A Forever Christmas(12)
“I’m not quite sure whether to be flattered that you’re impressed, or insulted because you thought I was dumb.”
“Not dumb,” he quickly corrected, and then lost some steam as he added, “just, well, my little sister.”
“And consequently, dumb,” she concluded. Alma gave him a reproving look. “You might recall that I took college courses online and that I do have a degree in criminology.”
Going to college online had been the only way she could have gotten her degree and still worked to help pay off her father’s huge pile of bills. Both causes were equally important to her.
“Must’ve slipped my mind,” Gabe confessed, then focused on what she’d said. “So you really think she’ll remember who she is?”
“If you mean is she suddenly going to pop up like toast and have total recall, probably not right away,” Alma judged, “but in time, I think it will all come back to her.”
“And in the meantime?” he asked, sounding rather eager.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Gabe,” Alma cautioned. “Just take one step at a time.”
“You’re the one who always said to be prepared,” he reminded her. “What if she never remembers who she is? Or it takes her a long time before she does? What if no one’s out there looking for her, or they didn’t have enough sense to file a missing-persons report? What’ll we do with her until then?” he asked. “There’s no motel or boardinghouse to put her up in.”
“Forever’s a nice, friendly town,” Alma pointed out and then went on to assure her brother that, “We’ll think of something. But first things first. The doc said to have her checked out at the Pine Ridge hospital once he’s finished. So we need to get her there.” Ever the protective one, especially now that her mother was gone, Alma said, “I know you volunteered, but if you’re having second thoughts, I can take her to the hospital.”
That might mean that she wouldn’t be back until morning. A newlywed, his sister belonged home at night.
Gabe laughed, turning down her offer. “And have that lawyer husband of yours with his hundred-dollar words come looking for me? No, thanks. I’ll take the mystery woman to the hospital.”
Alma’s protective streak instantly rose to defend her husband. “He only uses those words when he’s in court. You’re family.”
“And I’d like to keep on being family,” Gabe informed her. “So I’ll be the one taking her to Pine Ridge.” When he saw Alma smiling at him knowingly, it was his turn to ask, “What?”
“You’re really taken with her, aren’t you?” she asked, pleased.
Gabe stared at her. In his opinion, his sister had just made one hell of a leap—and it led to nowhere. “She’s the first person I ever rescued from a car that was about to go over the side of a ravine, and then it burst into flames, so if that’s what you mean by ‘taken,’ then, yeah, I guess I’m ‘taken’ with her.”
His eyes narrowed as he reminded her of an important point. “You were the one who thought that I should get involved in this—and by ‘this,’” he clarified, knowing how prone Alma could be to misinterpreting things if it suited her purposes, “I mean the sheriff’s department.”
“I did and I still do,” Alma was quick to agree. “I’m just surprised, that’s all. You don’t usually pay attention to anything I say.”
“That’s because, up until now,” Gabe deadpanned, “you weren’t saying anything really worthwhile listening to or going along with.”
“According to you,” she qualified.
“According to me,” he agreed with the most unreadable expression he could muster.
Alma glanced at her watch and rose to her feet.
“I’m going to go and update Rick about what’s going on with our mystery woman and then I’ll be back. If you decide that you’ve changed your mind about going to Pine Ridge—”
He cut her off. “I won’t,” Gabe assured her.
“Then never mind,” Alma said cheerfully. “Call me if something comes up,” she instructed just before she left the clinic.
“Yes, ma’am,” he called after her.
“That’s ‘Deputy Ma’am’ to you,” she tossed over her shoulder with a laugh. And then the front door closed after her.