One Southern Cowboy - Jennifer Youngblood Page 0,43

from anyone who wished to harm her, including the pompous Wesley Livingston.

“You need to take it easy on that ankle today,” Knox warned.

“I will,” Jaxson assured him before turning to Lemon. “We need to make another stop as well.”

She lifted an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“Officer Williams called. They think they might’ve found your phone. It was in a hayfield, a quarter mile from where your purse was found.”

Her jaw dropped. “A field?”

“Yeah, why?”

A shaky laugh rose in her throat. “Last night, I dreamt of a field. There was a box in the center. I tried to open it.”

Anticipation surged through Jaxson, his words coming fast. “Your mind was probably trying to tell you where you’d lost your phone.”

The corners of her lips turned down. “Why would I drop my phone in a field? Or my purse in a ditch? It makes no sense.”

Daddy caught Jaxson’s eye, silent information passing between them. It was becoming more and more apparent that Lemon had completely lost all touch with reality when she got the news about her mom. Was Lemon strong enough to handle the news now?

There was a single knock before the front door burst open. Jaxson’s first cousin, Lexi, rushed into the room in a ball of flying hair, flailing arms, and gushing emotion. “I came as soon as I heard!” she cried, making a beeline for Lemon and flinging her arms around her. “I’m so glad you’re okay!” She plopped down on the couch beside Lemon. “I’ve been going out of my mind with worry, calling and texting. Wondering why you weren’t answering.” She threw her hands into the air. “Well, now I know the reason. Amnesia.” She frowned. “When Lucas told me what was going on, I couldn’t believe it. He said that you have no idea who you are. Is that true?”

Knox was the first to speak. “Are y’all friends?”

“Of course,” Lexi answered, like it was a fact that everyone in the room should’ve known. “Lemon’s one of my closest friends.”

“How?” Jaxson asked. It boggled his mind to think that Lexi and Lemon were close friends. Lexi was several years younger than Lemon. To his knowledge, the two of them hadn’t even been on one another’s radar when they were growing up. As far as Lemon was concerned, Lexi was just Lucas’s kid sister.

Lemon had been studying Lexi carefully. “You’re Lexi,” Lemon said with gusto as if she’d just gotten the prize answer correct on a game show.

Lexi’s eyes widened. “Yes! Has your memory returned?”

Lemon bit her lip. “No, not exactly.”

“But you said my name,” Lexi countered.

Lemon’s brows furrowed. “It just came to me. I have no idea how.” She turned to Jaxson, hope shining on her face. “It’s starting to come back.” Enthusiasm gathered in her voice. “Maybe when we visit my old home, it will jog more.”

Jaxson reached for her hand and laced his fingers through hers. “Yes, I think it will.”

Lexi’s eyes bugged as she looked at their clasped hands. “I didn’t realize y’all were a thing.” She looked at Lemon. “I mean, I knew you were still carrying a flame for my cousin, even though you adamantly denied it, but I didn’t figure you would move this fast, especially with the amnesia.”

Jaxson felt a burst of pleasure at Lexi’s words. He grinned when Lemon’s face turned ten shades of red.

“How did you and Lemon become close friends?” Knox asked again.

“I work as a server at Charleston’s Restaurant over in Nashville. Lemon came in once with Wes—” She stopped short, color rising in her cheeks. “Um, she came with a friend,” she amended. “Anyway, the two of us reconnected and exchanged numbers.” She tipped her head. “That was a couple of years ago. When Lemon started spending more time in Nashville, the two of us would often get together for lunch or to go shopping.”

Jaxson glanced at Lemon to see how she was taking all of this. She seemed to be doing okay. He rolled around Lexi’s words. Something wasn’t adding up. “You said you met Lemon two years ago?”

Lexi nodded. “Yes, why?”

Jaxson wasn’t sure how much to say without divulging more of Lemon’s past than she could handle hearing. “Was Lemon dating Wesley Livingston at the time?” Two years ago, Lemon had been engaged to Braden Cooper, the actor who died in a scuba diving accident in St. Maarten.

Lexi’s jaw hit the floor. “You know about Wesley?” She looked to Lemon for an answer.

“Jaxson saw some photos of me and Wesley at charity events,” Lemon explained.