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“That’s not true,” Ruby said with a vehement shake of her head. “I do remember you. Your face. Your warm brown eyes. A smile like no other. I have a distinct recollection of you crafting that bed in the guest room for us. And jelly beans.”
Tears slid down Kyle’s face. “You do remember me.”
Ruby reached up and wrapped her arms around Kyle. She placed her head against his chest and closed her eyes.
Jelly Bean was the nickname Ruby had given Kyle when he was a kid, due to his effusive love for jelly beans.
Liam didn’t know if he’d ever felt as jealous before in his life than he did at this very moment. Ruby had distinct memories of Kyle! And she had reached out to him with an embrace. He swallowed past the huge lump in his throat. It wasn’t a contest, but knowing that she still had no recollection of him or their life together burned like acid.
It served as a huge reminder that the love Ruby had once felt for him had in all likelihood died even before she’d tumbled off the Colorado mountain.
* * *
Liam and Kyle took the tree down from the top of the truck and carried it into the house. All the while Aidan was shouting out directions. Ruby trailed after them, excited at the idea of an honest-to-goodness, live pine tree for Christmas. Last year she’d put up a little plastic tree that had resembled something out of a cartoon. Things were definitely looking up!
“Where would you like it, Ruby?” Liam asked. “It’s your choice.”
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p; Ruby looked around the living room. There was a great spot right in front of the window that would be perfect. “Right there by the window,” she said, pointing over at it. “That way anyone who comes to visit can see the tree all lit up from the outside.”
She didn’t know where that idea had come from. It had just popped into her head. She could see it all in her mind—the tree fully adorned with strings of lights and popcorn and cranberries. Precious ornaments handed down from family members would hang gracefully from the branches. A gold star shimmering brightly from the top.
* * *
Aidan grabbed the Christmas tree stand and placed it on the floor directly in front of the huge bay window. Kyle lifted the tree and placed it into the hold while Liam got down on the floor and began tightening the screws so the tree would stay up.
“There we go,” Liam said as he scrambled to his feet and eyed the tree. “It looks straight, right?”
“As straight as an arrow,” Ruby remarked. “It looks wonderful.”
“I can’t wait to decorate it,” Aidan shouted, jumping up and down with excitement. “This year Daddy said he’s going to lift me up so I can put the star on top.”
The sound of a cell phone buzzing caused Liam to dig around in his pockets. He pulled out the phone and said, “I’ve got to take this. It’s the answering service for the clinic.” He strode out of the room and walked in the direction of the kitchen.
“Uncle Kyle, wait right here. I need to go get my new fireman truck so I can show you.” Like a flash, Aidan disappeared right before their eyes.
Suddenly it was just the two of them standing there looking at each other as if neither knew how to bridge the gap.
“Would you like something to drink? A snack?” Ruby asked, feeling desperate to fill the silence.
“I’m good. The question is...how are you doing? Really?” He leaned toward her and reached for her hand. Kyle squeezed it gently.
It felt like being supported by a strong oak tree.
She gestured toward the sofa. “Why don’t we sit down so we’re more comfortable?” Ruby suggested. She sank onto the couch and watched as Kyle sat next to her.
“I’m doing well. Or as well as can be expected. I didn’t expect all this when I came to town.” She let out a laugh. “I guess I was naive to think that I was going to stroll into town, find my family connections and then just sail out of town back to Denver.”
“So how are you handling it all? Aidan and Liam? And all the Prescotts? They can be an intense bunch.”
“Everything is coming at me kind of fast right now. I just came from town. We stopped into Cameron’s café after picking out our tree. The hustle and bustle and the people quickly became overwhelming.” Tears stung her eyes. “I want to be strong enough to face this, but I have to admit, I just wanted to bury my head under my covers.”
“And here I just show up unannounced on your doorstep to add to your troubles.” Kyle groaned. He slapped his palm on his forehead.
“It’s fine,” Ruby said. “To tell you the truth, I don’t feel overwhelmed at all sitting here with you one-on-one like this. I think the sheer number of people makes me a little uncomfortable.”
Kyle nodded, his expression infused with sympathy. “You were a people person. A social butterfly. Ever since you were little, people have been drawn to you. So of course they’re flocking to you now, because they all shared a connection with you in the past. And I’m sure that must feel intense to you since all you have is a blank slate.”
