A Time to Remember. Lois Richer
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time Marissa had been out of bed, nor the first time she’d seen a reflection of herself. But she still didn’t feel she knew the stranger who stared back at her, so she tried to avoid looking that way.
Earlier her bandages had been removed. The nurse had helped Marissa wash her hair and now it hung loose and fluffy around her shoulders. Her scalp was tender, so she’d left the golden strands free.
The nightie had a soft fuzzy feel on the inside. Some kind of cotton sateen, she decided, sliding her hand over her midriff. The housecoat felt every bit as wonderful as it looked. Out of the shabby hospital gear, sheathed in this elegant finery, Marissa felt pretty. Graceful. Like someone else. Had she worn these things before?
“Rissa?”
A soft knock on the door alerted her to her husband’s presence outside.
“Yes?” She froze, then told herself he had every right to walk inside if he wanted.
“Are you all right?”
She drew in a breath for courage, then pulled open the door.
“I’m fine. I was just trying to decide what to do about my feet.”
“Good thing I happened along, then.”
They both turned at the laughing voice. A man stood in the doorway. A tall man, sandy haired, with dancing brown eyes, looking for all the world as if he’d just stepped out of an ad for healthy outdoor living. He waited in the doorway, a gaily wrapped package in his hands. He wore jeans and a plaid shirt, but they were nothing like Gray’s. There was no sign he’d ever done a day’s work in either article. His snakeskin boots shone with a luster that proclaimed them new.
“Hi, sis.”
Sis? This was her brother? Marissa scrutinized each feature, but found nothing familiar. Gradually she became aware of the tension sizzling across the room between the men. She glanced at Gray for an explanation.
“Marissa, this is my brother. Adam.” The words were devoid of any emotion.
“Oh, come now, Grayson. Let’s tell all the truth, shall we?” The debonair smile turned on her full force. “Everyone thinks I’m his half brother. The ne’er-do-well son who got gypped out of the ranch my father built with his bare hands.” Malice glittered in Adam’s eyes.
“I didn’t gyp anyone.” Gray grated the words out in a way that told her they’d gone over the same argument a hundred times before. “Harris left me the ranch, true. But you were well provided for, Adam. You could have bought your own place. If you’d wanted to.” An implicit warning lay behind those quiet words.
“The point is, dear Marissa, that Grayson McGonigle, or whatever his real name is, shouldn’t have received any portion of my father’s inheritance because he is not my father’s son. He’s a liar and a cheat.”
His real name? Marissa winced at the pure hate that seemed to thread through the angry accusations. She saw Gray’s hands fist, saw his jaw clench and knew it was up to her to stop this from escalating, damaged memory notwithstanding.
“Look, I don’t pretend to understand what you’re talking about, Adam. I don’t understand anything about my life. My head hurts, my body is stiff and sore and I feel like I’m in the middle of a tug-of-war. So if you don’t mind, you two can carry on your feud, or whatever it is, later. Preferably when neither Cody nor I are present.”
“Aw, Marissa, I’m sorry.” Adam’s mobile face drooped with shame. “I truly didn’t mean to dredge that up again. I came to say I’m so sorry about the accident. How are you?”
“I’ll be fine,” she told him, praying she was telling the truth.
“I know that. You always had a knack for making things turn out good.” He walked over, leaned down and brushed a kiss against her forehead. “This is for you.”
She accepted the gift, surprised and pleased by his tender smile.
“Thank you, Adam. Though you didn’t have to get me anything.”
“By the look of those toes, I did,” he teased, peering down at her ankles and bare feet. “Wherever you’ve been, you managed to get a bit of sun. At least on your feet.”
In unison she and Gray stared at her feet. Compared to the rest of her fair skin, her ankles and feet were tanned a light golden brown. Why was that?
She felt Gray’s scrutiny. A wave of embarrassment washed over her at the intimate look. She busied herself opening the gift. A pair of slippers, fuzzy white ones with delicate little heels, lay against blue tissue paper.
She giggled at the silliness of them. Adam chuckled.
“I knew you’d like them.”
“Surely you didn’t find these in Blessing?” She laughed.
The silence unnerved her.
“What did I say?” she whispered. Both men stared at her with an intensity that made her fidget. “What’s wrong?”
“You know where you live?” Gray asked carefully. “You remember the town?”
“No.” She shook her head.
“Then how did you know that no place in town would carry these?”
Then she understood. Blessing. The town where they lived. She tried to figure out how she knew that, but nothing made sense.
“I don’t know where it came from,” she whispered, frustrated by the elusiveness of her mind. “It just came out.”
“It’s okay, honey.” Gray squeezed her shoulder. “It’s great, really. It means things are starting to come back. The doctors all said not to force it, so let’s not worry about that anymore. Why don’t you try these on?” He lifted a slipper from the box, carefully cradled her left foot and slipped the ridiculous footwear on it, then repeated the procedure with her other foot.
Marissa thrust out her legs and stared.
“I feel like Fifi La Ronge.”
“Who?” Adam and Gray stared at her.
Marissa blushed. “Never mind.” She stood and practiced walking. Then she glanced around the room. “Are we ready to go?”
Adam glanced at Gray. “Cody at school?”
“Yes.” Gray’s stormy eyes met his brother’s without flinching. “He’ll come home on the bus.”
“I could pick him up.”
“Don’t bother. A neighbor’s child will make sure he gets off at the right stop. I’ll be there waiting.”
Adam shrugged, but Marissa thought she saw a glimmer of hurt in his dark brown eyes.
“Suit yourself. I was just trying to help.”
“Really? You really want to help, Adam? Then why don’t you pitch in at the ranch? I could use a lot of help there. Especially now.” Gray’s steady gaze remained pinned on his brother.
Adam’s laugh held no amusement. Marissa saw his eyes harden, watched the snide tilt of his mouth transform her brother-in-law’s charming face into a mask of petulance.
“My own father didn’t think I had it in me to ranch, Gray. Why would you think any differently?”
“Maybe I see a side of you that Harris didn’t.” Gray glanced down at Marissa, but apparently decided to voice the rest of his opinion in spite of her presence.
“Harris loved you, Adam, and you know it. But he was afraid you’d gamble the ranch away just as you’ve done with the inheritance he left you.” His voice dropped to a tone of quiet steel. “Anytime you want to come on board, you just let me know. I’m not trying to steal anything from you, but neither am I prepared to let you blow our father’s lifework in some crap-shoot. And until