Harlequin Medical Romance February 2020--Box Set 2 of 2 by Annie Claydon

Author:Annie Claydon
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2019-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIX

“YOU OK?” MATEO ASKED.

He was concerned about Lizzie. She hadn’t said a word in over an hour. Sitting there in the sand, staring at the water, she seemed almost like a statue. A beautiful statue, maybe of a goddess watching over the sea.

“I cleaned up the mess from last night’s burnt mahi-mahi and salvaged the salsa to put over something else. But I’m not sure what, since you don’t keep a lot of groceries in your pantry.”

“Because I rarely eat at home. When Dad was in better shape he loved to cook, but then when I took over we ate very simply. If I couldn’t fix it in under thirty minutes, we went out. At least until he couldn’t do that anymore. Then, with everything he needed from me in the evenings, I usually just brought something home.”

“Did you have someone helping you?”

“I had a couple different people who were available when I wasn’t here. One was a student nurse, the other a retired physical therapist. They were good with Dad, but he always wanted me, and sometimes he’d get so belligerent I’d have to leave work to come take care of him.” She shook her head. “My father was a lieutenant colonel in the Army, and toward the end he didn’t even know his own name.”

“I didn’t either,” he said. “Not for several days. I can’t imagine how it would be to lose yourself entirely. Even with just pieces of me gone, I get frustrated. And that’s nothing compared to what your dad went through. I’m sorry for that, Lizzie. I suppose we tend to think we’re invincible, but the scariest thing that happened to me was waking up in Germany when the last thing I remembered was performing a surgery in a desert outpost hospital. Nobody would tell me what was going on, and I certainly didn’t have the capacity at that point to figure it out.”

He sat down in the sand next to her, handed her a glass of fresh fruit juice, and took her hand.

“I felt so…alone. I imagine that’s how your dad felt when he knew he was losing his memory. It’s not an easy thing to face.”

She scooted closer and grasped his hand a little tighter. “He wasn’t cooperative, either.”

Mateo laughed. “Either? Which implies what?”

“You haven’t been cooperative. So much so, you got kicked out. And now you’re homeless. And, while I’m beginning to see what I believe is the real you, you’re still not trying to get better. There’s outpatient therapy and private counseling available. It’s just a few steps from your door. And yet you’ve never ventured down there to see if there’s anything for you. It’s disappointing, Mateo. It’s like you enjoy being a step out of time.”

“Lucky you took me in, then, isn’t it?”

“Is it? I mean, sometimes you act like this is a real relationship. That kiss, for instance. Was it the start of something? Was it meant to be manipulative? What was it, Mateo? I spilled my guts to you about how unsure I am and got nothing back.

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