CHAPTER SIX
Kelsey stood in the living room, looking around at the dismantled home she and Zane had shared for such a short time. All their things were now packed away in boxes, ready to load into the moving truck.
It hadn’t taken a lot of time to get everything packed. Neither of them had had much beyond the basics when they’d moved, figuring they’d pick up what they needed as time went on.
While Zane’s brothers tackled the kitchen and living room, Kelsey had taken care of packing away all their clothes and personal effects. It had been decided that most of their things would go into storage at first. So all the furniture they’d purchased—including their brand new bed—would sit unused until their life together could continue.
If it continued.
As she’d packed away their things, Kelsey had shed many tears, wondering if their lives would ever be closely entwined again. Would she ever be able to sleep in his arms again? Or slow dance in their living room? Or share all the little moments in a day that she’d never shared with anyone else?
Would their plans for a family ever become a reality?
Or was all of it lost to Zane’s amnesia?
It hurt to know that when he looked at her, he didn’t see the friend he’d made as they’d gotten to know each other at the restaurant. He didn’t see the woman he’d fallen in love with. And he definitely didn’t see the woman he’d vowed to love and cherish for the rest of their lives.
All he saw was a stranger. Someone he didn’t know. And maybe someone he didn’t want to know.
Someone who wasn’t Sarah.
Swallowing hard, Kelsey blinked away tears. She’d shed so many lately that there should be none left. And yet, here she was, wanting to cry yet again.
A knock on the door had her taking a deep breath, hoping to contain her emotions as she blinked rapidly to clear her eyes. She opened the door to find Gareth, Wilder, and Lee there.
After greeting them, Kelsey stepped back to let them into the apartment. She clenched a hand against her stomach, knowing their arrival signaled a huge change in the direction of her life.
She was leaving behind the first home she and Zane had shared. Would they have a second one together? Or would this apartment also be their last?
“Good morning. Friendly old man let us in,” Wilder told her as he walked through the door.
Glancing around, Lee asked, “Everything ready to go?”
“Yes. I think so.”
“While Gareth and Wilder load the truck, I’m going to run you and the others to the airport,” Lee said. “The van is parked downstairs.”
“Thank you for doing all of this, and for bringing my car to Serenity.”
“You’re welcome,” Gareth said with a smile. “We’ll see you in a few days.”
With one last look around the apartment they’d never return to, Kelsey walked out the door with Lee by her side, pulling the suitcases with her and Zane’s clothing and personal effects. This time around, Lee had rented a van since there was more luggage and people to transport.
Rori had returned with Lee, but she’d fly back with them in the private jet, while Lexi would go with the guys as another driver. There would be two drivers per vehicle, so hopefully they’d be able to drive long stretches to get through the forty-plus hour trip from Tampa to Serenity.
Once the bags were loaded in the back of the van, Kelsey climbed into the front passenger seat, though she’d give it up once they got to the hotel.
“Did you manage to get all the loose ends tied up here?” Lee asked as he guided the van out onto the road.
“Yes. The landlord was sympathetic and let us out of the lease. Even gave us back our deposit. Everyone has been very understanding as I’ve explained the situation.”
“How’s the insurance going for Zane’s car?”
“It was written off, so I think he’ll just get a check in the mail.”
“That’s a shame. He loved that car.”
“Hopefully he can get another one he likes as much.”
“And did the police give you an update?”
“They’ve arrested the drunk driver, but I don’t know anything beyond that.”
“That’s good news. I suppose there’s not much need for them to talk to Zane when he can’t remember anything.”
Kelsey shook her head. “No. But there were some witnesses, apparently, who’ve given statements.”
It had actually been easier than she’d thought it would be to close out their lives in Tampa. They’d had a few things still needing to be done to cement their lives in Florida—like switching their driver’s licenses—but now those things wouldn’t matter.
“This is the second serious car accident we’ve had in our family,” Lee said as he steered the van toward the hotel.
“Really? Another drunk driver?”
Lee shook his head. “Icy roads. Janessa and Will were in an accident when they were dating. Will had injuries similar to Zane’s, and it just about ended their relationship.”
“Did he have memory loss, too?”
“No, but Janessa had experienced a lot of loss in her life, and I think it scared her to think she might lose someone else she loved. Her dad died in a car accident, and her mom died of cancer.”
Zane hadn’t spoken much about the details of his siblings’ lives. Of course, she hadn’t talked much about her family either. He’d never met her parents because she just couldn’t even begin to imagine how that would have gone. Introducing Zane to her parents had been the last thing she wanted to do.
And it was still the last thing she wanted. She didn’t want questions about her family from his family, either. Hopefully, there were enough distractions going on at the moment that the subject wouldn’t come up.
In a family where the parents were loving, and the siblings genuinely cared for each other, parents and siblings like hers would be incomprehensible.
“Do you want to just wait here?” Lee asked as he pulled up in front of the hotel.
“Yes. I’ll keep an eye on the van.”
“Sounds good.”
She decided to wait in the front seat until they came back down, and then she’d climb into the back. Most likely with Rori.
When she’d realized that Rori was going to be traveling back with them on the plane, she’d felt a huge sense of relief. Hopefully, the other woman would be a buffer between Kelsey and the Halverson parents for the duration of the trip.
It wasn’t long before Lee reappeared with a cart holding some bags, Rori at his side. Kelsey slid out of her seat and went to greet the woman.
Once the bags were in the back of the van, Kelsey climbed into the third row of seats with Rori. Zane appeared on a pair of crutches, with his parents hovering close behind. He wore a pair of loose basketball shorts and a T-shirt. He hadn’t styled his hair like he usually did, and he had a bit of scruff on his face, which was also unusual.
She could see pain on his face, and it took everything within her to keep from going to him and offering her help. There would have been no hesitation if he remembered her, but Kelsey was fairly certain that her offer wouldn’t be well received in the current circumstances.
After a quick greeting, Cathy climbed into the middle row, then Dan helped Zane in next to her, handing off the crutches once he was seated. Dan and Lee took the seats in the front and soon they were off to the airport, where the private jet waited to whisk them to Serenity.
Kelsey was a mess of nerves as she thought of what was to come. Lee and Rori had a large home that had once been Charli and Janessa’s, and they had offered for Kelsey and Zane to stay with them. It was a good option for Kelsey, so she’d agreed right away. Zane had also wanted to stay there, but his mom had protested.
In the end, they’d compromised. Zane would stay with his parents for a week, then he’d move into Lee and Rori’s. Though Kelsey hated the idea of being separated for even longer from Zane, it might be for the best.
Zane hadn’t outright rejected her yet, and Kelsey wasn’t going to give him any reason to, if she could help it. So if he wanted to stay with his parents for a bit, she wasn’t going to argue with him about it.
As they climbed onto the jet a short time later, a flight attendant in a sleek uniform greeted them with a smile. The Halversons and Zane had boarded first, and once Zane had settled into a seat, he’d propped his crutches on the seat next to him. Kelsey took that as a sign that he didn’t want anyone sitting beside him.
Kelsey kept going further toward the back of the jet and took a seat that was a part of four seats facing each other. Rori took one of the other ones. The Halversons ended up taking seats near Zane.
Lee had come on board after making sure their bags were safely stowed. He spoke briefly with his parents before coming to where Rori sat. She got to her feet and stepped into his arms.
“I’ll see you in a few days, sweetheart,” Lee said, his words soft but still audible to Kelsey. She looked away. The intimacy of the pair was a poignant reminder of what she’d lost. “Love you.”
“Love you too. Please drive safely.”
“I will do my best.”
After they shared a kiss, Lee said goodbye to everyone, then left the jet.
Kelsey had only ever flown economy, so the private jet was a luxury. This would definitely spoil her for any future flights.
Her gaze went to Zane, who she could just see in slight profile, wishing they could have shared this experience together. She had some nerves about flying, so being able to hold his hand would have been nice.
Soon the attendant came into the cabin to ask if they’d like anything to drink. Kelsey requested a coffee, as did Rori. The woman said she’d return with their drinks once they’d reached altitude, then she asked for them to make sure they were buckled in because they’d be taking off soon.
Kelsey was seated by the window, and she turned to look out of it as the plane began to move.
“Is this your first time flying?” Rori asked from her seat across from Kelsey.
“No. Just the first time on a private jet.”
Rori grinned. “Yeah. Flying commercial isn’t bad for someone like you or me who isn’t very tall, but it’s definitely harder on the guys. It was a blessing that Alexander allowed us to use his jet.”
“Especially with Zane on crutches.”
Rori nodded. “I hope the guys and Lexi have a smooth trip.”
Feeling the plane pick up speed, Kelsey took a deep breath, her gaze going to Zane again. He seemed relaxed, with his head resting back on his seat.
As the plane lifted off the runway, it felt like her stomach was being left behind. Kelsey pressed a hand against it and gazed out the window as the ground dropped away.
She had no real emotions about leaving Tampa behind. Because they’d been there for such a short time, she hadn’t had a chance to feel like Tampa was home.
What did cause some emotion within her was the thought of what this departure represented. Tampa was supposed to have been where Zane finally cemented his place as a haute cuisine chef, and where she finally started her nursing career. The career that had taken her years of hard work to achieve.
Now, Zane had had a possibly permanent setback to his plans, and she was once again having to put hers aside for the time being.
The plane continued to climb, and the city below grew smaller and smaller. Until finally, they veered away from it as they headed north and then a bit west along the coastline.
It felt like another chapter—a brief chapter—was closing, but there was no excitement for this new one. In the back of her mind was the thought that this one was going to hold more heartache for her.
Once the plane had leveled out, the attendant returned with their drinks and some pastries. Kelsey wasn’t overly hungry, but she still took a chocolate croissant. Rori settled for a cinnamon roll. It looked like Zane waved away the offerings, making his mom give him a worried look.
It worried Kelsey too, because Zane liked his pastries. He wasn’t a pastry chef, so they weren’t something he made himself, though she was sure he could if he wanted to. Instead, he just enjoyed other people’s efforts. Except he wasn’t that day.
“I need to speak with you about paying my share at the house,” Kelsey said as she sipped her coffee.
“Oh. You don’t need to worry about that.”
Kelsey frowned. “I don’t want to take advantage.”
She couldn’t afford a lot, especially if she wasn’t working. Her savings were going to dwindle pretty quickly.
“You aren’t, but if you feel strongly about it, speak with Lee. As soon as we got married, I told him he could take care of the finances. I never liked doing that.”
“So you combine your money?”
“Yep. I know a lot of people don’t like to do that, but it works for us. Everything goes into one account, and Lee takes care of paying all the bills from that.”
“You don’t mind not having control of your money?”
“I do have control over it,” Rori said. “Lee doesn’t tell me I can’t buy things I want or need. We have some guidelines in place, but they apply to both of us. We decided on a dollar amount that would require discussion, but anything below that, we’re free to buy on our own. I completely trust Lee to take care of us, but he wants me to know what’s going on, so at the end of each month, he goes over the finances with me.”
Kelsey hadn’t thought much about the fact that she and Zane hadn’t combined their finances. Was it a big deal? She didn’t think it was, especially since he had made an effort to make things fair, taking into account the differences in their incomes.
Now, because she had no access to or knowledge of any accounts that belonged to Zane, she was on her own once again when it came to finances.
Rori gave her a smile. “Every couple has to figure out what works for them. I wouldn’t presume to say what works for Lee and I would work for anyone else. It’s what we’ve discussed and decided on based on our own needs and desires.”
Kelsey hoped that she and Zane would have another chance to set up a life together. But with her husband loving someone else, her hopes weren’t too high for that.
A couple of hours into the flight, the attendant once again came around offering food. Kelsey thought they might get sandwiches or something, but no, apparently on a private jet, you got a full-fledged meal with dessert.
“I just need to move around, Mom,” Zane said, his voice raised.
Kelsey noticed that, while both her and Rori’s attention went to Zane, the attendant didn’t turn around. She was truly a professional.
“Uh, sure, I’ll have the chicken.”
“Me, too,” Rori said, giving the woman a smile.
“I’ll have that out in a few minutes.”
The woman turned, keeping to the side so that Zane had space to move toward the bathroom at the rear of the plane. Kelsey tracked his progress, but he never looked in her direction. Slowly, he made his way past where she and Rori sat, and as he did, Kelsey could see the tension and pain on his face.
She wanted to go to him, to see if there was anything she could do. However, if he was rejecting his mom’s help, he would surely reject hers. At some point, she might not be able to keep from offering her help. Her heart longed to help her husband through this rough time.
Kelsey’s gaze went to her mother-in-law, and her sympathy was triggered by the pain she saw on the woman’s face as she stared at where her son had disappeared. Even from her seat, Kelsey could see the deep breath Cathy took as she leaned her head against her husband’s arm.
Dan lifted his hand and cupped his wife’s cheek, his lips moving, forming words that Kelsey wasn’t privy to. Being surrounded by loving couples was going to be a hard part of being in Serenity.
When Zane came out of the bathroom, rather than going back to his seat near his parents, he went to a couch on the opposite side of the plane to the cluster of seats where Kelsey and Rori sat. With an audible sigh, he laid down, lifting his leg to elevate it on the armrest.
He crooked his arm over his eyes, then went still. Kelsey doubted he was asleep, however. On a good day, Zane needed time to fall asleep, and that day definitely wasn’t a good day.
After their wedding, they’d fallen into the habit of reading together, then talking a bit to help wind down enough to sleep. Though there were times that Kelsey fell asleep mid-conversation, it was rare that Zane did.
Zane didn’t eat anything when the attendant brought the rest of them their meals. He stayed on the couch until the announcement was made that they were preparing to land in Coeur d’Alene. Then he sat up and buckled himself in without moving back to his original seat.
“How are we going to get to Serenity?” Kelsey asked, then yawned, trying to relieve the pressure in her ears.
“Blake is going to come get us,” Rori said. “Since he and Charli have four kids, they’ve got a van, which is what we need.”
“That was nice of him to agree to do that for us.”
“Blake is always good at helping out. They all are, actually.”
“Do you have family in Serenity?”
Rori grimaced. “Yes. My mom lives here with her husband, but I hardly ever see her.”
“You don’t get along?”
“Not really.” Rori paused. “You know how there are some parents who, when they split up, fight over who gets to keep the kid?” Kelsey nodded. “Well, in my case, they fought over who had to take me.”
That hadn’t been Kelsey’s experience, but she understood not having a relationship with parents. “I don’t have much communication with my mom, either.”
“It was hard for a lot of years, but God has brought other mother-figures into my life, for which I’m grateful.”
The descent of the plane drew Kelsey’s attention to the window once again. She glanced at Zane and saw that he was also looking out the window, but she could tell from his profile that he was frowning.
She knew it had never been his desire to return to Serenity, and yet, there they were. Preparing to call Serenity their home for the foreseeable future.
Once the plane was on the ground and stopped, they were allowed to disembark. Blake was there to meet them, and soon they were loading everything into his van. Kelsey and Rori once again climbed into the back, then Zane and his mom took the middle row.
“I’m glad you’ll be here to keep me company,” Rori said. “The house would be big and lonely if I were here by myself.”
Her words were a reminder of how different everything would be for the time being. She was a wife without a husband. Like Rori, she was lonely without her husband, but at least Rori’s separation had an end in sight.