Forget Me Not

by Brenda Jackson

  The door opened and Ashley stood there looking beautiful as ever. All day he’d pictured how she’d looked when he’d left her in bed that morning. Now here she was wearing a pair of jeans and a shirt that was cut off on the shoulders, showing a lot of skin. Skin he liked seeing. No matter when he saw her or how often, the sight of her managed to rev his motor.

  “Hello, Ray.”

  “Ashley.”

  She moved aside to let him in. He walked across the threshold, closed the door behind him, turned and pulled her into his arms. He meant for the kiss to be long, greedy and intense. All the things that stirred his blood even more, and just like last night, she was returning it with a degree of passion that astounded him. That was another thing that had filled his mind today—all the kisses they’d shared last night. Was it normal for two people to be this in sync with each other this way? So well connected?

  He pulled back from the kiss but continued to hold her in his arms, needing the feel of her there. Her heart, he noted, was racing just as fast as his. Tilting his head back, he looked at her and smiled. “How was your day?”

  “Okay. However, I didn’t get much work done for thinking about last night. You, Ray Sullivan, are something else.”

  He chuckled. “Works both ways, baby. I daydreamed a lot today myself. I agree that last night was wonderful.” He sniffed the air. “Hmm, something smells good.”

  She laughed. “And I hope it tastes as good as it smells.”

  “I’m sure it does.”

  “We’ll see. If you want to go ahead and wash up, I’ll put dinner on the table.”

  “Okay.”

  When he returned moments later and walked into her kitchen, he couldn’t help but grin in pleasure. She had prepared a feast. “I’m impressed.”

  “Thanks. And just so you know, this Southern girl can cook.”

  “Who taught you?”

  She met his gaze. “Devon. His grandmother taught him how to cook and he taught me.”

  “Good for him. Sadly, I can barely boil water.”

  “You’re kidding, right?”

  He chuckled. “I know it sounds pathetic but I kid you not. That’s why I eat at the café so much. I’m sure I’d be able to cook if I put my mind to it, but I have no desire to do so. It’s either the café or microwave dinners.” When she looked at him as if that was the most god-awful thing she’d ever heard, he went over to her and kissed her lips. For some reason she looked so sad.

  “Hey, I don’t miss any meals. It’s not that serious.”

  * * *

  LITTLE DID HE know that for her it was that serious. The Devon she knew was a great cook. Funny how losing his memory had changed that. It was strange how he’d retained knowledge of some things, like the operating of a boat, but had forgotten how to do something else he’d loved just as equally.

  “Well, whenever I’m around and in the mood to cook, I’m going to make sure you don’t go hungry,” she said, smiling up at him.

  He chuckled. “I appreciate that.”

  They sat down at the table. In addition to the pork chops she’d promised, she’d also prepared mashed potatoes, mixed veggies, corn on the cob, mac and cheese and yeast rolls. “Everything looks good,” he said.

  “Thanks. Dig in.”

  He did. She couldn’t help but watch him eat, knowing a lot of the dishes she’d prepared were personal recipes he’d shared with her over the years.

  “Did you have many tours today?” she asked him.

  “Quite a number. This is my busiest month with the shrimp festival in a couple of weeks. You plan on going, right?”

  “Yes. I understand it’s a three-day event that draws people from all over the United States.”

  “It does. There are water activities and fireworks every night. The good thing is that you’ll have a real good view from your backyard.”

  They ate in silence for a moment, enjoying the meal.

  “And just so you know, I’m thinking of buying this place if it ever goes on sale,” Ray said.

  She raised a brow. “This place here?”

  “Yes. I like it and the view I saw this morning from your bedroom window was breathtaking.”

  “It is, isn’t it?”

  They talked about a number of other topics and he told her of his plans to go shrimping with Kaegan on Friday night to help make sure a number of restaurants in town were stocked up on shrimp for the festival. “I can feel the excitement in the air about the festival,” she said when together they began clearing the table.

  “Yes, there is. Hopefully by this time next year I’ll have purchased an additional boat. I’m saving for it now. Business is good all year but especially so during this time.”

  Ashley didn’t say anything. He was saving for it. It seemed his days of being an impulsive buyer were over. A least for now. Devon hadn’t known the meaning of saving. She’d had to work hard to show him. “Will it be the same kind of boat?”

  He shook his head as he helped her load the plates in the dishwasher. “No, a bigger one. I’d like to be able to take at least eight to ten people out at the same time. Now I’m limited to couples.”

  “Eight to ten people? Yes, that would definitely mean a larger boat,” she said, grinning.

  “Just think of how profitable that will be for my company. The first two years I kept expenses low. You’re a business owner, so you know about tight times when you have to watch every penny.”

  She didn’t say anything because since Devon’s death she hadn’t had to do that. In addition to the insurance proceeds, before his death Devon had cinched a huge deal that had made her a pretty wealthy woman. She had invested a lot of it with the help of Kim’s husband, Jon Paul, who was sort of an investment genius. Thanks to him, she’d become even wealthier. Her mother liked reminding Ashley that she worked every day not because she had to, but because she wanted to.

  “You’ve gotten quiet on me.”

  She glanced up at him and smiled. “I didn’t mean to. I was just thinking. You have a lucrative business here and I’m always open to making money.” Deciding to be honest, she said, “Devon’s death left me in good financial shape and I’m always looking for ways to invest if you’re interested.” Ashley knew what she was really doing was giving Ray a chance to use his own money.

  He looked at her for a moment. “Thanks for the offer, but I’m good for now. Kaegan loaned me the money to get started and I paid it back in a year. I try to do things on my own and not feel beholden to a lot of people. I guess you can say I like being my own man. That is important to me.”

  She turned from the sink to face him. “What else is important to you, Ray?”

  He shrugged massive shoulders. “Like I told you, I have no recollection of my past, so I have no idea what type of man I was then or what I would have or would not have tolerated. Now I’m a private person who refuses to let a lot of people into my business. And those I do let in are there because I trust them deeply. So, I guess you can say friendship and trustworthiness are important to me.”

  She tried pushing to the back of her mind Emmie’s comments from that morning. Would Ray feel betrayed if he ever found out she was his wife and hadn’t told him? Why would he if she explained why she’d done so? She had to believe that he would understand that everything she was doing was because she loved him and didn’t want to set his condition back in any way.

  She jumped when he snapped a finger in front of her face. “You drifted off to la-la land,” he said, smiling. “You okay?”

  She nodded. “Yes, I was just thinking about what you said. Friends and trust are important to me as well. I told you about my three close friends, Emmie, Suzanne and Kim. Suzanne and Kim and I grew up in Kansas and have been friends since grade school, whereas I met Emmie in college at Harvard. We still remain friends today. I trust them with my life.”

/>   He nodded. “I guess it’s good to have people in your corner. For me, Sawyer and Kaegan have always been in mine and were the only people who knew about my memory loss. Vashti was added when she and Sawyer married. I couldn’t expect him to keep something like that from her. And last month I decided to tell Bryce. I like and trust her. And last night I told you.”

  She met his gaze. “We’ve established the fact I’m not your friend, right?”

  He moved to stand in front of her. Reached out his hand to slowly slide up the side of her body, settling on her waist. “Yes, you’re more than that, Ashley.”

  She tilted her head to look closely at him. “Your lover, then?”

  His smile appeared more heated than charming. “Do you think of yourself as my lover?”

  She wanted to tell him that, no, she truly thought of herself as his wife. His one and only love, just like he was hers. However, she knew that was a position she had to work hard to reclaim. And she would.

  “Right now I am whatever you want me to be, Ray...other than a mere friend.”

  He reached out and caressed the side of her face. “In that case, let’s not define our relationship or worry about titles. It is what it is for now. All we have is the rest of the summer together. Then you’ll leave and return to your world in South Carolina and I’ll remain here in mine running my tour boat business.”

  When he lowered his mouth to hers and captured her lips, she wished more than anything that she could tell him he was wrong. They had more than just the summer. They had the same thing they’d pledged to have eight years ago at their wedding. They had the rest of their lives, and more than anything, she was determined to see that happen.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  RAY GLANCED AT his wristwatch again. For the tenth time now? Ashley wasn’t late, but damn, he was anxious to see her. The fact that he hadn’t seen her in a couple of days might be the reason he was so eager to now.

  “Hey, Ray.”

  He smiled and turned at the voice he recognized. “How are you, Bryce?”

  She slid onto the bench next to him. “I’m okay. I’m surprised you’re not out on your boat.”

  He chuckled. “I have to take time off sometime.”

  She nodded. “Looks like you’re waiting on someone.”

  He lifted a brow. “What gave you that idea?”

  Bryce grinned. “The way you keep looking at your watch makes it pretty obvious. Are you waiting for Ashley? I hear the two of you are an item now.”

  He wouldn’t deny they were something but figured an item was stretching it a bit. She’d probably reached that conclusion because he and Ashley had been seen around the cove together on a number of occasions. “Not sure I’d say we’re an item but we’re good friends.” He cringed when he said that. Hadn’t he and Ashley decided they were more than friends?

  “Whatever, Ray,” Bryce said, giving him a knowing half smile as if she didn’t believe him one bit. “I best move on. I’m meeting Mom near the Ferris wheel. See you later.”

  “Yeah, I’ll see you later.”

  He watched her leave and then checked his watch again.

  Moments later when he heard his name, he turned and saw the woman who’d called out to him. Deborah Chenille was a divorcée and the first woman to come on to him when he’d moved to the cove. She’d figured since they were both divorced that they had a lot in common. She’d been wrong about that. And when she began pursuing him with a vengeance, he’d had to take her aside and tell her flat out that he wasn’t interested.

  Deborah had stopped speaking to him for a while, which hadn’t hurt his feelings any. He was glad when he’d heard she had gotten involved with some businessman living in Shreveport. However, rumor had it the relationship had ended and Ray wondered if that was why she was trying to get back to being friendly with him.

  She waved her hand at him, and doing the neighborly thing, he waved back. He hoped she didn’t take his friendliness as a sign of interest because it wasn’t. The only woman he was interested in right now was Ashley.

  He was still sort of amazed at how quickly she had gotten under his skin and just how deep the obsession went. The more time they spent together, the more time he wanted to spend with her, which was the reason he’d decided to slow things down a bit, only seeing her two to three times a week. There had not been any more sleepovers at her place since that first night. He’d deliberately put an end to that. So much for doing that, because he’d only been miserable.

  He liked her. Hell, he liked her a lot. However, there was no law that said just because they’d agreed to a summer fling they had to constantly be around each other. But that hadn’t stopped him from thinking about her on those days that he didn’t see her. Waking up in the middle of the night wanting her. Dreaming about her. He missed her tremendously, which was why he was looking at his watch again.

  * * *

  ASHLEY GLANCED AROUND as she walked. Vashti had tried warning her about the number of people who attended the Catalina Cove Shrimp Festival. People were everywhere, and according to Vashti, Friday wasn’t the busiest day. More people attended on Saturday and just as many on Sunday as on Friday. She could see why all the merchants in the city were smiling. There was no doubt the festival was a boost to the cove’s economy.

  As she walked along the booths that had been set up, several people stopped and spoke to her, asking how she was doing. Most had been on the pier that day when she’d nearly drowned. She assured them she was fine and appreciated them for inquiring.

  A lot had happened since she’d arrived in town. Two weeks ago she and Ray had first made love and agreed not to define their relationship. She couldn’t even say over the past two weeks that they’d established a routine because they hadn’t. There were some days she didn’t see him at all, but at least he would call at night before she went to bed to see how she was doing. On those evenings he did drop by, they would either go out to dinner or she would whip them up something. Although they would end up making love, he made it a point to leave her house before midnight to return to his.

  Ashley tried not to let it bother her that he had yet to invite her over to his place. Whenever the thought annoyed her, she quickly got over it, reminding herself that rebuilding a relationship with her husband was a process that couldn’t be rushed. She needed to focus on the long-term and not the short-term. The goal was for him to get to know her and feel comfortable with her sharing his space. Men weren’t as quick to do that as women.

  At least he’d texted her and asked if she’d like to join him for lunch. She was going to meet him on the boardwalk near the ice cream shop. She knew exactly where that was since that shop had become one of her favorite spots in town.

  She glanced at her watch and saw that she was ten minutes early and was glad because she didn’t want to be late, especially since he was on his lunch hour. For a minute she’d thought she would be late when her father had called right before she’d left the house. He’d agreed with everything she’d told him about her mother’s obsession with her dating Elliott. Ashley was smart enough to know that although her father might take her side now, it would be another story if her mother put any pressure on him.

  Ashley had decided that the best thing to do was to fly home for a few days and spend some time with her parents. Although she wouldn’t tell them about Ray, she would let them know she had met someone. Hopefully, the thought that she was getting over Devon enough to get interested in someone would get her mother off her back. There was no reason her parents needed to know just yet that the guy was Devon.

  She smiled at the thought of how they would handle it when the day came and she told them the truth. Her father would be ecstatic. Her mother...umm, maybe not so much.

  A short while later she reached the ice cream shop and saw Ray sitting on a bench, staring directly at her. She felt a deep stirring inside her the moment their
gazes connected. She loved him so much and regretted she had to hold herself back from expressing just how deep that love went.

  He stood and began moving toward her as she moved toward him. She wished more than anything that he saw her as the woman who should be in his life forever, but she knew that wasn’t the case. She knew that look. It was one of desire and not love.

  He was wearing a pair of khaki shorts and a T-shirt advertising his business and looked so hot she could barely stand it. She was only a few feet away when some woman, wearing a pair of hottie shorts and one of those midriff tops, approached Ray. The woman was all smiles and it didn’t take a rocket scientist to see she was flirting with Ray. Ashley kept walking toward him and wondered how he would introduce her since the other woman was obviously someone he knew.

  “Hi, Ray. I hope I’m not late,” Ashley said, knowing she wasn’t but wanting the woman to know he’d been waiting for her.

  “No, you’re right on time.”

  What Ashley hadn’t expected was him reaching out and pulling her toward him and placing a kiss on her lips. He then said, “Ashley, I’d like you to meet Deborah. Deborah, this is Ashley.”

  “Hi, Deborah,” Ashley said, noticing how the other woman was glaring at her.

  Deborah barely shook her hand, which didn’t bother Ashley any. Up close, the woman was beautiful; she had to give her that. It was a good thing Ray had made it pretty clear he had not been involved with any woman since losing his memory or Ashley would think maybe these two had once been an item from Deborah’s territorial attitude.

  “You’re here just for the summer, right?” Deborah wanted to know. Ashley wondered where she’d gotten that information.