Reunited at Christmas Page 5

  “I have a reservation at the B and B on Jarvis Street.” She twiddled her fingers and looked down. “I’ll only be staying there for two nights, Liam. Then I’ve got to catch my flight back home.”

  Home? What was Ruby talking about? Love, Alaska, was her home, whether she realized it or not yet. He believed that with a deep certainty, despite his doubts about his relationship with his wife.

  “Why don’t you let me cancel your reservation?” he suggested. “Stay here with us. You’ll be able to spend more quality time with Aidan in his element.”

  Ruby regarded him solemnly and then nodded her agreement. “I know that I only just met him, but he’s everything you said he was.” She glanced over at their son. “I don’t need my memory back to tell me that he’s the best thing I’ve ever done in this world.”

  “I feel the same way,” he said as a feeling of pride swept over him.

  Aidan patted the seat next to him then beckoned Ruby with his other hand. “Come sit with me,” he called out, clearly wanting to be near and dear with his mother.

  As he watched her settle next to Aidan at the table, Liam’s thoughts were focused on his son’s quality of life. Aidan needed his mother. His son’s world would be so much richer with her in it. How many times had Aidan cried himself to sleep because he didn’t have a mother? Or asked him dozens of questions about Ruby? There were so many things that only a woman could provide for a young boy. A tender touch. A lullaby to put him to sleep. A soft place to fall when he needed it.

  This was all about Aidan. For the moment Liam wasn’t even putting himself in the equation. His own heart had been a little bit broken when Ruby had taken off her rings and headed to Colorado on the rescue mission. And even though he was ecstatic about her return, he still felt as if he was walking on a tightrope. What if Ruby remembered that she had asked for a separation? What if he did what he had always done with Ruby and followed his heart, only to have it smashed to pieces again?

  No, he wasn’t going down that road. His one and only goal would be to give his son his most fervent Christmas wish. The best gift God could ever bestow on him. A mother of his own.

  Chapter Four

  Ruby woke the next morning with the smell of bacon wafting under her nose. She sat up in bed and cast a quick glance around her. She had been so exhausted last night after all the Prescotts had left the house that she’d barely had time to take in her surroundings.

  The guest bedroom had a quaint, cozy vibe. An oil painting of the Alaskan tundra hung from the wall. A big, fluffy, eiderdown comforter had kept her warm and cozy all night. The bed frame was made of cedar wood. She had no idea how she recognized the wood, but she did. She reached out and touched its smooth surface as a feeling of familiarity ran through her. Someone had made this for them! A man. One she dearly loved. A face flashed before her eyes—warm brown eyes and a cocoa complexion. An endearing smile and a hearty laugh. Her brother?

  Before she had turned in, Aidan had peeked into her room and wished her good-night. He had been a little shy but filled with curiosity about her. She was so worried about disappointing him. Ruby fretted that in his mind she was a super hero. That would be a tough act to follow.

  She quickly got dressed and checked her appearance in the mirror above the dresser. In her baby blue sweater and jeans, she appeared casual and not half as serious as she felt. A slight case of nerves overtook her. For all intents and purposes, she was a stranger in her own home. Aidan and Liam were blank slates for her. Yet every time she looked at her son she felt a tugging sensation in the region of her heart. Try as she might to convince herself that he was a stranger to her, he made her feel things she hadn’t ever felt before. Or at least not since she’d woken up as an amnesiac.

  Once she left the bedroom, the delectable aromas of breakfast food emanating from the kitchen were even more enticing. Before she had even managed to take a step, Aidan stood from his spot on the floor outside her door. Right next to him was a fire engine set he’d been playing with as he’d waited. He sent her a smile that made her heart do flip-flops.

  “Daddy said I should let you sleep.”

  “That was mighty nice of him,” Ruby said, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her jeans.

  Big brown eyes that looked a lot like her own gazed up at her. “Are you hungry? We’re having bacon and flapjacks.”

  She rubbed her tummy and let out a contented sigh. “Bacon. I love bacon.”

  “Me, too,” he said, his voice ripe with enthusiasm.

  She winked at her son. “And flapjacks ain’t so bad, either.”

  “Daddy made them specially for you. And I helped stir the batter.”

  “That’s wonderful. I always say it’s all in the stirring.” She smiled at him, noticing the way he was staring at her with a hopeful expression on his face. She felt a burst of sympathy for him. He was so little. Way too young to wrap his head around his mother unceremoniously showing up in his life after having been presumed dead for two years. She wished there was a manual for how to deal with this situation with grace and wisdom. As it was, she felt scared to death about saying or doing the wrong thing.

  She bent at the waist and peered into his perfect little face. “Is there anything you want to ask me?”

  Aidan shifted from one foot to the other. “How can you be my mother if you don’t remember me?” His lips quivered.

  Aw. It was a sucker punch straight to the gut.

  She swallowed past the lump in her throat. “Well, unfortunately, due to my accident, there are lots of memories I can’t access. And I may not remember everything about you, but I do recall certain things.”

  His eyes widened. “You do? Like what?”

  “Smells. I can’t be around talcum powder without thinking about holding a baby in my arms. One who had dark hair and chubby little legs. That was you, Aidan.”

  His jaw dropped. “Wow. That’s so cool. Daddy showed me a picture once of you holding me like that when I was a baby. Maybe he can find it so I can show you. It might help you remember more things.”

  Tears misted her eyes. His voice was filled with such hope and innocence. She prayed he didn’t get hurt in all of this. There was still so much to sort out. How would Aidan react when she left to go back to Colorado? Was he imagining that his parents would reunite and live happily-ever-after? As an almost-five-year-old it was entirely possible.

  “I’d like that very much,” she murmured, overcome with emotion.

  “After we eat, can I show you my Christmas list I made for Santa?”

  She reached out and palmed his cheek, shocking herself by the intimate gesture. “Sure, Aidan. That would be great.”

  “Let’s eat before the flapjacks get cold.” He reached for her hand and tugged her down the hall into the kitchen. Once she crossed the threshold, she stopped in her tracks. Liam was standing at the stove, looking impossibly handsome in a pair of dark jeans and a long-sleeved, oatmeal-colored shirt. Although she had noted her husband’s good looks immediately upon meeting him, she couldn’t help but notice that he looked even more handsome today. With his dark brown hair, rugged physique and ice-blue eyes, he was a looker. It was no small wonder she had fallen in love with him and sealed the deal with a ring and a wedding. He was definitely an Alaskan hottie.

  “Good morning,” he said, spatula in hand as he flipped the flapjacks on the griddle. “I hope you had a good night’s rest.”

  “I slept like a log,” Ruby admitted. “It must be the Alaskan air.”

  Liam nodded. “I was born and bred in Love, so I’m a little biased about the benefits of this little town.”

  She shifted from one foot to the other then jammed her hands into the back pockets of her jeans. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

  “Not a thing. I’m just about done. Why don’t you and Aidan sit down at th
e table?” Liam nodded in Aidan’s direction. “Put some napkins by each place setting, okay?”

  Aidan quickly placed the napkins on the table and beamed as if he knew he’d done a good job. Liam walked over and placed platters of flapjacks, bacon and eggs on the table.

  As they dug into the breakfast Liam had prepared, Ruby found herself surprised by the lack of awkwardness between the three of them. Strangely enough, she didn’t feel nearly as uncomfortable as she usually did in the presence of people. Aidan entertained them with stories about his friends and a little girl down the road who wanted to marry him.

  Liam and Ruby exchanged a smile as Aidan explained very solemnly that he didn’t have any plans to settle down until he was a grown-up. As soon as he finished eating, Aidan asked to be excused, then jumped up from the table, placed his plate in the sink and ran toward his bedroom.

  Liam shook his head, his gaze trailing after their son. “If I had half his energy, I’d be over the moon.” The sound of Liam’s laughter washed over her like a warm blanket. It tugged at something deep inside her. She knew his laugh. The deep, throaty sound of it was familiar. It was as if she’d always known it.

  She couldn’t escape the fact that being back here in Love was stirring up her memories. It hadn’t even been a full twenty-four hours and she’d remembered several meaningful things. Perhaps being here was the healing balm she needed.

  “I remembered something...or someone,” she blurted. “It happened this morning when I woke up.”

  “You did?” Liam asked, his handsome face lit with surprise.

  “Yes,” she said with a nod. “This might sound like an odd question, but did someone close to us make the bed in the guest room?”

  Liam chuckled. “Someone very near and dear to your heart. Your brother. In addition to being a volunteer fireman, he’s also a very skilled woodworker. He made that for us when we moved into this house. It was his creative way of presenting us with a housewarming gift.”

  Ruby clapped her hands together. “I knew it! His face came to mind, and it was such a vivid recollection. He had this huge smile and it gave me such a good feeling about him.”

  “Being here seems to have triggered your memories.”

  “It’s pretty staggering, but I would have to agree with you,” Ruby said. “As we were flying over Kachemak Bay, this feeling of familiarity began to gnaw at me. The moment the seaplane landed in Love, I got goose bumps.” She shivered at the recollection then wrapped her arms around her middle. “There was this feeling of déjà vu. I knew I’d been here before even though I didn’t have specific memories to ground me. It was palpable.”

  Liam stared at her, his eyes assessing. “I know you hadn’t planned on staying in Love, but now that you know about Aidan...would you consider staying in town for a while so the two of you can work on rebuilding your relationship?”

  Even though it was the last thing she’d expected to hear, a feeling of calm settled over her. Love, Alaska, was so lovely and quaint and unlike anything she’d known in Denver. Was it possible that she might find roots in this quaint fishing village? In coming here, her sole goal had been to discover her identity. Naively, she had imagined that once she dug up her past she would return to Denver. Finding out about her family had changed everything. God had other plans for her. She knew He had planted her exactly where she needed to be.

  Aidan belonged to her. And for the last two years, there hadn’t been a single person or place she’d felt this way about. It was love—primal, gut-wrenching love that emanated from her very core. What she felt for her son surpassed anything else she might feel about the situation. It was still nerve-racking, and she was still afraid, but she wanted to see things through in Love. Ruby wanted to build relationships rather than fumble through life without any meaningful connections.

  There were still a few questions rattling around inside her head. “How would that work, Liam? What about my job?” Even though her waitressing gig was no great shakes, she depended on it for income.

  “If you’re worried about money, I’ll write you a check for the money that was in your savings account. After you were officially declared deceased, the monies were transferred over to my account.” He scratched his jaw. For the first time she noticed a slight five-o’clock shadow. It only served to make him more ruggedly attractive. “And I’ve been holding on to the majority of your personal belongings—clothes, jewelry, toiletries.” He made a face. “The thought of getting rid of everything seemed too final.”

  “That’s understandable. It would have made it too final, I imagine.” Sadness swept over her at the thought of Liam having to perform that solemn duty. He seemed like such a strong man, but it spoke volumes about his grief that two years in and he hadn’t been able to dispose of her belongings.

  “We’re going to have to contact the authorities so they can reverse their declaration about your status. That way you can get an Alaskan driver’s license and credit cards with your name on them.”

  “I have a Colorado driver’s license. When I lived with Trudy and Ezra they let me tool around with their car. I figured out pretty quickly that I knew how to drive.”

  “You learned to drive at fifteen,” Liam explained. “An accomplishment that you were quite proud of. Your father showed you the ropes.”

  Her father. Other than a feeling of happiness when she thought of her childhood, there still wasn’t much of a memory of him. Or her mother. It saddened her, particularly since they were no longer living. She would never have the opportunity to see them again or share her life with them.

  “So, if I decide to stay in Love for a period of time, how would it play out between us?” She fumbled with how to express herself. “I know we’re still married, so I’m just wondering.”

  She wasn’t sure if he would expect her to work on their relationship, as well. After all, they were husband and wife. Did he still love her? Would her feelings for Liam come back to her in one fell swoop?

  “I don’t have any more answers about our marriage than you do, if that’s what you’re asking. There’ll be plenty of time in the future to figure that out. For now, Aidan comes first. That’s where our focus should be.”

  She let out a relieved breath. Working on a marriage when she didn’t remember her husband would have been extremely difficult. Not to mention awkward. Now if she could just stop staring at the little cleft in his chin and his wide shoulders.

  “I know it might not be easy to leave your job and friends behind for an extended period, but I think we can both agree that our son’s needs should come before anything else.”

  Ruby shrugged. “My life in Denver is...small. I don’t have a large circle of friends. And my job...well, let’s just say that I’m not saving lives the way you do. It’s not the stuff of which dreams are made.” She bowed her head, feeling embarrassed at what she’d just revealed.

  Before she knew it, Liam’s fingers were at her chin, lifting it so that their eyes were level. Compassion flared in his eyes. “Hey. Don’t down yourself. You’ve been on a torturous journey these last few years. I can’t even imagine how difficult your life has been. And it strikes me that you’re just as brave as you’ve always been. You may not have been saving lives on rescue missions for the past two years, but you’ve been putting one foot in front of the other and surviving. That’s huge.”

  They looked into each other’s eyes as an electric pulse crackled in the air around them. Her eyes shifted to his lips. They were full and perfectly shaped. What would it be like to be kissed by this tender, giving man? It was sad that she couldn’t remember what it felt like to be kissed. Or to be held by someone who loved her. She let out a sigh. Sometimes it felt as if those days were behind her.

  “I want Aidan to have a mother,” Liam said in a strangled voice.

  She fiddled with her fingers. “I do, too, but I don’t know how to
be that. I’m going to have to learn how all over again.” Even though the thought of it was terrifying, it was also invigorating. Heartwarming. Being someone’s mother gave her a purpose in life outside of herself. For the last two years there hadn’t been anything that inspired or motivated her. She had basically been putting one foot in front of the other and trudging through life. That wasn’t living! It was merely existing.

  “I promise to help you, Ruby. Can we work something out that doesn’t involve you going back to Colorado, at least not yet? Give Love a chance. Maybe you’ll find you like it here.” The look on Liam’s face could only be described as intense. “Please? For Aidan?”

  She ran a shaky hand through her long brown tresses. Staring into his eyes for too long made her feel nervous. It seemed impossible to resist his plea when he appeared to be motivated by love and concern for Aidan.

  “Where would I live?” she asked. She couldn’t imagine herself living all by her lonesome in strange surroundings. One thing she had learned about herself since the accident was that she didn’t thrive well in solitary settings. She needed human contact.

  Liam gestured around him with his hands. “I’d like it if you would stay here with us. There’s plenty of room. Honor was staying with us, but she just moved to live out at the wildlife center. I think it’s the perfect venue for you to bond with Aidan and get your bearings.”

  The idea of living with Liam and Aidan in this fairy-tale house nestled in the Alaskan woods was appealing. It was far nicer than anything she’d experienced in the last few years. She could put her cooking skills to use in this airy, fantastic kitchen. And she would be close to her son...and Liam, too. The idea of spending time around her husband was a bit nerve-racking. She didn’t want to get pulled under by the sheer force of his magnetism. There was so much to figure out and process. Would he expect her to fall into old, familiar rhythms she didn’t even remember? Was he hoping to get his partner back?