Forgotten (Shattered Sisters Book 2) Read Online Free

it stirs up the past for you."
    He frowned at her. "Why would you want to do that?"
    She frowned right back. "Why wouldn't I?"
    "Now there’s an interesting question." Before she could form a reply, he was walking away from her. She swallowed. He must suspect that she wasn't being honest about their...relationship. She'd have to watch herself. He'd stepped into the living room and was looking up another set of stairs.
    "Three bedrooms and a bath up there. Go ahead, look around. I want you to feel at home here." She meant it, she realized. She wanted this to be as easy on him as possible. The man was going through what was probably one of the worst things any human could experience. Loss of his own identity. And to make things worse, she was giving him a false one to latch onto.
    He started up the stairs, but the sound of a horn blasting out front stopped him. He joined her in looking through the sliding-glass door with the broom handle in its tracks to prevent it being opened. He gave that a closer look, and shot her a puzzled glance.
    "Same broom handle has been there since I was a kid. I told you, nobody comes in the front door."
    His smile was real, and for a moment it distracted her. Then she returned her gaze to the car outside. In the driveway, Caroline and her girls spilled from their minivan and trooped over the path, waving gaily.
    Joey felt the bottom fall out of her stomach as she realized the implications of her sister's untimely visit. She hadn't been prepared to begin this thing so soon. She'd expected to have time to figure out a way to talk to Caroline.
    "What's the matter?" He said it as if he already knew and was poking fun at her. "You're so pale all of a sudden. Who is that?"
    "My...sister, Caroline." She closed her eyes. Think! "Ash, I...I haven't told her about you...about us." She felt sick.
    "You didn't tell your own sister you ran off and got married?" His dark brows made surprised arches over his brown eyes and he shook his head, tsking repeatedly. "Shame on you, Joey."
    There was no time to beg him to keep his mouth shut. There was no knocking among family...not in this house. Never had been. In a fraction of a second, two blond, giggling girls were racing up the stairs and hurling themselves into Joey's arms.
    "Aunt Joey, we came for a picnic!"
    "Can we go fishing?"
    "We'll throw them back, we promise."
    "Please? Please?"
    "Slow down, you two. Easy." Joey hugged her nieces, feeling the surge of affection they always inspired in her. She adored them, and she knew part of the reason was probably the unlikelihood of her ever having children of her own. She was not mommy material. "Go on to the kitchen. There's candy in the lazy Susan. Go on now."
    They peeled themselves from her and raced back into the kitchen. Their mother, dressed as always in baggy sweats and an oversize T-shirt, which she thought hid the fact that her figure had suffered a bit from carrying the two girls, stood behind them. Her hair, so like Joey's in length, texture and coloring, was pulled into a bouncy ponytail, and her smile was bright, but curious.
    "Hi, Joey." She glanced uneasily between her and Ash, questions all over her face. "Sorry we didn't call first. I never guessed you'd have company. We can go if—"
    "Oh, I'm not company." Ash stepped forward, extending a hand. "My name's Ashville Coye. You must be Caroline. You're more beautiful than your sister told me you were."
    Oh, his amnesia hadn't made him forget how to ooze charm. Stunned, Caroline shook his hand weakly. Her gaze still jumping from Joey to Ash and back again, she blinked, and said, "Ashville Coye—the reporter who's doing the series on the Slasher murders?”
    He shot Joey a quick glance. "I guess that would be me.”
    "Well, what a coincidence! It's nice to meet you." She seemed a bit confused. "I heard about your accident. I hope you're...better now."
    "Your sister is helping me through."
    Caroline smiled brightly, then glanced apologetically at Joey