The Texan's Surprise Return. Jolene Navarro

Belle now had both of her hands wrapped around his left one, as if she was afraid he would disappear again if she let go.

      Horror filled Selena’s brain. Her voice cracked several times as the words came out, one by one. “Should we have come looking for you?”

      “No. It wouldn’t have made a difference.” Xavier tilted his head back. “The only information I have on the timeline of events is the version the authorities gave me, but it still feels like it all happened to someone else.”

      She could tell he didn’t want to talk about it. The strain of stringing the words together took so much from him. She stood and was going to suggest they stop for the night and get some rest, but he spoke.

      “At first my brain was a complete blank. When I woke up, I was a hostage in a guerrilla camp.”

      Belle’s fingers tightened around his.

      Selena took his other hand in hers. The calloused skin over strong fingers was so familiar. It was as if he had never been gone.

      “You’ve been a hostage for the last two years,” Belle whispered.

      Selena could hear the harsh emotion in Belle’s voice.

      He took his hand out of hers and tucked a loose strand of hair behind Belle’s ear. “My memories had been confused. I thought they were lying when the authorities told me you were my cousin.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “We were raised together? We survived my father?”

      Belle’s breath caught, as if she was holding back a cry. She nodded. “And you survived Colombia.”

      He cut his gaze across the room, where several family pictures were thumbtacked to the wall. “Elijah’s your brother. Damian’s my younger brother. Is there anyone else?”

      Selena could tell that Belle was too emotional to talk, so she took over. “There’s a much younger sister, Gabby. But you haven’t seen or heard from her in years.”

      With a deep scowl on his face, he leaned back.

      Selena reached out a hand and rested it on his arm. “We have time for this later,” she said with a catch in her throat.

      The boys. She needed to tell him about their sons. But that wasn’t news she could just drop now. Oh, by the way, you have triplets.

      “Selena, I’m so sorry—”

      “Shh. We’ll talk later.”

      Since the moment she saw him, her insides had been numb. What if she was dreaming? People didn’t return from the dead, not in real life. But the scars on his face and the gauntness were too real. How much weight had he lost?

      The haunted shadows in his eyes were the worst thing. He was struggling to remember her.

      She gave him space, but her hand rubbed his arm. “It’s okay. You don’t have to—”

      His hand covered hers. Desperation haunted his Spanish-moss eyes.

      “I had flashes and images of things that I didn’t understand.”

      He had always been too proud to beg, but he seemed to be on the cusp of falling to his knees and crying.

      “It’s okay,” she whispered. “You don’t have to understand tonight.” She stroked his hair. “I think this has been a little too much for all of us. You need rest. There are a million questions, but right now I can’t organize my thoughts, so I can’t imagine what you’re going through.”

      She pushed his hair back from his temple. “When was the last time you ate?”

      “I’m sure it hasn’t been that long. I don’t reme—”

      She gave him a look that stopped his words. “If you don’t remember, then it’s been too long, right? You have something for pain?”

      Belle patted his hand. “When I get a headache, a dark room and an ice pack work wonders.”

      “An ice pack and no light or sound would be great right now.” He kept his eyes closed.

      “You’re home, now you need sleep. We’ll talk in the morning.” Selena stood and stepped back. “Do you have meds?”

      He nodded. “In my backpack. I think I dropped it by the car.”

      Belle went to the door. “Cantu brought it in. I’ll get it for you. I’ll get you something to eat, too. Do you need anything else?”

      “Just a dark room.”

      “You might not recognize it with all the pink, but this was your old room. It’s Cassie’s and Lucy’s now.”

      He moved to stand. “I’m not going to take their—”

      “Stop. They’re at a sleepover tonight.” Belle opened the door. “Tomorrow you’ll go home with Selena, but for tonight let me take care of you. I’ll fix all your favorite breakfast foods before sending you home with your wife.”

      Selena forced her lungs to work. Of course, everyone would assume he’d go home with her. That was his house. She rubbed her temples. There had to be another solution.

      Belle firmly shut the door behind her, unaware of the seed of panic she had planted in Selena’s mind.

      “Does anyone ever win an argument with her?” he asked.

      Selena snorted and stood. “Nope. Tomorrow will be time enough to plan out where you’ll stay.” She had until morning to come up with a legit reason he couldn’t come home with his wife. No one knew that their marriage had been over.

      “I didn’t come back for people to take care of me.” Low and gravelly, his voice turned her spine to mush. She straightened.

      “You can’t drive. You can’t see, and you can’t speak some of the time. Living on your own is not an option right now. And where would you get the money?”

      He growled. Actually growled at her.

      “I know you don’t remember our house or me, but there had been a garage added and you converted it into a man cave. It’s right next to the house. You can stay there. Xavier, I’m sorry but—”

      “Let’s make an agreement not to apologize every time we speak the truth, or the word sorry is going to get repetitive and obnoxious.” He didn’t look very happy. “I have money in an account. It’ll take care of any needs I have.” His back was straight, his jaw set in a very familiar hard line.

      No doubt about it, his pride was still intact.

      She wanted to ask him when they started keeping secret accounts. He wouldn’t remember anyway.

      He sighed. “I hate this.”

      “We’re family, and family takes care of each other. We’ll work it out tomorrow.” Maybe another solution would come in the light of day. She wasn’t sure having him back in her space would be good for any of them.

      He rubbed his head again.

      “Belle is bringing your meds and some food. Do you want me to turn off the light?”

      Nodding, he kept his eyes closed.

      After plunging the room into darkness, she turned and rushed out the door. As soon as it closed, she pressed her back to the wall and slid to the floor in the hallway.

      Selena wrapped her arms around her middle. The emotions she had been holding in erupted. Her husband had returned from the dead and was home. They’d been granted this incredible, life-altering gift.

      But where did that leave them now? Their marriage had fallen apart before he left. It had been over, but with the news of his death she had decided not to follow through with the divorce. She didn’t even know where the