“No, you work in town helping your grandparents at the general store.”
“Oh.” It’s so weird not knowing myself. “Do we have kids?” Wilder pauses, and his body tenses again.
“No.” The one word comes out hard, making me wonder if I hit a sore subject.
“Do we want kids?” I can’t stop asking questions, but I want to remember.
“Yeah, I want kids.” He grabs some medicated cream and a bandage.
“We've been trying to have kids?” What is wrong with me? Maybe I should start with basic questions before I go directly to sex. There are literally a million other things I could be asking.
“We haven’t talked much about it.”
“Oh, I want kids,” I declare, and Wilder’s brows lift. “Well, I think I do. Why wouldn’t I? I mean, I’m married to you.” A rush of heat hits my face the second the words leave my mouth, but a slow, sexy smile pulls at his lips.
“I’m sure kids will come. It’s only a matter of time.”
“Right.” My teeth sink into my bottom lip.
“Think I got you all fixed up.” He reaches up to tuck my hair behind my ear.
“Why don’t you have a ring on?” I ask, noticing his finger is bare.
“It can be hard to wear one in the cold and while working with wood. Does it bother you?” I shrug, letting it go because I think it does bother me. A lot. I guess I’m jealous too. “I don’t like a shrug. I want to hear your words, baby.”
It’s then I realize he’s called me sweet names, but I don’t actually know my name. Gosh, that’s so weird.
“I’d think I’d want my husband to wear a ring, but hey, what do I know? I don’t even know my name.”
“Fuck,” Wilder mumbles under his breath and worry flashes across his face. “It’s Bri.”
“Bri.” I repeat. “Bri what?”
“Youn—” He pauses. “Thompson.”
“Bri Thompson.” I smile after saying it out loud. “I like it.”
“It does have a nice ring to it. Now how’s your head feeling?”
“Like I’ve got a bad headache.”
“All right, I’m going to get you something for that. Stay put.” He hops up and clears the mess from off the coffee table. I track him as he moves into the kitchen and gets me a glass of water and a bottle of pills. He fishes two out and hands them over, then I pop them into my mouth and chase them with some water. “Drink more for me. Water is always good for you.”
I do as he tells me, polishing off the glass. When he gives me a smile of approval, a warmth settles in my stomach. There’s a feeling of rightness there again, and I realize I enjoy pleasing him.
“Now food. Does soup sound good?”
“I don’t know. Do I like soup?”
“Everyone likes soup.” He smiles as I snuggle deeper on the couch, watching my husband move about the kitchen and fix me something to eat.
A girl could get used to this.
Chapter Six
WILDER
“Are you worried about me not remembering anything?” Bri asks as she eats her soup on the couch.
I shake my head. “Not yet. I’ve done a lot of survival training and was certified as an EMT. Head injuries can cause temporary loss of memory, so it’s not uncommon.” Dread settles in my stomach as I think about how I’m going to explain this to her when her memory does come back. “As long as you stay lucid and talking, we should be okay until the storm passes. By that time, your memory should come back, but we’ll take you to get checked out no matter what.”
“Maybe if I ask a lot of questions, it will help jog my memory.”
“You seem awfully calm about being without them.” I put another dinner roll on her plate as she tears them up and dips them in her soup.
“I’m here with you. Why should I be worried?” Her smile is so sweet and genuine, it feels like it’s going to break me in half. “Where did we meet?”
Of course she wants to ask questions about us. I don’t want to lie on top of what I’ve already told her, so I stick to the truth as much as possible.
“We met at the general store in town. The one your grandparents own.”
“Oh.” Her smile falters a little as she looks away like she’s thinking. “I wish I could remember it.”
“You will,” I say, reaching out and placing my hand on hers. “Are you warm enough or should I put some more wood on the fire?”
“Maybe you could come sit with me instead?” I clear my throat and try not to think about being on top of her naked body. “Why don’t you finish eating?” I’m stalling for time because I have no idea how I’m going to say no.
“How long have we lived here?” she asks, and I cringe on the inside.
“Not long,” I answer vaguely. “Can I get you some more soup?”
“No, I think I’m full.”
I take her dishes from her and then walk to the kitchen to clean up.
“Do we have any animals? I don’t see a dog or a cat.”
“I’m allergic.” I smile at her as I finish washing the dishes.
“How did you propose?” The question takes me by surprise, and I almost drop the dish I’m holding.
“Umm, well, that’s a funny story.” I’m stalling again as I place the wet dishes on the drying rack, and now I have no choice but to go back to the living room and answer her questions.
“Really? Why?”
I think about the moment we met and what I felt the first time I saw her. I knew it was real, and if I could have, I would have gotten down on one knee and demanded she marry me. I would have looked like a lunatic to everyone else, but I truly believe she felt it too. Maybe that’s why I don’t feel guilty about doing this, and why I think that maybe she wouldn’t mind so much.
“You were working in the general store, and I’d gone in to pick up an order for my cousin.”
“I can’t wait to meet your family.” She laughs and then shakes her head. “Well, I guess I'll meet them again.”
I don’t correct her as I keep going. “You said something cute, and I was teasing you, but really inside it was like fireworks because I knew I had to ask you to marry me.”
“That sounds so sweet. What did I say that was so cute?”
“You wanted my sausage.” Her face flushes, and she tucks her chin to hide her embarrassment.
“Now I’m not sure I want to ask any more questions.”
I laugh as I sit down on the couch next to her and tuck her hair behind her ear. I can’t stop doing that, and maybe it’s just an excuse to touch her.
“I’ll never forget that day as long as I live.” I wait for her eyes to meet mine, and when they do, I say the absolute truth. “That was the moment I knew you were mine.”
“That’s pretty dang romantic.” She grins as she leans forward and places her lips on mine.
She kisses me softly and sweetly like she’s done it a thousand times, and maybe in another life we have. It feels like we’ve been here before, and I’ve been waiting all this time to finally find her once more.