Though Ryan would have preferred to determine the route and take his own car, Jennifer seemed so excited about the trip, he decided to throw caution to the wind and go along. After all, this was the new Ryan Madison, operating on instinct and emotion. He grabbed his bags and walked out behind her. Her little convertible was parked at the curb. It had to be at least ten years old and didn’t look as though it could make it through town, much less across all of West Texas. “Maybe we should take my car,” he said.
“Don’t worry,” Jennifer chided. “We’ll have fun.”
As they headed out of town, bypassing the interstate that went from Midland-Odessa to El Paso, Ryan realized why she’d chosen the route. It was obvious Jennifer didn’t believe in speed limits. Or stop signs or double yellow lines. She was in all probability the most aggressive driver he’d ever seen short of Al Unser or Richard Petty.
He relaxed a bit when they got out of town and sped toward Kermit. “Maybe we should use this time to brush up,” he shouted over the sound of the wind racing around them.
She turned and grinned at him, her eyes hidden beneath the brim of her hat and her dark sunglasses. “All right,” she said. “Ask me anything.”
He considered his first question carefully. He really wanted to ask her about the baby’s father, but Ryan knew he ought to leave that question for another time. “Jennifer. That’s an odd name for someone of your background.”
She laughed. “That’s my father’s doing. When he first came to this country, he loved to go to the movies. The only movie he’d ever seen in Mexico was Duel in the Sun, with Gregory Peck and Jennifer Jones. He saw it at an old cine when he was eight. And then he came to America and the first movie star he saw was Jennifer Jones, walking right down the street in Los Angeles. He took it as a sign from God that he was meant to live in this country. And that’s how I got my name.”
Ryan laughed. “All right, now it’s your turn. Ask me anything.”
“You were involved,” she said. “Nearly married a woman named Elise. Then you broke it off last year. Why?”
“You are a good investigator.” He sat back in his seat and stared out at the long dusty strip of road in front of them. “She was a friend of the family and we’d dated since we were in college. It just seemed as if we were together for all the wrong reasons. There was no…”
“Passion?” Jennifer asked.
Ryan nodded. “Yeah. Passion.”
Silence spun between them as the scenery sped by. In truth, he’d seen more passion and excitement in a few hours with Jennifer Rodriguez than he’d seen the entire time he’d been with Elise. With Jennifer, life was a series of surprises. He never knew what to expect or how she’d react. And though he’d always assumed he wanted a woman who was prudent and restrained, when he was with Jennifer, he felt more alive than he’d ever felt in his life.
Perhaps it had been the upheaval, the uncertainty that had changed his perspective. His life had been so orderly, so predictable. He knew who he was and where he was going. But since he’d learned the secrets of his birth, he didn’t feel like Ryan Madison anymore.
He glanced over at the beautiful woman sitting beside him, tendrils of hair whipping around her face, her lips curled in an impish smile. She glanced his way, then laughed, pressing her foot to the floor, the car accelerating smartly.
Ryan chuckled and tipped his face up to the intense afternoon sun. For the first time in his life, he felt completely free, unencumbered by expectations—his own and his family’s. He was a man with no past and an uncertain future, but the prospect of not knowing what was around the next corner didn’t bother him in the least.
Whatever had brought about the change, whether it was Jennifer herself or the news she’d revealed, didn’t matter. He was beginning to like the new Ryan Madison.
* * *
THEY PULLED INTO El Paso right on schedule. They’d stopped at Red Bluff Lake, and a few other towns along the way. Jennifer was beginning to realize that from now on, the baby would prevent these marathon drives. She had to go to the bathroom at least once every hour and there hadn’t always been a bathroom available. Squatting on the edge of the road had been a necessity, lightened only by Ryan’s good-natured teasing. She made a note to take the interstate home.
Compared with the flat landscape around Midland-Odessa, El Paso was like an oasis. Set on the Rio Grande and split by the Franklin Mountains, it had first been a huge cattle ranch before the railroads brought people and prosperity. On the other side of the river in Mexico was El Paso’s twin city, Ciudad Juárez. She steered the car toward the west side of town, to the lovely neighborhoods built around the Rio Grande Country Club.
The anticipation of seeing her family always brought a rush of excitement. But it was different this time. For all she knew, this might be her last visit. Once her parents learned of the baby, they might kick her out of the family. She looked over at Ryan. “Are you ready for this?”
He reached across and tangled his fingers in the hair at the nape of her neck. “As ready as I’ll ever be. I’ll just follow your lead, and if I say anything wrong, just give me a sign.”
She turned into a subdivision of spacious homes set on large lots and followed the winding streets. When she finally stopped near a sprawling hacienda-style home with melon-colored stucco and a red-tile roof, she drew a deep breath. The sound of music drifted from the backyard on the still air and cars filled the driveway and the surrounding street. No doubt the celebration had begun. “I’m not sure I’m ready for this,” she murmured.
Ryan leaned over and forced her gaze to his. “You have to do this, Jen. What are they going to say five months from now when you walk in the front door with a newborn?”
“You’re right,” she said, warmed by the familiar use of her name. She couldn’t recall hearing him say her name before and she liked the sound of it on his lips.
He smiled, then pressed a quick kiss to her cheek. “Here, I have something for you.” Ryan reached in his pocket and withdrew a small velvet-covered box, then held it out to Jennifer.
“Ryan, what have you done?” she said, snatching the box from his fingers and flipping it open. Inside, a lovely solitaire diamond sparkled in a simple platinum setting. “Oh, no, what have you done?”
“Don’t worry. I had big credit at the jewelry store. After Elise threw her ring back in my face, the store wouldn’t give me my money back. So, I guess you could consider it a freebie.”
She slipped it on her finger. In another, less pregnant time, it would have fit perfectly. But as she pushed it over her swollen knuckle, she wondered if she’d get it off again. Jennifer stared down at the diamond, twinkling in the light of the late-afternoon sun. “Thank you,” she said. Then with a soft laugh, she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him hard. “This will be perfect. I’ll just wear the ring, and when they notice, we’ll tell them.”
When she finally drew back, her gaze met his. He stared down into her eyes for a long moment. As if drawn by an invisible force, their lips came together in a kiss so exquisitely soft and perfect that it took Jennifer’s breath away. She didn’t want it to end, the flood of sensation racing through her body like an addictive drug, calming her nerves yet setting them on edge at the same time.
He furrowed his hands through her hair and molded his mouth to hers, deepening the kiss. Desire warmed her blood and she melted into his arms, wishing that the kiss might go on forever. But a few moments later, he drew back and his gaze skimmed her face.
Her hands clutched at the front of his shirt. “What was that for?” she asked, her voice barely audible, her lips damp from his kiss.
“That was for luck,” Ryan said, leaning back into his seat.
“Maybe we should just turn around and drive