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“That’s exactly how I feel,” she admitted, wiping away the tears from her face. “And I’m constantly wondering if I’m living up to the old Ruby as far as being a mother to Aidan. So far no one has given me a road map to follow.”
“You have to remember, Ruby, that you aren’t responsible for your amnesia. You were the victim of an a
ccident. You lost two years of your life with your family. You’re allowed to hurt and grieve and vent. And maybe you should express these feelings to Liam. I’m sure he’s navigating through his own feelings of loss and confusion and pain.”
Ruby allowed herself to cry. She’d been holding back for entirely too long. She felt Paige’s comforting arm resting around her shoulder.
You never walk alone. She remembered Kyle saying that to her after the death of their parents. She would use her brother’s advice now to guide her on her journey. Living in Colorado had been lonely at times. Her heart had yearned for connections. And now, sitting right beside her, was a dear friend who loved and supported her. She couldn’t overlook that blessing.
“Thanks for saying that. I suppose I do feel guilty. My profession involved great risks to my personal safety. I can’t help but feel that I caused my family a world of pain, and I’m still trying to connect to them in meaningful ways.”
“Well, you need to know that in addition to being a first-class mother and a loving wife, you were amazing in your chosen field. You loved helping people and saving lives. You always said it made you feel ten feet tall to give them a shot at living another day.”
Ruby found the topic of her profession fascinating. In the quiet hours between dark and dawn she had remained awake thinking about the fast-paced world of search and rescue. There were still so many questions she didn’t know the answers to about her career. And she must have loved it immensely to risk life and limb on a regular basis.
“Do you know why I went into search and rescue?” She had a hunch it was tied up in the tragic loss of her parents, but she hadn’t yet asked Liam.
“Yes. It was because of your parents. They died in a pretty horrific pile-up on a highway in Anchorage. Because of a delay in getting rescue workers to the scene, eight people died. There was a big outcry afterward in the media about it. Unfortunately, that was something we had in common. My mother also died in a car crash.”
“So it bonded us?”
Paige grinned. “That, among other things. We were both in love with Prescott men, so that really jump-started our friendship.”
“And we had to deal with Jasper,” Ruby quipped.
Paige nodded enthusiastically. "Dealing with Jasper's antics and his constant comments about settling down with his grandsons bonded us for life. Now that I think of it, we should get medals of valor."
They shared a look that resulted in the two of them launching into fits of laughter.
* * *
Liam sat at the kitchen table filling out some paperwork. He’d closed the clinic early today so he could work from home this afternoon. Aidan was at a friend’s house for a play date until suppertime. Ruby had gone to the tea party at Hazel’s lodge, looking more gorgeous than ever. Without Ruby and Aidan puttering around, the house had a quiet, unnatural vibe to it.
How long did tea parties last, anyway? He missed his wife. And he had nearly passed out at the sight of her in her tea party finery. His breathing had definitely gotten shaky. Her long hair had hung loose in soft waves. Other than a slash of red lining her lips, her face had been devoid of makeup. Ruby had dressed to the nines in a red, knee-length, cocktail dress with black lace at the hemline. She’d found the dress at the back of the closet they had once shared. Try as he might, he hadn’t been able to dispose of Ruby’s things. His family had said he was holding on to his grief, but now he had to wonder if God had been telling him to hold on and not let go.
Ruby was a beautiful woman. It had taken every ounce of his self-control not to sweep her up in his arms and kiss her senseless. He frowned. What made him think she would want that type of intimacy with him? Even though she was starting to remember little nuggets about him, it still didn’t mean they were going to ride off into the sunset together. There was still a chasm of unresolved issues standing between them, and those issues would come to light if Ruby’s memories returned. They still had mountains to climb before they could ever hope to get back what they’d lost.
A loud knocking interrupted his thoughts. Someone was at the front door. Maybe Ruby had forgotten her house key. He pushed up from his chair and strode to the front door, pulling it open in one fluid motion. Instead of his wife standing there, he found himself staring into the bluest pair of eyes he’d ever known. A pair almost identical to his own.
“Pop!” He almost did a double take. His father, Gareth Prescott, was standing on his doorstep. Tall, leanly muscled and good-looking, his father cut an impressive figure. His tanned features hinted at a lifestyle inconsistent with Alaska.
“Hey, Liam. Aren’t you going to invite me in?” He slapped him on the shoulder as he walked past him and into the house. “It’s been a while.”
Liam almost couldn’t believe his eyes. Wasn’t his father somewhere in South America helping with a search-and-rescue mission? Not that he had the up-to-date information regarding his whereabouts. His father had always been a rolling stone, living his life on his own terms without any apologies to his kids. After his parents had divorced and gone their separate ways, both had left Alaska for warmer climates. Gareth’s profession as a search-and-rescue leader had placed him on several operations with Ruby over the years. Liam hadn’t seen his father since Ruby’s memorial service. Although he had called a few times, Gareth’s contact with his family had been limited.
Liam closed the front door and trailed after his father, who was walking toward the kitchen. “So, kiddo. How’s Ruby doing? Jasper called me about her return. I couldn’t believe it when he told me she had resurfaced with amnesia.”
Liam put a lid on his annoyance as his father opened up the fridge and began poking around inside. “What Jasper said is the truth. She has flashes of memory, but for the most part she’s a clean slate. It’s been improving, though, since she’s been back in Love. So there’s hope.”
His father poured himself a tall glass of lemonade. He took a lengthy sip. “That’s a tough break, Liam.”
“So what brings you back to Love? It’s been a while,” Liam said. Every instinct was telling him his father wasn’t just here to check in on his family. The past had shown him that Gareth Prescott was most comfortable at a distance.
“Well, to be honest, I’ve been asked by the higher-ups to find out if Ruby is interested in coming back to work. They flew me out here to talk to her, find out if she’s interested, or if she’s even capable of doing so, what with her memory loss and all.”
Anger—hot and fiery—pulsed through his veins. Search and rescue had already taken enough from them. It wasn’t getting Ruby back. Not if he had anything to say about it.
All this time he had been agonizing about the past coming back to bite him. How wrong he had been. He hadn’t seen this coming. Not by a long shot.
