Page 4 of Deserving Maisy
“I’m twenty-eight.”
Jack opened his mouth, then sighed as he closed it.
“What? Too young?” she asked.
He chuckled, but it wasn’t a humorous sound. “Not at all, I was just going to make a joke aboutmyage, but then I realized I don’t know my own birthday. How old am I, love?”
She stilled, her eyes wide as she stared at him.
The door opened, and a woman walked in carrying a large tray. She was around the same height as Maisy, in what he figured to be her sixties, and had black hair she’d pulled back into a messy bun at the back of her head. She was slender and regal looking, and he thought he saw a bit of Native American in her features. She looked at Maisy with a small frown as she juggled the tray in her hands. Jack couldn’t interpret the look, and the confusion and uneasiness he felt when he first woke up once more swept over him.
Maisy tugged her hand out of his and hurried over to help with the food.
Jack didn’t understand the tension between the two women. Paige looked concerned and he wasn’t sure why. He was no threat to his wife. And why did Maisy clearly not want to tell him how old he was? Was he much younger than her? Older? He didn’t feel as if he was in his twenties, but he didn’t feel as if he was in his forties either.
“I made you some hearty vegetable soup. You’ll feel better once your belly is full,” Paige told him after she put the tray down on the table next to the bed.
“Thank you. It smells wonderful,” Jack told her.
“Oh, I almost forgot. Here,” Maisy said.
Jack saw she was holding out a pair of glasses. He automatically reached for them and put them on. He didn’t even remember that he wore glasses, but as soon as theywere on his face, he relaxed a little. Yeah, his sight wasn’t awful, but everything was much clearer now.
He stared at his wife and willed himself to remember, but he still had no memories before waking up, other than his first name.
“I hear we’re having a wedding this weekend?” Paige asked tentatively.
Maisy bit her bottom lip and turned to Jack.
“We are,” he said firmly.
He didn’t understand the look Paige gave Maisy, but she said, “Great. I’ll start planning a menu.”
“Nothing big,” Maisy warned the older woman. “It’s just going to be family.”
“I understand,” Paige said.
Again, there were undercurrents to the conversation that were way above Jack’s head, and he was so confused. Before he could ask questions, Paige turned and left the room without saying anything else.
“I should go,” Maisy said uncertainly.
“Stay,” Jack insisted. The thought of her leaving made his heart rate speed up. If he didn’t know better, he’d think he was having a panic attack. But that didn’t make sense. He wasn’t the kind of man who panicked at the slightest provocation…was he? Then again, he couldn’t really know that for certain.
“Are you sure?” Maisy asked. “I just thought maybe you’d want some privacy.”
“You’re my wife, I don’t need privacy from you. You know me better than anyone. Have seen me at my worst and best, I assume. Stay.”
It took several seconds before she nodded.
“While I’m eating, you can tell me more about ourlives together. What we do for a living, about your brother, your mom and dad, and anything else you can think of.” When she remained silent, he gently clasped her hand. “Maisy?”
“Yes?”
“I might not remember you or our marriage…but I’m looking forward to getting the chance to fall in love with you all over again.”
Her eyes filled with tears. “I don’t deserve you, Jack.”
“Of course you do,” he told her. “We deserve each other.”
