“I like to mash mine together real good.” Cooper squeezed his crackers tight. “But you have to let it cool longer before you can eat it.”
Lexie followed his example. Marshmallow, chocolate and peanut butter oozed out the sides.
“I want ’nother,” Charlee said.
“I’ll fix it for you.” Clint grabbed a skewer, then slid two marshmallows on. “I might need another, too.”
Even if he didn’t remember Charlee’s birth and part of Cooper’s life, he was a great uncle. And even though he’d recovered most of his physical abilities, she still felt like a failure. Despite the cognitive exercises, memory games and photo albums, a very large hole remained in Clint’s memory.
“You can eat yours now, Lexie,” Cooper instructed, then took a huge bite of his.
She sank her teeth into the goo. “Mmm...”
“You’re funny, Lexie.” The boy giggled. “Most adults don’t make noises when they eat or roll their eyes back in their head.”
Not a pretty picture he painted of her. “I can’t help it. So good.” She took another bite. “Mmm...”
Clint finished making his and Charlee’s s’mores. “Here you go, kiddo. Be sure and let it cool.”
“It’s nippy out tonight.” Audrey warmed her hands in front of the fire. “I’m certainly glad Clint and Lexie didn’t catch pneumonia after their little dip in the river yesterday.”
“You should have seen them.” Cooper jumped up and told the story for Ted and Joel, then proceeded to act it out. “Uncle Clint was like this.” He careened to the right, opened his eyes and mouth wide. “And Lexie was like this.” He careened to the left, made the same face, but twisted his mouth to the left. “You should have seen the splash they made.”
Everyone laughed at his antics, including Lexie and Clint.
“Thanks for the play-by-play, son,” Joel said, chuckling. “I almost felt like I was there.”
“I don’t think that was the face I made.” Clint groaned. “It was more like this.” He crossed his eyes, stuck his tongue out to one side.
“All I know is the water was cold.” Lexie shivered.
“Brrr. Cold.” Charlee hugged herself.
Their laughter mingled.
“This is so fun, but I’m afraid we need to head back to the house.” Carly stood. “I hate to leave a mess, but I really need to get this guy home.”
“I’ll clean up,” Lexie offered.
“I better git, too.” Ted got up. “I’ve got an early board meeting in the morning.”
“Everybody put their trash in the bag.” Audrey started gathering debris.
“You go see Ted off,” Clint told his mom. “I’ll help Lexie and put the fire out.”
The kids made their rounds of hugging, including Lexie, making her teary. Then everyone drifted to the house, leaving her alone with Clint.
“Want another s’more?”
“You read my mind.” She shivered. At the chill? Or Clint?
“You cold?”
“A little.”
He stood, poked the fire up, then took off his jacket and put it around her shoulders on top of hers.
“Thanks. But I don’t want you to get cold.”
“I won’t.” He settled beside her, loaded two marshmallows onto a skewer and held it over the fire.
His nearness set all her nerve endings on alert.
“So two more days of therapy.”
“And we’re done.” She lined four graham crackers on a paper plate, set a Reese’s Cup on two of them. “But you’re doing great. Keep doing the exercises and the games and you’ll continue to improve.”
“All set for the new job?”
“I still need to find an apartment. But there’s no rush. Mama and Daddy would love for me to live with them permanently.”
“Why don’t you?” he asked curiously.
“I don’t know. It’s different for you, Clint. You stay here to help your mom out. But I feel like a third wheel living with my folks. I guess I need to feel independent.”
He stilled, gazing off in the distance. Their marshmallows caught fire.
“Clint, you’re charring them.”
He jerked the skewer out of the fire, blew the flame out. “Sorry. I’ll make you another.”
“It’s okay, I actually prefer blackened.” She sandwiched a marshmallow and pulled it off, handed it to Clint, then repeated the process.
“Me, too. They get gooier that way.”
She set her hand on his arm. “You okay? It’s like you went far away there for a minute?”
“Something you said about living with your parents and me helping Mom out struck a chord. I think I almost had a memory.”
“That’s great.”
“Do you think it’ll ever all come back for me?”
“I don’t know. But I do know permanent memory loss is pretty rare.” She looked over at him and said softly, “Maybe you should stop worrying about what you can’t remember. I mean your family has filled in most of the blanks for you. Just move forward. Make new memories.”
They ate their s’mores in silence. She managed to keep quiet about it, but she closed her eyes and savored the taste.
“Watching you makes me relive the first time I ate these.”
“So good.” She finished the last bite and stood. “I better get going.”
“Can you help me with one more thing?”
“Sure.”
“Cooper asked if I could walk the beams before everybody came out tonight. I’m the one who used to hold his hand until he found his balance. But I was afraid to try. I didn’t want to fall in front of him. I’d just like to know if I can do it.”
“Let’s see.” She offered her hand and stepped up onto the beam.
He took it, stood. A frown formed between his eyebrows as he climbed up beside her. A slight bobble, but he balanced without her help.
“Looks like you can.” She turned away. “Let’s walk around it.”
Hands still clasped, he followed.
“You’re doing great.”
They completed the hexagon of beams. She stopped, pivoting to face him.
He captured her other hand. “Thank you. For all your help. Your encouragement. For having faith in my abilities, when I didn’t have any.”
“You’re welcome. But you’ve been a pretty easy patient. Think you can get down from there by yourself?”
“Yes. Thanks to you.”
She watched until he was safely down. “See you tomorrow.” She waved, turned away, then hurried to the house to retrieve her purse.
But inside, Ted was still there helping Audrey clean the kitchen.
“You outta here?”
“I can help Audrey. You said you needed to leave.”
“You don’t have to do that.” Audrey clasped her hands. “I can’t tell you how grateful I am for all you’ve done for my boy.”
“It helps when the patient is determined to recover. He reminds me a lot of Levi.”
“Me, too.” She turned to Ted. “Did you pay her?”
“Duh.” Ted shook his head. “I’m not sure I’ll be around anymore this week, so I wanted to go ahead and get square with you.”
“I’m not worried about it. You can mail it to my folks.”
“It won’t take a minute,” Ted said, pulling his checkbook out of his back pocket.
The back door opened. “The fire is officially out.” Clint stepped inside, saw Lexie. “I thought you’d be gone by now.”
“I stopped to help your mom clean up.”
“I can help her. You can take off. You, too, Ted.”
“Since I do have an early day, I’m gonna have to take you up on that.” Ted kissed Mom’s cheek. “I’ll walk you out, Lexie.”
She led the w
ay. “See y’all tomorrow.”
Outside, Ted pressed a check into her hand. “The best money I ever spent.”
“I still feel like it’s too much. And I haven’t completed the job yet. I still have two days left.”
“It’s not too much and I know you won’t cut and run. I hope to see you now and then. You’ll be at the wedding?”
She smiled brightly. “Definitely. Let me know if the date changes.”
“We will.”
Lexie made it to her car and he opened the door for her.
“Thanks for helping Audrey’s boy... I don’t know what we’d have done without you.” He shut the door, waved and turned toward his truck.
Just two more days and the torture of spending her days with Clint would be over. Except that she already missed him.
Chapter Sixteen
As Clint made it back from the mailbox, Lexie pulled into the drive. He stopped, waiting on the steps for her.
Her car door opened. “Look at you waiting on me for a change.”
“I can’t help it if you’re a slowpoke,” he teased.
“Someone’s cocky this morning.” The tropical palm trees and smiley-face suns decorating her scrubs matched her perkiness.
He opened the door for her, then set the mail in the stack on the desk in the foyer. But the pile toppled. Envelopes fluttered to the floor in all directions.
“Oops.” Clint knelt to pick it up.
“Here, let me help you,” Lexie said, scurrying over.
“I’ve got it.” His hands stilled as he stood. “What’s this?”
“What?” Mom strolled over beside him.
“An RSVP. For your wedding. Two weeks away?” Clint’s heart stuttered. “Why didn’t you tell me the wedding is so soon?”
“We’ve been thinking about postponing since your accident,” Mom admitted, stooping to gather the rest of the mail.
“Jim and Darla Smith are coming.” He held out the RSVP. “Not only do I not know who they are, but I didn’t know the wedding date had even been set.”
Mom sank into her chair at the table. “I should have done it already, but I kept hoping—I want you to remember how much time has passed, to remember Ted. I can’t get married with your brain stuck two years ago. With your father’s passing so fresh for you.”
A knot clogged his throat. He swallowed hard. “I don’t want you to postpone. No putting your life on hold, just because mine is.”
“The wedding can wait.”
“No, it can’t. I’m fine with it.” He ambled toward the foyer, faster than he used to be at least.
“Where are you going?” Mom called.
“I have to get something out of my truck.” He hurried for his truck, as quick as he could and still remain upright, then opened the door and looked back toward the house.
Mom stood on the porch, a deep furrow between her brows.
“Stop worrying. I’m fine.” He waved her inside.
Thankfully, she went, shutting the door behind her.
He found the magnetic key holder under the rear fender, climbed in the truck, fumbled to extract the key and started the engine.
The doctor hadn’t cleared him to drive yet. But he’d made significant progress since he’d last seen Dr. Arnett. He had to get away. To think, clear his head. He’d just have to focus and be careful.
Checking behind him twice, he backed up, pulled down the driveway and turned toward town.
But where? Where could he go? Carly was busy with the kids and Joel had just gotten home. Apparently, he didn’t have any friends. No one had come to see him since his accident. For the last two years, he’d obviously kept to himself, focused on the ranch.
The only person he could think of that he wanted to talk to about all of it was Lexie. But she was back at the house.
Clint knew he really didn’t need her as a therapist anymore. He could feed himself, walk without his walker, button his own clothes. Yet, she was such a good listener. But since she obviously wasn’t interested in him, it was better for his heart if he cut her loose now.
The church loomed in the distance. Maybe someone neutral would be the perfect ear for his troubles. And the preacher had been there two years ago, so Clint actually remembered him.
* * *
“Do you think he’s okay to drive, Lexie?” Audrey asked, wringing her hands in her lap.
She hoped so. “He’s made a lot of progress. He’s capable. And Dr. Arnett will probably release him once his test results come back.” Lexie sat at the breakfast bar with a defeated Audrey. “Does he have any friends he might go to see when he’s upset?”
“None that live here anymore. He pretty much kept to himself for the last few years, concentrated on the ranch.” Audrey straightened the salt and pepper shaker, then resumed wringing her hands.
Ted captured one of her hands. “He and Joel are close, but Clint wouldn’t want to interrupt his first day home with Carly and the kids.”
“I shouldn’t have called you away from your board meeting,” Audrey said. “You should go back.”
“It’s fine. We rescheduled for later in the day.” Ted tucked her into his shoulder. “Clint’s always been friendly with the ranch hands, but most of them haven’t been here over two years.”
Audrey leaned into her fiancé. “Even the ones that have, he never did anything with them outside of ranch work. I doubt he knows where any of them live, and I don’t think he’d confide in any of them.”
“What about from the rodeo?”
“They’re still traveling the circuit and I’m pretty sure he lost touch with them. I don’t think he was ever close with any of them except Zander. And their friendship hit a wall a few years ago.”
A wall named Katie.
“Anywhere he liked to go, just to think?” Ted asked. “Somewhere that gave him peace?”
“Not that I can think of.” Audrey closed her eyes. “I just wish I knew where he is. That he’s safe.”
Ted wrapped his arms around her.
“Oh, wait, the church! He’s always loved our church. And Pastor Douglas has been there for five years, so Clint would remember him.” Audrey pulled away from Ted and grabbed her purse. “We have to go.”
“I’ll drive,” Ted offered, following her to the garage door.
“Wait.” Audrey stopped. “He’s upset because of us. Our wedding.” She turned to Lexie. “Would you go?”
The last thing she needed was to be comforting Clint. He was way too good-looking and emotionally damaged, and her heart was bound to get broken by this man. But how could she turn down his mom’s plea for help?
“Sure.” She shouldered her purse and headed for the foyer. “I’ll let you know when I find him.” She hurried out to her car, started the engine, then pulled onto the highway.
It was well within her wheelhouse to calm patients down. She’d taken a few counseling courses in order to be a well-rounded therapist and been complimented by patients, doctors and nurses on her soothing presence. But she’d never had to calm down a patient she’d fallen for. This could get sticky.
She’d have to keep a professional distance. No hugging or comforting. Just talking and reasoning.
The church was only a few miles from the ranch. As it came into view, she saw his truck, blessedly in one piece.
Once she parked, she sent his mom a text that he was at the church.
She stepped inside the lobby, looked down the hall toward the office. Probably talking to the preacher. But first, she scanned the sanctuary.
A dark-haired man hunched on the first pew on the right. It was him, looking much like he had when she’d first started working with him, defeated.
She strolled toward him. When she was a few pews behind him still, he raised his head and looked her way.
Had he been praying? �
�Hey,” she whispered. “Sorry to interrupt, but your mom’s worried.”
“I’m fine.”
“That’s good. Because you’re not supposed to be driving.”
“I was careful and it’s not far. Dr. Arnett will probably release me this week.”
“Probably.” She settled beside him on the pew, with a good two feet between them. “But he hasn’t yet. From a medical standpoint, you’re basically driving illegally.”
“They can’t postpone the wedding.”
“Your mom just wants you to be at peace.”
“I am. Mostly.” He blew out a rough breath. “Except that it seems like my dad died just yesterday. But it’s been two and a half years. And now there’s Ted. I genuinely like him, I really do. It’s just—”
“Hard realizing life went on without you for two years.”
“Yes. I should have asked about the wedding.” He tipped his head back and looked toward the ceiling. “I sensed they had a day set, but deep down, I didn’t really want to know.”
She threaded her fingers through his, trying to concentrate on comfort and comfort only.
He squeezed her hand. “Shouldn’t I be remembering by now if I’m going to?”
“All patients are different, all injuries are different. Some recover quickly, some take longer.”
“But I’m not. I’ll end up just like my dad. It’ll all go downhill from here.”
“You don’t know that. And there’s no reason to assume it. Your dad’s illness didn’t come from one bull wreck. There were a series of concussions involved.”
A muscle ticked in his jaw. “But you can’t tell me if it was the second one or the sixth one that caused his decline.”
“No. Not for certain.”
“I appreciate you working with me this last month. I really do. But I’m recovered physically enough, and there’s no reason to drag this out any further. You’re free to go.”
Her heart sank. “But we still have two days left.”
“I’ll never forget everything you’ve done to help me, Lexie. But I don’t need you any longer.” He pulled his hand away.
The Cowboy's Missing Memory Page 17
