CHAPTER FOUR

Softly sighing, Lucy slowly opened her eyes and found herself alone in the bed. She was still curled up on her side, but now there was a pillow where Flynn's lap had previously been.

Her eyes squeezed shut with embarrassment as memories of the previous night flooded her. She had been extremely sick in front of Flynn and he had seen her topless and that was too much to handle. It was going to be hard to face him-.

"Hey, good afternoon," Flynn smiled as he came in with a breakfast tray.

"It's afternoon?" she slowly sat up and situated the covers around her as she glanced at the clock. "Didn't know I slept past noon."

"Understandable. How're you feeling?"

"Tired, but okay," she smiled weakly.

"Let's see if you can hold this down," he placed the tray over her lap.

"Oh," she softly exclaimed. On the plate was a slice of plain wheat toast and half of a chopped-up banana, accompanied with a glass of water and cup of hot chamomile tea. "You didn't have to do this."

"Why wouldn't I?" He sat on the bed and held a napkin out to her.

"Thank you for your help last night. I'm sorry about all that," she apologized as she took the napkin.

"You were sick. Nothing to be sorry about."

"I have a hard time with you seeing me that way."

Flynn picked up her fork, "I signed up for 'in sickness and in health,'" he speared a banana slice, "and I'm not sorry," he held it up to her mouth. She opened, and he fed it to her, noticing her furrowed brow. "Why the worried look?" he asked softly, lifting his eyebrows as he speared another banana slice and fed it to her. She slowly chewed as they gazed at each other.

"What if I weren't the woman you thought I was?"

He raised an eyebrow comically, "Are you an alien?"

She laughed softly, "Seriously...what if I weren't?"

He was thoughtful. "I would still love you."

"Still? You think you love me?"

"I do love you."

"Flynn-."

"I know I've been in love with you for a long time. What I can't remember, my heart hasn't forgotten. I love you, Lucy."

Flynn watched as a tear fell from her eye. He reached out and wiped it as she replied, "Flynn, you say such beautiful things and I...I find myself wishing this were real."

"It's real, Lucy. Make no mistake," he reassured.

"I like having you around," Lucy softly confessed.

"I like being around you," Flynn softly replied.

Somewhere down inside, Lucy was yelling at herself for what she'd said, but she was just going to blame the food poisoning. She truly wanted her and Flynn to be together, to be husband and wife. He just needed to remember, but the thought of that happening filled her with dread. Once he realized the truth…

"Do you remember anything more?" she asked.

"Yes."

Her heart stopped as her eyebrows went up, "What? What do you remember?"

"Your beautiful smile."

She blushed, "I meant seriously," she softly replied as she took a drink of water.

"I am serious. Yesterday before you left, you smiled at me and I got a flash of seeing you before, but you were standing in an office with black leather furniture."

"That's your office, you did remember more," she replied as he nodded. Seeing the slightly strained look on his face, she reached out and laid her hand on his leg, "That is good," she added, smiling encouragingly.

"It's hard not remembering."

"I can only imagine how it must feel," she sympathized.

He speared another banana slice and fed it to her, "One thing I do know is how I feel about you."

"Flynn-," she started.

"I'm pretty sure that I liked you the first day I met you," he stated, cutting her off.

She shook her head, "How can you be sure of something like that?"

"Looking at you, I know that the me I don't remember yet, would have wanted to ask you out within the first week of meeting you. In fact," he speared another banana slice and ate it himself, "I can't pinpoint it yet, but I'm sure that this is something that I'm remembering."

Lucy was surprised, "You think you remember wanting to ask me out within a week of hiring me?" He nodded in response and she frowned slightly, unsure of how to take in this new information.

He speared the last banana slice, "You're frowning again. Your breakfast not agreeing with you?" he asked, holding the slice up to her.

"The banana is actually good," she replied and ate the slice.

He grinned, "I peeled and chopped it myself." She grinned, too.

Just then a chime sounded from the back porch.

Lucy looked up in surprise, "Are you doing laundry?"

"Yep. Took your clothes, mine and some towels and threw them in," he replied nonchalantly.

"You went through my dirty clothes?" Lucy asked, certain that she wouldn't have wanted him going through her personal articles of clothing.

"I'm washing all your laundry," he stood, "Drink your tea while it's hot," and he left the room.


Some minutes later, Lucy finished her slice of toast, glass of water and tea. Glad that her stomach wasn't rejecting it, she slipped out of bed to take a shower. As she padded to the bathroom, she heard Flynn still moving around on the back porch.

She was amazed to find that the bathroom had been cleaned and smelled of Pine-Sol. Stripping down, she got into the shower and relished the hot water. After thoroughly washing her hair, she turned off the taps, opened the shower door and immediately realized that her towel was not in its spot. There weren't any towels in there. Rolling her eyes at herself, she stepped out, went over to the door and cracked it open.

"Hey!" she called, "Flynn?!"

Flynn quickly came over, "What is it? Are you sick again?" he asked almost pushing his way into the bathroom.

"Uh, no, no!" she exclaimed, holding the door firmly. "I just...I just need a towel," she mumbled.

He looked down at her flushed face and wet hair as she peeked up at him through the crack. She watched a slow smile spread across his face.

"You went in there without a towel?" he asked unhurried.

"I didn't think to look when I got in here-."

"Are you getting water all over the floor that I just cleaned?!" he suddenly asked, accusingly.

"Could you just please get me a towel?!"

"Oooh, you want a towel! Why didn't you just say so?"

"Flynn!"

He chuckled as he walked off. She waited, feeling chillier by the second. Finally, she heard his footsteps as they came back to the door.

"Here's two, fresh from the dryer," he stated chivalrously. She cracked the door just enough for him to slip the towels through.

"Thank you," she murmured as she quickly closed the door.

"My pleasure," he replied and she was sure he was still grinning.


She emerged from the bathroom, one towel tightly around her body and one wrapped around her wet head. Checking to see if the coast was clear, she hurried down the hall to her bedroom and changed into some pajama pants and a sleep tee. She went back out to clean up the water from the bathroom floor and ran into Flynn, who was already on it.

"I was just going to do that," she remarked.

"I got it," he replied, glancing back at her. "Are you feeling okay? Everything staying down?"

"Yes. You make a mean toast and banana."

"I'll make you a real meal when you're better."

"That was something that you liked to do."

"Cooking?" he quirked an eyebrow, "Am I good at it?"

"I haven't tried it enough to know."

He frowned at that, "Did we eat take out a lot?"

Lucy quickly realized how what she had just said must have sounded to him. "Um, we were both busy with this and that," she mumbled and quickly stepped around him. She went to the kitchen before he could ask any more questions.


Some time later, Lucy was lying on her L-shaped sofa in the living room watching TV. Flynn came in and sat down next to her.

"Put away all the clothes and towels," he announced. He glanced at her empty bowl on the coffee table, "How's the soup and crackers treating you?"

"Very well, thank you. I should ask if you're feeling alright. You've been doing so much," she said concerned.

He smiled and sank further into the sofa, "I'm fine. What are you watching?"

"I was just flipping around trying to find something."

He put his feet up on the table, "What are you in the mood for?"

She thought about it, "I don't know, I think I could go for a period movie." She looked over at him, "Have you seen North and South?"

He quirked his eyebrow, "Can't say that I remember."

"Well," she scooted closer to him, "it's BBC and came out in 2004. It's about a dark handsome man who, at first, we all think is the villain, but it turns out he's not a bad guy at all."

"A villain that's not a bad guy? What did he do? Fall in love with the beautiful heroine?" Flynn asked intrigued.

"Sounds like you're interested," Lucy smiled, "wanna watch? It's only about four hours."

"Four hours?"

Lucy pressed the remote and flipped to Netflix. "It's five o'clock, so we'll be done about nine-ish." Flynn was skeptical. "It's one of my favorites. Come on, I think you'll like it," she coaxed.

He gave in and chuckled, "Whatever you want."

Lucy brought up the movie on the TV. She pulled her blanket up around her and they began to watch.


TWO HOURS LATER

Lucy paused the movie. "Need a little break," she announced. Sitting up and stretching, she gazed over at him, smiling, "From all your comments, I'm guessing you're liking the movie."

"This Thornton guy is a hardworking man and I can see why he's intrigued by Miss Hale," he observed.

Curious of his thoughts, she asked, "Why do you think he's intrigued by her?"

He rattled off a list. "She's honest, straightforward, speaks her mind, doesn't hesitate to challenge him and...quite attractive. I'm sure she's like someone else I know," he winked at her, making her body temperature rise. He rose off the couch, "I could use a sandwich," he added as he held his hand out to her. She took it and he pulled her to her feet. "You want something?" he offered as she went toward the bathroom.

"Toast maybe? With a little peanut butter."

"Coming right up," he smiled.


LATER

When the movie ended, Lucy's head was resting on Flynn's shoulder and he commented, "I really enjoyed that."

"I thought you would. I'm glad."

He kissed the top of her head. Their eyes met and he softly pressed a kiss to her lips…and she didn't pull away. Daring to press another kiss to her, he carefully pulled her into his arms as she turned and encircled her arms around his neck. She opened her mouth slightly and sighed into his. He hugged her tighter to him as they tentatively kissed each other.

"Lucy," he whispered and kissed her neck, making Lucy close her eyes at the warm feel of it.

The danger of wanting to give in was strong for her. Gathering strength, she began pulling back, "Flynn, we shouldn't."

"I know you have feelings for me," he mumbled as he kissed her lips again.

"I do," she confessed.

"Then let's be together again," he eagerly suggested.

"You need to get your memory back first," she reminded.

"Maybe this will help," he whispered, continuing to kiss her neck and chest, making her gasp.

"Please stop...please."

Flynn growled a long, frustrated sigh and loosened his hold on her. She slipped out of his arms and sat up. She gazed over at him and he had his eyes closed, his head lying back on the sofa. Feeling guilty, she picked up her blanket, stood and walked around the table.

"I'm not giving up on us, Lucy," he stated with his eyes still shut.