Kassy Paris is one half of the writing team of Kasandra Elaine. She and her writing partner Elaine Bonner began writing together at 17 as seniors in high school when they wrote a Christmas play for church. Their current writing efforts started in 1997. To date Kassy and Elaine have four published books and continue to work on further projects both as a team and independently.
Kassy is a retired elementary teacher who is a freelance editor, speaker, quilter, and tax professional.
Today, Kassy would like to introduce you to the hero and the heroine of First I’m Nobody, Book 1 of Kasandra Elaine’s series The Lazy M Ranch Series. Book 2 is Redigo’s Choice and Book 3 is Beneath the Texas Sky. All three books are centered around the inhabitants of a horse ranch in North Texas. The series is published by White Rose Publishing and is available for purchase in print and also in Kindle and PDF formats for e-readers.
Duke Green.
Not bad, I guess. Because I have amnesia, the nurses settled the moniker on me. Duke for their favorite cowboy hero, John Wayne, and Green because my doctor’s last name is Green. My alias could have been worse. The ‘Duke’ part feels comfortable. And ‘Green’—well, green’s a color. The color of a field of hay growing. I love to see acres of hay in the spring, but I don’t know how I know I love it.
Not knowing who I am scares me. I could be a murderer for all anyone knows. I stared at my face. Nothing familiar about it at all. Except for the bruises and scrapes marring it, I’d say my face wasn’t the worst one I have ever seen. But then I don’t remember anyone, so what can I say.
Closing the tray on the bedside table, I waited. Waited for the woman who had taken pity on me in my miserable state. With no memory, a broken arm and leg, I’m about as helpless as a newborn. I can’t walk or even shave myself. Skylar came into my hospital room a few days ago to meet me. Then she offered for me to recuperate at her ranch just outside Denton.
I told her no to begin with. I mean I’m a stranger after all and living off of someone doesn’t feel right to me. But with no identity, no family that I’m aware of, and no insurance, I’m pretty much stuck. The hospital won’t let me stay here much longer, so I have to go somewhere. Besides, Skylar is not hard on the eyes, but more than external beauty she has an internal beauty that is enticing. Spending time in her company might take my mind off my problems.
I heard the door creak and Skylar stepped in.
“You’re dressed already.”
Her smile brightened the room and lightened my heart. I patted my shirt. “Yep. The nurses gave me a going away party. Their gifts were something to wear besides the lovely hospital gowns they supply their guests.”
“That was sweet of them. I told Jan I was here to check you out. She’ll be here in a few minutes with your discharge papers and then we can head out to the Lazy M.”
She sat in the chair next to my bed.
A short while later, the orderly and Jan had me loaded in Skylar’s truck and we drove out of town to her ranch. Fifteen minutes later, Skylar stopped the truck on the shoulder and pointed to a spot across the two-lane highway.
“That’s where you were hit.”
“And left for dead.”
She turned her head and looked at me. “Yes, but you’re still alive.”
“Sorta.” I didn’t feel alive. I felt empty.
She touched my arm and a tingle ran up it to my spine.
“It’ll get better as you heal.”
She put the truck in gear and drove a few feet to the entrance to a ranch. White board fencing stretched on both sides of the arched entrance. A sign with ‘Lazy M Ranch’ carved into it hung from the crosspiece over the entrance. I shuddered as she drove beneath the sign. Somehow I knew my life would never be the same again, and I wondered if it would be for the better or for the worse.
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