Rekindle The Flames (The Men of CLE-FD Book 4) (15 page)

Chapter Seventeen

Ryan entered the breakroom of the firehouse. “What are you
doing here?” Jon asked.

“I’m on my way to the hospital, but I need to talk to you
first. Do you have a minute?” Ryan asked.

“Sure. We can use my quarters.”

The other guys looked at him, and he said, “Guys, I’m not
leaving you out because you all have shown me support but…”

Nick raised his hand. “Hey, we all have that one person we
lean on, Ryan.  We ain’t sweatin’ over it.  Go handle your business and know
we’re here for you too.”

“Thanks guys. When Megan gets home, the party is at my
house. You all bring the food and beer,” he joked.

Jon closed the door for privacy. “What’s up? Is Megan
doing okay?”

Ryan nodded. “She’s doing better than the doctors
expected. They might discharge her next week if she continues to progress the
way she is.”

“That’s great, man.  So what’s the problem?”

“The problem is the doctors are keeping me posted on her
recovery, but I haven’t seen her in three days. This shit is hard.  I don’t
know how much longer I’ll be able to do this.”

“Still nothing is clicking in her memory?  Gabby said this
morning that she would be giving Megan a respiratory treatment today.  Maybe
that will trigger something in her.”

“Nothing has come back to her yet.  I’m dropping off photo
albums to the psychologist for her session with him later today.  I had to
remove any pictures of me.”

Jon crossed his arms over his chest. “That makes no sense
since she remembers her childhood but not you.”

“I don’t get it either,” Ryan said, “but they are the
experts, right?”

“That’s what they claim. How are you feeling, otherwise? 
When can you come back to work?”

“I’ll be back for the next shift.  I won’t take any leave
until Megan is released from the hospital.  I need to be at home to take care
of her.”

“Dude, she isn’t going to stay in the same house with
you.  She doesn’t remember.  How is that going to work?”

Ryan gritted his teeth. “Dammit! I didn’t plan for that. 
I’ll figure out something because she is not going home with Iona.  That witch
will not get a second chance to screw up my marriage.”

“Mr. Jones won’t let that happen.” Jon laughed. “You know
this damn firehouse may house super firefighters, but damn we got a lot of
drama.  There has not been one man to join lately that doesn’t have some
baggage involving women.”

Ryan’s lips curled into an unwanted grin. “But it always
ends well, doesn’t it?”

Jon shrugged his shoulders. “We have to wait and see how
yours ends to determine that.”

“Aha, I love pressure. I gotta go.  I’ll see you on next
shift.” Ryan slapped Jon on the shoulder and left.

Ryan walked into Megan’s hospital room and found her with
Gabrielle.  She was finishing Megan’s breathing treatment.  He looked at Megan,
her face was flushed, and she seemed weak and exhausted.

“Hey, am I interrupting.”  It took everything in him not
to rush to Megan’s side and hold her.  Every protective instinct made him want
to shield her from the pain and suffering and take it for himself. She looked
weaker than the last time he’d seen her and smaller.  There wasn’t much of her
left to waste away.

Gabrielle turned around. “Hello, Ryan.  I’m finished. 
Give her second to catch her breath.  She’s a little winded so don’t have her
talk too much.”

“How do you know, Ryan?” Megan asked hiccupping.

Gabrielle stammered. “Umm, I know a lot of firefighters. 
I’m married to one.”

“Gabby’s husband and I work at the same firehouse, too,”
Ryan interjected. “Besides, the breathing treatment kicking your butt, how are
you feeling?”

“Physically, I’m healing.  Mentally, I’m…eh,” Megan answered. 
“I’ve had enough of doctors pricking and poking at me.  I’m ready to go home
and sleep in my bed.”

Gabrielle finished packing her cart and said to both of
them. “I have another patient to treat.”  She kissed Ryan on the cheek and
whispered. “Be strong; it’ll be over soon.”

Megan nestled her head on the pillow and arched her brow.
“You two are chummy or, is that the way all firefighters wives greet you?”

Ryan noticed a hint of jealousy in Megan’s voice or he
might have been imagining it.  Either way, Gabrielle’s kiss struck a nerve with
her. “We are a friendly and close-knit group of people. A way a family should
be.  Speaking of family, where is your father?”

She shrugged. “I sent him home to rest and get a decent
meal to eat. He’s been here three days straight sleeping in a chair.”

“He cares about you.” Ryan watched her move on the bed for
a comfortable position.  With her arm in a sling, she couldn’t pull her body
upright in the bed. “Do you want help sitting up?”

“Yes, if it wouldn’t be too much trouble.”

“No trouble at all.”  He went to the side of the bed that
was clear of machines and IV tubing.  He placed his arms under her legs to lift
her. “On the count of three take a deep breath.  One…two…three.”  Megan was
light as a feather as he moved her up gently on the bed.  He heard a slight
wince escape her lips. “Are you okay?” She looked up and him, and his heart
melted.

“I’m fine.  Everything hurts no matter which way I move.
Thank you for helping me.  So, did you come to visit me or are you visiting
someone else in the hospital?”

Ryan fixed the sheets around her body tucking her in. “I
came to see you.  I told you I’d be back to visit.  You didn’t forget, did
you?”

She released a deep exhausted sigh. “No, I didn’t forget
that.  Apparently, I have forgotten a lot of other stuff that has happened in
my life.”

Clearing his throat, he tried to keep the surprise out of
his voice and off his face and asked. “What do you mean?”

“I’m living in the past, Ryan.  Until today, I didn’t know
what year it was or that I was 25-years old.  That must have been one hell of a
knock upside my head I took in that accident.”

He rocked back and forth on his heels, choosing his
response carefully. “Megan, don’t fret.  I’m sure your parents will fill in any
blanks you have.”

She giggled and gave him a sheepish smile. “It sounds so
different when you say my name than when anyone else says it.”

“How so?”

“I don’t know.  I think along with my amnesia, I might be
a little crazy.  But the way you say my name, sounds sexy.  I know I’m bad.”

Ryan felt a stir in his body.  If he could get Megan to
think about him more in a sensual way, it could trigger her memory of him
again. He played along with her. “Why is that bad, Megan?”

“It’s silly and embarrassing. I’m broken in a million pieces,
and I’m flirting with you like a teenager; that, I thought I was before my
father set the record straight.”

He folded his arms across his wide chest. “I think it’s
healthy for you.  You aren’t dwelling on your aches and pains but on something
more pleasant and enjoyable.  I never did ask if you have a boyfriend or can
you remember that?”

Megan rolled her eyes. “I had a boyfriend in college. My
father hasn’t mentioned Emin and he isn’t here.” She looked at her hands. “I
see I don’t have on any rings so apparently I’m not married either.”

The mention of Emin’s name struck a sour chord that
traveled to the center of his core.  She remembered that scumbag but not him. 
“You should probably ask about that.”  He wanted to choke on those words.

“If I was involved with Emin, he’d be here.  He stuck to
me like flies to flypaper.  I couldn’t peel him away without ripping off my
skin.  Anyhow, what about you…oh wait, I see a wedding ring.  God, I’m really
embarrassed now.”

He twisted the ring on his finger. “No, no, I’m not
married. The ring belonged to my father.  He left it to me when he died.  I
wear it as a good luck charm.”

“I’m sorry for your loss, Ryan.  But, you might want to
put that ring around your neck. It could give women the wrong impression. When
I was in nursing school, we had doctors…”

Megan stopped mid-sentence and looked out the window. 
Ryan turned his head to see what caught her attention.  There was nothing
outside but bright sunshine and clear blue cloudless sky. Since she was on the
fifth floor, she couldn’t see any activity going on down below.  He could only
assume her memory was firing a flashback and it stunned her.

“Megan?” Her wild hair was spilled across the pillow.  Her
brown eyes that were vibrant minutes ago dulled in confusion.  He wanted to
tell her what was going on but promised the doctors he wouldn’t.

“Um, Ryan, I appreciate you taking time out of your day to
visit me but I’m getting tired.”

“Yeah, sure. I should be going; I have a lot of yard work
to do before my next shift.  Would it be okay if I gave you a hug?” He wanted
to leave his imprint on her.  To make her think about him. That’s why he made
sure to wear the cologne she had bought for him for his birthday.

She seemed to balk but said, “That’s an odd request, but I
do owe you a hug for saving my life.”

Ryan leaned his large frame over the bed to hug her.  He
made sure not to squeeze too hard.  The feel of her skin on his cheek felt good
to him.  The last time she was in his arms they made love all day and into the
night stopping only to refuel with food and water.  He nuzzled her hair,
missing the scent of her shampoo.  As he pulled away, he let his lips brush
against her cheek in a sly kiss.

“Take care, Megan.  I’ll try to visit again.”

Their eyes met as he stood up.  Megan’s lips were slightly
parted the tip of her tongue moistening them.  Now that he had opened the
floodgates, he had to be patient and wait for her to swim to him.  A love as
strong as theirs would prevail.  He had to believe that.

He broke their gaze and reached for the tiny pencil and
pad on the table.  He never understood why hospitals didn’t supply full-size
pencils for patients to use.  It was as if they sharpened the pencils and
recycled them until there was absolutely nothing left of them.

Writing down his cell number he pressed the paper into her
hand. “If you need anything, just call me.  I mean anything, Megan.”

“Okay,” she said folding the paper in her hand.

Ryan felt a pep in his step as he walked down the hall. 
He saw Dr. Arnett standing at the nurses’ station and waved glad things were
finally looking up.

*****

Ryan pulled into the driveway of his house.  He got out of
the car and saw his brother walking up the drive. “Eddie, what’s up?” He asked
bumping fists with him.

“We got a problem brewing.”

“Oh shit! What now?”

“That Emin dude is back in town.  I swear I was gonna go
off him, but I contained myself.”

Ryan froze with annoyance with his brother’s news but shook
it off to ask. “How the hell did this happen, Eddie? You said he was gone for
good.”

“Look, I don’t know.  He’s back, but I’m keeping tabs on
him.  So far, he’s only been to visit Megan’s mother.”

“Fuck! He spewed. “They are plotting again.  Megan is in a
vulnerable state and Iona is gonna take advantage of that.  I have to stop her before
she destroys Megan again.”

“Well, wait a sec, little brother.  She did take money
from him and didn’t deliver the goods.  He could be here looking to recover his
investment that went sour.”

“That’s a possibility.  I have to find out if that is the
reason he would risk his life to come here.”

“$3,000,000 ain’t nothing to sneeze at, Ryan.  He is
looking to collect that money before his parents drill him a new asshole.”

Ryan nodded. “Sucks to be Iona.  Hey, you want to come in
for a beer?”

“Hell yeah, it’s hot out today.  Plus we can plot a
strategy inside.  You have nosy neighbors,” Eddie said motioning his head in
the direction of Lolita’s house.

Ryan caught sight of a shadow behind the curtains at the
window.  It still bothered him what he almost did with her. “I’m not worried
about her.”

Chapter Eighteen

Megan finally recovered enough to be moved from ICU to a
private room.  She was glad to have a television to watch and to see other
patients walking around without the assistance of aides.  It was hard for her
to hear the cries of sorrow at the loss of loved ones.

Flipping through the channels, she began to remember
favorite programs she liked to watch.  But, what stuck with her lately was the
hug Ryan had given her.  The smell of his cologne and the secure feel of his
arms around her lingered far longer than she expected. If he was the same man
from the park, why hadn’t she realized he was a firefighter? Oh well, it didn’t
matter what he did for a living. She finally got her chance to meet him and what
she had seen so far of him, she liked and a lot.

A light tap on the door drew her from the twilight and
back to reality. “Come in.” She hoped it was the kitchen delivering her food. 
She was hungry after a diet of clear broth and Jell-O for the last couple of
days. Two women entered.  Megan recognized Gabrielle but not the other woman.

The tall, dark-skinned woman solemnly strolled over to
her. “How are you feeling, Megan?”

 Megan turned off the television and said, “Besides hunger
attacking my backbone, I’m getting better.  Excuse me if I don’t call you by
name, but I’m assuming we know each other.”

“Wow, you don’t remember me of all people.  I’m Pam; the
one that is hard to forget,” she jokingly said. “The three of us have fun
together.  I rib you about your age and going out and having fun with that fine
stud of yours.”

Megan’s brow went up. “What fine stud?  I don’t have a
boyfriend.”

Gabrielle pushed Pam aside and gave her a death glare.
“Pam is playing around, Megan. Anyhow, I heard you were moved from ICU and
stopped in to see if you needed anything before I go home for the day?”

“Funny you should ask me that.” Megan played with the hem
of the end of the sheet.  “What can you tell me about Ryan?  Since you’re
friends with him, I’m curious to know about him.”

“Girl, you just don’t know,” Pam muttered taking a seat in
one of the hard chairs.

Gabrielle again gave Pam a glaring stare indicating for
her to shut up. “Ryan is a sweetheart.  He’d be the first to give you the shirt
off his back if he thought you needed it.”

“I got that vibe from him.  It’s something else about him
that won’t let me get him off my mind.”

Pam had to snort. “Probably that fine ass body and not to
mention the rest of him is fine too.”

“Pam!” Gabrielle hissed.  “One more time, okay?”

Megan barked out a laugh that hurt her side. “Pam isn’t
wrong.  He is handsome and sweet.  I wish I were a little older.”

“Megan, if you’re interested in Ryan, go for it.  He won’t
bite.” Gabrielle urged.

Megan’s head snapped down. “Nah, I’ll probably be
discharged in a couple of days.  I’m sure I won’t ever see him again.  I just
can’t get this nagging feeling I know him from somewhere and not the park.”

“Did he say he’d visit you again? I can call him if you
want me to.”

“Gabby, he gave me his phone number.  He said if I wanted
anything to call him.”

“Megan, did you hear what you said to me?” Gabrielle asked
in a soft tone.

“About Ryan giving me his phone number?”

“No,” she smiled. “You called me Gabby.  You didn’t hear
anyone call me by my nickname.”

Megan’s eyes widened. “Oh, my God. I’m starting to
remember things.  The other day I remembered graduating from nursing school. 
Ryan was with me when it happened.  The flashback scared me at first.  The
psychologist was right.  The therapy is working.”

“Then, why can’t you remember me?” Pam stewed. “I’m a big
part of your life and I don’t want to be left out in the cold.”  Her pager
buzzed in her pocket. “Not again! Every single time we have something juicy
going on I get called away.”

“Pam, I’m sure I’ll remember everything about you.  There
is no way I could forget someone that has a personality as lively as yours.  I
can see why we are friends,” Megan said reassuring an agitated Pam.

Pam eased her tone. “Even if you don’t remember me right
away, Megan.  I’m gonna be all up in your face until you do.  I’ll check on you
later, sweetie.”

“I feel rotten that I can’t remember her, Gabby.  My
memory is coming to me in pieces but not chunks.  What if those pieces are lost
forever?”

“Just don’t try too hard to remember everything at once,
Megan. Now back to Ryan.  Are you going to call him?  I know for a fact he is
off today.”

“Maybe.  I wish I had a comb and a little makeup to cover
the bruises on my face.  I wouldn’t feel so self-conscious about calling him.”

Gabrielle touched her hand and squeezed. Warm brown eyes
glistened with sympathy. “You’re beautiful the way you are, Megan, but I can
help you with that.  Give me five minutes to run downstairs and then you’ll be
able to make that call.”

Later on in the day Megan asked the nurses to help her to
sit in a chair. She was tired of the bed and feeling like an invalid. Besides,
sitting in the chair showed off the work Gabrielle had done.  She had pulled
her hair back into a neat bob and applied light makeup to her face. Gabby also
had purchased her a soft pink nightgown to wear instead of the faded gray
hospital gown.  It was a chore to get the gown on with the IV tubes and the
cast, but Megan managed to get it on, and it not only made her feel pretty but
better about herself.

Megan smoothed the blanket covering her legs with her good
hand.  Her heart was thumping loudly.  She couldn’t believe she called him. 
Even without Gabby’s insistence, her own inner voice whispered for her to call
Ryan.  She slouched her shoulders and gnawed on a fingernail as worry flooded
her.  What if he had a girlfriend?  A man like him had to be connected to a
woman if not many women.

If only she could remember what she would have done in the
past if a situation like this arose.
Stupid memory loss!
She frowned
wishing she had not made the call. Another thing that nagged her was Iona. 
Where was her mother?  She’d been in the hospital nearly a week and no sign of
her.  She talked to her on the phone but had yet to see her in person.

Her father seemed to be making excuses for Iona’s absence
also.  Megan did not know how to take the absence of her family members. 
Connor had called but did not mention visiting as her father had stated. And
the last two days, her father had gone missing.  So much was left hanging in
the air. Where would she go once she left the hospital? To the apartment, she
wasn’t sure she still had or to her parent’s house? Abandonment was becoming
apparent.  If it weren’t for Ryan, Gabby, and Pam, she would have no visitors
or anyone to talk to her.

She would not cry.  She would not blubber like a baby and
fall into a depression. She felt her bottom lip tremble but fought back with
her mantra.  She would not cry—Crap! The drip of a warm tear slid down Megan’s
face. She actually was alone.  The people who she loved most were nowhere
around.  Was her family dysfunctional and she imagined them to be close and
loving?  Whatever the case, she was an adult and had to push forward to
overcome this crisis.  She had the ability to support herself and be
productive. She had a career as a nurse; she knew that for sure.  Once she put
her efforts into recovering from her injuries and regaining her memory her life
would be back where it was before the accident.

As Megan lifted her head, her eyes met Ryan’s.  His eyes
were soft, kind and dare she say…loving?  She blinked that from her mind. He
was acting friendly to her.  He knew she and Gabrielle were friends, and he was
extending his friendship to her. He never made any indication of anything more.

 She dabbed her face with a tissue and asked. “How long
have you been standing there?”

He was holding a bouquet of colorful flowers and a large
pizza box.  He set them on the tray table and knelt down beside her. “I knocked
and when you didn’t answer I let myself in.  Why are you crying, Megan?”

She released a nervous smile. “Don’t mind me. I’m having a
little pity party for myself.  I didn’t expect you to witness it.”

“I’m a good listener if you want to talk about what’s on
your mind.”

She rolled her brown eyes. “I wouldn’t know where to
start. I’ll make a mental note to bring it up with my psychologist at the next
session; although, that could be a joke in itself.  My mental state is so
jacked up I’m liable not to remember what the mental note is.  Wow, can you say
freaky?  God, I just want to remember my life. Was it that bad, Ryan? Why am I
asking you?  You would have no clue what my life was like.”

“Why don’t you take a deep breath and calm down before you
make the monitor go off.”

She heard herself talking a mile a minute and couldn’t
stop. “I’m sorry I’m rambling.  You have that look like I should be in the
psych ward or a padded room.  I’m not crazy, or I don’t think I am.”  She burst
out crying. “I don’t know what I am because I don’t know who I am.”

*****

Ryan took her in his arms and let her cry. He couldn’t
take seeing her this way anymore and decided to take fate into his hands
despite what the doctors suggested. She pulled away from his grasp apologizing.
“I’m sorry.  I didn’t call you here for this.  I did want food and that pizza
smells good.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Don’t ever apologize to me. I’m the
one person you don’t have to do that with.”

Her watery eyes searched his. “Gabby said you are the type
of person that people lean on.  I’m not going to take advantage of you that
way.”

He drew in a deep breath.  “There is something about me
that you need to know, Megan. I wanted to tell you when you came out of your
coma, but I let others convince me not to do it.”

“I knew it,” she expelled through clenched teeth. “You are
married.  You lied to me about the wedding ring.”

Tension rolled in his shoulders.  This could backfire and
cause Megan to have a significant setback or jolt her memory forward. “I am
married, but to you, Megan.  We’re married and have been married for four
years.”

Silence.

“Megan, baby, say something please,” Ryan rubbed his hands
down her shoulders.

Her eyes flickered as she stared him in the face. “I don’t
believe you.”

“It’s true.  I’ll show you our marriage license if you
want to see it.  Baby, the doctors, didn’t want to overwhelm you with too much
information.  They were hoping you would recognize me.  When you didn’t, it
broke my heart to pretend we were strangers.  I should have been the one
sitting by your side, not your father.  I should have been comforting you
through your pain.”

Tears ran down her face. “You have to go.”

He frowned. “What, you want me to go?”

“Ryan, I can’t process this with you here.  I need to be
alone to think.”

“Please don’t shut me out. We can work on getting your
memory back together.”

“I can’t shut you out if I don’t know who you are.  Thank
you for the flowers and food, but I want you to leave now.”

She turned her head towards the window to avoid looking at
him. Ryan stood up. “Fine.  I’ll go, but I’ll be back. I’m not letting you
forget what we have together, Megan.  I love you, and you love me; you will
remember that.”

She snapped her head around to look at him. “If that’s
true, then we will find our way back to one another.”

“That will happen sooner than you think, babe.”  He leaned
down and pressed his mouth to hers.  He felt her lips part and her soft tongue
slip inside his mouth. That was enough.  He wanted to give her enough just to
tempt her.  He pulled back, and her eyes were still closed. “Sleep well, my
love.”

She didn’t answer as he walked away feeling her eyes on
his back. He frowned.
Yep…she’s coming back, but is not close to 100% yet
.