Lost Memories (Honky Tonk Hearts) Read Online Free

to them.”
    “What about Nick? You skipped him, honey,” Tammy’s voice sounded amused.
    She frowned at the receiver in her hand. This conversation struck her as odd to say the least.
    “Darcy?”
    “Um...” How to explain Nick? Hot. Mysterious. Judgmental .
    “Are you there?”
    “Yes, sorry. Ah...Nick, he’s harder than the rest. I mean, he’s intense.” Her mind played back his powerful eyes, his chiseled features and slightly crooked nose. She sat on the low windowsill behind the desk. “He has an electrical...I mean a take-charge attitude about him.” She chewed on her nail. Did she say too much?
    “An electrical charge, you say?” A chuckle vibrated through the phone line and Tammy’s voice lowered. “You definitely have a take on him...them. It’s been a pleasure talking with you. I do apologize again for not being there.”
    “Thank you for taking a chance on me.”
    “Thank you, dear. Now, do me a favor and put Nick back on the phone.”
    “Hold on, I’ll find him for you.” She crossed to the door and pulled it open to find the hall empty. Taking a deep breath, she walked toward the entrance.
    “Nick?” Where did everyone go?
    She didn’t want to be searching around in the strange surroundings. Moving to the next doorway, she glanced inside the empty room and backed up into the hallway.
    Not sure of where to look next, she spun on her heel and stopped dead in her tracks millimeters from a massive chest. Her body tingled with nervous awareness.
    Oh, Lord, what have I gotten myself into?

Chapter Two
    Nick glanced down at the beautiful woman in front of him. His hand itched to free the soft, dark curls secured in some sort of elastic thing. When she first stepped from her vehicle, he was curious over what such a gorgeous female would be doing way out here. Then as he neared and his heart beat out of his chest, he wondered over asking her out. Too bad she was holding something back, evident by her fidgeting demeanor and facial features. If there was one thing Miss Brooks was not good at, it was lying. Her doe eyes gazed up, and he moved forward a half step.
    A flush rose to her cheeks, and she stepped back.
    “Tammy...er...your mom wants to speak with you.”
    A smirked twitched his lip at her uneasiness as he took the phone from her hand.
    “Thanks. Chris is out on the porch waiting to show you around.”
    He watched her denim-covered behind hurry out the door before raising his mother’s screeching voice to his ear.
    “Nick...Darcy...is anyone there?”
    “You have her calling you Tammy?” he asked, returning to the den.
    “Seems fitting since she’ll be working on the ranch.”
    “Mom, you can’t be serious about hiring her.”
    “I’m completely serious, Nicholas, and I expect you to treat her kindly.”
    “What do you know about this woman?”
    When his mother informed him of her plan to hire another female to fill Theresa’s duties, Nick tried making her see reason. Another cowboy would’ve worked out a lot better, but his mother was adamant in her thinking. She claimed the female guests were more comfortable with a woman on staff. In the end, as usual, Nick lost the argument, and her view of the situation made his life a living hell.
    After his brothers interviewed a couple of women she didn’t approve of, claiming “those girls” were only after her boys, not a job, she decided to do the interviewing herself.
    Darcy flashed before his eyes. With her brandy-colored hair and big, brown eyes, she’d be a definite distraction. Five feet of trouble.
    He rolled his tense shoulders. “Why didn’t you tell us about her?”
    “I’m sorry, honey. You know how busy I’ve been trying to keep your father from constantly worrying over the ranch; it must have slipped my mind.”
    “Mom, you can’t hire her. She’s hiding something. I know it.” Being the oldest made it his job to protect and guide his brothers. A job he’d failed at a while back. One he refused to fail