Lawfully Remembered Read online

  “Please tell me you aren’t leaving yet,” he beseeched.

  “I thought you were leaving.”

  “No, I was ordering.”

  “You were? What?”

  “I ordered one of everything,” he admitted sheepishly. “I’d like to try them all – with you. Do you mind indulging me? I know it’s terribly extravagant and a crazy thing to do. I can’t possibly eat it all, but the cherry cheesecake is incredible, and I am enjoying our conversation so much.”

  “You are?”

  “Very much so – aren’t you?”

  “Perhaps I could fit in just one more bite,” she admitted shyly, taking a seat. “Of course, it’s due to the excellent company.” Melissa saw his embarrassed look turn into one of gratitude and happiness – surprising her. He wanted to try these flavors and spend more time with her.

  He quickly retook his seat at the table and it was only moments as several dessert plates were placed on their table surrounding them. The waiter set down a pile of additional spoons and shook his head in disbelief, making Melissa feel a bit embarrassed about the amount of cheesecake surrounding them.

  In no time, they were both digging into the variety of flavors and discussing them. It made her soul soar with happiness at seeing the unfettered joy in discovering the different tastes. They left in their wake a carnage of cream cheese, graham cracker crumbs, and dirty spoons. It was so fun and so very out of character for her – a memory she would relish forever. This was unlike any first date she’d ever read about or seen in a movie, but felt just so perfect.

  Jesse drove her home and walked her to the front door like a true gentleman. Smiling up at him in the fluorescent light from the front porch bulb, she saw the shining happiness in his eyes.

  “I had a really great time tonight,” he began softly. Melissa wondered if he was just as nervous as she felt right now. Would he kiss her? She wasn’t ready for the evening to be quite over and hoped he would ask her to go out again. As if he read her mind, she heard him ask her on another date.

  “Can we do this again soon?”

  “Eat a ton of cheesecake until we are sick?”

  “No,” he chuckled, taking her hand in his. Feeling her heartbeat suddenly thump in her chest at his nearness and the way he was smiling at her, Melissa stared up at him as he leaned forward to kiss her. His lips gently pressed on her cheek near her lips and she felt a keen disappointment well up in her. She’d waited years to go out with him, for him to look at her like this. As he pulled back, his soft regretful smile was her undoing.

  Melissa immediately stood on her tiptoes and kissed him awkwardly. His head jerked in surprise and then leaned into her again, taking over. His warm lips touched hers and she felt herself melt into his embrace before their kiss ended.

  “I was trying to make a good first impression,” he whispered teasingly as he looked at her. Her face flushed with embarrassment, completely chagrinned at how forward she’d been.

  “Sorry.”

  “Don’t apologize – it’s just another breathtaking experience I got to share with you.”

  “I have to admit that I’ve waited a long time to do that,” she confessed anxiously, looking away from his tender but confused gaze. “I wish you could remember your past, but I’m kinda glad you can’t at the same time. This makes everything so new for both of us.”

  “Did something happen when we once knew each other?”

  “Nothing… memorable,” Melissa said vaguely, her voice cracking. It was the truth to her – she didn’t want to remember or relive asking him out and being turned down. She wanted to savor what time she had with Jesse, fearful that if he remembered, they would not see each other again. This new persona was interested in her, whereas the younger version of him hadn’t been. She adored the feeling of his hands resting on her hips from where he’d kissed her.

  “How does tomorrow sound for dinner?”

  “I can’t,” Melissa admitted. “I’m scheduled for a twelve-hour shift.”

  “When are you off work again?”

  “Friday.”

  “Perfect. Then I can’t wait for Friday,” he teased gently, brushing a lock of hair off her forehead, before releasing her. “I will see you then.”

  “Goodnight.”

  “It’s already been one,” he admitted, grinning, “The absolute best.”

  “As long as you can remember?” she quipped lightly.

  “Exactly.”

  Melissa couldn’t help the feeling of giddiness in her at hearing his words and seeing the honesty in his gaze. She’d waited for this moment for eighteen years and right now – it was worth every second of the wait.

  Jesse stepped back from Melissa and turned to walk towards his car. He couldn’t help the idiotic smile that was plastered all over his face, making his cheeks hurt. She was completely enchanting and utterly amazing. He’d never felt so lighthearted and so alive… nor so lost.

  There was something about Melissa that drew him like a moth to a flame. When Jesse had come by the hospital to give thanks for all their hard work and dedication, he’d discovered that the breathtaking beauty who’d helped save his life was someone from his past. His obnoxious nurse Cassidy had blurted out the information, stunning him.

  He was overwhelmed by Melissa’s shy demeanor and the kindness he saw in her eyes, but there was also something about her that he couldn’t quite pinpoint or focus on. He likened it to the fact that they’d known each other once before, but couldn’t put his finger on it.

  He wanted to remember Melissa, and had returned home that evening to search the single yearbook he’d found in a box in his apartment. Months ago, when he’d returned home from the hospital, it had been like walking into a stranger’s house that seemed to fit him like a pair of worn-out shoes he didn’t recognize. He’d had to learn where everything was once again. Now, he spent hours perusing that old yearbook for any new clues to his past or the beautiful ER nurse that had him captivated.

  Jesse wasn’t sure why he only had the one yearbook, but it was painfully obvious he didn’t have a lot of friends back then. There were very few signatures in the book. He’d been in a few photos and was recognized for his activities in ROTC, which seemed like such a fit. Grant had told him all about the last few years of them being partners in the military police unit stationed there on the outskirts of town.

  Finding the picture of Melissa in his yearbook had been easy. There was an awkwardly drawn heart around her photo with the word ‘someday’ scrawled underneath. Had he been mean to her, or did she have another boyfriend at that time? She was lovely and hadn’t changed much to him.

  Those kind eyes stared out from the photo, along with a lopsided smile that revealed she had braces on her teeth. Her hair was in a ponytail in the photo and he couldn’t tell the color due to the black and white coloring of the picture. There was only one other photo of her in the yearbook, and that was acknowledging she was the salutatorian of the class. Smart, beautiful, and completely out of his league, he surmised sadly, and wondered if that was still the case.

  As Jesse got into his car, he glanced back up to where she stood waving at him in the light, illuminating her beautiful face. Whatever had happened in the past would have to remain there. He couldn’t worry about what had happened, nor fight those unknown demons. All he could do was take advantage of this fresh start and make sure that he didn’t screw things up again. Not only was he blessed at a second chance to live his life and become the man he was meant to be, he was given another opportunity to go after the girl that had captured his heart long ago and slipped through his fingers somehow.

  Chapter 8

  The next few days were a mixture of disbelief and rapture for Melissa. She was stunned by the outpouring of attention from Jesse that suddenly appeared in her world. It was like the man didn’t know how to take things slow or pace himself; everything was at full throttle and a crazy pace.

  Melissa had arrived the next morning for her shift. Her first ca
se was with Dr. Smalley again. She scrubbed up at a nearby sink as the ambulances unloaded down a nearby hallway. Splashing her hands under the warm water, she briskly rinsed her arms, starting at her elbows and working down to her fingertips. They did so in a fashion to rinse anything from their bodies before gowning up.

  She worked diligently beside the doctor, staring at the tissue in front of her that she was cleaning. She couldn’t think of them as people yet, she had to disassociate herself, working wound after wound. If she looked at them as people, she might freeze. It was after they were stable that the person became a young woman, an older man, or an adorable little child. This was a trick she’d learned from a friend in medical school when she’d begun crying during a neonatal case. Focus on the event, not the person… not yet, anyhow. It was so hard mentally caring so much, and it was the only way she could cope with the emotions sometimes. As she wrapped up in the emergency room, she threw away her gloves and dropped her coverings into the laundry bin before stepping out to get a cup of coffee. As she exited the room, she sighed heavily and noticed that the nurses nearby were grinning… at her!

  “What?”

  “You have a little somethin’ somethin’ going on, don’t you?”

  “What are you talking about, Rachel?”

  “Someone got a special delivery,” the anesthesiologist on duty teased, chiming in with Rachel, who was working the nursing station. “Must be nice to have someone thinking about you like this.”

  Melissa saw in disbelief that there was a bouquet of flowers delivered, along with a large cup of Starbucks, and a brown bag. On the bag was a simple note written in bold handwriting.

  I hope you have a wonderful day.

  I can’t wait for Friday - Jesse

  “When did this come in?” Melissa asked, looking around and hoping to see Jesse nearby. “Is he still here?”

  “No, he left about twenty minutes ago. He sure is a looker though,” Rachel teased. “… and awfully sweet on you. You could see it in his face.”

  Flushing with embarrassment and delight, Melissa peered inside the bag to see a cream cheese Danish inside. Smiling, she realized that he must have stopped to get himself something to try and picked it up for her too. It was extremely thoughtful of him to bring her coffee and breakfast.

  Later that evening, Melissa discovered another surprise when she’d left the emergency room after another case. Jesse had brought her dinner as well. She marveled at the thoughtfulness of the man and felt a bolt of pleasure run through her at the idea of him showing his interest in her.

  A small bento box was wrapped inside a plastic bag. Opening the bag, she saw the tiny card along with a brown box. Picking up the bag, she walked away from the nurse’s station and the prying eyes of the women watching. She knew they were curious at the attention she was suddenly receiving all at once.

  Melissa disappeared into the breakroom, and thankfully it was almost empty. Sitting down at the table, she opened the plastic bag again and pulled out the items. Inside of the bento box was a simple sushi roll with a cold pack put thoughtfully inside the bag. Obviously he realized it might be a while before she received his package.

  She wasn’t sure what to open next, the card or the little box. Selecting the card, she ran her finger underneath the seal and pulled out the contents. Seeing his handwriting again, she felt herself smiling as she saw that he’d scrawled his phone number on the card.

  I can’t get you out of my mind and want to make up for lost time.

  Enjoy dinner and know that I think you are amazing. – Jesse

  Opening the box, Melissa couldn’t help but gasp in surprise at the unexpected gift. A tiny silver chain was inside the box with a small pendant. A tiny hourglass slid along the necklace as she held it up. It was simple, elegant, thoughtful, and full of so much unspoken meaning behind it.

  The little hourglass blurred as her eyes filled unexpectedly with tears. Her hands shook as she opened the little clasp and fastened it around her neck. The hourglass sat just below her collarbone right above her heart.

  Sniffling, she yanked a paper towel off the holder that sat in the middle of the table. Blowing her nose indelicately, she couldn’t help the thick choking happy giggle that welled up from inside. This seemed so utterly ridiculous to feel such overwhelming emotions so quickly. The truth of it was that she’d dreamed and prayed for this chance for so long. Jesse was everything she’d ever imagined or could have hoped for.

  Wiping her eyes, she added the phone number into her cellphone. Holding up the phone, she took a photo of herself wearing the necklace. She scrutinized the photo and wished that she’d put on makeup this morning. She texted the photo to him with a thank you note in the text message. She was surprised to get a message back almost immediately. It was one single word that caused her eyes to water again with overwhelming emotion.

  Perfection.

  Was it possible to fall in love after a single date or was she falling for the idea of being in love… with love? There had to be some flaw, some issue, some hurdle that was bound to come. She felt so negative waiting for a problem to crop up, but everywhere she searched in her mind and heart, it felt like this was simply meant to be. Was this all some cosmic plan that had her in the right place at the right time – and if so – why hadn’t they been given the chance to get to know each other when they were teenagers?

  A series of texts, flowers, balloons, and gifts were scattered throughout the next few days, each one a simple reminder that Jesse was very interested in her. He was diligently pursuing a relationship and had no intention of letting it slip from her mind.

  Some gifts were breathtaking, like the necklace or the dozen roses that was delivered to work, and others were of a more personal note. When she’d gotten home, there was a package on the front porch containing several things that seemed to be an odd mishmash of things until she opened them all.

  A poster of a famous painting that she’d always thought was beautiful. It was a depiction of a Midsummer Dream by Edward Robert Hughes and was breathtaking. A small package of tea was inside – also labeled after the Shakespearian play. Smiling, Melissa realized there was a theme to the package and was amazed at how clever it was of Jesse.

  Pulling a gauzy, sheer type of scarf that was covered in sequins and beads from the box, she was struck by the beauty of the gift. As she unfurled the scarf, an envelope fell out onto the carpet. The scarf was about seven feet long and easily draped over her shoulder blades down past her hips.

  Picking up the envelope, she opened it and read it in confusion. Picking up her phone, she dialed his number, only to have it go to voicemail. Her phone beeped in response and she saw he’d texted her back.

  At work – I’m so sorry. Can I call you later?

  Of course – just got the box

  Perfect… it’s for Friday

  What are you up to?

  You’ll see – trust me

  Chapter 9

  Melissa walked into work on Thursday to see everyone huddled and talking. Cassidy was in the thick of it all smiling like she’d won the lottery. When she saw Melissa, she launched herself into her arms.

  “Ooof,” Melissa gasped at the impact and laughed. “What’s going on?”

  “Well for starters I lost my phone and I’m going to have to get a new one or I would have called you last night,” Cassidy laughed, and then hugged Melissa again before shoving a hand in her face.

  “Grant and I are getting married!”

  “WHAT?”

  “I know, right?”

  “What the whaaaat? What? How?” Melissa stammered, feeling Cassidy hug her again, nearly choking her. “Oh my gosh, you’ve got to tell me everything!”

  “He’s utterly perfect and I’ve never fallen in love with someone so hard and so fast. I kept waiting for him to be a complete lame-o or big jerk… but he just gets me, you know?”

  “I’m so happy for you!”

  “It was so sweet because he got down on his knees and ev
erything. Melly, he even called my daddy back in Tennessee to ask permission to marry me,” Cassidy said, wiping her eyes as she began to cry with happiness.

  “I never thought someone could be so sweet, so perfect, and such a dork at the same time. He’s just like me but not quite me – he’s a better version of who I want to be and I can’t believe he loves me, of all people. Does that craziness even make sense?”

  “Yeah, Cass – it really does,” Melissa whispered, understanding what her friend was trying to blurt out. “When is the wedding?”

  “Friday. We are going to the justice of the peace to say our vows and then heading to Disney for a honeymoon. He said…” Cassidy stopped as she began to cry again. Someone handed them a box of tissues and Melissa grabbed several, for her own eyes and Cassidy’s. She felt her own eyes watering as her friend began to sniffle through happy tears.

  “I’m never this emotional and I feel like an idiot but Melly – I feel like I hit the jackpot when Grant walked into my life six months ago. He suggested Disney for a honeymoon because it was the happiest place on earth next to being with me.”

  “Friday?” Melissa parroted nervously, thinking of Jesse and suddenly feeling incredibly selfish. What would Jesse say? Surely he would understand how important this was to her. “This Friday? As in tomorrow?”

  “Yes. He’s off and I told him I wanted you there as a witness. I knew you were off this Friday and it works perfectly for our schedules. Please Melly! You’ve gotta be there with me.”