The Stranger Next Door. Joanna Wayne

the two of you ran into at the Running Deer. That must have been quite a shock for you, especially on top of everything else you’ve been through.”

      So Langley had told his mother everything. That was just as well. It would spare Danielle the pain of relating the sordid details all over again.

      “It was a shock,” Danielle admitted, “but don’t feel bad about not being awake. Langley was the perfect host. I really appreciate your sharing your home.”

      “That’s what neighbors are for. And you must be starved. I hope you like pancakes. I saved some batter. And there’s plenty of bacon. I can fry you up some in no time. Or I can scramble you some eggs if you’d rather.”

      “I love pancakes, but I can’t let you cook for me, not after you’ve done my laundry.”

      “Nonsense. You can’t go tackling that mess at the Running Deer on an empty stomach.”

      “Give up easy,” Langley said, walking toward the door. “No one ever wins an argument with Mom.” He grabbed his Stetson from the shelf by the door and plopped it on his head. “I’m going out to find Ryder. He’s agreed to drive you into town for supplies, then help you clean up the mess at the Running Deer.”

      “That won’t be necessary.”

      “No, but I like the idea of my baby brother toiling at cleanup detail. Besides, he’s dying to meet you. He’ll pester you anyway. You might as well get some work out of him.”

      Langley left without waiting for her to comment. A few minutes later, the kitchen was filled with the mouthwatering smells of bacon frying on a cast-iron griddle. Mary cooked, moving about her roomy kitchen effortlessly, talking and smiling, with a manner that made Danielle feel as if they were old friends.

      Betsy started to fuss, and Danielle picked her up, settling her in her lap. Betsy wiggled around to face her, then poked her pudgy fingers in Danielle’s face. She touched Danielle’s nose and grabbed for a handful of hair, pulling her topknot loose.

      Gently, Danielle unwound the tiny fingers from her thick locks. So precious. Somebody’s baby who’d just landed on the Randolphs’ doorstep. A nice place to land, but she’d like to hear the rest of that story. She was sure Langley had omitted some interesting details.

      She hugged Betsy to her chest. Somewhere she might have a baby like this. She might have a husband, a full life that had slipped through her fingers. She might have been happy.

      Or maybe not. She might have been living with the madman who’d attacked her and left her for dead.

      But she wouldn’t think about that now. She couldn’t. She needed her strength and determination to keep functioning until her memory returned. If the letter was accurate, and if she was the Danielle it had been written to, she was the new owner of the Running Deer.

      She guessed that made her a rancher. She already had the aching muscles Langley had talked about. But dealing with cows, or worse yet, a bull, was out of the question. Even a woman without a memory had to set some limits.

      DANIELLE FOLLOWED the sexy young cowboy down an aisle of Higgins’s Supermarket. “Ryder, you have to stop putting things in this grocery basket. I have no money.”

      “Sure you do. It’s just all tied up in cows. When you manage to get the title to Running Deer free and clear, you’ll sell off some of the steers and pay your debts.”

      “I don’t think the clerk at the register will buy into that.”

      “Actually, she probably would if you talked to Higgins. Lots of folks around here run a credit line. But don’t worry. I’m taking care of this. You can pay me back when you’re solvent.” He flashed a seductive smile. “In cash or favors.”

      “It’s a good thing Langley warned me about you.”

      “Whatever he told you, don’t believe it.”

      “Are you suggesting Langley would lie?”

      Ryder bent to grab a giant-size bottle of bleach from the bottom shelf. He stuffed it onto the low-riding wire shelf beneath the basket. “All joking aside, Langley is probably the most honest, unassuming Randolph of all of us. I doubt if he even knows how to flirt.” Ryder grinned. “Maybe you could teach him.”

      “I don’t know if I know how.”

      “My guess is you do.”

      “I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or not.”

      “It’s a compliment. You have that fire in your eyes, the kind of spark that goes with passion. I’ve seen it before. It’s not something you forget.”

      Ryder pushed the basket to the side so that a young woman could pass. She spoke to Ryder and flashed him a wide smile. The look she gave Danielle was less than friendly.

      “That lady certainly had a gleam in her eye for you. Was that the fire you were talking about?”

      “No way. That was Carrie. Her dad owns a ranch just north of town. She’s a sweet girl, but not my type.”

      “What is your type?”

      “Smart. Fun. Loving. Passionate.”

      “And have you ever met a woman like that?”

      “Once. I wasn’t her type.”

      In spite of Ryder’s teasing tone, she picked up a touch of bitterness. Evidently, even gorgeous cowboys sometimes had woman trouble. “Tell me, Ryder, does Langley have a significant other in his life?”

      A stupid question. Before it was out of her mouth, she was sorry she’d asked it. She didn’t want either Ryder or Langley to get the wrong idea. She definitely wasn’t shopping for a man. For all she knew, she might have one already.

      “Does Langley have a significant other in his life?” Ryder repeated the question, nodding his head and screwing up his mouth as if he were deep in thought. “Yeah. I’d have to say he does. A bunch of them. They all have four legs and hooves.”

      Ryder was teasing again, and his easy humor made the awkwardness of the moment disappear. She liked his way. It made her feel normal, let her almost forget that she was the only one walking around the grocery store who didn’t have a clue as to who she really was.

      “Hey, Ryder.”

      She turned as a lumbering giant of a man hurried toward them. He tipped his cowboy hat to Danielle but didn’t bother to wait for introductions.

      “What’s up, Buck?”

      “There was a man come by the bank a few minutes ago looking for Langley. He was on the trail of a woman and, for some reason, he thought she might be in Kelman.”

      “Did he mention her name?” Ryder asked.

      “Yep, he did. He said her name was Danielle Thibo…Thibo something. A Cajun name, I think.” Buck turned and pointed. “That’s him over there at the checkout counter. The guy with the brown hair and dark-rimmed glasses.”

      Danielle looked at the young man and struggled for breath. “Did he say why he was looking for the woman named Danielle?” she asked, her voice dry and scratchy.

      “Yep.” Buck pinned his gaze on her. “He said they’d had a lovers’ quarrel and she’d run out on him. He’s afraid something happened to her and he’s awful anxious. She’s his fiancée.”

      Chapter Three

      Danielle stood in the sheriff’s small office and tried to find something familiar about the stranger who was staring at her across the room. Ryder had taken over in the grocery store, introducing himself and instructing the man to meet them at Langley’s office. If he hadn’t, they might still be standing there. Her mind and body had refused to function. Even now, she found it difficult to breathe.

      The