Nigel nodded, looking relieved. "Good for her." His smile was tight. "I have some good news for you—I've arranged for us to go to Cornwall tomorrow after you're released. To Beech House, my reclusive great-uncle's estate near Fowey. Do you remember it?"
I nodded. It was a beautiful estate on the south coast. "He has a couple of holiday lets on the property, doesn't he? They'll be rented already. And as I recall, no one stays at the manor house. He doesn't allow it."
"Family comes first. Renters can always be bumped," Nigel said. "You've always loved the coast and the sandy beaches. We'll have the keeper's cottage all to ourselves. The sea air is good for the soul and restoring health. The weather is beautiful this time of year. It's the perfect place to recover."
He was right. I loved Cornwall. Its connection to my dad. Its literary history and mysterious atmosphere. Daphne du Maurier set Rebecca near Fowey. Winston Graham set his Poldark series on the north coast of Cornwall. Maybe it was the perfect place to unravel this new mystery of my life.
"Beth—"
"Is welcome to join us when she gets here," Nigel said.
"Beth told me you and I are no longer together." It seemed best to be honest and get things out in the open. I watched his reaction closely, but he gave nothing away. "If that's true, I can't—"
He leaned forward and took my hand between both of his. "You and I were talking about getting back together at the pub just before your accident. That's why you wanted to see me before you went to Scotland with Austin to do the promo. Why we wanted to see each other."
I frowned. "I don't remember."
"I brought you your suitcase, the one you left at my flat in March when you had to fly home suddenly because of Beth's health emergency. It's just over there." He pointed to it. "And your grandmother's ring?" His voice had that prompting tone, as if he was trying to coax the memories out of me.
I shook my head.
"I have never stopped loving you, Blair." His tone was urgent, his expression serious and intense. "You must believe that. I never stopped. I never will. Not even all the publicity of you with him changed how I feel." He squeezed my hand, looking desperate for me to believe him.
I furrowed my brow and bit my lip. But I couldn't remember. I just honestly couldn't. "But Beth…why doesn't she know?"
"She likes him," Nigel said. "And, to be honest, she hasn't been enthusiastic about me since you graduated college. I'm a threat. I'll take you away. Hide you here in the UK. She'll lose you. That's what she fears most. How could you confide in her and worry her when nothing was settled?
"You were having doubts, serious doubts, about Austin. But Beth was the last person you could talk to about it." He paused. "Am I upsetting you?"
"No." I took a breath. "Yes. I don't know." My head hurt. "The whole thing is upsetting. But I have to know." I waited for him to continue.
"You met Austin on the rebound, as Americans say. He was your rebound guy." He looked sympathetic. "You know how that goes. The rebound guy never lasts long. As the newness of the relationship was wearing off, your doubts were creeping in. Neither of us was over the other."
I couldn't help frowning.
"I'm sorry, darling," Nigel said. "I don't want to overwhelm you—"
I weakly waved for him to continue.
"We were talking about making it permanent." He looked down, suddenly almost embarrassed. "I asked you to marry me. Do you remember?"
"No." I was stunned. He'd proposed? I couldn't believe it. I shook my head. "I don't remember. I'm sorry." I stared into my lap.
"Not to worry. That's completely normal. I'm not in the least insulted." He leaned forward and kissed the top of my bent head.
I frowned as I looked up and back to him. He was being so understanding. He was like the Nigel I'd met and fallen in love with. "I may never get those last hours before the accident back. That's what Beth said. I may never remember."
He nodded, still so understanding.
My heart pounded. The question I wanted to ask seemed almost rude. "What did I say?" I really had no clue. Wasn't that crazy?
His Adam's apple bobbed. "You promised to think about it."
I frowned. "That's heartless, isn't it?" I was indignant for him. "I've never thought it's fair of women to put men off like that." My head was practically pounding. I pinched my forehead. "Why would I do something like that? Why did I need to think about it?"
His smile was sympathetic. "Two reasons, really. Three, if you count Jamie. But it's really just a complication.
"You didn't want to hurt Austin and were afraid of the backlash. Breaking up with him would be public, really. Very public for both of you. And you're both obligated to do the promos for Jamie. It would be awkward, at best, working with him after that. We were trying to decide how to work the Reggie angle to replace Austin in the promos. It turns out, your accident solved that for us. But we didn't know that then.
"My cousin, Alistair, is Reggie, you remember." He turned his profile to me. "The Helyer family resemblance is strong."
"I can't deny that," I said.
"And then there's Beth. We still haven't worked it out. You're conflicted about moving to England and leaving her in Seattle. With as sick as she's been." He paused. "Even though she's in remission now, you worry about her being alone."
Yes. Yes, that was true. That sounded familiar. That was part of our problem. What did I do about Beth? How did I leave her so far away when she needed me? Everything he said made sense.
What Nigel said explained the incongruity of having so many pictures of Austin on my phone, and keeping the video of him telling me he loved me. And why Beth didn't know about my struggles over it. And why there were no pictures of Nigel on my phone.
"What about my job in Seattle?"
"You remember that?"
"Only what Beth told me."
"It was another thing to consider," he said. "It's a dream job. Finding one as fulfilling here will be difficult. Does any of that sound familiar?"
I shook my head, horribly confused and still trying to wrap my head around Nigel actually proposing.
He took both my hands. "Blair, you and I have been in love for a decade. Give us a chance. Come to the cottage with me. Let me take care of you while you heal. Out of the spotlight. You wouldn't believe how much social media attention your accident has received."
"I don't know." I really didn't. I was so confused. Going to the coast with Nigel didn't seem like quite the right thing. And yet there were no good alternatives. And I loved him…
But I was so tired and confused. And in no shape for romance.
"We don't have to rush into anything," he said gently. "Let me do this for you, as an old friend, if nothing else."
He leaned in and whispered, "Your conflict is all over your face, Blair. You're loyal and faithful to a fault, darling. It's one of the many things I adore about you." He patted my hand. "I'm not expecting anything physical, if that's worrying you. Not until you make up your mind about Austin. I'm not expecting anything at all. You'll have your own room and I'll have mine. I'm not the kind of cad who takes advantage of a woman who's lost her memory."
I smiled. I couldn't help it. It was such a ridiculous statement.
"I'm overdue for a holiday. August is almost here. I can't think of any better way to spend it than with you." He smiled as if the matter was settled as he caressed my hand.
I was still confused and didn't have the strength to protest. I wasn't sure I wanted to. I nodded.
"Good." He looked relieved and pleased. "I have even more good news—the producers of Jamie have postponed some of your promo events and invited me along for others down the line," he said. "Since your accident, the media has picked up the story of Elinor returning to her English Reggie. The fans are going wild for it. We're trending nearly everywhere."
I didn't know what to say.
"Everyone is relieved that you're going to be yourself again, Blair." He lifted my hand and kissed it, looking almost
roguish. "So many fans are sending you good wishes for your recovery."
"Yes," I said, and indicated the room around me. "It's hard not to notice with so many gifts, balloons, and flowers arriving by the hour. The room was threatening to explode with them. I asked the nurses to take as many as they can to children and patients who aren't as fortunate as I am."
He nodded. "Very sensible and generous." He looked around the room with an almost rapturous expression. "We're media sensations, love. Let's enjoy it, shall we?"
I pulled my hand from his. "Nigel." I took a breath. "The baby wasn't yours."
He looked startled by my outburst, but not surprised by my revelation. Or particularly upset. A scowl flitted quickly across his face and disappeared.
"Are you sure you want to do this—play for the media? Be burdened with a woman who just lost another man's baby? A woman who can't remember who she's become?
"I can't promise you anything, Nigel. I have to find myself first. All I really need is a friend. I'm beginning to think that I need time to think things through—"
"However much time you need, darling," he said, cutting me, and any further discussion, off. "Just let me be your friend and prove myself. As long as you give me a chance, I'll be happy." His voice cracked. "You and I are meant to be together. It's significant, don't you think, that I'm the one you remember?"
I didn't answer. But the physician in me knew the truth—had my head hit the pavement at a slightly different angle, he could very well be the one I forgot.
"I'll wait. As long as it takes." He looked at me seriously, as if he was contemplating something. "There's only one thing I ask, one condition—that we not mention the pregnancy."
I stared at him. It wasn't that I didn't understand why he wouldn't like hearing about it, but I was the one who'd suffered the loss.
"If you need counseling, and help getting through it, then by all means, we'll get it for you." He swallowed hard. "But the media doesn't know. Let's keep it that way and move on with our lives." He looked at me, pleading with his eyes. "Let's enjoy this opportunity we've been given to start fresh. What do you say?"
His request wasn't unreasonable, and yet…
I nodded slowly. "Okay."
Nigel's posture relaxed and a look of relief washed over his face. "Brilliant." He smiled and patted my hand. "Do you remember the gift I gave you just before the accident?"
I frowned and shook my head. "No. Sorry."
He nodded. "Don't be. It's as I thought." His smile broadened, like it did when he talked about something he was passionate about. "I've been doing your genealogy."
"Have you?"
He nodded. "I gave you a copy. It's in your case."
I glanced at my luggage sitting in front of the wardrobe across the room. "I'll have to take a look later."
He beamed. "Do, darling. I think you'll enjoy it and find it as fascinating as I have." He looked positively bursting to tell me something. "I've found some of your father's relatives. And they're a lot nearer than even I'd hoped for." He watched closely for my reaction.
To be honest, I wasn't sure what my reaction should be. I'd lived my entire life, as much as I remembered, anyway, without any contact from them. Beth had told me that my English grandparents were dead by the time of my parents' accident. The most I could hope for were some distant cousins or a long-lost great-uncle or something. I wasn't sure what the point of getting to know them would be. But I didn't say anything. I didn't want to kill Nigel's obvious joy at the surprise he'd created for me.
"Since we're going to Cornwall, I thought you'd like to meet them. May I?" He nodded toward my bag. The document he'd given me was right on top. He pulled it out and put it on my tray table. "When you're ready for it."
I took a look at it after he left. It was mostly just that, a genealogy. A long, dry list of names, birthdates, and death notices. If it had been a bit of narrative non-fiction, a well-written biography of my family and history, it might have been more interesting. Or at least a little less dry. As it was, I saw nothing in it to be particularly excited about. I wasn't the long-lost heir to a fortune. The granddaughter of a duke. A descendent of Guinevere or anything romantic at all.
Tin miners. My ancestors were common, everyday miners, with a few fishermen thrown in for good measure. There was nothing wrong, of course, with good, honest laborers. Nothing at all. But I didn't see how it affected my life now.
I glanced down the list to the present day. I had some distant cousins who lived on the north coast of Cornwall.
I hoped Nigel wasn't grasping at straws. Just because both of our families had connections to Cornwall didn't make us soul mates—
I stopped myself short, stunned by the automatic turn of my thoughts. Was that sarcasm and doubt I was feeling? Frustration with Nigel? Where had that come from?
Chapter 6
Thursday
Austin
I met with Cam, Perry, and Lazer in a private meeting room.
"What the hell happened? Aren't you supposed to be in Scotland with Blair, mugging for the cameras?" Cam pulled me into a hug and slapped me on the back.
"That was the original plan," I said as I hugged him back. "It's good to see you, man."
Perry pulled a sheaf of papers from his briefcase. He set them and a pen on the table.
Lazer tapped the paperwork. "Sign away. Without your consent, the deal to sell the app doesn't go through."
I stared at Lazer. "You're joking?" I glanced at them. "The deal is really going through?"
Lazer cleared his throat and glanced at Cam. "We capitulated on a few points. The guys want their cash. Now that things have become urgent, we decided some points weren't as sticky as they'd previously been."
Cam looked away. I knew the trick. He didn't want me reading his thoughts. We were all emotional about the sale. I couldn't tell from Lazer's manner whether he meant that my "arrest" was threatening to screw things up irrevocably and forced their hand, or the guys needed the free time to help me out. I was responsible, either way, and felt guilty as hell.
"You don't have to do this for me," I said to Cam's back.
"Shut up and sign the damn papers," Cam said without turning around.
Perry pointed to the paperwork. "They won't allow your corporate lawyers in. I'm acting on their behalf. They flagged the places I need your signature."
I picked up the pen, sat, and signed where indicated. It was so quiet you could hear the scratch of my pen on the paper.
When I finished and handed the pen to Perry, Cam let out a small victory whoop.
"This seals the deal." Perry scooped up the paperwork and slid it into his briefcase. "It's a done deal now. You'll have your money within days. Once all the paperwork is filed."
"This calls for a celebration," Lazer said. "I'll buy you both a drink when this over."
"Whisky. Well aged." I nodded. "How is Ashley taking the sale of the app to a large matchmaking company?"
Lazer shrugged. "She understands the need. The goal was always profit. It helps that she doesn't consider them competition for her boutique services."
"Sensible woman." I admired Ashley.
Cam turned around. "Enough chitchatting. We don't have much time. Now that the paperwork is signed, each of us will be turning in our resignations at our jobs. That frees us up to do whatever you need." His eyes were full of fire and excitement. "What's our first step?"
"I need you to call Blair and tell her I love her," I said.
Cam held his hands up in front of him and gave me the side-eye. "Are you out of your mind?" He pointed at Lazer. "Lazer's your man for the job. Not me. Lazer always knows what to say and how to handle the ladies. He's the designated wingman. Right, Laze?"
"Blair is more comfortable and familiar with you." I glanced at Lazer. "She's a little intimidated by Lazer's billionaire status."
"Well, hell, I'm rich now, too." Cam hitched his thumb at the paperwork Perry had stuffed in his briefcase. "All of us are. Why can't
you tell her yourself?"
"Duh," I said, pointing between the three of them. "You're the only people I can communicate with. And no offense, Perry, but I'm not paying my lawyer to pass on my tender feelings."
Lazer, who'd been smirking, snorted. "Sorry. Couldn't help myself. This is really too rich. Cam, stop being a wimp. You offered to help."
"But I meant mounting a rescue and stealing Blair away from that douche, Nigel. Not playing Cyrano."
"It's not exactly Cyrano. I'll tell you what to say. I'll even write it down." I motioned to Perry for a pen and paper. "There is a wrinkle you should be aware of." I filled them in on Blair's memory loss.
"Blair forgot you?" Cam asked.
"She's forgotten all of us." I glanced at Lazer. "Don't take it personally. It's beyond her control. She has a head injury in the part of her brain where her memories from the last six months are stored."
The guys were quiet as I finished writing out what I wanted Cam to say and handed the paper to him.
Cam took it solemnly. He glanced at Lazer, appealing to him to no avail. Finally, he sighed, folded the paper, and put it in his pocket. "What about Dixon?"
"I'm working on that," I said. "Keep an eye on him for me."
Now Cam grinned.
"And you and the guys better start working on your kilts," I said. "A trip to Scotland is almost definitely in order once I get out of here."
"Are we mounting a rescue?" Cam's eyes lit up.
"We'll see," I said.
Lazer said, "In the meantime, while you're locked away, we need to protect your reputation and social media presence. We don't want people forgetting you or wondering why you've disappeared. Let my team work it. We'll make sure you don't lose your Jamie promo opportunities while all of this is sorted out."
"Thank you." I looked at my two friends. "I know you'll protect my interests while I'm out of touch. I hereby make you my official agents and give you my blessing to handle whatever comes up on my behalf." I turned to Perry. "Can I give them power of attorney for the Jamie stuff and anything that comes up with the app?"
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