Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
Petey closed the hardware store on Christmas Day and throughout the following week, for a mini holiday vacation. Late Monday morning, Jimmy took his chance. Crossing his fingers, he called the Fuenteses’ phone. Luck was on his side. Evie answered.
“Fuentes residence.”
“Your voice is just as lovely on the phone as it is in person.”
“Jimmy!”
More good news for him. She sounded curious and excited.
“Yep. That’s me,” he said.
“Hi. What a nice surprise.”
“I have the week off. The hardware store is closed. Want to have lunch?”
“I’d love to.”
He sighed. “How about Roger’s Diner? Only… I’m still without a license. Can you meet me there?”
“I can pick you up.”
“No. You’re not picking me up. That’s too embarrassing. I’ll walk.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yep.”
“What time?”
“Around twelve thirty?”
“I’ll be there.”
He hung up. Smiling, he stared at the phone for several minutes. His heart sang with joy. She’d said yes.
“Why are you gawking at the phone?”
Startled he turned to Petey. “Hey. I, ah… I called Evie. We’re having lunch at Roger’s Diner. I was about to tell you I had to go.”
“Want a ride? It’s cold out.”
“If you’re not busy, sure.”
Pete moved to the door and grabbed the keys hanging on the wall hook. “Let’s go.”
Minutes later, Petey dropped him off in front of Roger’s.
He could have walked over from the hardware store.
Oakwood’s Main Street was short with only a few intersecting streets.
But the wind was blowing hard and clouds threatened snow.
So, he rushed inside. Slapping his arms for warmth, he took a booth at the end.
He was early, but he would rather wait for Evie than the other way around.
The waitress came right away. “Eating alone? Anything to drink?”
“Coffee. With cream, please. Someone’s joining me.”
She soon returned with his coffee and cream and menus before she left again.
Jimmy’s heart leapt when Evie drove past the window and parked. Evidently, he wasn’t the only anxious one. She’d arrived early as well.
Bundled up for the cold, Evie slid into the booth. “Brrrr,” she said, taking off her jacket. “It’s raw out there.”
She had no idea the happiness she gave him. Everything about her made him smile. Even the tip of her cute nose, red with cold, was adorable. He could spend the rest of his days taking her in.
“Do you want something to drink first?”
She signaled to the waitress. “Betty knows. Whenever I come, I ask for the same thing.”
“And that is?”
Evie beamed at him. “A chocolate malted.”
“In winter?”
“Uh-huh.”
“You’re something else.” He laughed. Instinctively, he dropped his open hand facing up on the table. Evie shocked him when she placed hers in his. The flush on her cheeks deepened. His eyes glued to hers, he closed his fingers, engulfing hers. She held his glance.
An eternity seemed to pass.
Betty cleared her throat. Evie removed her hand. He picked up a menu.
“Should we order? I’m hungry.”
Evie tapped her menu. “I like their meat loaf. Their fried chicken is good, and so are their burgers.” She glanced at Betty. “Meat loaf for me.”
“The usual, with gravy?” Betty asked.
“Yep. The works.” Evie smiled.
“I’d like a cheeseburger, please. Cooked medium with fries.”
With the orders out of the way, he plunged into the conversation. “Petey said you spent six months in an intensive accounting course.”
She nodded. “My parents’ business has grown a lot. They need help, and I’m good with numbers.”
“That’s a nice thing to do.”
Evie shrugged. “My dad wants to expand. When he does, he’ll hire an accounting firm.”
“Or you can open your own. Be your own boss. Get more clients.”
“Not a bad idea.”
“I wish I could tell you more about myself.” He blew out a breath. “My mind only remembers three months. Though, lately I’ve been getting snippets and images. Some are clear, others are really fuzzy.”
“That’s a good sign, isn’t it?”
“When Dr. Moore released me, he didn’t want to build my hopes up. He said I could heal in a moment, the memories could return in flashes, or not at all. And that could be my new reality.”
She frowned. “That’s a sobering thought. I can’t imagine not remembering my family or…”
“What? Finish it.”
Evie fluttered her eyelashes. “You.”
“There’s no way I’ll ever forget you. Evie, you’re in my heart and mind.” He probed her eyes. “And the good news is, when I heal, everything I do now will be fixed in my brain. Unless I hit my head again. What are the chances of that?”
Betty placed steaming plates before them. Evie lowered her eyes, and he allowed her to escape for a few minutes. He hadn’t intended for the conversation to get heavy.
The rest of the meal went by in casual conversation. When Betty removed their empty plates, Evie surprised him. “What if you have a wife and kids somewhere?”
His mouth fell open. “It’s possible.” He shook his head. “I realize this is an unreliable statement, but I don’t think I do.”
“How? Explain?”
He sat back, folding his arms. “The most obvious is the absence of a wedding band, an indentation on the finger, or even a pale area underneath. But some sneaky men never wear their wedding bands. I could be one of those. For me, it’s a feeling.
I can only say it’s a deep knowledge that I have no one waiting for me. ”
“You could be wrong.” Her voice trembled.
“I could.” He nodded. “But I know I’m not.”
“Have you run a search on the web?”
“Yep. The sheriff helped me a lot with that. My fingerprints don’t appear on any database.
He searched through missing persons reports.
No one resembles me. According to him, I’ve never been arrested for anything.
I have no family, which supports my feelings, or maybe I’m a ghost working undercover for the government. ”
“Oh, wow.” Her eyebrows shot up.
“Yeah, huh? Interesting.”
“What do you plan to do?”
“Well, if I don’t recover soon. The sheriff’s helping me with that as well. He’s sent out notices to other police departments and hospitals in case someone is looking for me.”
“While you wait?”
“I’d love to take Miss Evie Fuentes on a few dates, steal a kiss or two, and let things flow.”
She turned beet red. “Oh, Jimmy.”
Amnesia or no amnesia, he knew one thing for sure: Evie Fuentes had captured his heart forever.