“Celine also said the fight that broke you guys up really affected Thane.” Lauren propped up on her elbow. “Maybe not remembering the bad stuff that happened between you two is a blessing. A clean slate could give you both a solid chance at mending fences.”
Clean slate. In theory, it sounded simple. Say nothing. Let her believe he was just a musician. Enjoy being with her a little while longer. Then go back to the present without telling her a word of the truth. He’d carry the burden of remembering. She’d find freedom in forgetting everything about him. They weren’t Thane and Celine. He and Lauren didn’t have as much at stake. Right? Reid threaded his fingers through her hair. He smoothed his thumb over her cheek as he memorized her face. “Is that what you really believe?”
“Yes. I do.” She kissed his palm. “Don’t question how or why you’ve ended up here and now with this. Just go with it.”
Hours later Reid lay awake, listening to Lauren’s calm, even breaths as she slept. Fatigue finally claimed him. He dropped into a nightmare.
“Mayday. Mayday. Mayday. This is Lima Alpha Six and we are going down!”
Reid swirled and tumbled in a helicopter. Heat and sand blasted his skin. Diesel fuel mixed with the smell of sweat and burning wires. He wasn’t alone. Men in desert camouflage sat across him. He knew their faces. Why couldn’t he remember their names? He looked beside him and into Thane’s eyes. They were going to die.
No! We never hit the ground. We. Don’t. Die.
Plummeting fast turned into floating in golden light. A voice echoed around him. “Follow me…save the world.”
Chapter 13
Lauren rolled over on the mattress. A cool empty space greeted her instead of Reid. She’d awakened him during the night because he’d been mumbling and thrashing from what she’d guessed was a nightmare. The second time it happened, he’d gotten up for water. The lamp light had reflected the aloofness in his eyes. She’d tried to comfort him. He’d slipped out of her arms and told her to sleep.
Anxiety pulled in her chest. Her father used to have bad dreams. Instead of talking, he’d frozen her mother out. Once that happened, her mother said their marriage had crumbled. Stop! She shouldn’t compare. Reid’s career as a musician didn’t have the same burden of duty. But a trauma haunting his memories could exist. Lauren shoved back the covers and swung her feet to the floor.
She pulled on an extra-large sweatshirt. As she walked down the hall she spotted Reid out the window. Dressed in his jeans, he stood on the front porch. When she stepped outside, he didn’t turn around.
“Reid?” She braced for rejection. He turned. His haggard face made her heart ache.
“Hey, beautiful.” Sadness tinged his smile as he wrapped her in his arms. “I didn’t think you’d be up this early. I planned on bringing you breakfast in bed as an apology.”
Lauren kissed his chest. Warmth, strength, this alone made up for whatever Reid thought he’d done. “For what?”
“Keeping you up all night, but not in a good way.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“Not yet.” He kissed the top of her head. “I just want to enjoy this with you. Is that okay?”
“Perfectly.” She tightened her arms around his waist. What could she do for him? How could she help? “You know, I was thinking. With Celine and Thane in town we should take a break. One last barbecue on the deck with them would be fun.”
“What about your deadline? You wanted to be done by the end of the week.”
Holding her breath, she ventured into the unknown. “With the two of us, it shouldn’t take that long. I can afford to take a day. It’ll be nice for us to relax and enjoy our friends.”
Please, say yes. He needed this. She wanted this. One day to hang out and pretend they were a normal couple.
His chest rose and fell under her cheek. “What are we grilling, chicken or steak?”
Lauren gave him a hard squeeze. “Both.”
She called Celine with the plans and her friend jumped on board, offering to pick up a few items Lauren needed.
Lauren drove to the small store up the road that sold food and other supplies for the rest. She also bought clothes for Reid.
The other couple arrived just after noon.
“You didn’t say which one you wanted, so I brought both.” Celine put white wine and sodas in the refrigerator.
Thane carried a case of beer to the deck and joined Reid. The guys did the manly handshake shoulder slap, then they conferred over what needed to be cooked on the grill. Reid looked adorably scruffy with a light beard, a new T-shirt, and cut-off sweatpants.
Thane was a little more upscale in cargo shorts and a pullover shirt.
“Damn.” Celine sighed. “All that gorgeous in one place is a total sin. I wonder what the rest of the band looks like.”
Lauren nudged Celine. “If they get back together, maybe we can hook Ari up with one of them. Where is the rest of the band?”