Chapter Seven

O nce the team was airborne, Brand handed Wes the sat phone. He hoped talking to her family would help jog Ellie’s memory. He also hoped it wouldn’t be too overwhelming for her. Wes looked up her parents’ number in his contacts then punched it in. This was a call he never expected to make, but he was so grateful for this moment.

Ever since Ellie “died,” he’d barely spoken to her family. He would always blame himself for not being there to protect her, and there was no way to manage his guilt along with the disappointment he worried he’d feel from them as well. Samuel and Laura Wright, her parents, had tried reaching out several times, but Wes had pulled away and ran off to Montana after they’d found him in the garage, contemplating ending it all. He’d followed Corey, destined to spend the rest of his life in self-imposed isolation. But, Cor had introduced him to Brand and the others, which had helped ease his loneliness and allowed him to stop punishing himself. For the most part, anyway.

Sam Wright answered and Wes knew the other man would be surprised to hear from him. Doing his best to calmly explain the situation without giving away any intel about their op, Wes carefully revealed that Ellie was still alive. Silence filled the line as Wes warned Sam that Ellie had lost her memory. Then he passed the phone to her and gave her a reassuring nod.

“Hi,” Ellie said softly. The stunned silence was quickly replaced by a shocked sound and then Wes heard Sam start yelling for his wife. Ellie’s eyes met his, full of uncertainty, and Wes automatically reached out and placed his hand over hers, lightly squeezing.

“Everything is okay now,” he said. She gave him a brave nod and, even though he didn’t want to, he released her hand and sat back in his seat, listening as she talked with her parents. They called her younger sister, Tori, patching her into the call, and Wes could hear everyone’s voices running a mile a minute over that line.

Watching Ellie closely for signs of a memory surfacing, or even distress, he noticed the way her shoulders became less tense as the conversation continued. She eventually started sharing what she remembered about the incident and where she’d been over the past year. There were plenty of shared tears and then a lot of laughter. A part of him still couldn’t believe she was back and sitting right in front of him.

After talking to her family, Ellie looked happy, but tired. “Why don’t you rest?” Wes suggested, reaching for a blanket and handing it to her. “We have a long flight ahead of us.”

She nodded, looking up at him. “Thank you,” she murmured, covering her legs with the blanket. Then she snuggled down in the seat and closed her eyes.

Wes spent the bulk of the flight staring at her. He couldn’t stop. A part of him felt like he was dreaming, another part wondered if he’d died back in that cave and now he was in heaven. He was terrified that if he closed his eyes, he’d wake up and she’d be gone. It wasn’t a risk he was willing to take.

At some point, Corey came over and nudged him. “Go stretch your legs, Murph. I’ll watch her.”

Reluctant to leave her side, but knowing Corey was right, Wes gingerly rose from his seat. Damn, he was sore. He looked down at Ellie for a long moment before heading back to the bathroom. As happy as he was to have her back, he knew things weren’t the same. They never would be. The big question was how could he facilitate their relationship and help it return to as close to normal as possible? Or, create a new normal?

For the rest of the flight, Wes racked his brain, trying to come up with a plan that would be most beneficial in helping Ellie remember him and her old life. Although they’d lived in Michigan, Wes wanted her to stay in Montana with him. She was his wife, after all, and she belonged by his side. But, now that she’d spoken to her family, would she want to go back to Michigan? Somehow, he needed to convince her to stay. Because saying goodbye after he just found her again wasn’t an option.

◆◆◆

Absolutely exhausted, Ellie slept most of the flight. It was that intermittent dozing, though, where she woke up often, her heart racing, slightly confused. But then she’d see Wes right beside her, looking so strong and capable. He’d offer her a reassuring smile and she’d relax. One time he even reached over and held her hand. His warm, solid grip instantly alleviated her anxiety. Even though she couldn’t explain it, having Wes so near, knowing he watched her so closely, made her feel comfortable, secure and so very protected.

She knew they were headed to Montana, but she wasn’t sure what her plans from there were yet. A part of her wanted to jump on the next flight to Michigan and reunite with her family, while a surprisingly bigger part of her wanted to stay with Wes. She was convinced he was her husband, and it bothered her tremendously that she couldn’t muster up even one clear memory of the years they’d spent together. She wanted to remedy that as quickly as possible, so before they landed, she decided she was staying in Montana. For the time being, anyway.

Once the plane door opened, Ellie grabbed the small bag she’d brought with her, walked down the stairs then turned to look up into Wes’ strong, chiseled face. A face that looked so unsure it made her chest tighten.

“Can I come with you?” she asked softly.

His brown eyes lit up. “Of course. And we’ll make arrangements so you can see your family, too. I just don’t want to overwhelm you.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He hesitated. “There’s a motel not far away, but I have plenty of room at my house. You can stay in the guest room, of course. Until things, you know, start coming back.”

Ellie pulled in a breath and couldn’t help but wonder—what if they didn’t come back?

Misinterpreting her reaction, Wes immediately backpedaled. “But, if you’d be more comfortable at the motel—”

She touched his arm. “No, I want to be with you. I think it’ll help.” In fact, she was determined to do absolutely everything in her power to speed up the process of getting her memories back. Stumbling around in the dark, not having the answers to who she was and where she belonged for over a year now had been disheartening. Each day that passed had been more stressful than the last. But now she had hope, and a very good feeling Wes would help her.

When Ellie had asked why Wes and his friends were in Indonesia, he hadn’t exactly answered her. Just said they were on an op. From what she’d witnessed, they were clearly former military and involved in some kind of secret mission, so she hadn’t pressed him for answers. But once they were alone, she had a million questions ready to go.

After saying goodbye to the others, Wes led her over to his Explorer and opened the passenger door for her. She slid in and watched him walk around to the driver’s side. He moved well for a man who wore a prosthetic limb and she was so curious about what had happened. The SUV was set up to accommodate his injury, and she stared, fascinated, as he hit a button and controlled the car with an extra pedal on the left side.

He must’ve felt her staring because he explained, “It’s easier this way.”

“Was it hard to get used to?”

“There were a lot of things that were harder.”

She nodded but didn’t ask more. It almost felt like it was none of her business and she didn’t want to pry. At the same time, she wanted to get to know him again. Forcing her attention out the window, she studied the pretty passing scenery. As far as she knew, she’d never visited Montana before. “Where exactly are we going?” she asked.

“Cielo Springs,” he answered. “It’s a small town, pretty much out in the middle of nowhere. But there’s a little Main Street with a cafe, a hardware store, a pizza joint. Brand has his bar not too far away, too. It’s called Old Glory.”

She smiled. “Coffee, tools, pizza and booze. What more could anyone need?”

His mouth edged up and she studied the stranger beside her. Her husband, who she knew nothing about. It was bizarre to think they’d had a life together. Of all the men in the world, she’d chosen this one to spend the rest of her life with. Why? Sure, he was handsome and he also seemed kind and understanding. She just wished she could remember. One thing was certain, though—in his presence, she felt safe.

They rode the rest of the way in silence even though Ellie was bursting at the seams with questions. Forcing herself to be patient, she willed her memory to return. But her stubborn mind was still as shrouded and murky as ever.

When a ranch house came into view, Ellie leaned forward to get a closer look. There was a large, wrap-around front porch that she instantly loved. She could easily see herself sitting out there in the morning with a steaming cup of coffee, looking out at the wilderness. Because Wes hadn’t been exaggerating—they really were out in the middle of the Montana wilds.

After he parked and turned the car off, Ellie slid out while Wes grabbed their bags from the back. Birds chirped and critters chattered but, other than that, all she heard was the wind rustling the tree branches. It was blessedly quiet, even quieter than the island. She had a good feeling that being surrounded by this kind of peace was exactly what she needed to recover her memory.

Wes started walking toward the house and she quickly followed. “It’s so beautiful,” she said, and he nodded. “I can see why you’d trade city-living for this.”

He forced a smile but didn’t comment. Instead, he unlocked the door and pushed it open. “After you,” he said, watching her closely. He watched her like a hawk, and while she thought it would make her feel uncomfortable, smothered, she found she actually liked it. It made her feel like someone cared, and that’s not something she’d felt for the past year and a half.

Stepping inside, she looked around the living room. It had a rustic feel that she liked. The hunter green couch with plaid throw pillows and matching chairs embodied warmth and comfort. She couldn’t wait to snuggle into one of them and let her mind wander. There was a large brick fireplace and she could imagine herself sitting in front of a roaring fire while snow flurries danced outside. Hope blossomed. For the past eighteen months, she’d been “trapped” overseas as much as in her own mind. But now it felt like she was on the precipice of remembering her life.

Wes set their bags down and opened a couple of windows. The fresh breeze lifted the curtains and she noticed the worn leather recliner in front of a large screen television. It looked lonely and she could envision him sitting there all by himself…mourning the loss of his dead wife. A shiver ran down her spine.

“Are you hungry?” he asked, breaking into her thoughts.

“Starving. Maybe we could get some of that pizza you mentioned?”

“Done. Let me show you where your room is and I’ll order your favorite.”

Ellie followed him down the hall. “What’s my favorite?” she asked softly.

He paused and sent her a smile that made her belly flutter. “Extra cheese and smothered in olives.”

“That sounds delicious.” Even though she couldn’t remember ever having that combination, her mouth started watering. She released a breath and continued walking behind him. Her gaze moved from his broad shoulders down his strong back and landed on his firm ass which flexed with every step he took. Biting her lip, she tried not to ogle him, and her attention dropped down to the prosthetic limb. The way he moved so effortlessly amazed her.

“You can stay in here,” he said, leading her into a bedroom. It was sparsely furnished with the basics. A double bed with a lemon-yellow bedspread, nightstand and lamp, small dresser and attached bathroom. “Hopefully, you’ll be comfortable, and if you need anything, I’m right at the end of the hall.”

“Thank you.” As he set her bag on the bed, she noticed a figurine on the dresser—a bride and groom sitting on a bench, their foreheads pressed together. She wandered over and picked it up.

“You always liked Precious Moments statues,” Wes said, coming up beside her. “Growing up, you used to collect them.”

She turned, lifting a brow. “I did?”

He nodded. “There’s a whole curio cabinet of them at your parents’ house. That one was on our wedding cake.”

“Ohhh,” she breathed and carefully set it back down. Her questioning gaze met his and she searched his eyes, looking for answers to her endless questions. God, he was handsome. Short brown hair edged in silver, deep chocolate eyes and dark stubble peppered with that same silver-gray. “There are so many things I want to ask you.”

“You can ask me anything, Ellie-Bean.”

She tilted her head. “Why do you call me that?”

“Because you love jelly beans.”

Fragments of her dream came back. “You used to make sure we had bowls of them around the house, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“And there were always red ones.”

“They were your favorite,” he explained. “The cherry ones, not the cinnamon.”

For a long moment, neither of them said anything. Then Ellie cleared her throat. “You order the pizza and I’m going to hop in the shower. Then I’m going to ask you a million questions while we eat.”

“Okay.” He studied her for another moment then turned and walked out, pulling the door shut behind him.

The way he looked at her, as though he was scared she was going to disappear, made her heart twist up inside her chest. Although she couldn’t remember her life from before, she knew one thing for certain: Wes looked at her like she was the most important thing in his universe. And it felt really good.