Page 20 of Zane

Silence stretched between them, making Zane wonder how their communication had been prior to the accident. Finally, he said, “So where am I working here? What made it worth the move away from Chicago?”

When she named a one Michelin star restaurant and told him he was sous chef there, Zane was surprised. His plan had never been to attain a lofty position in a famous restaurant. He had been happy with where he’d been working in Chicago, and he’d been able to save quite a bit of money in hopes of opening his own restaurant some day.

For some reason that had changed. He’d clearly worked hard and progressed to the point where an esteemed chef had been willing to give him a position in their restaurant.

And now all that experience was gone.

Or at least it felt like it was. Right then, his body didn’t feel anywhere near ready to take on the rigors of a kitchen in a Michelin star restaurant. He worried he’d never get it back.

“Have you been in contact with the restaurant since the accident?”

She nodded. “I spoke with the head chef, who is also the owner, and explained what happened. I wish I could say they were willing to hold your position, but unfortunately, that isn’t the case. They can’t afford to have the kitchen down a sous chef.”

He understood that, but it was aggravating. Even though he didn’t remember any of it, he’d clearly worked hard to get that job, only for it to be taken away from him.

“He did say that once you’re feeling back to where you were prior to the accident, you’re welcome to contact him.”

“So in other words, once my memory comes back.”

“Probably, yes.”

Again, he understood why they wouldn’t want him when he’d lost the knowledge and experience of the past few years that had helped him gain the position.

He turned to stare out the window that was next to his bed. “It’s ridiculous that I’ve lost so much of my memory. Who knows what else I’ve lost along with my job?”

Kelsey didn’t say anything, and Zane wondered what it was about her that had drawn him to her. What was it about her that had made him fall in love with her, when he’d only imagined loving Sarah?

And what was he supposed to do about the fact that the feelings he had in his heart were, unfortunately, not for the woman everyone said was his wife?

“I suppose I’d better head home to the apartment to start packing,” she said finally, shifting on her feet. “I’ll bring back some clothes for you for whenever they release you.”

“The doctor will have to clear me to fly before I can go, so I might need to remain in Tampa for a week or so.”

“Will you want to stay at the apartment?”

Zane wasn’t sure that would work, given they were virtual strangers. “I have a feeling that Mom and Dad will want me with them so they can keep an eye on me.”

That would probably be the case in Serenity as well. He didn’t know what Kelsey would do or where she would stay. Would his parents let her stay at their home? Or could she stay at Charli’s house? If it was still Charli’s house. Or maybe she’d want an apartment of her own?

Zane wasn’t sure what he wanted her to do. It was hard to have a strong feeling about any of it considering that she was a stranger. Even though they’d told him he was Kelsey’s husband, he didn’t feel like he had any right to have a say in what would happen with her.

“I guess I’ll see you… soon.”

Even though he didn’t know her well, he could see the strain on her face. It dawned on him then that she was also in an incredibly difficult situation. Her plans for the future had also been impacted by his memory loss.

“Thanks for talking to my boss and taking care of that.”

“You’re welcome.” With a nod of her head, she turned and disappeared out the door into the hallway.

Silence fell in the room, and Zane relished it. He just needed some quiet to process everything.

He found that he was having difficulty focusing on what people said. Especially if there was more than one person talking at a time. Even now, he couldn’t recall all the details of what had been planned for the upcoming days. Fortunately, it didn’t seemhe was responsible for anything, so if he didn’t remember it all, no one would care.

Pressing his fingers to his eyebrows, he categorized the pain he still felt in his body. Dull ache in his head. Sharper pain in his ribs that they said were cracked but not broken. Pain in his stomach and leg.

Alone, he was able to acknowledge just how daunted he was by his situation and his unknown past and future. Anger. Fear. Confusion. It was the worst possible quagmire of emotions. A mixture of negativity that he just couldn’t get out of.

Why on earth had God allowed this to happen?

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