Forget Me Not Read online

  The man who’d picked him up from the airport that day had been Kaegan Chambray, the owner of the company. Ray hadn’t a clue to his real birthday, only the one he’d been given before leaving the hospital, but he figured that he and Kaegan were pretty close in age.

  Over the past three years Kaegan hadn’t just been his boss but had become a close friend. In fact, Kaegan and the town’s sheriff, Sawyer Grisham, were the only two people in Catalina Cove who knew about his memory loss. Everyone else assumed he was a thirty-four-year-old divorcé whom Kaegan had known prior to returning to the cove to take over his family’s shipping company.

  That assumption worked in Ray’s favor, although most people—namely, the single women in town—couldn’t understand why he wasn’t interested in dating even if remarrying wasn’t on his mind. For him there was no way he could ever commit to a new life with a woman when he knew nothing about his old life. To avoid being caught in such a situation he’d decided the best thing for him was to avoid all personal involvements with women. So far that situation suited him just fine, even if it was a little lonely.

  He stood and stretched, knowing that except for the loss of his memory he had a lot to be thankful for. For the past two and a half years he’d work hard for Kaegan and saved most of his earnings. With Kaegan as cosigner, two months ago Ray became the owner of Ray’s Tours, a company that offered private ocean tours around the cove.

  Now he woke up every morning with a purpose and before going to bed at night he would record that day’s activities in his journal. As he headed for the bathroom he was again bothered by a niggling thought that although he didn’t have a clue why, for some reason he believed that today used to be an important one for him.

  * * *

  “I CAN’T BELIEVE you aren’t telling me and Dad where you’ll be for two weeks. What if an emergency comes up? What if I want to tell Elliott where you are in case he wanted to join you? What if—?”

  “How dare you think you can invite a man I barely know to join me anywhere,” Ashley said, not able to control her anger as she moved around her bedroom, packing. She knew she’d made the right decision in not telling her parents where she would be for two weeks.

  “Honestly, Ashley, I don’t understand why you’re getting upset. According to Elliott, the two of you have talked on the phone a couple of times.”

  Ashley’s anger escalated. Elliott Booker was the latest single guy her mother was trying to shove at her. She’d met him a mere month ago when he’d conveniently shown up at her parents’ place for dinner one Sunday. Since then the man had called her a couple of times after getting her phone number from her mother.

  “You turned thirty last week,” her mother was saying. “I read those magazines for today’s women and know casual affairs are the thing now for single women your age. Do you really think your friends expect you to spend two weeks alone?”

  “Yes. In fact, I know they do, and do you know why?” Without waiting for her mother to respond, she said, “Because they know what I’m ready for and what I am not ready for, which is something you evidently don’t know about me, your own daughter.”

  “It’s been three years, Ashley. I think it’s time for you to move on.”

  “I decide when it’s time, Mom, not you or anyone else. I’ll call you after I get back. If an emergency comes up and you need to reach me, Emmie will know how to contact me. Goodbye, Mom.” She hung up the phone.

  Ashley continued packing, refusing to dwell on yet another argument she’d had with her mother. Instead she wanted to think about the two weeks she would be spending in Catalina Cove doing whatever she wanted to do. And unlike what her mother thought, it wouldn’t involve a man.

  Ashley twisted her wedding ring on her finger. A ring she refused to take off even after three years. She would never forget that night when instead of Devon returning home, she’d gotten a visit from her local police department after having been contacted by authorities in Cincinnati. Because of heavy rains and icy roads, the rental car Devon was driving had skidded and he’d lost control on the Langley Memorial Bridge and gone through a guardrail to plunge into the Ohio River.

  Ashley had screamed so loud that her neighbors had come to see what had happened. When her parents had arrived in town the next day, Ashley was still in a state of shock. To this day she didn’t know how she’d managed to get through the following week. Traffic cameras had shown the exact moment Devon had lost control. Because of the depth of the river, they never recovered the car or Devon’s body. However, his briefcase with all his papers inside, including the anniversary card he had gotten for her, had floated to the top a couple of weeks later. It was only then that she accepted her husband was not coming back.

  Deep down she, of all people, knew it was time to move on and Devon would have wanted her to do so, but she couldn’t. His clothes were still in his closet and his belongings were where he’d left them. The only person it bothered was her mother, who was ready for her to move on, but Ashley didn’t care what her mother was ready for because she wasn’t.

  Ashley went into the living room and glanced around. The plants she’d managed to keep alive since Devon’s funeral would be taken care of by Emmie, who had a key to her place. Emmie would also collect her mail while she was gone. Now more than ever, Ashley was glad her mother had no idea where she was going.

  She paused before going into the kitchen to gaze at the sunflower, the last one Devon had given her for their anniversary, the one that had been with all those roses. Emmie had gotten the huge sunflower freeze-dried and placed in a beautiful crystal case for her to have forever. A constant reminder of the love she and Devon had shared.

  After eating dinner, Ashley put on the videos she’d been watching a lot lately. The one of her and Devon’s wedding. She also watched a video Suzanne had had made, which contained a collection of every photograph Ashley and Devon had ever taken together, set to some of their favorite songs.

  An hour later after watching the videos, Ashley’s shirt was wet from her tears. She knew she couldn’t continue on this way. Maybe she should have done as the grief counselor suggested and retained a therapist to help her through the healing process. But a part of her hadn’t wanted to heal because doing so meant moving on without Devon and she wasn’t ready for that.

  But maybe the two weeks she would spend at Shelby by the Sea would be a start.

  CHAPTER TWO

  RAY COULD ONLY shake his head at Kaegan Chambray and Sheriff Sawyer Grisham. As most mornings, the two had joined him for coffee and blueberry muffins at the Witherspoon Café, a popular eating place in town.

  Sawyer’s wife, Vashti, had given birth to their son, Cutter, six months ago and already Sawyer was anticipating having another. Their oldest daughter, Jade, would be leaving for college in the fall. Since Sawyer had been away in the military during the first six months of Jade’s life, he had missed out on all the newborn baby stuff he was experiencing with Cutter.

  “I hope Vashti is in agreement,” Kaegan was saying. “I’m sure that’s nothing you can spring on a woman.”

  Sawyer gave them a devilish grin. Too devilish for a man who was the town’s sheriff. “I got everything under control, trust me.” He glanced over at Ray. “How have you been doing? Did you ever contact your therapist?”

  Ray knew why he was asking. He’d mentioned to Kaegan and Sawyer about waking up last week on a day he felt should have meant something to him. They suggested that he call the therapist whom he’d routinely visited every six months up until the beginning of this year. Now he would contact him on an as-needed basis.

  “Yes, I called Dr. Martin. He said the date probably meant something in my prior life, just like I thought.”

  “Does he think that means your memory might be returning?” Kaegan asked, before biting into his blueberry muffin.

  Ray shook his head. “No, he doesn’t think that,” he sai
d, trying to keep the disappointment from his voice. “However, he did suggest that I make a note of it in my journal.”

  “I hear business is going well,” Sawyer said.

  Ray nodded, knowing Sawyer was intentionally changing the subject to talk about a positive in Ray’s life. He also knew where Sawyer had heard that from. Vashti owned and operated Shelby by the Sea, a bed-and-breakfast in town, and she had encouraged Ray to print brochures to place in the inn’s welcome packet. That had been a great idea and a number of his new customers were people staying at Shelby.

  “Yes, it is. I’m averaging a good ten to twelve trips a day. That’s why I’m thinking of getting an additional boat.”

  “You should,” Kaegan said, looking over at him, but only for a short while.

  Kaegan’s attention was drawn to Bryce Witherspoon, the daughter of the owners of the café, as she appeared from the back. Bryce, who owned a real-estate office in town, often helped her parents at the café by assisting with the breakfast and dinner crowds. Bryce had also worked for a while as assistant manager at Shelby by the Sea that first year to help Vashti, who was her best friend, get things off the ground, and had remained through Vashti’s maternity leave. It hadn’t been hard to figure out that there had been something between Kaegan and Bryce a while back that obviously hadn’t ended well.

  “Time for me to start the day,” Sawyer said, standing and then leaving with a nod of farewell.

  Ray knew it was time for him to start the day as well, but decided to get a refill on his coffee first. He figured sooner or later Bryce would mosey over to their table.

  He didn’t have long to wait when she approached their table with a smile. “Want a refill, Ray?”

  He returned her smile. “I sure do, Bryce. Thanks.”

  She then turned to Kaegan and Ray didn’t miss the glare that appeared in her eyes. “What about you, K-Gee?”

  Ray tensed. K-Gee had been Kaegan’s nickname while growing up, and apparently when he returned to town a few years ago to take over his family’s shipping company, Kaegan had made it known that he would no longer answer to that name. He was certain Bryce had deliberately used it anyway and saw Kaegan’s jaw tighten.

  “No, I don’t want a refill.”

  “Fine,” Bryce all but snapped.

  Ray figured this was a good time to leave before sparks started to fly more than they already were. Clearing his throat, he stood and said, “I just remembered there’s somewhere I need to be. Can I get mine to go?”

  Bryce smiled at him. “Sure thing, Ray.”

  When she walked off, Kaegan turned to him. “One day, do you know what I’m going to do to her?”

  Ray chuckled. “No, and since you’re best friends with the sheriff, I would suggest you forget that thought. See you later.”

  He decided to walk over to the counter to save Bryce the trouble of coming back to their table. That was the least he could do to keep Kaegan out of trouble.

  * * *

  ASHLEY GLANCED AROUND her studio bedroom at Shelby by the Sea. Her friends had really outdone themselves in sending her here and making sure her room that faced the cove was spacious and accommodating. Even with the closed windows, the sound of the ocean filled her ears.

  Placing her luggage aside, she moved toward the huge picture window to appreciate the panoramic view of the gulf. Below she could also see a boardwalk that led down the marshy path to the cove. She could see herself spending a lot of her time beneath the huge gazebo reading and had brought several books with her to get her started.

  She liked this place already and a deep feeling of peace and tranquility flowed through her for the first time in years. Three, to be exact. The drive from the airport had initiated those feelings. The route connecting New Orleans to Catalina Cove had been scenic to the point where she’d pulled to the shoulder of the road and sat there to stare at the giant oak trees lining both sides of the highway. Through the low-hanging branches you could see the sea marshes and the gulf. The closer you got to Catalina Cove, the highway merged from four lanes to two, and even more tall oaks were perfectly strung along the roadway, providing a countryside effect.

  The first thing she noticed when she drove into town was how Catalina Cove’s downtown area was a close replica of New Orleans’s French Quarter. She couldn’t help but like the stately older homes, most of them of the French Creole style, that lined the residential streets with pristine manicured lawns.

  She moved away from the window to begin unpacking. Another thing she liked was the friendliness of the owner and staff. Vashti Grisham had greeted her at the door with so much enthusiasm in her voice that Ashley had felt totally welcomed before taking one step over the threshold. The woman had explained that everyone here was on a first-name basis unless she chose otherwise. She didn’t.

  Vashti had invited her down for blueberry muffins and tea once she got settled. Looking forward to that, Ashley finished unpacking.

  * * *

  “THANKS FOR BRINGING these here, Ray,” Vashti said as he walked through the back door of the inn. “It was nice of you to help Kaegan out.”

  “No problem,” Ray said, placing the huge box into the freezer. “I don’t have another tour until three. I knew one of Kaegan’s guys was out today, so I told him I would deliver this to you.” He appreciated Vashti for teaming up with local businesses to provide goods and services to the inn. Kaegan’s company provided all the seafood she needed.

  “I didn’t expect to find you in the kitchen. Where’s Ms. Livingston?” he asked about the fifty-year-old woman who was the chef at the inn.

  “She went grocery shopping. We have another full house. Five more people checked in today and one of them will be here for two weeks.”

  “Is there anything you need done while I’m here?”

  She shook her head. “No, but thanks anyway. You’re okay?”

  He knew why she was asking. Since marrying Sawyer, she’d learned the details of Ray’s memory loss. He didn’t mind and knew she would keep those details private just like Kaegan and Sawyer were doing. “I’m fine, Vashti. How’s the baby?” he asked, quickly changing the subject.

  For the next ten minutes he listened while she told him how great motherhood was and shared that she wanted another baby. He was tempted to tell her Sawyer was on the same page, but figured she would find that out soon enough.

  He glanced at his watch. “Time to go so I’ll be there when my three o’clock tour arrives.”

  “Okay, and thanks again.”

  “No problem,” Ray said, heading for the back door. “See you later.”

  “Okay,” Vashti said, already moving through the swinging door of the kitchen.

  His eye caught the barest glimpse of a woman coming down the stairs, and he overheard Vashti say, “You’ve settled in?”

  CHAPTER THREE

  ASHLEY WOKE UP bright and early the next morning, determined to make the most of her time in Catalina Cove. Breakfast would be served between eight and ten, and she figured most people wouldn’t go down to eat right at eight like she intended to do. Hopefully that would give her a few private moments to reflect.

  She had enjoyed her muffins and tea with Vashti Grisham yesterday. She’d learned Vashti was married to the town’s sheriff and had given birth six months ago to a little boy. The couple also had an eighteen-year-old daughter. When Ashley had inquired why the couple had waited so long to have another child, Vashti had smiled and said it was a rather long story. Ashley had a feeling it would be a rather interesting story as well.

  When Ashley had joined everyone in the dining room for dinner yesterday evening, just as she’d suspected, the majority of the people staying at Shelby by the Sea were couples. Four were there on their honeymoon, three were celebrating anniversaries, and a few others were renewing their vows. Then there was a group of five women, occupying the other studio r
oom on the fourth floor, who were there for a girls’ trip.

  Being around the couples reminded her so much of what she had lost. It also reminded her of what she’d had and how lucky she had been to have been married to Devon. She’d known before coming here that she would encounter emotions of both longings and regrets. However, what she was determined to do was dwell on the happiness she knew Devon would want her to feel. Happiness at the memories that were hers and his. Memories that would always make her smile no matter what.

  Before retiring for bed last night she had checked in with Emmie, and just like she’d suspected, her mother had called, trying to get Emmie to tell her where Ashley was, but Emmie respectfully refused to do so. Thank goodness.

  Ashley was looking forward to her day. This morning she would be taking a two-hour boat tour around the cove at eleven. Tomorrow she had signed up to do a tour of the city’s historical district on one of those double-decker buses. She couldn’t wait to take a tour of the mansion that had once belonged to the famous pirate Jean Lafitte. Leaving her suite, she headed down for breakfast.

  * * *

  “DO YOU STILL need me to take care of your eleven o’clock appointment, Ray?”

  Ray glanced over at Tyler Clinton, the man he had hired to work with him at his boat tour company. Tyler had been born in Catalina Cove and had left when he joined the navy after graduating from high school. He had returned to the cove last year and had worked the night shift at the LaCroix Blueberry Plant, the largest employer in town. When Tyler got married a few months ago, he preferred working during the daytime. He had been the first one to apply for the job of Ray’s assistant and he’d been hired immediately. Ray never regretted doing so. Tyler was a hard worker, dependable and a fast learner.

  Ray didn’t understand how he personally had come to know so much about boats. He often wondered if in his previous life, the one he couldn’t remember, he’d been in the navy, worked as a merchant marine or spent a lot of time in a shipyard. Then there was his love of numbers and his ability to handle finances. While employed with Kaegan, Ray had worked on the boat, working the nets to pull shrimp, fish and oysters from the ocean, until Kaegan discovered how good he’d been with numbers. It wasn’t long before he’d been offered a job inside the office. Because he much preferred being out on the ocean, he had countered Kaegan’s offer. Instead of being stuck inside the office five days a week, he would split his time out on the ocean and in the office. Kaegan had agreed to his terms and things had worked out fine until Ray had decided to go into business for himself.