“Sure,” she said, trying to sound casual. “A quick trip into town would be okay.”
“We could bring the girls out for french fries or something afterward,” he said.
A little more than a quick trip, then. She sighed. “First, we need breakfast, though. Priorities.”
Sawyer shot Olivia a smile, then looked down at his daughter and ruffled her hair. “Deal. You hungry, Bella?”
That smile...it always had been able to crack her heart in two. But she wouldn’t let herself fall for this man again. They hadn’t been right for each other in the past, whether he could remember that or not. But she did remember what it felt like to watch him move forward with Mia. If she’d been able to make her peace with this town, Olivia would have been the one with Sawyer, not Mia. And watching Mia fall in love with him, watching Sawyer soften around another woman... It had been the hardest thing she’d ever had to do.
They’d been down this path before, and Olivia would just have to remember that for the both of them.
Chapter Seven
The drive into town felt a bit familiar, but Sawyer wouldn’t have been able to navigate it himself. He hated that—the feeling of being dependent on another person to get him to a doctor’s appointment. Maybe this was part of why he wanted to get out into the fields so badly—the independence. But if he couldn’t find his way back home again, he could see the problem with that plan...
Independence would have to wait until his memory was back in full. Much as he hated it.
Sawyer drove and Olivia gave him directions. He’d been able to anticipate a couple of the turns, but once he got into town, he had no idea which way took him to the medical building on South Street. Olivia guided him to the parking lot in the back. She seemed tense again, and he looked over at her as he turned off the engine.
He was glad for the company because it made this appointment feel less intense. Truth be told, he was nervous about what the doctor would say. But after an examination, the doctor crossed her arms and nodded.
“You’re coming along,” she said. “You’ll need more rest, but you’ll heal. I’m glad to see how much of your memory has returned already. It’s very promising. Just take it easy for a bit and give yourself the time.”
“Is there anything I can do to hurry up the process?” Sawyer asked.
“Afraid not. Just some good old-fashioned rest. Can you manage it?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
Everyone around him seemed pretty intent on making that happen, anyway.
“If you have any headaches, nausea, dizziness or increased confusion, come back,” the doctor said. “Is there someone I can repeat that to who’s with you today?”
Even the doctor was expecting him to have a babysitter with him.
“My friend, Olivia, is here,” he replied. “She’s an ER nurse, so...”
“Olivia Martin?”
“Yeah, that’s her.” Sawyer was mildly surprised, but maybe he shouldn’t be.
“That’s excellent. I’ll walk you out and fill her in. But I’m pleased with your progress.”
Olivia sat in the waiting room, holding a pile of blocks in her lap. For the moment, both Bella and Lizzie seemed focused on the blocks. After a brief hello, the doctor repeated her instructions, and they were allowed to leave.
“So you’re doing well, then,” Olivia said as she picked up Lizzie. Sawyer scooped Bella into his arms, and she settled against his chest, her animal-cracker-scented breath tickling his cheek. They paused to make sure they weren’t forgetting anything, then headed for the door.
“Yeah, I’m doing fine,” he said as they stepped outside, away from anyone who might overhear them. He felt more relieved about the doctor’s diagnosis than he cared to admit right now. “Or I will be. I guess you were right about taking it easy.”
“Amazing.” She laughed and shot him a rueful look. “So you’ll actually relax?”
“I don’t know if I can promise that much,” he retorted.
“Fine. I won’t rub it in.”
“Thanks.” He adjusted his daughter in his arms as they stepped out into the cool afternoon air. “So why don’t I buy you lunch? I feel like I owe you that much.”
She nodded. “Sure. Thank you.”
He scanned the street, looking at the shops: a dry cleaner, a card store, a jewelry store with a sale sign in the window... He was looking for some details to spark a memory—something to ground him. A diner up ahead felt familiar.
“What about that place? I feel like I know it.”
“Yeah?” She was silent for a beat. “That’s where I used to work as a waitress. Where we met.”
So maybe that was a good place to start. Maybe he’d get back a few more memories while he was at it.
“Yeah, that sounds good. Lead the way,” he said.
It felt oddly right to be walking down the street with Olivia at his side—like he’d done this before. She was comforting...but more than that, she just seemed to fit with him. His daughters had gotten attached to her, too, over the last few days. And while he didn’t know if that was normal for them or not, it was a relief that his girls seemed happy.
What would it be like when she left again? She wasn’t here to stay—she wasn’t one of the regular parts of his life he could get accustomed to again, and he found himself wishing that she were.
As they approached the diner, Sawyer took in the wide front window, the faded, fluttering fabric of the awning, the sandwich board out front advertising the daily specials in chalk. It did seem familiar, and he felt a tremor of relief. It was coming back...a little at a time, but still.
He pulled open the door and a bell tinkled over their heads. Sawyer let Olivia go inside first. Lizzie had a
