“Before you hang up, we’ve got another surprise for you,” Maddie teases him. She’s so excited she’s bouncing.
Wes’s eyes light up with Mads’s attention. “Two surprises in one day, and it’s not even Christmas yet.”
Mads takes her hand and motions me over. I swallow. When I step into view, Wes’s eyes open wide, and his jaw drops.
“What in the…” He grins.
“He came home, Wes. He’s been alive this whole time with amnesia.”
“Hi, Wes,” I say.
“Nathan Carter.”
Mads and Scott excuse themselves, leaving Wes and me to chat.
He laughs. “We’re hard to kill.”
“Crystal and Mads have told me stories about you.”
“I bet they have. It’s good to see you, brother. Any memories?”
“None. Except for a few dreams. I’ve been warned I may never get them back.”
“You’ve got no idea how you made it out?”
“None.”
“I wonder…When we were exploring The Great Blue Hole in Belize, you essentially took it upon yourself to train me in cave diving. I was one of those jerks who thought they could teach themselves. So, you stepped in. A good thing since I got into some major trouble the first time down. One thing you said always stuck with me.”
Wes is an interesting guy. He’s on show, even with his friends.
“As long as you’re still breathing, don’t quit.” He gives me a long look. “You’re diving?”
“With Scott’s crew. I can remember how to do everything, but I have no context. Crystal has about a million photos of our lives. We’ve been getting through them one by one.”
“Hmmm. By the time you’re through, you’ll probably remember more about your life than I do about mine. There’s so much in our lives we forget anyway. What we remember are the chapter summaries and maybe a few drop quotes… It’s the present and the people in it that matter the most.”
“What about the future?”
“That’s always a gift. You never expect it but appreciate it when it comes.”
“But then it’s…”
“The present.” He winks.
I clear my throat. “I want to thank you personally for saving my sister. I owe you my life.”
“She saved herself. I was just there to help… and return the favor.”
CHAPTER 29
The Widow
When I answer the door, there’s a broody, broad-shouldered man who must be at least seven feet tall looking straight at me. Silver hair. Sharp gray eyes. He looks like he flew in straight from Siberia.
For a moment, I wonder if he’s theBig, Mean Man.
Oddly, the thought brings relief. Natalie is at the beach house, and Nathan’s at the Inn with the dive team. They’re both safe.
