Page 34 of Question Everything

He nodded slowly, not sure of how to respond to her statement. “Did you remember a recipe?”

“It wasn’t like that. It was more like I recognized the equipment and immediately knew how to put it to good use.”

“Okay…” he began. “Maybe this is a clue to your past. I guess we can try investigating bakers in the New York City area. Maybe somehow that’s the link we’ve been missing.”

“I think we’re going to have to taste this before we decide if I’m a baker or not. And maybe it’s a hobby and not a career choice. All I remembered was the ratio of butter to eggs to flour. The rest I improvised.”

“If it was at all foreign to you, there would not be any improvising. You’d have no idea what to do.”

“Maybe,” she nodded, stepping over to the refrigerator and pulling out two more sticks of butter.

“What are you doing with those?” he asked.

“Leaving them out overnight to soften. This cake needs frosting. Or at least I think it does.”

“And you know how to make frosting as well?”

She smiled. “I guess we’ll find that out tomorrow, won’t we?”

He couldn’t stop the next thought that came into his head. He could think of a much worthier use for that frosting than to spread it on the cake. He imagined that it would taste even better slathered all over her naked body…

CHAPTER 18

The next morning dawned bright and clear. Kyle could sense that it was cold but couldn’t wait to get outside and walk on the beach. At least the frigid temperature would help him control his body’s reaction to Mia. He’d spent the night tossing and turning alone in his bed, fantasizing about how it would feel to have her there with him. It was almost four in the morning before he fell into a fitful sleep, dreaming of what he’d do if she allowed him to have his way with her. He pushed back the blankets and head into the bathroom to brush his teeth and shower. Then he’d go down and make them breakfast. It was very early. The house felt still, and he wasn’t sure if she wasn’t up yet.

Once out of the shower, he toweled himself dry and dressed in layers. He knew that it would be windy on the beach, and he needed to insulate himself as best as he could. He’d have to tell Mia to do the same for herself and for Sarah. He pulled on thick socks and made his way downstairs. As he rounded the corner to the kitchen, he caught a glimpse of her at the counter, a bowl of frosting and a sack of sprinkles resting at one elbow. She was clearly concentrating on her task, and he stopped himself beforehe could startle her. He wanted to watch her for a moment before she knew he was there.

She was wearing a cardigan sweater over a thin camisole, a pair of loose sweatpants and a flour covered apron. She moved with a steady hand as she spooned the thick, dark chocolate frosting onto the cake. She smoothed it with a knife and took a handful of sprinkles and dusted them across the top, then added another layer of cake and repeated the movement again. She put the last round on top and scooped out some more frosting, spreading it evenly down the sides of the cake and across the surface. He watched in fascination as she picked up a Ziploc bag from the counter, trimmed off one corner with a knife and loaded the remaining frosting in it, twisting the plastic until she could control the stuff as it slowly dispensed, swirling the chocolate into a decorative pattern. She took handfuls of sprinkles and pressed them all along the sides of the cake and then stepped back to look at her sweet creation.

He cleared his throat to let her know that he was there. “Mia?” he questioned. “What are you doing?”

“What’s it look like I’m doing? I’m frosting this cake, that’s what.” Her tone sounded somewhat frantic to his ears.

“I see that, but why are you frosting the cake now? It’s not even seven o’clock yet. Unless, of course, you’re planning to serve it for breakfast.”

She sighed. “No. I can imagine how crazy this looks, but I couldn’t sleep at all last night. I was trying to figure out why baking this cake felt so familiar to me.”

“And?” he asked, wanting to confess that he’d been up for most of the night as well, just for a completely different reason.

“Nothing. Just the knowledge that I could do it. And muffins. I know how to make muffins. And scones, and cookies. I know all those recipes, they’re in my head.”

She looked up at him and he wanted to grab her and hold her in his arms. He took a step closer. “That’s great, Mia. Pieces of your memory are coming back.”

“Useless pieces. I mean, what good is knowing how to frost a cake when you can’t remember who you are, or where you’re from?”

“Stop being so hard on yourself. If you remembered this,” he said, pointing to the cake, “the rest can’t be so far behind.”

“What if the rest isn’t good?” she whispered.

“Did you remember something or are you making an assumption?” he asked.

She hung her head and sighed. He reached out and lifted her chin up. “I have an idea that will do us all some good. When Sarah wakes up, let’s go outside and take a walk on the beach before breakfast. The cold air might help clear your mind some more.”

“Do you think that’s safe? Us walking exposed on the beach?”

“It’s fine. No one else is up here. Season is over and we have the place to ourselves until the family comes up for Thanksgiving. Let’s enjoy the quiet while we can.”

What he wanted to say, but didn’t, waslet’s enjoy each other while we’re alone,because who knows how long we have before the truth was revealed,until they uncovered her identity.Now that she remembered the slightest bit of her past life, Kyle knew that they were on borrowed time.

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