“Look, I don’t see how I could help. He doesn’t have a clue who I am,” I said.
“No, but maybe you could get to know him again.”
Isn’t that what he asked me to do? Help him remember?
“Are you sure that’s what you and Mr. Valentine want?”
“We want what’s best for our son.”
“And you somehow think that’s me?” I sighed and dropped my head into my hands. “I thought he’d be better off without me,” I said quietly.
“He’s not. I don’t believe for a moment that that’s true. At first we thought it would be better that he only be around things familiar so he could heal without any confusion. But he’s not. Not healing, that is,” she said, her voice wavering, close to tears. “I’ve never seen Reid happier than he was in the weeks following his accident. And I would’ve thought he’d be scared or angry then. Certainly he would’ve had every right to be. The only thing I can think of for the change in him is you.”
My eyes blurred as she scooted to the edge of the couch then and put her hand over mine.
“Please, Oliver. If Reid means anything to you at all, help me get my son back.”
I blinked, and hot tears trailed down my face as I wondered if I could be the one to help him at all. Not only that, but would I allow myself a repeat of the inevitable heartbreak that would come from getting close to Reid again? That question was one I could answer without hesitation—yes. There wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do for his happiness, even if that price came at the sacrifice of my own. But I told myself it was no sacrifice at all to know the man I cared about more than any in this world would be okay.
Once again, I thought of the note Reid had written before his surgery, and the way he’d told me not to give up on him. Christ, I hadn’t even tried, had I? I’d let his family do what they thought best and sacrificed my feelings, but what if that had been the wrong decision?
There was no question in my mind what I wanted to do, but putting myself in Reid’s path outside of Joe’s would be tricky. I couldn’t do anything that would scare him off, not if I wanted to build his trust again.
“I’ll do it,” I said, wiping my face with my sleeve. “But I’ll need some help to figure out how best to break the ice with him.”
“Actually”—Mrs. Valentine’s gaze drifted to the piano—“I think I have an idea…”
twenty
REID
HE WAS HERE.
The guy I’d run into at Joe’s, the one who’d been in my hospital room.
He was here. At the Music Junction, where I was spending my Sunday afternoon picking up a class for beginner pianists, since the usual instructor had gone on maternity leave.
Ollie.I couldn’t shake why his name stuck out to me when we hadn’t officially met in all the times we’d seen each other getting our coffees. Maybe just that it was an unusual name, but it was one I kept thinking about since I’d run into him at Joe’s.
As he lingered in the doorway, I realized just how big of a guy he really was. Taller than me by at least a couple of inches, and so muscular that he looked like he’d bust out of the pale green shirt he wore. It was a wonder I’d never noticed his size before. Especially with the shock of wavy auburn hair that was combed back on top and buzzed on the sides, and matching scruff covering his jaw, chin, and upper lip.Jesus, he could be a pro wrestler.
He leaned back outside the door like he was checking the room number, confusion written all over his face. It was a lookI’d seen plenty of times from the parents of new students, so being the one in charge, I walked over to help him out.
“It’s Ollie, right?”
Like I’d shocked him with a Taser, he jerked his head back inside. “Yeah?”
I held out my hand. “I don’t think we’ve officially met. I’m Reid Valentine. I’m taking over for Mrs. Bishop while she’s out.”
“Reid…right,” he said, shaking my hand. “It’s nice to meet you. Officially.”
His grip was strong, his skin searing hot to match the scorching July weather.
“Are you dropping off?” I asked, as he pulled his hand back.
“Pardon me?”
“Your child. For the class.”