dance floor. The salesman had simply said hello. After that, Lexi had been able to relax and have a good time.

There’d been no worries that Jack might misread her friendliness and think she wanted more. She’d made it clear that Addie was her priority. He’d made it clear that once he found out who he was he’d be leaving. Even if she was willing to take a chance, the fact that he didn’t know who he was or what family he had waiting for him made him off limits. No matter how nice he was or how good he could two-step.

“Does this spark any memories?” Lexi asked when he slid in the pew beside her. She waved to Addie, sitting with the children’s choir to the left of the pulpit.

“My first thought was how small it is,” Jack said. “Then I wondered where they were hiding the high-tech video equipment.”

For a second she thought he was joking, until she saw the serious look in his eyes.

Lexi took the hymnal from the rack on the back of the pew in front of them. “Sounds like you’ve experienced a megachurch. They had those large churches where I come from in Ohio, but I don’t believe there’s a single one in the entire state of Wyoming.”

“Are you implying I’m not from here?” he teased.

Lexi rolled her eyes. “I think that’s already been established.”

Jack opened his mouth but shut it when the pastor took the pulpit and asked them to rise for the first hymn.

Though the song wasn’t familiar, Jack discovered he could carry a tune and read music. And while the service wasn’t familiar, he had no difficulty following along.

His favorite part came when the children’s choir sang. When Addie rose, her angelic smile seemed directed at him as well as her mother. After one song, the choir director singled Addie out to do a small solo. Jack held his breath. When she sang each note pitch perfect, he wanted to cheer.

The sermon was all about being still so you could hear God speak to you. Jack listened with only half an ear. Today his story and picture would hit the news wires and the Internet. By tomorrow, he’d probably know who he was and be headed back to his home.

“I’m going to add an extra prayer request this morning,” the minister said, his expression suddenly grave. “I don’t have many details. All I know is there was an attempted terrorist attack on a water treatment plant this morning in Michigan.”

A gasp rose up from those in the pews and the room began to hum with conversation.

A sinking feeling swept over Jack. He shifted his gaze to Lexi. When he saw the sadness on her face, he reached over and took her hand, offering a comforting squeeze.

“There will undoubtedly be more information on this throughout the day and in the weeks ahead,” the minister said. “For now let us give thanks to God and rejoice that the scheme was thwarted. Please bow your heads in prayer.”

Jack held Lexi’s hand through the rest of the service, only releasing it when they stood for the final hymn.

After the service he and Lexi stopped to speak with David and his wife July. Jack was admiring their baby son, Adam, when Mary Karen strolled up. Along with David and July, Mary Karen invited them to join her for lunch at a downtown café. Jack found himself wishing there was time to get better acquainted with Lexi’s friends. But Lexi had to make both lunch and dinner today at the B and B so staying longer wasn’t an option.

They pried Addie away from her church friends and headed back to Wildwoods. Addie chattered happily the entire way. The child’s day continued to go well when they walked into the B and B and ran into Sarah and her parents.

“We’re taking Sarah out for lunch and to see a movie,” her mother said. “We’d love to have Addie come with us. Our treat, of course.”

“Please, Mommy. Can I? Please.”

Jack watched her gyrations and smiled. He wondered if jumping around was a little-girl kind of thing. Kind of like twirling.

Lexi’s gaze lifted from her daughter to settle on Sarah’s mother. “If you don’t mind her joining you—”

“Yippee.” Addie grabbed Sarah’s hands and the two girls twirled around.

Jack couldn’t help but smile again. He was touched when Addie not only hugged her mother but hugged him, as well, before skipping off happily with her friend.

“So what do you have planned for today?” Lexi asked. “Watch the news?”

Jack shrugged. “Not much of anything else to do.”

They’d listened to the radio for a little bit on the way home, enough to be reassured that the perpetrators were in custody. But when Addie started to become anxious, they’d shut it off and changed the subject.

The rest of the day loomed before him. It felt weird to be at such loose ends. He had the feeling this wide-open schedule had rarely happened in his other life.

“I have to make lunch today,” Lexi said, her smile tentative. “But I’ll have a couple hours free this afternoon if you’d like to do something.”

Jack felt his spirits rise. “What do you have in mind?”

Lexi held up two fingers. “Snowshoes.” She folded one finger down. “Questions.”

“Snowshoeing I understand,” he said, though it really didn’t matter to him what they did. “But
questions?
”

“While we’re communing with the great outdoors, I thought we could go over some of those getting-to-know-you questions from the cards I told you about the other day.” Lexi shrugged. “Or we can just sit and listen to the news and be depressed.”

“I’m up for the snowshoes and the questions.” Jack slanted her a sideways glance. “But only if you answer the questions, as well.”

“Me?” The word came out on a high-pitched squeak.

“Of course.” Though he wanted to get to know himself, he also wanted to get better acquainted with Lexi. But he knew she wouldn’t see that as relevant. “Hearing your answers might stimulate some of my memories.”

Lexi took a deep breath then let it out slowly. “If you’re sure…”

Jack smiled. He was sure, all right. Sure that the day, which had been looking bleak, was going to be a whole lot of fun.