“Come on, Brett,” she whispered. “Let’s fix breakfast and surprise your father.”
Empty glass in hand, she made a detour to the guest room to put on her robe. Then she grabbed the calendar. “What else does your dad like besides steak and eggs?”
“Anything.”
“That’s easy, but I’ll bet you love cold cereal with milk the best,” she said as they entered the kitchen.
“Did you just remember that?”
“No. It was a guess. That’s all my brother ever wanted in the morning before we left for school.”
Suddenly she could see her brother. He was sitting on a bar stool at the kitchen counter of her parents’ home, shoveling in mouthfuls of Apple Jacks.
“Todd…”
The things she’d been holding slipped from her hands. The glass shattered against the tile.
“Don’t either of you move,” Grady said directly behind them. “You’ll cut yourselves otherwise.”
Susan turned her head in time to see him get a broom from the closet. His phone call had been a short one.
“Be careful,” she urged because he was barefoot, too. He quickly swept up the broken glass, checking carefully for any pieces he might have missed. Susan feared that if he got cut in the process, he’d never tell her.
“I’m sorry I was so clumsy.”
Grady emptied the contents of the dustpan in the wastebasket. “As far as I’m concerned, you can break every damn glass in the house if it means you’ve remembered something.”
Her pulse raced. “While Brett and I were talking about breakfast, this picture came into my mind of my brother wolfing down cereal when we were kids.”
“Do you have full recall of him now?”
“No.”
“Nevertheless, the past is falling into place faster than I would have dreamed,” Grady said before putting the broom and dustpan away.
“Do you feel sick again, Mom?”
“No, darling.” Not physically. Emotionally it was painful to remember things in front of her husband because none of them were personal memories of him. Every time she opened her mouth, it hurt him. She could tell by the remote look in his eyes.
“H-how do omelets sound?”
“Good.”
“I’ll set the table,” Brett offered.
She took eggs and cheese from the fridge. Grady followed with an onion, a green pepper and some ham.
“Who was that on the phone?” she asked as he began chopping.
“Last night I put in a call to a colleague in the FBI about the body Maureen Benn said was found on the reservation.”
“Did you have to tell him you’re not on vacation?” She grated cheese as she spoke.
“No. He assumes I’m in Florida with Brett, but like most detectives I still take my work with me. As soon as he has any information, he’ll get back to me.
“I’ve asked him to contact LeBaron’s family so he can procure the man’s dental records. If there’s a match, then we’ll know you and LeBaron were both victims. If they’re not the same, I’m going to assume he’s still alive and I’ll have an APB put out on him.
“In the meantime, you and I are going to attack this case from another angle.”
He found the frying pan and melted butter in it. She combined all the ingredients, then poured in the egg mixture to cook.
“You’re talking about the Drummond account.”
“It’s the only other one you handled.”
“Grady?” She could no longer conceal her anxiety. “I don’t have any recollection of being a CPA. It sounds as foreign to me as ancient Greek.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll open the file and try to make sense of it together. After the things you’ve remembered since last night, I’m convinced that given time and patience, something’s going to cli—”
He stopped talking as they heard the sound of the garage door opening. Susan eyed her husband in surprise.
“Something must be wrong,” he muttered. “Mrs. Harmon wasn’t due here until six this evening.”
The three of them waited for the housekeeper to come into the house. When they heard footsteps in the hall, Grady called out to her.
She entered the kitchen looking apprehensive. Her eyes swerved from Susan to Grady. “Forgive me for barging in, but you didn’t answer your cell phone.”
Grady made a strange sound in his throat. “That’s my fault, Mrs. Harmon. I forgot to bring it downstairs. From now on, I’ll keep it with me at all times. What’s wrong?”
“I had a call from Ellen Stevens this morning. She said she was thrilled that you and Brett were having a wonderful vacation in Florida. In the next breath, she wanted to know if you’d made arrangements for someone to mow your lawn while you were gone.
“Off the top of my head, I told her you’d decided not to worry about it until you got back from your trip. But you know Ellen. Before we hung up she said that was all she wanted to know.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that Mike will be over sometime today. Most likely one of the Stevenses will bring him with their mower.
“But on the outside chance that Mike comes on his bicycle, he knows where Brett’s hidden a key to get into the house in case he’s ever locked out. I was afraid he’d let himself in, and I couldn’t risk that happening.”
If Grady hadn’t put an arm around the housekeeper’s shoulders, Susan would have.
“With that kind of thinking, you should be on the police department’s payroll. If I could give you a medal of commendation, I would.”
She laughed off the compliment, but Susan could tell his comment had pleased her.
“I actually removed that key yesterday in the event of just such a thing,” he was saying. “No one will be getting into the house unless they break in. If that happens, I’ll be ready for them.”
“Would you like to stay and have breakfast with us?” Susan asked.
“Thank you, but no. After what you three have been through, you’re entitled to enjoy your reunion in private. Besides, I’m on my way to church.” She took a deep breath, and Susan realized that the older woman had been genuinely fearful.
“Let me bring in the newspaper,” she continued, “then I’ll leave and see you tomorrow evening around six. If you need anything, call me and I’ll pick it up for you.”
Susan moved the pan off the burner and gave her a hug. “Thank you, Mrs. Harmon. We couldn’t do this without your help.”
“It’s my pleasure.”
“That was smart thinking,” their son put in. He’d taken on the job of making the toast.
A smile crept over the housekeeper’s face. “Why, thank you, Brett.”
“Sure.”
The warmth in his cheeks led Susan to believe that his pain hadn’t allowed him to get close to the other woman. But all of that seemed to be changing now.
Grady waited to walk her back to the garage. When she’d gone, he joined them at the kitchen table. This time he’d brought his cell phone with him.
After Susan had served him, she said, “How did you ever find her?”
“I went through a reputable job agency. She was one of about a half-dozen applicants for the housekeeping position. It didn’t take me long to realize she was the person we needed.”
“I like her very much.”
“She took good care of us, didn’t she, Brett?”
“Yeah. But now we’ve got Mom.”
“You’re right about that. I think this would be a good time to give thanks.”
That was all Susan had been doing since she’d found out she belonged to Grady and Brett.
Closing her eyes, she listened to his prayer. It touched her so deeply, she was half crying by the time he’d finished.
After he’d said amen, no one seemed inclined to talk. That was good, because she couldn’t have said a word if she’d wanted to. Eating breakfast helped get her emotions under control. Grady finished off the last of the omelet.
“That was delicious.
My compliments to the chef.” He got up and started clearing the table.
Brett followed suit. “It was really good, Mom.”
“Thank you.”
When she stood up to help, her husband turned to her. “This is a day for you to relax and do whatever you want. The newspaper’s on the table in the foyer.”
“I thought you were anxious to work on the Drummond account.”
“Only when you’re ready. I don’t want you to feel pushed. We’ve got a whole week of uninterrupted time ahead of us.”
He was saying that for her benefit, not his. She knew he was counting the seconds until he discovered who’d done this horrible thing to their family. She was desperate for answers, too.
“We might need every bit of it to come up with some clues. As soon as I’ve showered, let’s look over the rest of the calendar and then get down to business. I can’t promise anything but to try my hardest.”
She saw Grady’s eyes ignite with satisfaction, and on her way up the stairs, she heard Brett tell his dad he wanted to help, too.
Susan felt no qualms about entering the master bedroom now. After finding a change of clothes, she hurried into her bathroom and got ready for the day.
She’d just slid her feet into a pair of navy sandals when she picked up the sound of a mower coming from the backyard. Mrs. Harmon hadn’t warned them any too soon.
Grady met her in the upstairs hallway. He put a finger to her lips.
Until the last few days, she’d thought of herself as sexually dead. Now the combination of his touch and the scent of the soap he’d used produced a distinctly erotic sensation. If her mind couldn’t remember, her body did. She felt alive in a brand-new way.
“Jim drove Mike over in the truck,” he whispered before taking his hand away. “They’re both mowing.”
She blinked. “Is this what you meant by Jim’s generosity?”
“No. He does a lot of nice things for Brett, but he’s never taken it upon himself to do my yard work before.”
“Not even when you and I went on vacation with Brett?”
He shook his head. “When we go out of town, there’s a lawn-care company I call.”
“Ellen probably asked Mike to do it as a favor. Maybe he didn’t want to, so she enlisted her husband’s help.”
“Maybe.”
Susan had been around Grady long enough now to know when he hadn’t told her everything he was thinking.
“It’s obvious you’re the kind of man who prefers taking total care of his own family, his own business. Sometimes it’s harder to receive than to give? Isn’t it?”
He seemed to pale. “You’ve said that to me before.”
“I’m not surprised. A man who lights his own fires can’t abide the idea of anyone else putting them out.”
“Susan,” he blurted.
“Yes?”
His eyes closed tightly. “I’ve missed you.”
He wanted his wife.
Though she had no memory of him, it didn’t diminish the fact that she wanted him, too.
“Grady… I can’t tell you the same thing. There’s no way to predict whether or not I’ll ever have total recall. But if it helps, please know that I’m strongly attracted to you. I have been from the moment we met.
“What I’m trying to say is, if you want me to sleep with you, I will.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
GRADY REELED.
What man would turn down an offer like that, especially from his wife of seventeen years?
Except that it wouldn’t be his wife in bed with him. Her body, yes, but not her mind or her emotions.
He didn’t doubt her desire for him. When she’d first called herself Martha, the chemistry had been there for both of them. But even in the total intimacy of bed, he wouldn’t be her Grady. She wouldn’t be his Susan.
Was half a loaf better than none?
If she never remembered him, could he deal with it? Could he grow to love her as much as the wife he’d lost?
Would the striving to find the old Susan eventually tear them apart so that he lost both of them?
“The truck’s gone now, Dad!”
At their son’s remark, Susan moved past Grady. To his horror, he detected a glint of pain in her eyes.
“That was a nice thing for the Stevenses to do.” She sounded as if nothing had happened. Grady knew differently.
“I’ll bet Mike hated it.”
“You think so?” Susan asked.
“His dad’s always finding him extra jobs. Mike works harder than any of my other friends.”
“Mr. Stevens probably had a father who made him slave,” she said.
“He did. Mike said his grandfather was dirt-poor, so his dad had to earn money for everything.”
“Then you have your explanation. Some patterns are hard to break.”
“Don’t get mad, Mom, but you’ve told me the same thing before.”
“Why would I get mad?”
“Because I keep telling you ‘you said that before,’ and you probably hate it.”
“Not at all. It makes me feel like I’m getting closer to being myself again.”
“I love you, Mom.”
“I love you, too, darling. Shall we go downstairs?”
“Yeah. Are you coming, Dad?”
“In a minute. First I need to finish talking to your mother. Why don’t you go to the den and boot up the computer for us?”
“Okay.”
Susan turned in Grady’s direction. She was wearing a pale blue knit top with a pair of denim cutoffs. He was sure that if he’d seen those same clothes on another woman, his heart wouldn’t have begun this frantic pounding.
“When I brought you home from the apartment,” he said in a low voice, “my fear of frightening you off was the only reason I didn’t ask you to come to bed with me. Your honesty now has let me know that’s not a problem.”
“But there are other problems.” She’d anticipated his thoughts. “I know all about them. Maybe if we just got used to holding each other again?”
She wanted comforting.
So did he.
Reaching blindly for her, he whispered, “Tonight will be a new beginning.”
She clung to him, trembling. He held her tight until she relaxed in his arms. Lord—to feel her like this again…
“Oh, no,” she cried softly. “I’ve wet the front of the T-shirt you just put on. I’m too emotional for my own good.” She pulled away from him before he was ready to release her.
Six months ago, he hadn’t been able to accept the fact that he would never embrace his wife again. Maybe something had made him sense that she was still out there, waiting for him to come and find her.
Whatever force was at work, she’d been returned to him. Though she’d been robbed of the memories they’d shared, she felt like the old Susan. Tonight she’d be back in their bed.
After half a year’s deprivation, his biggest concern at the moment was figuring out a way to quell the frantic beat of his heart until then. If Brett hadn’t been downstairs waiting for them…
“Don’t you know these tears mean you’re alive? Do you honestly think I mind?”
“You might if I drown you,” she murmured, wiping her eyes.
Right now she was behaving very much like the wife he’d lost. It was those quicksilver appearances that haunted and captivated him.
Until she had a full recovery, they always would.
Grady slid his hand to the back of her neck. Together they walked through the hall and down the stairs to the den.
Brett looked up, his gaze lingering on them. “I’ve put in the first disk. Here’s the calendar.”
The glow of happiness was back in his eyes. It wasn’t something his son could control. No doubt Grady’s face had undergone a similar change. Susan was the heart and soul of their lives.
If her mother or brother were to see him and Brett just now, they’d realize something extraordinary had happened. No one deserved to know the
truth more than they did. They loved her, too, and they’d suffered terribly after her apparent death.
The person responsible for so much unhappiness was going to pay.
“Susan? Why don’t you sit at the desk and look at the spreadsheets. See what you think of them, and then Brett and I will help you make sense of the notations on the calendar.”
She gave him an exaggerated look of desperation. It was so typical of the old Susan, he had difficulty believing she had amnesia. But that impression was quickly quashed when she started shaking her head.
He pulled his chair closer to her. “What’s wrong?”
“I can’t do this.”
“You haven’t given yourself any time yet.”
“It’s not just what’s on the screen. I don’t remember how to work a computer.” She sounded panicked.
“That’s okay, Mom. I’ll show you.” Brett moved his chair around to her other side.
“Who taught you?”
“You did.”
“You’re kidding!”
“Nope. There’s nothing to it. That’s what you used to tell me.”
“Then I lied.”
“No, you didn’t,” Brett insisted. “You began my lessons when I was in first grade so I’d be ahead of the other kids.”
“So I was a helicopter mother?” That had always been Susan’s disapproving term for parents who swooped in to save their children from every situation instead of letting them learn by making mistakes.
Grady didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. This was another of those defining moments when the woman who’d given birth to their son was in full evidence.
“Mom…you weren’t like that.”
“I’m afraid to hear any more.”
“You’re a lot smarter than Rich Dunn’s mom, and she’s a heart surgeon.”
“Honest? You really think I’m smart?”
“Mom,” he said in exasperation. “See these arrow keys? They make the screen scroll up and down. If you press the page-down key, it’ll go all the way to the end of the file. When you hold down the page-up key, it’ll take you back to the beginning. Try it.”
In about two minutes, Brett had her more confident than before. She turned to Grady. “All right. Now what am I supposed to be looking for?”
She's My Mom Page 11