The Texan's Future Bride

“No, but it’s because of our family dynamics when we were growing up. Our parents got divorced when we were little, and we lived with our mom. Then she died when I was eight and Donna was nine.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It was ovarian cancer. I still miss her—Mom and I were close. Donna never bonded with her, or anyone, for that matter. But I think Donna wished she’d been closer to Mom. Sometimes, after Mom died, I used to catch her gazing at Mom’s pictures in the most horribly sad way, but then Donna would look away, as if she didn’t want me to know how badly she was hurting.”

“What happened to you and Donna after your mom passed away?”

“We went to live with our dad. But he worked a lot, and we learned to fend for ourselves. I always wondered about my grandfather and his ranch. Secretly I wanted to meet him. But I knew Dad was estranged from his family, so I didn’t talk to him about it. Dad isn’t easy to talk to.”

“You are.”

She felt her cheeks go warm. “Really?”

“I’d tell you about myself if I knew who I was.”

“The way I’m blabbing? Somehow, I doubt that.”

“You’re not blabbing. I asked you about your family and you’re answering my questions.”

In way too much detail, she thought. But it felt good to get some of it off her chest. “The American dream was lost on my family.”

“How common is that, really? How many people get to live that kind of life?”

“I don’t know. But someday I want to create a family of my own, one that will be bonded and true to each other.”

“Husband, kids, picket fence?”

She nodded. “I want a man who shares my love of the country. I feel blessed that I inherited part of this ranch. It’s everything to me now, and I want it to be everything to my future husband.”

“That stands to reason.” He paused. “So, what was your grandfather like?”

“He went by the name of Tex. He was an ornery old guy, but charming, too. I regret not having the opportunity to know him better, but I’m grateful that he welcomed me into his life when he did.” She thought about everything that had transpired recently. “Doc was his private physician. That’s how he and Tammy met.”

“And then they had dreams about each other that came true?” He glanced toward the bedroom. “If you don’t mind me asking, what were those dreams?”

She’d avoided mentioning them earlier, but she supposed it didn’t really matter since Doc and Tammy spoke openly about their experiences. “Tammy dreamed that she and Doc had a romantic evening in this cabin before it actually happened.”

Clearly, J.D. wasn’t impressed. “That’s not very groundbreaking.”

“Tammy worked hard to catch Doc’s eye. In fact, I helped her with a makeover. She was a tomboy for most of her life and didn’t know how to doll herself up.”

“Doc doesn’t seem like he’s from around here.”

“He isn’t. He’s originally from Philadelphia, and he came here to pay a debt to the man who put him through medical school, and that debt involved caring for our grandfather.” She shifted on the sofa. “Doc was planning on leaving afterward and going back to his life in the city, then he fell in love with Tammy. He dreamed that they were happily married with three kids.”

He frowned. “That’s not a magic dream. They’re not even married yet, and there aren’t any kids.”

“They’re going to be married, and the kids will come later. Besides, they both dreamed about the same little dark-haired girl.”

“Really?” He was obviously surprised.

“Yes, and someday that little girl is going to be born to them.” Jenna was certain of it.

J.D. didn’t respond, but she was glad that they’d had this discussion. Offering him a break, she said, “You should probably rest again.”

“I won’t be able to take another nap.”

“You can watch TV.”

“I don’t like TV.”

“So you do know something about yourself.”

“I’m only saying that because when I turned on the TV in the hospital, it bored me.”

“Then it probably bored you before you got amnesia, too.”

“I don’t know, but the man next to me sure liked to watch it.”

“Yes, he did. I didn’t care for his taste in shows.” Especially the game show that reeked of her childhood. Jenna had always been sensitive about her youth, but even more so now that she was dealing with the Savannah Jeffries issue and her dad’s part in it.

“What do you watch?” J.D. asked.

She pulled herself back into the conversation. “The news mostly. I like Animal Planet, too. Sometimes I watch romantic comedies.”

“Is that what’s called chick flicks?”

She nodded.

He got up and stood beside the living-room window. “So, how long have you had that list of yours?”

Dang. He was back to that. “Awhile.”

“How long is awhile?”

“Since I was twenty-five, and I’m thirty now.”

“Five years? That is awhile. Have you been refining it?”

“I added a few things about the ranch since I came here.”

“About your future husband loving this place?”

“Yes.” Restless, she reached for the clothes she’d loaned him. “But the list is mostly the same as it was five years ago. I knew what qualities I wanted in a man then, and I still want him to have those same qualities now.”

“I couldn’t begin to make a list. I don’t know what I expect out of myself, let alone someone else.”

“You’ll know all about yourself once your memory comes back.”