“Help?” Her gaze slid to the woman, combing fingers through her long, brown hair, tangled from the ride in the convertible jeep. If this woman had stepped forward after Julia’s accident, claiming to be her sister, Julia would have believed her.

Charlie waved an arm toward her house. “My mom saw Ryder doing some work on your house yesterday. She told me to drop by to lend a hand.”

Julia compressed her lips, trying to tame her smirk. Lend a hand and find out why Sheriff Ballard was here. “Thanks, but we got everything done. Who’s your friend?”

Charlie had always been awkward around women, dating only those his mother presented to him. This woman, with her black eyeliner and short skirt, didn’t look like the type Gracie usually foisted on Charlie.

Charlie’s face sported two red spots as he stepped to the side. “This is Rosie Fletcher. Rosie, this is Julia Sto…”

His words hung in the air. He didn’t know what to call her now.

“It’s Rousseau. Julia Rousseau.” She extended her arm to Rosie, and they shook hands.

“Rosie works at our B and B. On my way over here from town, I saw her walking back to the B and B.”

“That’s a long walk from town. Did you walk all the way in, too?” Julia looked down at Rosie’s dirty feet shoved into flimsy sandals with small jeweled heels.

“No, I hitched a ride from a local and couldn’t find a ride back. Good thing Charlie came along.” Rosie batted her long, dark eyelashes and rubbed Charlie’s shoulder.

Julia raised her eyebrows. Charlie didn’t stand a chance against this one, and Mama Malone would definitely not approve.

Rosie tilted her head. “Hey, it’s true.”

Warmth edged into Julia’s cheeks under Rosie’s bright stare. What did Rosie hear about her? “What’s true?”

“We look alike. A few people have told me that since I arrived in Silverhill.”

Julia let out a breath and smiled. “Yeah, I noticed.”

“And I noticed you’ve been monopolizing that tall, gorgeous cowboy, Ryder McClintock, since he’s been back. Are you going to give the rest of us girls a crack at him?”

Julia’s mouth gaped open.

Rosie laughed. “Just kidding. I’m waitin’ on his brother, Rafe, anyway. I’ve heard a few stories about him and if he looks anything like Ryder…” She winked and tucked her hand into Charlie’s pocket.

“I-I guess if you don’t need any help, we’ll be seeing you.” Charlie turned around, but not before Julia caught a glimpse of the dark scowl rolling across his face.

Julia shook her head. That girl had too many fingers in too many pies. She’d just better keep those sticky fingers off Ryder.

“SHOULD WE PRESS the buzzer like last time?” Ryder jerked his thumb at Dr. Brody’s door, firmly closed.

“No, he has an appointment before mine today. When he’s finished, he’ll open the door.”

“When are you going to tell him?”

“I’ll wait until after the session.” She bit her lip. She agreed with Ryder that Jim should have been able to help her recover her memories before now. Her suspicions of him grew after Ryder found out about his censure. She needed to move on.

“Maybe you should tell him before. Don’t you need the session to work out transference or countertransference or whatever?”

“I never experienced any transference with Dr. Brody.” She crossed her arms and perched on the arm of the leather love seat.

“Speak for yourself. I think Dr. Brody has a thing for you.”

“And you really think that thing involves leaving flowers and blood on my porch?”

“I don’t know.” He lifted a shoulder and winced. “Maybe the cameras will tell us that.”

“Did you hurt your shoulder?”

“My neck’s a little stiff.”

“From sleeping in your truck last night?” She pushed up from the love seat and prowled to his chair. Placing a hand on the top of his shoulder, she wiggled her fingers beneath his shirt where they met his smooth, warm skin.

“You noticed that, did you?” He closed his eyes and his head fell back.

“Hard to miss a big, white truck sitting outside my house with a cowboy lounging in the front seat.” She kneaded a tight muscle where his neck and shoulder met, and he groaned.

“Just didn’t want to leave you alone in that house after what happened.”

“I should’ve let you stay inside. I’m sorry.” Her fingers slid down the front of his shirt, splaying across the hard muscles of his chest.

He opened his eyes and grabbed her other hand, planting a kiss on her palm. “Don’t be sorry. You need time, time to remember…”

“Sorry I’m late.”

Dr. Brody burst through his office door, and Julia jumped back from Ryder as if she was sixteen and Dad just discovered her on the couch with a boy. Maybe Ryder had the right idea about that transference stuff.

She glanced over Dr. Brody’s shoulder into his empty office. “Don’t you have another patient?”

“Cancelled. I was just transcribing a tape from an earlier session. Are you ready?”

Dr. Brody’s wide smile didn’t mesh with his narrowed eyes, and Julia felt more confident than ever in her decision to end treatment with him.

“Do you think Ryder needs to be present again?” She glanced over her shoulder at Ryder and rolled her eyes.

“Of course he needs to be present.” Dr. Brody swept his arm into his office.

As Julia brushed past him, he stiffened. Then he followed her into the office ahead of Ryder.

“Let’s get right down to business. Feeling susceptible today, Julia?”

Jerk. Brody had a crush on Julia, and he’d been holding her back from making progress all these years because he didn’t want to lose her to her memories of another life…another man. He had half a mind to report him even though it would be hard to prove. Of course, if Brody turned out to be Julia’s stalker, they’d nail him for more than improper conduct.

As Brody’s smooth voice flowed through the room, Julia’s eyelids drooped and the hands she’d been clasping in her lap fell to her sides.

At least the guy had his methods of hypnosis down.

Julia’s memories came easily now. She recalled her childhood with her parents, the loneliness of being an only child and shuttling between two countries. Her trust and love for her father shined through, as did her rancorous relationship with her mother.

Even her first meeting with Jeremy and the reasons for her attraction to him tumbled from her lips. After their separation and subsequent divorce, Julia had explained it all to him. How lost she felt after her father’s death and how Jeremy’s overwhelming and extravagant attention filled that void, making her whole again.

“But then the relationship soured, didn’t it, Julia?”

She nodded. “When I met Jeremy, I had blinders on. He swept me away when I needed sweeping away. I didn’t notice his faults, didn’t want to notice his faults.”

“Did you know he was involved in sabotage when you left him?”

“No.” She screwed up her eyes. “Not then, but I found out he was cheating on me, and he got violent when I confronted him about it.”

“So you paid him back by taking a lover of your own, didn’t you?”

Ryder’s head snapped up as he glared at Brody. What the hell was the man doing?

Brody held his hand out to him. His soothing voice took on a hard edge. “You had an affair while you were married, didn’t you, Julia?”

“I loved Ryder.” Sinking back against the cushions, Julia smiled. “I still love Ryder.”

The tight knot in Ryder’s belly unraveled and his doubts dissipated. She loved him and it had nothing to do with being on the rebound from Jeremy. Maybe Brody knew what he was doing, but he had a misconception about when their affair started. Julia never cheated on Jeremy.

“And you made love to Ryder while you were still married to Jeremy. Maybe that’s why you can’t remember him. It’s the guilt.”

Ryder clenched his jaw. Was Brody trying to help her regain her memory or make her feel like crap?