Page 61 of Amnesia

Eddie’s dad, Forest, heard me going on about it when we were behind the register, and he came around, chuckling. “Well, son, I guess if you ever decide you don’t like the old place, we know who to sell it to!”

Eddie smiled, his eyes turning thoughtful. “She was just saying she wanted to get a job.”

Forest raised his eyebrows. “So soon?”

“Why does everyone keep saying that?” I muttered. “I’m perfectly capable of getting a job.”

“A woman with work ethic.” Forest nodded. “I like it. I’m sure we could find something around here for you to do.”

“My thoughts exactly.” Eddie agreed.

“A job here?” I exclaimed. “Really?” I looked around again, gazing up at the old wooden beams and looking out the back windows to the lake in the distance.

“Sure. Maybe then Eddie here would want to come to work,” Forest said with a laugh.

Eddie made a rude sound. “I work all the time.”

I could see him every day. “I’ll take the job.” I agreed swiftly.

Forest laughed loudly. “You don’t even know what the job is!”

“I don’t care what it is,” I said, gazing at Eddie. “It’s here. That’s all that matters.”

Like two magnets, we sort of shifted, drawn closer to each other. The look in his eyes nearly melted me.

“You two are something else,” Forest muttered, then went off to help a customer.

Eddie’s hand slid around the back of my neck, my eyes closing just because his touch was like a warm blanket. “Oh, Am,” he murmured, pressing his lips to my hairline. “What am I going to do with you?”

After my heart settled back down, I tipped my chin up and squinted at him. “Show me around some more.”

“You’ve seen every inch of this place.” He chuckled.

“Out there?” I pointed toward Main Street.

“Let’s go,” he said, then called out a good-bye to his father.

Instead of going straight to the door, he pulled me along behind him, toward the back where there was a cooler filled with drinks. He reached behind the cold glass doors and pulled out two glass bottles of root beer that he told me was made right here in Maine.

“For the road.” He grinned.

“Oh, good, you’re still here,” Forest said, coming out of the storage room. “Can you give me a hand?”

“Sure.” Eddie agreed, handing me the two drinks. “Be right back.”

I walked to the next aisle, browsing at all the products, still pretty much in awe of this place. It made me proud there was so much of Eddie here, so much of his own work.

Hushed whispers from the other side of the aisle stopped me in my tracks.

“Looks just like her,” exclaimed a woman.

“I know. They said she did, but we all know it’s just not possible,” someone else answered.

I stepped closer to the shelves, tipping my head so I could hear the rest.

“Poor Eddie. That boy has been through enough. This is only going to set him back.”

“Poor Claire and Forest, their only son—”

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