"I guess I'm going to have to go with beach combing considering that I need the keys to unlock the car."
It was her turn to gasp. "Why did you lock the doors? That's ridiculous."
"That's rich, Zoe. You throw my keys out to sea and yet I'm the one who is ridiculous because I lock my car doors? I can claim force of habit as a defense. What's your excuse? Insanity?"
"Love."
"What?"
Startled was better than angry, which gave her hope. "I love you, Michael."
"Don't go there."
"I'm already there." She wished she could see more of his face than just its outline. "Look, I know tonight didn't go the way you hoped it would."
"You don't know the half of it."
"I'm sorry. I wish I could rewind the tape and start the evening over."
"It's not just tonight, Zoe. You've been acting strange ever since you reappeared last week."
"I can explain."
He sighed. "I guess you're going to get your chance now that I'm a captive audience. But if you're going to try to tell me that you love me, you can first clarify why you walked out on me last year without so much as an explanation."
"We did talk about it. At great length. Don't you remember?"
"What I remember is that we had a very bizarre one-sided conversation where you tried to brainwash me into thinking that we weren't meant to be together."
Brainwash? Ouch. She'd never thought of her memory alteration process in such harsh terms. "It seems we remember the conversation very differently."
"Give it up, Zoe." Michael's voice grew closer. "I didn't buy it then and I'm not buying it now. You are an intelligent, articulate woman who also happens to be incredibly beautiful. I never would have thought you were the type to play games. But unless you give me a good explanation as to what you've been up to this week, then we are over. I love you. But I want a real relationship. So what's it going to be?"
She could sense that he was only a few feet away, which made the temptation to throw herself into his arms nearly overwhelming. But he deserved an answer to his questions. It was time to be honest, so help her God. "There's something about me that you don't know."
"Go on."
"I'm afraid it's going to change how you see me."
She bit her lip while she waited for Michael to say something. But for a long moment there was only the sound of the waves rolling in. Just when she was certain he wasn't going to respond, he finally spoke.
"Then I guess you have a decision to make, just like Marlene said."
Zoe cringed. "I know what it must have sounded like, but when my mother said that I had to decide if you were enough, the 'no' you heard was me starting to say that I didn't need a split second to decide. You're all I could ever want, all I could ever need."
"Keep talking."
A flicker of hope flared within Zoe's heart but she knew there was still a long way to go. And the hardest part was ahead. "I'm not...I've got a special ability to make people forget things." She took a deep breath and plunged ahead. "Every woman in my family has a gift, or at least they do until they get married and then it fades to one degree or another. My mother used to be able to know what people were thinking just by looking at them, but after she married my father she lost her touch. She can still tap into what I'm thinking if we're together but it doesn't work with anyone else."
"You're losing me."
"Pretty ironic because that's what I've been so afraid of if you found out about me."
"Found out what?" Exasperation was evident in Michael's tone of voice. "If you have a secret, just tell me."
Zoe balled her hands into fists. "I'm trying. The reason I started Maid for Love was so that I could use my gift for good. The world doesn't need another cleaning service but it could use a little more forgiveness. And sometimes the easiest way for someone to forgive is to help them forget."
"So you're talking about some sort of counseling you provide?"
Zoe shook her head and then realized that it was too dark for Michael to see her. She knew she could barely make out his face in the waning moonlight. It was crazy that they were standing together in the dark but in another way it made the conversation easier for her. At least this way she didn't have to see the disdain on his face. "Not exactly. I mean, no. It's not counseling because it's not voluntary. I use my ability to help erase sad memories or disappointments."
"So which am I? A sad memory or a disappointment?"
"Neither. Please don't be like that, Michael. You're the best thing that ever happened to me. I just got frightened." She shivered, the breeze was becoming increasingly chilly. "At the restaurant you said you understood how I felt."
"Frightened, I get it. But all this brainwashing stuff-"
"Memory alteration," she corrected him.
"Whatever, how do you expect me to believe any of this? And how do I know you're not just messing with my head?"
"It’s not like that."
"But you just said you tried last year to do exactly that." He was silent for several minutes but when he spoke again he sounded incredulous. "Oh, my God, Zoe, that's why you played it that way when you showed up at my house. You thought you'd made me forget you. Am I right?"
As much as she hated to admit it, she had to. "Yes. And I also tried to alter Kendra's memory so she wouldn't remember us as a couple and talk incessantly about it during dinner. I thought it worked but I guess I didn't do a good job. She must have thought I was a lunatic."
"Unbelievable."
"Unbelievable as in you don't believe me, or unbelievable as in you're freaked out?"
"Both. You messed with my head, Zoe."
"I tried to, I admit it. I know it was wrong. But I wanted...I thought...," she let her voice trail off.
"Don't stop now. You thought what?"
Zoe felt utterly miserable. She wanted nothing more than to be at home, under the bed covers, having a good cry. But there was no way out of this except through it. "I thought you would be happier if you forgot me. It would be like you'd never met me."
"You're unbelievable."
They were back to that. "What can I say to convince you that I did what I thought was right?"
"There's nothing you can say," Michael said. He reached out for her hand and drew her toward him. He pulled out his cell phone with his free hand and tapped the flashlight icon. "Stay next to me while we hunt for the keys because I don't want to lose you."
Zoe sent a fervent prayer heavenward that he wasn't just talking about tonight but about forever.
***
The front headlights of his car shone brightly against the beach house garage door as Michael pulled into the driveway. Their hunt for the car keys took just over twenty minutes and the ride home at least another ten, which all added up to thirty uncomfortably silent minutes. He didn't doubt that Zoe had plenty she wanted to say, he certainly had a number of questions for her. But he also needed an opportunity to think and the quiet drive had given him that.
He got out of the car and came around to open Zoe's door. "Why don't you go in and I'll be there in a second. I need to make a quick phone call." Once he heard the front door close behind her, he scrolled through the list of contacts on his cell phone until he found who he was looking for. He sent a quick text to a co-worker and hoped he wouldn't have to wait long for a reply. He didn't.
Pete: Yeah, Maid for Love is the real deal. Best money I ever spent.
Michael: How so?
Pete: My wife found out that I volunteered to work late the whole week her parents were in town. Fireworks like it was the 4th when she figured it out, kwim? But after Maid for Love came, she was so darn happy that she forgot the whole in-law thing. Like it never happened.
Michael texted a quick thanks and pocketed his phone. Like it never happened? He stared at the house, perplexed. Was Zoe telling him the truth? There was only one way to find out. He took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and headed toward the front door.
Once
inside he found Marlene and Zoe huddled in the corner, speaking in hushed voices. Josh and Kathryn sat on the couch in silence, at least until they caught sight of him and then Kathryn practically threw herself at him.
"I'm sorry, Uncle M," she whispered after she'd hugged him hard. She studied him intently. "Are you okay? Was it awful in the car on the way back? Is Zoe leaving tonight?"
Josh touched his sister's shoulder. "Ease up, sis. Let him catch his breath."
Michael smiled as reassuringly as he could. "I'm okay. Everything's fine."
His nephew's eyes widened. "You and Zoe made up?"
He shook his head. "Not that kind of fine. It's complicated."
That last word set his niece off. "Complicated?" she hissed. "Ha! It's the opposite. Zoe clearly isn't smart enough to know what a catch you are, it's as simple as that." Her eyes sparkled with outrage. She looked over her shoulder at Zoe and then turned back to him. "I will never, ever forget how she ruined your perfect evening and blew her chance-"
"Whoa, what did you just say?" he interrupted her.
"I said she blew-"
"No," he interrupted her again, "before that."
Kathryn frowned. "I said I would never forget-"
Never forget. The words replayed in his mind as if they were on repeat. "Listen, you two stay here for a moment while I talk to Zoe and Marlene."
He crossed the room and reached out to touch Zoe's arm. "I need to ask you a question and I want you to swear that you'll tell me the truth."
She nodded earnestly. "I promise."
"Are you telling me the absolute truth about this memory alteration business?"
"Don't answer that, Zoe." Marlene glared at him. "If you think you're going to make my daughter apologize for being who she is, you've got another thing coming." She poked him in the chest. "Zoe is a wonderful, special, loving young woman with a special gift-"
"I know."
Marlene stared at him, clearly surprised to hear him agree with her glowing assessment of her only offspring. "You know?"
Michael nodded. "I do. In fact, I don't think you're doing her enough justice."
His swift agreement took the wind right out of Marlene's sails. Eyebrows raised, she turned to Zoe. "There may be hope for this one yet."
"Mother," Zoe protested. "Please."
Michael grinned. "I hope she's right, Zoe." He fervently hoped he was about to do the right thing. "If you can promise me that the memory alteration is completely safe, I want you to show me."
"Show you how?"
"Alter Josh and Kathryn's memories of tonight."
Zoe's eyes widened. She glanced over at the teens and then back at him, her expression skeptical. “You’ve got to be kidding.”
"Can you do it?"
"Of course she can," Marlene assured him. "You will, won't you, darling?"
"No."
This Michael wasn't expecting to hear. "No what?"
"No way." Zoe folded her arms defiantly.
"That's right, you tell him, sweetheart."
Michael turned to Marlene. "Whose side are you on?"
"Oh, right, sorry." She gave an apologetic shrug. "Is there more wine in the kitchen?"
Michael nodded.
"Great." Marlene smiled brightly. "I'll go be in charge of that," she said over her shoulder as she sailed into the kitchen.
Once they were alone, he turned to Zoe. "Will you do this for me?" He sensed that she was wavering. "Please."
"Why?"
"I don't want the kids to remember tonight."
Zoe started to say something but then stopped. "Fine. If you think it's necessary, I'll do it."
Michael resisted the urge to kiss her. Instead he kept his features carefully schooled. "Go ahead, Zoe."
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Zoe did her best to ignore Kathryn's scowl and Josh's sullen expression as she sat across from them. They were loving, loyal kids who adored their uncle. She respected their feelings because she shared them. But still she felt downright odd about what she was about to do.
"What do you want to talk to us about?" Josh asked.
Zoe glanced at Michael. He nodded his encouragement. She turned back to the kids. "I know you may not want to talk to me right now. I respect that. I know this evening didn't turn out the way you thought it would."
Kathryn’s eyes narrowed. "I don't get you, Zoe. You say you love Uncle M but you don't act like it."
"Not cool," Josh added.
Zoe didn't answer. Instead she focused in on Kathryn first because of her high level of resistance. The key was keeping eye contact and her voice at a consistent enough register that Kathryn would lower her guard. "I think you and I have quite a bit in common, Kathryn." Gingerly she reached out and touched the teen on her arm to establish a greater rapport. "I know you love your Uncle. I love him too. We share that bond between us."
Kathryn remained silent but her eyes were no longer narrowed. Zoe took this as progress and pressed forward. "What matters is your uncle's happiness and how he feels. I suggest we both let go of any frustration we feel." She paused for just a moment. "We need to release any attachment to misunderstandings or hurt feelings that might come between us."
Silence permeated the room. Zoe knew her mother understood the importance of a quiet atmosphere, and she was relieved that Michael was following Marlene's lead. "Wouldn't you feel better, Kathryn, if we could go back to a happy and positive mindset? What about the way we felt today at the lighthouse? Do you remember?"
Kathryn nodded.
"Can you tell us about how you felt then?"
"Happy. I felt happy."
"Tell me more about that," Zoe encouraged her.
"The sun was shining."
"Go on."
Kathryn did as she was bid. Her voice was melodic enough that Zoe felt confident that the girl was releasing some of her resentment. "Uncle M was excited about proposing to you tonight."
Zoe’s breath caught in her throat. Michael had planned to propose tonight? She carefully avoided looking at him. Despite her racing heart and shaking hands, she focused on Michael's niece. "How did you feel?"
Kathryn's voice was relaxed, dreamy even. "Hopeful."
"What were you hoping for?"
"For you to be my aunt."
Tears pricked the back of Zoe's eyes. She glanced over at her mother. Marlene touched her hand to her heart and then blew her daughter a kiss. Zoe forced herself to focus. "Do you think that you have it in your heart to forget about tonight and move forward?"
The wait for an answer was agonizing. Zoe willed herself to not only remain quiet, but to stay calm.
Finally Kathryn spoke. "I want Uncle M to be happy. If he wants you to be a part of our family, I want that too."
Michael Archer was a lucky man to be so loved. Heaven knew he deserved it. Zoe turned to Josh. She was careful to establish eye contact with him before she spoke. "What about you, Josh? Can you release your disappointment and memory of how things worked out tonight?"
Of the two of them, Josh turned out to be the more willing subject, likely because he'd not been as deeply upset as his sister had been. He nodded. "I can."
"Are you able to move forward with no resentment?"
He nodded.
"What is it that you want for your family?"
"I want for everyone to be chill."
Zoe sat back and waited silently for several moments before she stood and quietly left the room. Although the alteration appeared to have gone well, she desperately needed fresh air. And to be alone. A quick glance at her mother assured her that Marlene would stay and keep an eye on the teens for her. Not that anything was likely to go wrong, the kids were going to be fine.
Which was more than she could say for herself.
Zoe slipped quietly out of the back door and into the dark night. A profound sense of loss weighed on her like a dropped anchor. She followed the moon-lit path down toward the water, stopping only to kick off her sandals. The wind had picked up
but she was oblivious to the cold as she drew closer to the water. The salty moisture of the Atlantic matched the tears that silently slipped down her cheeks.
She'd been an utter fool to have ever for a moment thought she needed to protect her heart from Michael. Her very refusal to trust him had been the ultimate insult to his integrity, and her actions over the last week had added insult to injury. She stopped at the water's edge, not caring that the incoming waves splashed cold water around her ankles. She reached up and wiped away her tears. The sense of emptiness inside of her was something she was going to have to get used to in the days ahead.
Not caring that it was late and cold, she began to walk along the shore. When she'd gone about a hundred feet, she paused, thinking that she'd heard her name being called. But it couldn't be, it had to be a combination of the wind and her imagination. Her mother would never be able to shout loud enough to make herself heard over the coastal wind.
"Zoe."
She froze.
"Zoe, wait."
This time she knew she'd really heard Michael. His voice reached her just before he came into sight.
"Zoe, for the love of heaven, what are you doing?" Michael stopped in front of her. "You're not going anywhere." He shrugged off his jacket, wrapped it around her shoulders, and drew her close against his chest. "Not without me."
"Michael." The warmth of his jacket was nothing compared to the warmth she felt from being held in his arms. She leaned back just enough so that she could see his face. "I don't-" but he effectively silenced her by leaning down and kissing her tenderly.
When at last he pulled back, Zoe was grateful for the support of his arms around her. "I want you to know-"
But he cut her off again, this time by taking her face gently between his hands. "Zoe, please, let me say what's in my heart and then I promise to hear you out. Okay?"
She nodded.
"I don't care about your gift...I mean, I'm not spooked or upset like you thought I'd be. Marlene told me that you felt like you had to make a choice. You don't. I would never ask you to do that. I love you the way you are, I love everything about you."
Zoe felt her knees go weak, partially with relief but just as much with desire. "You weren't freaked out by what you saw me do?"
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