“I’ve been to the ranch where you work, haven’t I? I keep seeing you behind a hotel registration desk.”
Her heart gave a giant thump. “Yes, you were there.”
“Why was I there? When did I come?”
“You came on vacation, and you checked in almost two weeks ago. Amber Russell invited you to come up.” She paused, wondering if he’d remember Amber.
“Oh, that’s right. Okay. You work at the same ranch where Amber lives now. That’s pretty wild, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, it really is.”
“If you start singing ‘It’s a Small World After All,’ I might have to plug my ears,” he teased. “Remember, I have a headache.”
“As if I would. World’s most annoying song.” Gwen smiled. “What else do you remember?”
“Horses. We went on a horseback ride in the rain.”
“Yes, we did.”
“And you looked beautiful in the rain.”
Her heart gave another thump. Did this mean he was starting to remember his feelings for her, too? “Thank you. That’s a nice compliment.” She decided to keep things light. If she pounced on everything he said and made a big deal out of it, that might be more harmful than helpful.
“You’ve always been beautiful, Gwen. I can’t believe I didn’t tell you that more.” He cleared his throat. “And there was something else.”
“Hmm?”
“I think I kissed you.”
A smile played on her lips—she couldn’t help it. “Oh?”
“Yeah. I think I kissed you, and I think I really liked it.”
“Interesting. Are you sure your mind’s not playing tricks on you?”
“I thought it might be at first, but you know what, that memory seemed pretty real.” A little lift of his eyebrow told her he was flirting, and she grinned.
“What all did this memory consist of?”
“Well, we were sitting on a couch, and I think it went something like this.” He slid his hand back around the back of her head and gently pulled her forward. She willingly came to her feet and leaned over the bed, and her breath quickened as he brought her closer. He studied her eyes for a moment, then kissed her with a passion he hadn’t when they were actually on the couch. Passion, but tenderness, and goose bumps rose on her arms and her scalp tingled and a warm, delicious chill ran down her spine. Then he let her go and grinned.
“That must have been a good memory,” she said after she caught her breath.
“Actually, I think that was a little better than the memory.” Gabe studied her eyes again. “Is that true, Gwen? Were we falling in love again?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “I don’t think I ever fell out of love in the first place.” Now wasn’t the time to hide her feelings. If anything, it was more important than ever that she be totally honest with him.
“I don’t think I did either,” he replied. “When you came in here the other day, I was overwhelmed at seeing you again—you were like Christmas and birthdays all wrapped up into one. And then when I remembered kissing you, holy cow. I wanted to believe it so much, it hurt. It physically hurt, I wanted it so much.”
A tear rolled down Gwen’s cheek. Had anyone else ever loved her this much? Never. And she didn’t believe anyone ever would—this was it for her, regardless. She brushed the tear away and smiled. “And how was this kiss just now? I think you enjoyed it, but you didn’t really give me an actual rating.”
“Definitely topped any other kiss I’ve ever had in my life. Except maybe one.”
“Oh? What was that one?”
“The first time I ever told you I loved you. Do you remember that, Gwen?”
“Of course I do. It was the Fourth of July, and we were sitting on that ratty old blanket watching the fireworks.”
“That’s right, and I turned and looked at you, and you were so beautiful in the glow of all those red and blue lights going off in the sky. I knew right then that my heart belonged to you.”
“And you took me in your arms and you kissed me, and then you told me that you’d love me until the day you died and twelve hundred years afterward.”
“Is that what I said?” Gabe laughed. “That’s pretty corny.”
“It might be corny, but I loved it. I wrote it in my diary as soon as I got home.”
“I didn’t know girls really kept diaries.”
“Of course we do! Well, some do. It all depends on the girl.” Gwen played with Gabe’s fingers, overwhelmingly grateful that they were able to have this conversation. If he’d died in that crash . . . “Do you remember anything about the helicopter accident?”
Gabe shook his head. “Nothing more than little blips. I think I’m remembering you first because it’s so much fun.”
“I thought you’d forgotten me in the first place because you didn’t want to remember me.”
“What? Good grief, woman, come here.”
He kissed her again and again until she was breathless, and then he took her face in both hands and looked into her eyes. “I never, ever want to forget you, and I’m horrified and embarrassed that I did. I’m going to do whatever the doctor says to get my full memory back, and then we’re going to get on with our lives, all right? I want you with me, Gwen. I want you by my side.”
“Okay,” she whispered, completely unable to argue with him after he’d kissed her like that.
Chapter Seventeen
“Miss Scott, Mr. Grant is doing really well, and I’m pleased with his progress,” Dr. Pierce said. “There really isn’t a reason for me to keep him here anymore. I’ve done all I can, and now we’re waiting for nature to finish up her good work.” He passed a brochure across the table to Gwen. “This hospital, Brookhaven, is located in Tulsa, which I understand isn’t far from Mr. Grant’s home.”
“It’s about an hour and a half,” Gwen answered automatically, her eyes on the brochure. “This is a mental hospital?”
“Only in a way. They specialize in helping people recover from brain injuries. They’re not at all what you would typically consider a mental hospital. Not in the Halloween sense of the word.”
Gwen smiled. He’d gotten what she was implying and was using professional language to ease her concerns. “No freaky nut jobs, then?” Why not just cut to the chase?
“No freaky nut jobs,” he replied with an answering smile. “I’ve spoken with Gabe and he agrees that this would be a good interim step. He’s anxious to finish recovering and to get back to work.”
“Has he remembered that he was named head judge? Will he still be able to do that job?”
“His office assures me that they’re holding the post for him pending his recovery. I can’t see any lapses in his judicial mind, only in his memory of the last couple of weeks, so I have no problem with him returning to the bench. To answer your first question, though, no, he hasn’t remembered, and I decided not to tell him but to let it surface naturally.”
Gwen nodded. “That makes sense. I’m not sure why you asked me to come into your office, though.”
“I wondered if you would be willing to travel to Oklahoma with Mr. Grant. I’ve spoken to his mother, and she regrets that her health keeps her bedridden or she’d be here herself.”
“Of course I will,” Gwen replied. She had no idea what she’d do about her job, but she’d worry about that later. It would all work out somehow.
“Excellent. He’s still just confused enough that I don’t want him traveling alone, and considering that you’re engaged, he’d feel more comfortable with you than anyone.”
“When are you sending him?”
“Tomorrow afternoon. Can you be ready to go by then?”
Wow. That was soon. That was really, really soon. “Of course,” Gwen said, pasting on a smile. She’d do her absolute best and hope she didn’t forget anything she couldn’t just replace in Tulsa.
“Thank you, Miss Scott.” He stood up and shook her hand.
“Um, Doctor?” Gwen said, her guilty conscience
eating away at her like battery acid. “I need to tell you something.”
“Oh? What’s that?”
“I’m not . . . well, we’re not engaged. I’d like to be, but he hasn’t actually asked me.”
Dr. Pierce studied her. “I should be angry that you lied to us, but I really can’t. You’ve taken excellent care of him, and you’ve helped a lot with his recovery. Just don’t lie about your relationship status to a healthcare provider again, all right?”
She laughed. “All right.”
***
“How long will you be gone?” Wade asked over his steepled fingers.
Gwen shifted on the chair in Wade’s office. “I don’t know. I want to get him settled at least, and from there, your guess is as good as mine.”
Wade nodded, looking thoughtful. “You’re not coming back, are you?”
She took a deep breath. “I don’t think I am.” She hadn’t admitted it to herself until that moment, but Wade had a very logical way of looking at things—that’s part of what made him such a good manager over the ranch—and he saw what she’d been hiding. “If he recovers, I’ll want to spend the rest of my life with him. And if he only recovers as much as he has to date, I’ll still want to spend the rest of my life with him—he lost two weeks, but that was all, and our feelings are still there. We can rebuild what was lost.”
Wade ran a hand through his hair. “What am I going to do without you?”
“Carly’s exceptional—I think you should hire her to run reservations. I’m not sure that she’s ready to take over my whole job, though, so I recommend that you put Natasha as head of housekeeping.”
He shook his head. “I meant, what will we do without Gwen? Jobs are easy to fill. Friends are a little harder to find.”
She wiped away the tear that had just run down her cheek. Good grief, she was weepy lately. “I don’t know. And I don’t know what I’ll do without you guys, either. I’m heartbroken just thinking about it. But I do know that I belong with Gabe.”
“Well, I don’t like it, but I have to support you in it because I know it’s what you really want.” Wade stood up and wrapped Gwen in a giant hug. “Just let us know what you need,” he said into her hair. “And if you change your mind, we’ll take you back in two seconds flat.”
“Thanks, Wade. Thanks for everything.” She gave him a teary smile as she stepped back. “This place has been everything to me.”
“Get out of here before I decide to lock you in so you can’t leave,” he said gruffly, and she chuckled as she walked out the door. It hurt her like being shot in the chest to leave the ranch, but she’d come back. She had to. She was leaving a piece of her heart here, and it was a piece that not even Gabe could fulfill.
***
Brookhaven was just as nice in real life as it was in their brochure, and the doctors and nurses treated Gwen like a member of the family. Gabe gave them permission to speak with her freely, so she was kept up-to-date on every aspect of his treatment. She’d found a room in a nearby hotel, but was really only there for six or so hours at a time, as she was spending all of the rest of it at the facility.
Four days later, Dr. Woods told Gabe that there was nothing more that could be done except to wait, that Gabe was in perfect condition otherwise and it was time for him to resume his regular life.
“Even though I’m missing that time?” Gabe asked.
“It has no bearing on your day-to-day activities or your ability to do your job.” The doctor smiled. “Just be patient. You’ve had more of those little memory blips—it will all come back, and in the meantime, others can fill you in on the important bits.”
Gabe turned to Gwen. “You’ll help, huh?”
“Of course,” she replied, and he nodded.
“All right, then, I guess I’ll go ahead and check out,” Gabe replied. “I’ve been eager to get back to work—I’ve just been worried about being too incapacitated to do my job right.”
“No worries there, young man.” The doctor shook his head, handed him some check-out paperwork, and sent him back to his room, Gwen pushing the wheelchair the nurses insisted they use, even though Gabe could walk just fine.
When they reached Gabe’s room, he lost his grip on the folder, and it fell onto the floor. Gwen reached down to pick it up, and when she did, her fairy pendant slipped out of her shirt where she’d tucked it.
“Wait,” Gabe said, reaching out to touch it. “Did I give you this?”
“You did,” Gwen replied. “You gave it to me right before the helicopter accident.”
“Because fairies represent miracles,” Gabe said musingly.
“You remember telling me that? I’ve clung to those words every day.”
He rubbed the fairy one more time with his thumb before letting go and walking over to the window. “I remember that it was going to be a good-bye present,” he said as he looked outside. “Why were we saying good-bye?”
“Because you were going to be leaving soon,” Gwen replied softly. “You’d just been told that you were appointed the head judge over your district.”
He whirled to face her. “I was? Am I still, or did this accident change that?”
“They’re holding it pending your recovery, and Dr. Woods believes that you can go back to work.”
Gabe rubbed his hands over his face. “I can’t believe it. I worked so hard for that assignment—this is incredible.” Then he paused. “I remember that. I remember getting the email. And I told you, and then we had some kind of argument.”
Gwen sighed. As much as she wanted him to regain his memory, she’d hoped they wouldn’t have to relive absolutely everything—she didn’t want to feel these same feelings again. “You didn’t want to have a long-distance relationship.”
He nodded. “I remember that. You belong at the ranch, Gwen.” He blinked. “Wait—why are you here with me?”
“Because I also belong with you.”
He ran his hands through his hair. “But I can’t ask you to give up your home and your life and your career for me. I can’t ask you to leave the home you love.”
“Why not? Why can’t you?”
“Because it’s not fair! Because I can’t offer you what you had there.”
She pressed her lips together. “You keep saying you can’t ask me to do all those things, but you’ve never once asked me how I feel about it. For heaven’s sakes, Gabe, you’re being awfully high-handed about this, deciding you know what’s best for me and not letting me decide that for myself. I’m pretty sure I have the right to pick and choose what I want to do with my life.” She picked up her purse. “I’m going back to my hotel. I’m pretty sure you know how to call a cab to get home once you’re discharged.” She walked out, only feeling a little bit guilty for leaving like that. It wasn’t very mature, but hey, she wasn’t feeling very mature just then.
***
Gabe sat down on the edge of his bed and pressed his head between his hands. What was he doing? He couldn’t lose Gwen—not a second time. No one was that stupid. There were pieces missing, conversations they’d had, things they’d decided, things they’d explored, and without those things, he felt like he was scrambling two steps behind the rest of the world.
He believed what he’d said—he couldn’t ask her to leave everything on account of him. But he also believed what she said—she had the right to make up her own mind. And if she was choosing to be with him, as miraculous as that would be, shouldn’t he be grateful for that gift and just accept it?
He wanted her ultimate happiness. He wanted to see her glow from the inside out, to sparkle the way he knew she could. He’d seen that sparkle at the ranch, but he’d also seen that sparkle the first time he’d kissed her in the hospital. Surprise, delight—it was all there.
And then he realized what was probably the entire crux of the matter. He couldn’t believe that she’d actually choose him over everything else. Good grief—when had he started thinking so poorly of himself? Didn’t he have everything
in the world to offer her? Charm, good looks, a great sense of humor . . . he chuckled. Now he was going too far the other way. The truth was, he believed he could make her happy, and if she believed that too, it was a very good thing.
And he’d just blown it again, and he couldn’t blame it on the brain injury. Just that he was being an idiot again.
He signed the papers and was discharged from the hospital, then took a cab over to her hotel. He wasn’t sure what room she was in, but he had a cell phone, and she had hers, and he called her.
“Hello?” she answered, sounding a little groggy.
“I hope I didn’t wake you up.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“Good. So, what room are you staying in?”
“What room?”
“Yeah, at the hotel.”
“Twelve.”
He hung up without saying another word and speed-walked down the hall until he reached room twelve. Then he knocked on the door until it opened, and he took her in his arms and kissed her. He clung to her like she was a jungle vine and he was Tarzan. Then he loosened his grip just enough to look into her eyes, and he noticed they were red. “You’ve been crying.”
“Just a little.”
“But I never want to make you cry.”
“Well, you’re a little late, but it’s an awesome sentiment.”
He cradled her face in his hand. “Why do I keep putting distance between us?”
She sniffed. “I don’t know, but I wish you’d stop it.”
“Yeah, I really should, huh?” He wiped away a fresh tear with his thumb. “So, listen. I have a great idea.”
“What’s that?”
“Why don’t we get married and live happily ever after and kiss in the moonlight and dance in the rain?”
“You think we should do that?”
“Yes, I think we should. And I’m going to ask you what you think this time instead of deciding that I know what you should think.”
She wrapped her arms around his waist. “I think we should get married and I should move here to Oklahoma City with you and come to love it and make a whole life for myself here because I’ll be with you, and being with you makes me happier than absolutely anything.”
Welcome Wagon (River's End Ranch Book 13) Page 10