Page 50 of Forget Me Not

“And then that’ll be it. She’ll never want to visit. Never want to call you. Never wonder why you just slipped out of her life after nine years of doing everything as a team.”

I fold my hands in my lap and stare at my feet. “No, she won’t.” Because on some level deep down, she knew my fading out was inevitable the moment Reed McAllister asked her out and she said yes. Doesn’t matter how it happens now. Just that it is happening. And there’s no going back.

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Reed

Present Day

“I brought you some lunch,” I announce as soon as I walk into her shop. I like it in here. Over the past week, I’ve had a chance to spend quite a bit of time here, checking out her work and seeing her in action. It’s been pretty cool. She’s talented, no doubt about it. And she puts a great deal of care into every piece she works on. It’s like Cooper was born to do this, work with her hands, make art. It’s as natural to her as breathing and it’s impressive to watch.

Right now, she’s standing over by the sink washing her hands. It takes a minute for her to turn off the faucet and answer. “You did? That’s so nice of you!”

“Well, youarebusy slaving away in here while I’m off gallivanting around town, seems like feeding you is the least I could do.” I smile at her, watching while she dries her hands and patiently waiting for the moment I can lean in and kiss her.

She eyes the bag curiously. “What did you bring me?”

I tug at her waist with my free hand and bring her to me, taking the time to place a long overdue peck on her lips. “Found a sushi place up the road.”

She takes the bag and peers inside. “Yum. Any spicy tuna?”

“They were running a lunch special. Shrimp and crab rolls. I got double orders.” I glance around her shop. I thought I remembered seeing a fridge in here. “Do you have drinks covered or should I run upstairs?”

“There’s water in the fridge behind the counter.” She looks like she’s stalling. “You know, I’m actually just in the middle of a project. Why don’t you go ahead and eat without me?”

“No way.” I shake my head and move toward the counter hiding the refrigerator. “If you’re not ready yet, I’ll just wait for you. This will keep in the fridge no problem.”

She twists her mouth back and forth, silently cringing at something I said. I stop in my tracks. “What? What aren’t you saying?”

She sighs, her gaze dropping down to her hands as she knots her fingers. “It’s just...I’m allergic to shellfish.”

Shit.

She hurries over, running her palms up and down the side of my arms tenderly, trying to comfort me in my moment of lunch failure. “It’s not a big deal, really. I mean, you couldn’t have known.”

“Which is why it sucks.” I groan, letting out the building frustration. “I hate this. I hate feeling like you’re the most familiar thing in the whole world to me, but not really knowing anything about you anymore.”

“It’s not that big of a deal, Reed,” she says, with a kind patience in her voice no one else has offered over the last years. There was patience alright, but it was condescending. Manipulating. This,Cooper, is genuine. “I mean, if you think about it, it’s kind of nice that we get a chance to rekindle things. Really get to know one another again.”

I take in a calming breath and let it out slowly. “Well, let’s at least speed it up a bit so I don’t accidentally kill you in the midst of rekindling. Allergies. What else do I need to know there?”

She laughs, relief and amusement mingling in the sound. “That’s it. Just shellfish.”

“No issues with peanuts? Or dairy? Or what about gluten? Can you eat gluten?” I’m just rattling off everything that comes to mind.

“Love me some peanuts. Any which way you serve them to me. Dairy? Considering the pint of ice cream I had for dinner two nights ago, I’m going to say I’m good on that. Gluten, eh. I’m not allergic, but I’m cool with opting out when possible.” She’s still giggling when she finishes. It’s officially my favorite sound today. Sweet, carefree giggles from Cooper.

“Okay, good.” I pull her in close, dropping a multitude of kisses on the top of her head. I love the soft feel of her wavy red hair against my skin. “I’m feeling more optimistic already.”

“Hm,” she murmurs, her face nestling into the crook of my neck and she squeezes her arms around me tightly, “this is nice.”

“It most definitely is,” I agree, gently rocking her body back and forth in my arms. I think I could stand here like this forever and be perfectly content, with the woman I love, here, wrapped up and tucked against my chest.

Cooper

I close my eyes and inhale deeply. Reed smells good. Clean. And fresh, like aftershave. I love how it feels to be held by him, it’s like he opens himself up just to place me into his heart. Nothing hidden. Nothing held back. Even now, when there’s so much he doesn’t remember, everything he’s held onto, every memory he’s recaptured or remade, he’s willing to share. And that’s not a treasure I’d ever take for granted.

“Why don’t you give me like five minutes to run upstairs and make a sandwich and then we can sit down and eat together,” I offer, a soft growl in the pit of my stomach signaling a reminder that lunch still hasn’t been resolved.

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