It didn’t seem temporary from where Jude was sitting. It seemed like Jeremiah feared he’d never see her again. “You love her.”
“Yes.”
Jude sensed the stir working its way through the coffee shop in response to his brother’s presence.
“Why did she end it?” Jude asked.
“I mentioned her weakness.”
Jude let his head fall back. After a few seconds, he straightened. Dad and Jeremiah almost never spoke an unstrategic word. “How are you going to fix it?”
“I told her I’d wait for her to reach out to me.”
Jude lifted his eyebrows.
“I had to. She’s been hurt in the past. Giving her freedom is the only thing that might work.”
“In that case, I hope she uses her freedom to choose you.” Jude took a sip of his coffee, savoring its strong flavor.
“You ready to go?” Jeremiah asked.
They were about to drive to Portland together to confront Gigi. “I haven’t finished my chocolate chip croissant.” Chocolate was Jude’s only indulgence. He let himself have one serving of it a day and he refused to let Jeremiah’s bad mood interfere with his enjoyment.
Jeremiah glared impatiently out the window. “What’s our tactic with Gigi?”
“We state our suspicions as if they’re facts we can prove. I’ll take the lead. You play along.”
“Are you Jeremiah Camden?” asked the college-aged guy working behind the reception desk at Gigi’s company. He gawked as the brothers walked up to him.
“I am.”
“No way! I started watching F1 because of you. Incredible.” He thrust out a hand. Jeremiah shook it. “Absolutely phenomenal driving, man. It was such a rush to watch you.”
“Thank you.” What had seemed odd to him when he’d had no memory—strangers identifying him on sight—he now remembered to be commonplace. “We’re here to see Gigi Kaminski. Is she in?”
“Yes. Just down the hall. Third office on the right. Before you go . . . can I get a photo with you?”
“Sure.”
“Wow. Thanks. This is an honor.”
Jude stepped in to snap a picture with the guy’s phone as Jeremiah now recalled Jude had done hundreds of times before.As his past had come back to him, so had a deep appreciation for his younger brother. The state of their mother’s mental health after the divorce could have ended Jeremiah’s driving career before it had begun. It hadn’t gone that way because Jude had stepped into the gap with their mother and insisted Jeremiah continue. Jeremiah owed his career to Jude.
His brother was more strait-laced and by-the-book than Jeremiah. But he was also everything that was best of them.
Jeremiah knocked on the door of the third office on the right.
“Come in.”
Gigi’s pretty face creased with joy at the sight of him. She rose, wearing a black turtleneck and tailored plaid suit pants. “Jeremiah! What a wonderful surprise.”
He introduced her to Jude.
“How’s the amnesia?” she asked.
“Improving. I remember quite a bit now.”
“That’s great. Do you remember me?”
