He took her home, keeping her distracted with the TV and by going through her photo albums again until he got dinner started in preparation for Rob’s arrival.
When Rob returned, he gave her a kiss but sent Bill a look that told him Rob wanted to talk to him. Alone.
Bill followed him back to the master bedroom. “She okay?” Rob asked.
“Yeah. I unplugged the phones here, though.”
“Good.”
“She…” Bill felt horrible, but knew it was the situation. “She got some memories back about me.”
He watched Rob’s face as the man schooled it into professional neutrality. “Nothing about me?”
“It doesn’t mean anything. Don’t give it weight.”
His shoulders slumped. “I know.”
The three sat and talked after dinner. Laura yawned and looked at the time. “I’m sorry, but I need to go to bed. I’m really tired.”
Bill and Rob both stood when she did. She hugged Rob. Bill watched as she reluctantly let him go. “When do you come back?”
He tucked her hair behind her ears. “Tomorrow morning. But then I need to go in at six tomorrow night to cover for one of the guys who covered for me.”
“Okay.” It looked like she was debating something, then she rose up on her toes and gave him a quick kiss, brushing her lips over his.
She hugged Bill. “Night, sis. See you in the morning.”
When she closed the bedroom door behind her, both men heavily sat and stared at each other, the strain each felt mirrored on the other’s face. Bill spoke first.
“She doesn’t even sound the same,” Bill said. “She talks differently. Did you notice that?”
Rob nodded. “Tell me about it. You want a beer?” Rob headed for the kitchen.
“Got anything stronger?”
“Jack Daniel’s.”
“Bring the bottle.”
Rob reappeared with a glass of iced tea for him, and the bottle of liquor and a glass for Bill. “God, I wish I could have a drink,” Rob said.
Bill held up the bottle. “Want some?”
Rob shook his head before he took a sip of tea. “Nothing stronger than this. I have to get back to work.” He took a long swallow. “And I’m afraid if I start on that, I won’t want to stop.”
Bill started to pour his own drink and stopped at two fingers. “Good point.” He capped the bottle and took a swallow, grimacing. “I don’t know how you’ve managed to hold it together.”
“I have to.” Rob looked at his glass. “She’s my life. If I lose her, everything else is pointless.”
Bill studied him. “Don’t give up on her, okay? I remember how she talked about you last summer. She’s madly in love with you. As upset as she was, she told me the only thing that got her through losing Mom and Dad was you.”
Rob looked away before he took another swallow. “I just wish I could believe that. You’d think she’d at least remember a few things about us if that was the case.” He stared out into space. “She put her engagement ring on her right hand.”
“Stop it.”
Rob looked at him.
“Rob, she loves you. Trust me, she does. I talked to her, what, a week before the attack? She was raving about the fricking wedding invitations. At the time, I could have cared less. She was describing them to me, babbling on. She was so happy and I was just listening to her, letting her talk.”
Bill stared at his drink, feeling guilty. “I wish I’d paid more attention now. I was just letting her go on and on. Man, you are her world. She has no doubts about you.” He took another swig of whiskey and swirled the glass. “I know few things with certainty, but I have no doubt about her love for you.”
Bill was already up and watching TV when Laura awoke a little after five thirty the next morning. She felt comforted by the delicious aroma of coffee filling the condo.
Her night had been filled with nightmares about someone pounding on her door, waking up every time she reached for the knob.
Unfortunately, she hadn’t had Rob’s comforting presence next to her to soothe her.
After using the bathroom, she headed out to the living room. He sat on the couch, browsing on his laptop.
“Are you an early riser?” she asked.
He joined her in the kitchen. “Only because I set my alarm. Rob’s supposed to be home soon. Wanted to make sure he got in okay. He also warned me you’re suddenly an early riser.” He smiled. “Despite a lifetime of hating mornings.”
She stared at her coffee mug. Rob had fixed it for her the morning before, with milk and sugar. As she stared at the empty mug, it occurred to her that she didn’t even remember how she used to take her coffee. Rob had brought her coffee. Shayla had brought her coffee.
They both knew more about her than she knew about herself.
She poured herself a mugful and picked it up, blowing a little across the top.
Bill frowned at her.
“What?” she asked. She took a sip, making a face at the bitter taste as Bill started laughing.
“That.”
She put the mug down and added a generous amount of sugar. He reached into the fridge and handed her the carton of milk. She added enough to take it almost to the top of the mug and gave it a careful stir.
“You’ve taken sugar and milk or creamer in your coffee as long as you’ve been drinking it,” he told her as he put the milk back.
“Apparently, I still do. It was an experiment.” She carefully picked up the mug and took another sip.
Much better.
“Here’s today’s plan. Rob put me in touch with your friend, Sully. He texted me yesterday and said he’d be here by nine this morning.”
Nerves took over, even though rationally she knew they shouldn’t. “We’re meeting him at the shop?”
“No, no need. He’s coming here. We’ll ride with him.”
She tried to quell her rising panic. “But Rob said Steve’s met him before. I don’t want to have to wake Rob up.”
He smiled and pulled out his phone, then showed her something. It was a picture of a man. “Rob sent me his pic.”
She let out a relieved laugh as she looked at it. “He’s thinking of everything.”
He took the phone back. “Well, we’re trying. It’s a group effort. Apparently Sully suggested it.”
She jumped when around six thirty she heard keys in the front door. Bill started toward it when Rob walked in.
Just the sight of him started her heart fluttering. She walked over with the intent of hugging him when she realized a strong, acrid aroma of smoke wafted off him.
He held out a hand to stay her. “Yeah, sorry. Wildfire. We had a couple of guys go down with heat exhaustion. Let me get a shower first, then I’ll get my hug.” He kissed her hand before heading toward the master bedroom.
“Coffee?” she asked after him.
“Yes, please.” He disappeared, then stuck his head back out. “Milk and sugar, please.” He disappeared again.
She nodded and headed toward the kitchen, trying to shrug off another round of tears that prickled her eyes.
She didn’t even remember how Rob took his coffee, but she could remember Bill loved strawberries.
Bill followed her. “Stop thinking that.”
“Thinking what?”
“That.” He caught her hands and made her look at him. “Guilty. Stop it. You’re trying too hard. I think more will come back if you stop trying to force it. Did you call and make an appointment with the psychiatrist yet?”
“No.”
“Go take him his coffee. Then when you come back, I want that business card. I’ll call her today and make the appointment for this week, if she can get you in.”
“Okay.”
Rob was already in the shower. She hesitated, but he’d left the door partially open.
“I have your coffee.”
“Bring it in, sweetheart. It’s okay.”