Remember Jamie Baker (18 page)

He paused, his eyebrows raised as if waiting for me to say something. It sounded like he was quoting something, but if he was I didn’t recognize it.

“You make me happy when skies are gray…?”

Still nothing. Since I didn’t understand the reference, I struggled for the right words to respond.

“It’s a children’s lullaby.”

“That’s kind of…”

Ryan grinned. “Endearing? Romantic? Amazing?”

“Corny,” I decided. “Has anyone ever told you you’re a bit cheesy?”

Ryan burst into laughter. “You. Many, many times. But you secretly love that about me.”

I did like that about him, but there was no way I would ever tell him as much. “And what you said before, that’s really true? We met when you asked me to kiss you to win a bet?”

“Oh, yeah. And you really jumped me, just like tonight. You didn’t know the whole superkiss thing would happen. It caught us both by surprise. But I’d already been shocked by you. You were the Ice Queen. I expected you to tear me apart when I sat down next to you at lunch that day. But when I told you I’d made a bet that I could get you to kiss me and asked you if you’d help me win, you smirked and planted one on me.”

“You told me the
truth
about the bet?”

Ryan laughed. “I suspect that’s why you agreed. You had superhearing—not that I knew about it. You knew exactly what I was up to when I approached you. Had I tried to put some player moves on you, you’d have iced me for sure. But I told you I needed to win a date with a girl, and you took pity on me.”

I had no idea what to say. The story was too insane not to be true. I didn’t even think he was exaggerating. And considering his charm, I was sure he’d said “kiss me” and I’d answered “with pleasure.”

“Wait. You made a bet that you could get me to kiss you, and the stakes were a date with some other girl?”

When Ryan shrugged sheepishly, I laughed and swatted his leg. “That was a jerk move.”

Ryan pulled me into a tight hug, laughing. “Yes, it was. But I’ll never regret it.”

I wouldn’t admit it to him, but even though I couldn’t remember it myself, I’d never regret that bet, either.

The next thing I knew, I was snuggling into Ryan’s embrace as if we’d never been separated. I gazed into the fire, ready to hear about every memory he had. “So what happened after we kissed?”

“I got lucky.”

I gasped and whacked him again. “You did not! You might be charming, but there’s no way I gave it up to you because of one kiss.”

Ryan thought back over what he’d said and burst into laughter. “I didn’t mean that I scored with you. I meant I literally had a stroke of luck. That same day, we were assigned this biography project in our English class that required us to interview a partner. You had no choice but to work with me.” He laughed until there were tears in his eyes. “I didn’t get
that
kind of lucky with you for a long, long,
agonizingly painful
long time.”

“Oh.”

I hoped Ryan attributed the flush in my cheeks to the heat of the fire, but I seriously doubted it. Judging from his wicked grin and the way he tightened his grip on me, he knew exactly how embarrassed I was. He had no sympathy, either. “Yeah,
oh
. Where is your dirty little mind right now, babe?”

He leaned in to kiss my neck again, and I shoved him back. “Shut up. What was I supposed to think you meant?”

Ryan lifted his shoulders in surrender. “Hey, I’m not complaining. If you want to think about going there with me, I’m definitely not going to stop you.” Pausing, he raised his eyebrows. “In fact, if you’d like to—”

“Finish that sentence,
Loverboy
, and I will zap you to the freaking moon.”

Ryan sighed playfully. “I’m already there, Sunshine.”

Ugh. Stupid boy. It was impossible to stay mad at him. “Could you just get back to the story, please?”

He laughed at the scowl on my face. “Sure. Like I said, we had to write this biography about someone in our class. I pretty much forced you to be my partner.”

“Why does that not surprise me?”

“Don’t worry. You got me back for it. You made me miss the homecoming dance in order to interview you.”

I snorted. “Okay, that was a jerk move, too. I guess we’re even.”

Ryan laughed again. “Yeah, it was. I was voted Homecoming King, and I wasn’t even there to get my crown.”

Geez. I really had been an ice queen. “Sorry.”

“I’m not sorry. I needed to earn your trust. Missing the dance for you helped me do that. That night was the first time you let me see the real you.”

Ryan drifted off into a memory then and told me everything there was to tell about us. He explained how he discovered my powers and how after that he helped me learn to control them. He talked for hours, describing an entire year’s worth of my life.

He also told me all about my parents and my best friend, Becky. Then he explained all the Chelsea’s Angel stuff. I’d apparently gone superhero because I felt guilty for not saving a guy when I could have. Ryan told me that the guy was actually his best friend and that I would meet him when I was ready to visit home. I was nervous to meet the guy who was in a wheelchair because of me, but Ryan promised me Mike was all right and that he would be excited to see me again.

He also explained the Sunshine thing in more detail. He showed me the inscription on the engagement ring that I’d never noticed before, and said he had extra lightbulbs for my necklace because I blew them up on a regular basis.
That
, I could totally believe.

I couldn’t get over how much Ryan knew about me. I swear he told me enough information to fill an entire novel. Maybe even two. He also showed me tons of pictures in his phone so I could have some images to go with all the stories and people he mentioned. I sponged it all up like a nerd in a bookstore. I wished I could actually remember the stories, but even hearing them secondhand was so much more than I thought I’d ever get, so I was eternally grateful.

Of course, after he told me about our engagement—that, admittedly, sounded like the most romantic thing ever, and I was sad I couldn’t remember it—he went on to tell me about getting the call from Teddy and my leaving him to save Carter from Visticorp.

“I
left
you at the Grand Canyon? You could have died!”

“Luckily you told Carter I was out there, and Carter sent a search party out right away.”

I was still appalled.

Seeing the horror in my expression, Ryan shrugged. “Our one sunset at the Grand Canyon together was worth being left—possibility of death and all.”

I sat up out of his arms and blinked at him. “You’re crazy.”

He just grinned and said, “Crazy about you.”

“Cheese ball.”

Laughing, Ryan started to pull me back into his arms, but decided against it when I yawned. Despite having slept until lunch, I was exhausted. It had been another emotionally taxing day, and I was still recovering from my attack the day before.

Ryan pushed to his feet with a sigh and stretched his long body. “I suppose we should get to Boston. It’s three hours later over there, and Major Wilks will kill me if I keep you out too long.”

As Ryan doused the fire and locked up the cabin, nerves shot through me at the thought of everything that lay ahead of me tomorrow. I’d been so relaxed for so long now that I’d forgotten all about my meeting with a bunch of doctors, my interview with Carter, and meeting my parents. The night had been a wonderful dream, but it was time to get back to reality. And the reality was that tomorrow was destined to be another long day.

Major Wilks was waiting
in the lobby with a card key when we got to the hotel in Boston where the ACEs had supposedly “secured” a room for me. How they could secure anything from superpowered maniacs, I had no idea. And yet knowing that Ryan and his team were all there with me still made me feel safer. “Miss Baker,” he greeted me, “you’re looking much better.”

The comment surprised me. “I am? How?”

Major Wilks’s mouth quirked on one side. “You don’t look like you want to kill half the world.”

Ryan laughed and squeezed me to his side. “A little time with me has always done her good in the past.” I rolled my eyes, but couldn’t argue. I did feel much better. “Thanks again for letting us go, Major.”

Major Wilks nodded and led us into an elevator. Pressing the button for the top floor, he said, “Everything is secured. Geek is monitoring all entrances and public areas of the hotel from HQ. The ACEs will be positioned outside your door in shifts all night. We may not have superpowers, but we should be able to provide you with enough of a heads up should anything come your way, and we’ll make great backup if you can stall them long enough to let us help you.”

He was right. Any help was better than no help, even if they weren’t as strong or fast. I nodded my thanks and accepted the key he handed me as the elevator opened. He led me down the hall to a room where Smut and Johnny G were standing sentry on either side of the door. “Evening, Miss Baker,” Smut said with a wink and a smile.

The name threw me. “Miss Baker?”

“Just testing it out,” Smut said. “Trying to get used to it.”

Johnny G leaned forward and whispered, “We can’t very well call you
Angel
in public.”

“I guess not.” I sighed, not looking forward to tomorrow. “How bad do you think it’s going to be?”

Everyone looked to Major Wilks to explain. The man didn’t flinch as he gave me what he knew I would consider terrible news. “Congratulations. You two have succeeded in becoming national celebrities. The media is already having a field day with your story. They’ve been hounding your parents at home, and Ryan’s parents. They even ambushed your old college roommate and have been interviewing some of your old classmates—anyone who is willing to talk about you.”

My heart lurched. Ryan squeezed my hand, then brought it to his lips and kissed it before giving me a sad smile. “We knew this would happen. It won’t last forever. After they get their interviews with us, we’ll be old news and it will all blow over. But this hype will keep us safe from Donovan long enough for us to find him first.”

“It had better.”

“It
will
. And look on the bright side. Tomorrow morning you get to meet your parents.”

The lights in the hall flickered. I had too many emotions hitting me all at once not to let some of my control slip. I was terrified and excited to meet my parents. They would know me better than anyone. What if I wasn’t the daughter they remembered? What if things were awkward now? Ryan told me that I’d been very close with them. What if I couldn’t get that relationship back? I shook my head and tried to focus. Now was not the time to fall apart; there was too much going on. Too much at stake. I needed to keep my head in the game and worry about the personal stuff later. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “So what’s the plan for tomorrow, then?”

“Carter will leak your current location, your parents’ flight information, and your plans to visit John’s Hopkins about your amnesia just as soon as I give him the okay. I wanted to make sure you and Ryan were back here safely before anyone knew where you were staying.”

“What? Why would he release my parents’ flight information? It’s bad enough they’re being harassed right now. If you release their travel plans, they’ll be ambushed the entire way. Donovan will know when they’re coming. They won’t be safe!”

The lights flickered again. Major Wilks glanced at the ceiling and then lifted a hand as if to keep me calm. “The media attention is what will protect them, remember? That was the whole reason for contacting Carter in the first place. We don’t want Donovan to decide to use them as leverage against you. Donovan doesn’t want to expose himself. We sent Eyes and Tex to escort your parents here, and Tyson and Abiodun will be there as well, under the cover of Tyson’s gift. I assure you we will keep your parents safe.”

I hated that he was right. I didn’t like the idea that we were essentially ambushing my parents with the media. But at least Carter warned them first. “Thank you for sending Tyson and Abiodun to them.”

“Of course, Miss Baker. I understand the risks we’re taking, and I promise we mean to do everything we can to make sure no harm comes to them.”

I took a breath and waited for my heart to slow down. I could do this. This was the plan. It was going to be okay.

Ryan’s hand slipped into mine again. “Come on, Jamie. Let’s get you inside. You could use the rest before tomorrow. It’s never a good idea for you to be tired.”

“Definitely not a good idea,” I agreed. Cranky and dangerous unstable superpowers were not a good combination. “That would not be good for anyone.”

Ryan smiled and took the card key from my hand. He and Major Wilks went into the room, but Smut and Johnny G wished me goodnight, staying put to guard the door from the outside. Poor guys.

I was surprised by the quality of the room—huge and luxurious. It was more like a big, fancy apartment than a hotel room. The main living room was floor-to-ceiling windows on one side overlooking the whole city of Boston, and larger than my entire house back in the desert. “What’s all this for? Not that I’m complaining, but after experiencing the lovely accommodations back at the base, I expected a double and a coffee maker.” I narrowed my eyes at Ryan and Major Wilks. “Are you trying to butter me up or something?”

Major Wilks shrugged as if to claim innocence. Ryan, on the other hand… “Sorry. I couldn’t resist. I just wanted you to be comfortable tonight.”

My throat burned a little. It was just a hotel room, but the fact that he’d thought about me like that, that he was so concerned for my feelings and general well-being during this nightmare, was beyond touching. It meant more than he could possibly understand to know that someone was looking out for me right now. That I wasn’t alone. “Thank you,” I muttered.

“Of course. Anything for you, Sunshine. I hope you know that.”

The burning in my throat spread into my chest and my eyes as well. The man was seriously going to make me cry.

Major Wilks cleared his throat and stepped back into the hall. “Have a good night, Angel. You’ll have someone out here all night. Be sure to let us know if you need anything.”

I nodded, and my eyes drifted back to Ryan. He was moving toward the door very,
very
slowly, casting longing glances back at me. When he gave me an obvious playful pout, I couldn’t hold back my smile any longer and took pity on him. “Do you want to stay here tonight?”

He zipped over to me and snaked his arms around my waist so fast he’d practically used superspeed. “Yes, please.”

“On the couch,” I said sternly.

He sighed. “I’ll take what I can get.”

Major Wilks stood in the hallway and glanced back and forth between the two of us. “It’s fine,” I assured him. “Honestly, I’ll feel better having at least one of you in here with me.”

“I’ll stay if you’re tired of Romeo,” Johnny G offered.

I rolled my eyes at him and pushed Ryan off me. “Where were you supposed to stay tonight? Do you have to go get a bag or something?”

Ryan flashed me a cocky smile. “I had the guys put my bag in here.”

“You did not.”

I glanced at Johnny G and Smut. Their grins said it all. When I glared at Ryan, he smiled shamelessly and slid his arm back around my waist. “I tried to bet all the guys twenty bucks that you’d let me stay tonight.”

Smut smirked at me. “None of us were stupid enough to take that bet.”

My mouth fell open and they all cracked up at the look on my face. Even Major Wilks chuckled. “Morons,” I muttered.

Deprived of my dignity, I left them to have their laugh and headed for the bathroom. As I shut myself in, looking forward to a long, hot soak in the really nice bathtub, I yelled out to Ryan. “The
couch
, Loverboy! And I am not joking! If you try to climb into my bed tonight, I will roast you!”

Their laughter doubled in volume, so I slammed the door.

. . . . .

I stayed in the bath for a long time. I was tired, but my mind was racing and with all the anticipation of the coming day I couldn’t relax enough to sleep. The bed in the master suite was huge and looked really comfortable, but I just couldn’t bring myself to crawl into it. My mind was stuck on the guy in the living room.

Sighing, I accepted my attraction to him and gave in to what I wanted. My heart thumped when I went out there. Ryan was lying on the couch under a thin blanket, fast asleep with the TV playing in the background. He seemed so peaceful.

Not having the heart to wake him up, I clicked off the television and was going to go back to bed when his soft, sleepy voice called out to me. “Jamie?” He sat up and my pulse spiked. He wasn’t wearing a shirt again. “Is something wrong?” he asked.

Blinking, I tried to remember why I’d come out here. It couldn’t have been just to lust over his amazing body. “No, sorry. Go back to sleep.”

If he realized I was distracted by his appearance, he didn’t show it. He simply patted the couch next to him. If there had been any hint of arrogance in the gesture, I’d have gone back to bed, but his smile was one hundred percent understanding.

I sat down next to him, surprising myself when I didn’t bother to leave any space between us. Ryan tucked me against him as if it were the most natural thing in the world. And really, it
was
the most natural thing in the world. Teddy always wanted to cuddle, and I’d occasionally done so to humor him, but it had never been this easy.

The moment I leaned against Ryan, my entire body relaxed. Holding me firmly against him, Ryan laid us back, pulled my back against his chest, and draped his arm over my waist. It was so easy to let him hold me.

Ryan picked up the remote, turned the volume of the TV to the lowest setting, and clicked through the channels until he found a cartoon. I smiled, though he couldn’t see it. “I love
Kim Possible
.”

Ryan’s chest shook with a soft laugh. “Me too. She reminds me a lot of you.”

I didn’t respond to that other than to smile to myself.

Within minutes, Ryan’s grip on me loosened and his breathing evened out. The steady motion of his chest rising and falling behind me as he slept was soothing, and eventually my eyelids drooped.

Not quite brave enough to spend the night in his arms, I tried to slip out of his grip so I could retreat to the safety of my own bed. The moment I moved, Ryan’s arm clamped tightly around me, the motion almost panicked. “Don’t go yet, babe.” He nuzzled his face in the back of my neck as he whispered, “You feel so real this time.”

My stomach lurched as understanding hit me. In his half-asleep state, he thought he was dreaming my presence. And with his guard fully down, I heard all of his longing, and his fear that I might leave him. I heard his true need for me for the first time. His vulnerability killed me.

I couldn’t bear to disappoint him, so I leaned back again and relaxed. Ryan let out a huge sigh of relief and clung to me as if he couldn’t hold me tight enough. Once he relaxed, his mouth found my neck, making me shiver. He mirrored the action with his own shudder. “I love you so much, Jamie. More than you’ll ever know. Please don’t leave me again.”

Gasping, I shot off the couch before I electrocuted him. He blinked himself out of a daze and looked up at me, startled. His face paled as he realized he hadn’t been dreaming. “Jamie, I’m so sorry. I—”

“Do you have dreams like that—about me—often?”

Ryan gulped. “Often enough.”

There was a long, awkward pause where neither of us knew what to do or say next. Ryan was the first to move. He rubbed his eyes and let out a long breath before meeting my gaze again. “I’m sorry. I’ve been trying so hard not to pressure you. I know you don’t feel the same as me right now, and that’s okay. I mean it, I really understand. But when you’re close like that…” He blew out another breath and raked his hand through his short hair. “You’re right. I can’t separate myself from my feelings.”

As much as I’d already known that, his confession startled me. Still, I was grateful for the honesty. After so long of living with Teddy and having him refuse to see what was really happening between us, knowing that Ryan could admit the truth was a relief.

When Ryan grimaced up at me and apologized again, I sat back down. I left a little space between us, and this time Ryan didn’t try to close the gap. “Don’t apologize,” I said. My eyes brimmed over with sudden tears. “You’re all smiles, but I know this can’t be easy for you. I’m sorry I’m not what you expected.”

Ryan’s lips fell slightly open. “Are you
kidding?
”

He thumbed away the tears on my cheeks and let his fingers run the length of my hair. His beautiful face softened as he smiled into my eyes. “Jamie, I
found
you. You’re here, you’re safe, and you’re back in my life. How could I be sad about anything? These have been the happiest two days of my life.”

This was such a complete opposite reaction from Teddy that I had no idea how to respond. “But—but—aren’t you disappointed that we’re not
together?
That things aren’t how they used to be? I mean, yeah, you found me, but you don’t exactly have me back—not the way you want me.”

“Minor details.” Ryan gracefully brushed off my concerns with a wave of his hand. “Besides, this little setback is only temporary.”

“Little setback?” I barked out a single laugh. “I promise this situation isn’t temporary. All those memories you have of us are gone forever for me.”

Ryan smiled even wider. “So we’ll make new memories. Better ones. And I was referring to the not-having-you-the-way-I-want-you part when I said
temporary
. I’ll win your heart again, Sunshine. I have no doubt about that. So you just relax about my feelings, because I promise you I am
not
suffering. Not even a little. The only thing that hurts me about all of this is how much
you’re
struggling with it. I’m sorry I haven’t been doing a very good job of capping my feelings for you. But to be fair, I’ve
never
been able to do that.”