Page 19 of Weston

“I was frustrated because I thought you wanted a baby and I couldn’t give that to you, so we got into an argument. That night, you told me the only thing you needed was us together, forever. Then you got your daisy tattoo.”

She slowly turned her wrist over to show the little flower. “I wondered why I picked a daisy.”

“Because of an old Celtic legend.” He searched her curious gaze, wishing he could share some frivolous reason for the ink. “Daisies are symbols of innocence and purity. It’s believed God sprinkled them over the Earth to comfort those who lost children.”

“Did we lose a baby?” she whispered.

“No,” he immediately responded, tracing the tattoo, feeling the strong, steady beat of her pulse beneath his finger. “You never had a miscarriage. But you thought it was a beautiful story and found comfort in it. We both did.”

As Ellie absorbed his words, Wes sighed and ran a hand over his face. She was starting to look burdened and he felt like he was doing a shit job easing her into her past.

“You must be tired,” he said, “and it was a really long trip.”

“It has been a lot.”

“Why don’t you go to bed? I’ll get the name of the doctor Brand mentioned and we can set up an appointment.”

Ellie stood up. “Thank you, Wes. I know this isn’t what anyone expected and you’re so patient.”

“We’ll take it slow,” he promised, getting up, “and I’ll be here to help you every step of the way.”

Just like she’d helped him.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Anything.”

“What was the best part of our marriage? Your favorite memory?”

He wasn’t expecting that question, but he didn’t hesitate. “We made every day the best day because the best parts were the little things. The small, seemingly insignificant moments where we just held hands, smiled and laughed together.”

“I like that,” she murmured, then moved closer, pushed up onto her tip toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Goodnight, Wes.”

His heart sped up and he managed to whisper, “Goodnight, Ellie.”

Eyes glued to her, he watched her walk out and then released a shaky breath. Holy hell, his hands were trembling from the effort to not reach out and grab her. He wanted to hold her so damn badly. To drag her against his body, knowing how perfectly they molded together, and kiss away her fears, promising her that everything would be alright.

But, realistically, he had to prepare himself for the fact that her memory might never return. If that were the case, Wes vowed to create new memories with her. No matter what, he wasn’t letting her go.

???

Ellie laid in bed, staring up at the dark ceiling, her mind buzzing. Being back in the States and getting answers to her life and identity was a good thing, what she’d wanted, but it was also scary. Especially when she thought about the man who was right down the hall.

Weston James Murphy. Just thinking his name sent a little thrill through her. How had she gotten so lucky? The way he looked at her, his soft, brown eyes so full of hope, made her want to remember every last detail of their lives together. If everything he’d told her was true—and she had no reason to doubt him—she was married to an incredible man. Not only was he attractive, but she could sense so many good qualities in him.

“Wes is my husband,” she whispered, still trying to wrap her head around the situation. God, she’d had sex with him and couldn’t even remember. Over a twenty-seven year span, they must’ve had a lot of sex. It had been good, right? Butterflies fluttered in her nether regions. Yeah, she had a feeling it had been pretty fantastic. The fact that she’d been intimate with him, tried to have a baby with him, and couldn’t recall one single detail made her skin itch.

They had almost thirty years of moments together, precious moments, and no matter how hard she tried to remember, her fractured mind came up blank. It was so damn frustrating she wanted to scream.

Pulling in a deep breath, she clasped her hands and rested them on her stomach. Maybe if she immersed herself in her former life—looking through pictures and photo albums, talking to her family, spending all her time with Wes—it would all come rushing back. And that last part certainly wouldn’t be a hardship. She definitely enjoyed being in his company.

Even though they were older now, she could understand why she’d been attracted to Wes. He looked at her like she was the center of his universe. Like he would slay dragons to keep her safe. Thinking he lost her must’ve been unbearable for him.

Tomorrow, she would ask him more questions and try to plug the holes in her memory. Even though he was her husband, he was also a stranger. But she felt a connection to him. No doubt about it, and she wanted to explore it further.

When she’d been alone in Indonesia, not knowing who she was or where she was from, she’d had a feeling someone important was missing her. Needing her.

God knows, her soul had felt his absence, too.

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