by Kristy Tate
“You’ll have to ask Eva that. I think she might not like dogs.”
“That’s a black mark against her.”
“Probably not the only one.”
“When did I meet her?”
“Before you met me.”
“So, we’ve been together a long time?”
Ricardo answered with a grunt and pulled himself from his chair. “I bet we can find all this out online.” He stood over Zach’s shoulder. “Go ahead, type in Zach Walden and Eva Littleton.”
Zach obeyed. Seeing dozens of pictures of himself and Eva flash on the screen was unnerving. In every image, he looked distant and vacant while Eva, although stunning, wore a hungry, predatory expression. Even though he was completely dressed, he felt naked. Had he felt the same before his accident? It seemed likely.
“Show me the business,” he said in a strangled voice.
Ricardo gave him the passwords and together they pulled up the spreadsheets. “This is just the U.S. market,” Ricardo told him.
After an hour, the numbers began to swim before Zach’s eyes. He slammed his hands down on the table so hard, Ricardo jumped. “Here’s the thing,” Zach said. “I can’t remember who I was or how I became the person I am now. But that doesn’t really matter. The past is over. I’m done trying to wedge myself into a life where I don’t belong. Starting right now, all of my decisions will be based on the sort of life I want to live.”
“I got no problem with that, as long as you want to live a life endorsing the Wonder Weight Loss app.”
“But I don’t.”
“You don’t know what you’re saying.”
“You’re right. I don’t know a lot.” Zach pushed to his feet. “But right now, I’m going to take some time to figure out where I want to go from here.” He strode across the room with the intention of exiting the office in a show of bravado.
Ricardo’s chuckle froze him.
Zach turned to see Ricardo smiling and shaking his head. “What’s so funny?”
“You say you can’t remember anything and yet here you are, spouting almost verbatim the same speech you delivered right before your hike last week where you lost your marbles.”
Zach pointed his finger at Ricardo. “Let’s be clear—for one thing, I have not lost my marbles!”
“If you say so.” Ricardo responded with more laughter. “But if I remember correctly, I’m pretty sure ‘I’m going to take some time to figure out where I want to go from here’ were your exact words.”
“Then the old me and the new me are in agreement. Good to know.”
Zach paced through the building, took the stairs, and headed out the doors. Although he didn’t have a destination in mind, after several minutes, he found himself in front of the Mission Hospital. What was he doing here? Hoping for a Charlie sighting?
He needed love and affection and he didn’t want it from Eva. Charlie thought she was in love with Dr. Palmer. His mom had moved to Australia with her new husband.
He would get a dog.
#
The Laguna Beach animal shelter was a small, homey building nestled in the canyon. A cacophony of barking heralded Zach’s arrival. A woman with the name Nelly stenciled on her shirt looked up as he entered. Recognition flashed in her eyes and her smile brightened her wrinkled and weather-beaten face. She possessed a trim, athletic figure and an abundance of dark wiry hair that was laced with gray. “Mr. Walden! How are you? I heard about your accident. Probably everyone has.”
Zach shoved his hands into his pockets. “Not to sound too pathetic, but I’d like to adopt a dog.”
“Of course! And we have quite a few who would love to go home with you. Let me make the introductions.”
Zach followed her through a gate in the chain-link fence and past a building marked CAT HOUSE. “This is Shep.” Nelly stopped in front of a cage holding the biggest and ugliest German Shepherd Zach had ever seen. “German Shepherds are the world’s leading police, guard, and military dog,” Nelly said. “Approachable, direct, fearless, energetic, and fun-loving.” Nelly opened the door to Shep’s kennel.
Shep curled his lip and the fur on the back of his neck rose, making Zach think of two things: Cujo the killer dog, and an article he had read online about the warning signs of German Shepherd behavioral problems. Zach didn’t remember the warning signs, but he did know that he absolutely didn’t want to hire a pet psychiatrist. He had more than enough crazy in his life; he didn’t need to invite doggy-psycho to his party.
“He’s not for me,” Zach said, backing away from Shep’s hostile glare.
“Are you sure?” Nelly asked, closing and locking the door. “He really is a sweetie.”
Zach studied Shep. Creampuffs, snickerdoodles, and lollypops were sweet. Bloodthirsty dogs were not.
“No? Well how about Jordy here?” Nelly led him down a narrow walkway. The dog cages reminded Zach of the prison cells he had seen on TV. Some dogs stood with their noses to the chain-link fence to watch him walk past, most barked, a few wagged their tails with excitement, some just lay on a scrap of towel looking forlorn and forgotten, but Jordy jumped to attention when Nelly stopped in front of his cage.
Zach took one look into Jordy’s big brown eyes and knew this was the sort of creature Charlie would love.
Nelly opened Jordy’s door and he bounded out. Before Nelly could stop him, he jumped up, placed both of his paws on Zach’s shoulders, and gazed into Zach’s face.
Zach’s eyes met the dog’s, and in them he recognized true love and devotion.
“Sorry about that.” Nelly grabbed the dog by the collar and hauled him away. “Goodness, he’s almost as tall as you.” She clicked a leash on him, straightened, and tried to look in control. “Airedales can be very rowdy! They need exercise like a duck needs water. Do you have a large yard?”
“Does the beach count?” Zach asked, watching Jordy buck on the leash as Nelly dragged him toward the play yard.
“I would think so. He’ll love that. Jordy needs to be trained, and he needs an owner who knows how to be top dog.” After they’d entered the yard and Nelly secured the gate, she looked Zach up and down, sizing him up. “You’ll do. An Airedale may have dominance challenges toward family members he sees as submissive,” Nelly warned. “Jordy will be happy to please you if there is nothing more interesting going on. Airedales are avid hunters, and believe me, even Zach Walden is not as interesting as a chipmunk or another dog.”
“When can I take him home?”
#
Charlie stopped at Dotty’s Dresses on her way home from work. Her feet and the backs of her legs ached and the cut on her hand from where a toddler had bitten her stung. She hoped a new dress and the prospect of spending an evening with Kirk would cheer her up.
She froze when she spotted Zach and a huge furry creature standing on the oriental rug in the middle of the showroom. “Zach!” Her fingers automatically flew to her lips and the memory of his kiss—or the dream of his kiss—seared her.
“Hey,” he said. “I wanted you to meet someone and I didn’t know how to get hold of you. I went to the hospital, but they wouldn’t let me bring Jordy in. Fancy that.”
“Yeah, they’re hygienic that way,” Charlie said.
“And then I remembered you said your grandmother owned a shop.”
“I can’t believe I didn’t give you my number,” Charlie said.
“I know, right?” He shook his head. “So rude. I’m trying not to be hurt.”
They smiled at each other and a thrill passed down Charlie’s spine.
Maddie interrupted the moment. “Can you please tell your friends that the furry one isn’t allowed to chew on the belts?”
“Oh! Sorry!” Zach yanked Jordy away from the belt display. “Come on, Jordy, maybe you can wait outside. I’ll pay for that,” he threw over his shoulder.
“Wait!” Charlie skipped after them. “We haven’t been properly introduced!”
She followed Zach and Jordy through the front door. Outside
, the sidewalks teemed with beach-goers in flip-flops, stroller-pushing moms, and a few tourists.
“Charlie, this is Jordy,” Zach said. “Jordy, meet Charlie.”
Jordy gazed up at Charlie with big, beautiful brown eyes and lifted a paw in greeting.
“Aw,” Charlie crooned, dropping to one knee. “He’s beautiful. Where did he come from?” She stroked his fur.
“I picked him up from the shelter yesterday, and just now he’s fresh from the groomer. That’s why he smells so good. Supposedly, Airedales are rowdy dogs.” Zach ruffled the fur between Jordy’s ears. “So we should get along just fine. Do you like dogs?” His tone told her that her answer mattered.
“Yes.”
“Good. Want to join me and Jordy? We’re going to walk over to Whole Foods to pick up something for dinner.”
“That would be great,” Charlie answered, wondering how she could ask about the kiss.
Dotty bustled out the door, carrying a dress over her arm. “There you are, love. When I saw this Vera Wang, I knew it was the one for you.” She held up the blue silk dress for Charlie’s approval. “But, of course, we won’t really know until you try it on.”
“Go ahead. We don’t mind waiting,” Zach told her.
Charlie followed her grandmother back into the shop and took the dress into the changing room behind the rose-colored velvet drapery. She slipped out of her nursing scrubs and into the silk dress. The soft fabric hugged her curves and fluttered around her thighs. Her grandmother was right. It was the one for her.
But it seemed odd to be trying on a dress for her very first date with Kirk while she had Zach and Jordy waiting for her outside. She reminded herself that a date with Kirk had been on her to-do list for a very long time. The night at the Harbor Yacht Club was the first step toward her forever.
Zach and Jordy were just an interesting diversion.
#
After securing Jordy’s leash to a lamp post, Zach followed Charlie and her grandmother back into the shop. He glanced around at the tapestry rugs, cut-crystal chandeliers, white walls and faded pink armchairs. He liked the hip chic vibe, but knew none of this suited Charlie.
But that dress did! Zach’s breath caught when Charlie emerged from the dressing room. Even with her hair pulled up into a messy knot on top of her head and just a hint of makeup, she was the most adorable thing he’d ever seen. Although he’d liked her a lot when she’d been wearing her pajamas, or even when she’d been bundled up in her parka that hid her curves. He tried to think of an instance when he hadn’t thought Charlie charmingly gorgeous, and came up empty.
With a start, he realized that Charlie’s grandmother was staring at him. She’d asked him a question. He raked his fingers through his hair, trying to come up with an answer that wouldn’t sound insane. He settled on, “I’m sorry. What did you say?”
“I asked if she’s overdressed for where you’re taking her to dinner,” Dotty repeated in too loud a voice.
“Grandma! You know this dress is for the charity ball Friday night. I can’t wear it to Whole Foods!” Charlie harrumphed and headed back into the dressing room.
Dotty followed Charlie and disappeared down a hall, but her words floated back. “Well, you can’t wear your nurses’ long johns. Those are only acceptable in the hospital or in a mechanic’s shop.”
“They’re not long johns and they’re perfectly acceptable to wear to Whole Foods. It’s a grocery store, not the Ritz-Carlton.”
Now Dotty harrumphed. “I’m pulling together an outfit.”
“Don’t be silly.”
“Who’s being silly? You have a date with a billionaire! You have to doll up!”
“It’s not a date. We’re just friends.”
Feeling increasingly awkward, Zach took Jordy outside. The crisp California winter air felt good after the cozy but claustrophobic dress shop. Minutes later, Charlie emerged clad in a pair of jeans, a red silky top, and a black leather jacket. “Grandma and I had a fight. She won.”
“You look great,” Zach said with a grin. “It must be nice to have so many people who love you.”
“Sometimes.” She looped her arm through his. “But you, my friend, have many people who love you, too. There’s dozens—if not hundreds—of fangirl pages.”
“But none of those people really know me,” Zach said. “We’ve had this discussion before.”
Charlie took a moment to process this.
“You’re probably wondering about Eva,” he said.
She nodded.
“I told her I’d call her when my memories return.”
Charlie wrinkled her nose. “How’d she take that?”
“I’m beginning to think that Eva is used to calling the shots in our relationship.” He paused. “Plus, she doesn’t like dogs.”
“Not even Jordy?” Charlie asked in a mock-horrified voice.
“Especially Jordy.”
“I find that really hard to believe.”
“Are you okay walking?” He glanced down at her sturdy ortho-shoes.
“Sure.”
“We can go somewhere else if you like,” he said.
“No, I love Whole Foods.”
“I’m a billionaire, you know,” he said with a smirk. “We can go anywhere.”
“Maybe, but I bet Jordy can’t. Let’s grab something and take it to the beach. If we time it right, we can watch the sunset.”
They walked in companionable silence for a few blocks, occasionally bumping into each other. Zach itched to take her hand, but didn’t know how she would feel so he stayed as close as he could.
Zach paused in front of the brick building to tie Jordy up to yet another light post. “This store wasn’t here before,” he told her. “I don’t remember what used to be here, but it wasn’t this.”
“It’s new,” Charlie told him.
“A lot of things are new to me.”
“No glimmers of memory?” she asked as she followed him into the store.
“Not really. Every once in a while, I’ll get a flash of memory, but I don’t know if it really happened or not. It’s super frustrating, so I’ve decided to stop chasing after it.” Zach picked up a basket and looped it over his arm.
Whole Foods, with its bins of brightly colored fruits and vegetables and spicy aroma, was like a glorious art display.
“Yeah? How’s that going?”
He shrugged. “I’ve decided I have so much to appreciate about where I am right now that I don’t have to worry about where I was last week, or last year, or five years ago.”
Charlie picked up her own basket.
“Put that back,” Zach said. “Dinner, such as it is, is on me.”
“Why?”
“Because this is poor compensation for you taking me to the cabin. I really needed that.”
They picked out their food—grilled vegetables, a variety of meats, and fresh fruit—from the buffet trays. Zach paid and they headed back outside. Jordy, happy to be freed from his stint with the lamp post, trotted along beside them. They walked the short block to the beach, navigating the crowded sidewalk until they came to Laguna’s Main Beach.
Zach found a bench, and Charlie sat beside him and settled her container of food in her lap.
“So, is that blue dress for a special occasion?”
She nodded. “The Valentine’s Ball. It’s one of the hospital’s annual fundraisers. It’s hosted by the drug dealers.”
“The who?”
She grinned. “I call the pharmaceutical reps drug dealers.”
“I hope not to their faces.”
“No, but I do think that the drugs they push can sometimes do more harm than good.”
“Will the luscious Dr. Palmer be there?” He tried to sound more teasing than jealous but wasn’t sure he’d pulled it off.
“He’s taking me, actually.”
“Ah, well, good for him, and for you if that’s what you want.”
“Why shouldn’t that be what I want?”
/> Zach shrugged.
Charlie put down her fork and her cheeks turned a hot pink. “Zach, I have to ask you…did anything happen between us that last night at the cabin?”
“What do you mean?” he asked, even though he knew exactly what she meant.
She stared out over the water. “I was having this crazy dream. It took place here.” She pointed at where the tide met the sand. “And Jimmy Stewart, Grace Kelly, and Burt Lancaster were there.”
“Sounds crowded.”
“And you were there, too.”
“Hmm. Was I nice?”
“Really nice. Maybe too nice.”
“How can someone be too nice?”
“I kissed you.”
“In your dream?”
She nodded. “Was it…just a dream?”
“It was a really great dream.” He stirred his food with his fork. “And an amazing kiss.”
Her eyes widened. “I did kiss you!” She covered her face with her hands. “This is terrible!”
After setting down his fork, he pried her hands away from her face and tried to meet her eye. “No. It wasn’t terrible. Not at all. Believe me, I didn’t mind. If anything, I feel bad, embarrassed that, well, some people would say I shouldn’t have taken advantage of you when you were only half awake.”
“But you didn’t take advantage of me?”
“We kissed. That’s all.” He fought his smile. “It was a really great kiss. More than one, actually.”
“How can you even look at me? Did I completely throw myself at you? I did, didn’t I?”
He laughed. “I was happy to catch you.”
“What happened to my pants? Wait, don’t answer that!” She straightened her spine. “You know I’m in love with Kirk, right?”
“You’ve made that clear, yes.” He poked at his food, his appetite gone.
“I mean, you are a very nice man, but my heart belongs to Kirk.”
He kept his gaze on his food. “Right. And I have an engagement to a woman I don’t know.”
“You don’t have to stay engaged to her. It’s not like it was in olden times when a betrothal was as binding as a marriage.”
“I know.” He paused, stirring his green beans. “It’s just…my dad cheated on my mom. Ended up leaving her and me and my brother for my stepmother, Cindy. Cindy also left her husband and children.” He wrinkled his nose. “That chapter in my life left scars and a profound hatred of cheaters.”
