Second Chances(74)

It was all coming back to her now. She remembered the look of concern in his eyes as he'd knelt over her. His incredible caring eyes. She had insisted she was all right but hadn't been able to stand immediately. Her legs had still been wobbly. He had scooped her off the ground and placed her on the bed. He had suggested they go to a hospital, but she refused. He had had her follow his finger as he moved it in front of her face then asked her how many fingers she saw. When she had answered all his questions correctly he had relaxed, but only slightly. He had felt the bump on her forehead and she couldn't help but wince. He had run and gotten ice, wrapped it in a towel and held it against her head.

After the ice had melted he put the towel aside and had begun to get up, but she had clung to him. Her mind was still racing and she felt safer with him next to her. She had asked him to hold her, just until she fell asleep. She had scooted over in bed, making room for him. She had curled up next to him and he'd put his arms around her. As it turned out, he had fallen asleep first.

She squeezed him gently and was surprised she was smiling. With everything that had happened, how could she be smiling? How could she find comfort in cuddling with a stranger? Was he really a stranger anymore? Sure they had known each other only a few days, but he was the realist person she knew. She wasn't sure she trusted any of her memories from before she'd met him. Linda certainly hadn't been quite right. Somehow Nathan's wife had had most of her memories. So much of what she remembered about Newport was different. Could she really trust any of her memories?

She didn't know how long she'd been lying there, but when she looked up Nathan was looking down at her, a smile on his face as well. She actually had to fight the urge to lean up and kiss him. She blushed when she wondered if he was fighting a similar urge and realized the part of her hoped he was.

He reached out and gently ran a hand over her forehead, stopping on the small knot.

"How does that feel this morning?"

She placed her hand over his.

"Fine. You did an excellent job."

"You had me worried."

"Sorry."

He chuckled. "Don't be. It certainly wasn't your fault."

They lapsed into a comfortable silence and both of them wondered if they couldn't just spend the day as they were, wrapped in each others arms. It was Nathan who finally stirred. He reluctantly slid out of her arms and sat on the edge of the bed and sighed.

"Do we really have to?" The tone of Paige's voice was remorseful.

Nathan nodded and stood up. "I'm afraid so."

She pulled the covers over her head and said in her best child's voice, "But I don't want to."

Nathan laughed and pulled the covers back and she pretended to try and bite his fingers and was rewarded with another smile.

"Is that your way of asking for breakfast first?"

Paige frowned, all humor gone.

"No. I don't know what we are going to find today, but I honestly think if I eat anything I might throw up."

Nathan nodded. "Would you like the shower first?"

She shrugged, frowned, then tossed back the covers and sat on the edge of the bed. "I guess."

"I'm going to run down and get some coffee. Would you like some?" He asked, though he already knew the answer.

She shook her head no. "Can you get me a Diet Coke? I prefer my caffeine with bubbles."

Nathan smiled and headed for the door. "One Diet Coke coming right up."

She frowned as the door closed behind him. Were they really going to do this? Did they have to? She was tempted to suggest they just run off together and wondered if he might actually say yes.

"You're dreaming," she said to herself as she got up. The room seemed to spin a bit and she put her arms out to steady herself. When the room settled down and she was certain it would stay that way, she walked into the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. The knot on her head wasn't that big, certainly not as big as it felt, and she doubted most people would even notice.

"No matter how much you look like his wife, he knows you aren't," she said to her reflection. "And even if he is attracted to you. And," she smiled at the mirror, "even if you like him, he isn't going to just let this go. He wants to know what happened to her. Has to know what happened to her."

She lowered her head and sighed. "And we have to know what is going on with us. Don't we?" She waited for her reflection to comment, but it apparently wasn't feeling too talkative this morning. She reached into the shower, turned it on, slipped out of her clothes and then into the warm water.

Nathan almost dropped his coffee when Paige walked out of the bathroom wrapped only in a towel. He realized he must have been staring because Paige blushed a deep red.