The office was less impressive: two desks, both wooden and age-scarred with nicks and scratches. One was his mom’s and the one he currently sat at was Meg’s. It was cluttered with papers, separated into piles only she understood. He’d pushed back the screen of her desktop computer to make room for his book and notes.
He focused on the pictures lining the wood-paneled walls. Photos going back to when his mom’s parents started the place in the fifties. They’d bought the property for a bargain, intending to make it their homestead. But when a hurricane left the county with massive quantities of fallen timber, they’d decided to mill the logs and build cabins. The resort opened for business in 1954.
He loved sharing the history of the place with their guests. It would be an honor to carry on their legacy through another generation.
Jonah’s gaze shifted to the picture window that overlooked the lake. What was Lauren doing? Was she taking it easy like she was supposed to?
He’d been texting with Meg for the past twenty-four hours, checking on Lauren. Her condition was unchanged. In other words, her memory had not yet returned. But he’d figured that out for himself an hour ago.
That black cloud of fear enveloped him again, the one that threatened to smother him every time he realized anew that Lauren didn’t remember falling in love with him. That her memory might never return.
God, please. Youhave tobring her back to me. I can’t lose her.He swallowed hard against the knot in his throat.
A sound came from out in the lobby, and minutes later Meg entered the office and stopped at the sight of him. “Hey. What are you doing here?”
“Studying.”
Her face softened. Because Jonah studied at his apartment or at the campus library. Never here on property where there were so many distractions. He was doing so now only because he had to be close to Lauren.
“It’s only been two days.”
“I know.” He was trying to be patient, but that wasn’t his strong suit. And it was especially hard when his whole future with Lauren was on the line.
“You should go see her.”
“I did.” He’d made it as far as her doorstep. She hadn’t invited him in or given him any indication he was welcome. Heat washed over him. “She doesn’t want me around, Meg.” It hurt to say that. Like an actual physical ache in the vicinity of his heart.
Meg perched on the desk. “I’m sorry. I can only imagine how hard that must be.”
He kept telling himself her memory would return and they’d look back on this with gratitude. But what if that didn’t happen? What if she finished the year and returned to Boston? A terrible thought occurred.
“Is there anything I can do for you?”
“Just... be there for her, I guess. Since I can’t.”
“Of course I will. I love her too. She’s not the same, even with me, you know.”
“Meg... Lauren doesn’t remember turning down that position with Glitter a couple weeks ago. She thinks she’s gonna finish out the year here and start that job. Unless Sydney told her what’s happened—she called her from the hospital.”
“Lauren and I talked quite a bit yesterday. I think she would’ve said something if she knew. She would’ve been upset about losing the opportunity.”
“You know, she may not have told Sydney at all. She only told me a couple weeks ago and she never mentioned telling her. We had been pretty busy with the resort full and Labor Day weekend upon us.” He tried to remember the Lauren he’d met in the spring. She’d been so driven, so determined to excel here so she could get that job back in Boston. “She’ll be devastated that the opportunity’s gone now.”
But she seemed so fragile. He pictured her standing in her cabin doorway, blinking against the morning light, eyes searching for a safe landing spot. The memory of that panic attack was still fresh. “It probably wouldn’t be good for her to find out just yet. She’s still pretty shaky.”
“Her take-home papers did say to avoid stimulation.” Meg huffed a laugh and waved at the air. “Shoot, she’ll probably get her memory back soon and it’ll be a moot point anyway. No sense upsetting the apple cart.”
“Right. She has a brain injury—it’s a big deal. We don’t want to make it worse. I’ll let Mom and Dad know, just to make sure we’re on the same page.”
Chapter 9
Day three was Lauren’s breaking point. She’d napped and rested until she was about to turn into a zombie. Jonah had stopped over both mornings. Once with a load of firewood, once with a box of maple donuts from the Sugar Shack. He said they were her favorite—and when she’d bitten into one after he left, she believed him. She probably should’ve invited him to stay and enjoy them with her, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She felt so awkward around him—caught in some weird dimension between enemies and lovers.
Now she was sitting on her deck, staring at the water through the trees. The surface glistened in the late-morning sunlight. If she didn’t do something productive soon, she’d go mad.
The sound of laughter carried through the woods. The middle-aged couple who had checked in yesterday walked from Willow Cabin toward the community pier. She stood and followed. Graham scrambled ahead of her, tail flagging the air. She would just check on the couple. See if they needed anything.
She followed them down the dock where they were donning life vests. “Good morning. Beautiful day for a boat ride.”
