Free Kisses to Remember by Christine DePetrillo Page A

sensitivity to light and noise, sleep disturbances, depression, or complaints of altered taste and smell.”
    “That’s a lot to watch for,” Johanna said. “Are you sure he’s ready to leave the hospital?”
    Was she having second thoughts? Holden took a deep breath, but his muscles ached when he did so. Sleep. He wanted to go to sleep somewhere that wasn’t here.
    “He’s ready. If any of the symptoms I mentioned occur, give me a call.” Dr. Sakala handed Johanna his card.
    She fingered the edges of the card as she chewed on her bottom lip. Holden knew he should probably let her off the hook. Say he remembered his home in Texas. That he was okay to fly back there. He couldn’t get himself to say the words though.
    Dr. Sakala reached into the pocket of his white coat. “One more thing.” He held out something that resembled a thick marker. “This was among the things salvaged by the rescue crew after you crashed, Mr. Lancaster.”
    “What is it?” Johanna leaned forward to get a better look.
    “It’s an Epi-pen, which has a dose of epinephrine in it. It’s used to treat life-threatening allergic reactions to things like insect stings or bites, foods, drugs, latex. Do you recall if you’re allergic to any of those things, Mr. Lancaster?”
    Dr. Sakala and Johanna glanced at each other, and something unspoken passed between them. Holden made a mental note to ask about that at some point and focused instead on allergies.
    “Banana-nut muffins minus the nut.” The words came spilling out almost as if someone else had said them.
    “Now that’s a weird thing to remember,” Johanna said.
    “It could be a life-saving thing to remember,” Dr. Sakala said. “I’d stay away from nuts until your memory comes back all the way.” He handed the Epi-pen to Johanna and spent five minutes showing them both how to administer it if needed.
    “You’re turning out to be high maintenance,” Johanna said after the doctor left.
    “I know. Again, my apologies.” Holden accepted the tote bag she gave him.
    “Some clothes. Figure you don’t want to flash your ass to everyone on our way out.” She smiled then grew serious when he pulled a pair of jeans and a black T-shirt out of the bag. “They’re my ex-husband’s.” She studied the clothes for a moment longer, then hitched her purse higher up on her shoulder. “I’ll wait for you in the hallway.”
    Am I somebody’s husband? Somebody’s ex-husband? God, he hoped no one was waiting at that Texas address for him. Someone would have answered the phone when the hospital called, right? He’d been here a few days now. If he belonged to someone, she would have come looking for him.
    Unless she didn’t want to find him.

Chapter Five
     
    Johanna navigated her way through the parking lot toward her vehicle. A few steps behind her, Holden Lancaster followed. His eyes had been beautiful when she’d seen them in the crashed plane and her field, but she hadn’t noticed that the rest of him was beautiful too. When he’d emerged from his hospital room wearing Alex’s jeans and T-shirt, she’d felt as if she had opened a magazine. The one where they counted down the fifty most beautiful people and she’d just gotten to number one.
    Holden’s legs filled the jeans as Alex’s had, but the T-shirt fit was a new experience. Alex had always been in good shape. He went to the gym, ate right, could wield heavy farm tools when called upon to do so. Holden, however, must have spent more time at the gym, ate more right, and wielded much heavier tools, because that black cotton was stretched across serious pectoral muscles. Johanna suddenly wished she had forgotten to bring a shirt for him so she could get a peek at his abs.
    You’re taking him home. You’ll get to see the abs. She shook her head. No, that’s not why you’re taking him home.
    But wasn’t it? Would she have agreed to let him hang out at her farmhouse if he looked like a troll? Probably not. Everybody