“Are you sure?” When I said yes, she hurried off to get my drink. Upon her return, she waited until I’d taken a few large gulps before saying, “I feel terrible for upsetting you.”

“It’s not your fault. It’s been a weird day and...I just found out my boyfriend lives in town and has amnesia.”

“Wow, wait. You’re not Ash’s girlfriend, are you?” she gasped, eyebrows shooting up, and mine did the same.

“You know him?”

“Oh, we go way back,” she said. “But why are you staying at the motel? No, wait, that’s none of my business, either, so don’t—”

“He can’t remember me.” My lips wobbled and I pressed them together.

“I’m so sorry, that’s awful.” She reached forward and patted my hand. “I can’t imagine how you’re feeling. The first time I ran into Ash after he got back, he kept insisting his name was Brad. He was so confused.”

“Did he recognize you?”

“Not even slightly. Not Maya, either, when she arrived.” She shook her head. “I was surprised to see him at all, to be honest. I mean, he’d been gone two years, and nobody had heard a peep. I don’t blame him for leaving, considering what happened.”

I didn’t dare reply as she leaned in, lowering her voice to a whisper.

“For the record, I never believed any of the rumors. I know some people were glad Ash left, including my brother. I’m sure Ash told you all about him, but in his defense, Keenan really was a mess when Celine left, and when Kate had the accident...” She shook her head as my mouth dropped open, and before I could ask her who all these people were and what she meant, she added, “I don’t blame Ash for wanting to get away. No wonder you two never visited—”

A bell rang at the front desk. “Shoot, that’s my cue.” She pushed her chair back and stood up. “Feeling better?”

“Yes...yes, thank you,” I lied, wishing I had the courage to ask her to sit down and explain everything she’d said, but I couldn’t get my brain or my mouth to work properly.

“Great. Come and chat anytime, and don’t forget to stop in for breakfast in the morning. Our bacon’s divine. You’ll never want to leave.” She took a step before turning back. “Tell Ash I said hello when you see him. I hope things work out for you. He’s a good guy. After everything he’s been through, he deserves to be happy.”