She sucked in a breath, her words spinning out of her, faster and faster, Laura unwilling to reel them in until they twirled themselves out for fear of blocking the memory. “I make you strawberry shortcake from scratch whenever you come to visit.”

Now her tears did flow. “I make it from Grandma’s recipe, that Mom used to make.”

He buried his face in her hair. “Yeah?”

“I made it for you when I came out and visited you after Mom and Dad died. We had to use frozen strawberries because we couldn’t find them fresh out there.” Her heart pounded, more memories sliding into place.

“When you came home after I called you about Mom and Dad, Rob drove me to the airport. When you made it into the terminal you hugged me and we both broke down crying right there.”

“Yeah.”

Pain echoed through her heart, feeling as fresh as it had that day. “You told me it was you and me and you’d always be there for me, no matter what,” she sobbed. “No matter what.”

He kissed the top of her head and she heard the tears in his voice. “Yeah, sis. No matter what.”

Like a shattered mosaic pulling itself magically, seamlessly back together, a huge chunk of her childhood and teen years returned. She let out a gasp, her grip on him tightening. “I remember you.” Her cries renewed. “I remember you, so why can’t I remember Rob?”

* * *

Bill wasn’t sure he’d be able to get her calmed down at first. He helped her out to the couch where he sat, holding her while she cried herself out in his lap.

After getting her a handful of tissues, he said, “Why don’t we just stay here today, huh?”

She sat up and shook her head, a familiar, determined look on her face. “No. I need to go to the shop. Maybe it’ll trigger something. I’m tired of sitting around waiting for things to happen to me.”

He brushed the hair out of her face. “I don’t want you to stress yourself.”

She took a deep breath. “Like you said, I can’t let the fucker win.”

He couldn’t help but smile. “Well, at least your ability to argue to get your own way is still intact.”

“Is that good?”

He hugged her again, unwilling to let her go after nearly losing her, his only living family other than some distant cousins. “Yes. Very good.”

After he cooked her breakfast, she went to take a shower. When the condo phone rang, he picked it up. “Hello?”

A dial tone met him.

He stared at the phone for a minute, unsure what to do. Then he called Rob.

“Fuck, call Det. Thomas. Hold on.” Bill got a piece of paper to write the info down while Rob dug the card out of his pocket. “Tell him about it. How is she?”

“In the shower. She doesn’t know.”

“I wouldn’t tell her.”

“I don’t plan on it. In fact, I’m going to unplug the damn phone here, so call my cell.” He hung up and relayed the information to the detective, who said he’d handle it. Then Bill reached behind the phone and unplugged the cord from the wall.

He went around and found two other bases and unplugged the phone cords from them, too. After trying her phone number from his cell and not hearing any ringing in the condo, he nodded to himself.

One problem solved. For now.

* * *

Laura ended up giving Bill her cell phone and asked him to handle it for her. She kept getting texts from people who, while their names showed up in the contacts, didn’t show up at all in her mind.

Except for Shayla and Rob, of course.

She paid close attention while Steve went through things with her, like showing her how to rebuild a regulator in the repair area in the back of the shop.

“I used to do this?”

Steve looked sad. “Since you were a kid.”

“Oh.” As she worked, more things came back to her until she was able to work on a regulator while Steve watched.

She showed him. “Like that?”

He hooked it to a tank they kept in back for that purpose and took a test breath from it. “Perfect.” He offered her a smile. “Like you’ve never been gone.”

Bill quietly sat on a stool at the other end of the repair counter and watched.

“I feel bad you’re just sitting there,” she said.

Bill shook his head. “Try making me leave, sis. You just keep doing what you need to do. I’m your shadow for the next couple of weeks.”

She thought about Thursday. “I’m supposed to meet with Shayla and some others for a girls’ morning on Thursday.”

He smiled. “I know.” He held up her phone. “She texted to confirm. Brunch and then nails.”

Laura grinned. “Are you getting your nails done, too?”

He held his hand out in front of him, fingers spread, nails up. “I could do with a mani-pedi. They’re in kind of rough shape.”

Laura burst out laughing. This was the big brother she…

She took a hitching gulp of air before the tears hit again. Steve and Bill gathered close.

“What is it, sweetie?” Bill asked.

She let out a laugh that mixed with her tears. “Just more memories of you came through. Good tears, guys.”

“You sure?” Steve asked. “I can’t tell the difference.”

She hugged them before wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand. “Yeah, good ones.”

* * *

Bill and Steve put their collective feet down around five o’clock that afternoon. Even though it wasn’t closing time yet, they could tell Laura was exhausted. Steve helped herd her toward her truck, which Bill had driven them in that morning. Bill had Doogie by the leash and loaded him into the backseat while Steve helped her into the passenger seat.

“Am I being given my marching orders?” she quipped.

Bill nodded. “Absolutely, sis. I’m pulling big brother rank on you.”

“And I’m pulling age rank on you, kiddo,” Steve added. “Go home, get some sleep. Rob said you’ve got gun lessons tomorrow. Don’t bother coming in. Go do that.”

“I feel guilty not being here.”

Bill slid behind the wheel and leaned forward. “You believe her?” he asked Steve. “The first vacation she’s had in a while and she’s fighting it.” He smiled.

He took her home, keeping her distracted with the TV and by going through her photo albums again until he got dinner started in preparation for Rob’s arrival.

When Rob returned, he gave her a kiss but sent Bill a look that told him Rob wanted to talk to him. Alone.

Bill followed him back to the master bedroom. “She okay?” Rob asked.

“Yeah. I unplugged the phones here, though.”

“Good.”

“She…” Bill felt horrible, but knew it was the situation. “She got some memories back about me.”

He watched Rob’s face as the man schooled it into professional neutrality. “Nothing about me?”

“It doesn’t mean anything. Don’t give it weight.”

His shoulders slumped. “I know.”

The three sat and talked after dinner. Laura yawned and looked at the time. “I’m sorry, but I need to go to bed. I’m really tired.”

Bill and Rob both stood when she did. She hugged Rob. Bill watched as she reluctantly let him go. “When do you come back?”

He tucked her hair behind her ears. “Tomorrow morning. But then I need to go in at six tomorrow night to cover for one of the guys who covered for me.”

“Okay.” It looked like she was debating something, then she rose up on her toes and gave him a quick kiss, brushing her lips over his.

She hugged Bill. “Night, sis. See you in the morning.”

When she closed the bedroom door behind her, both men heavily sat and stared at each other, the strain each felt mirrored on the other’s face. Bill spoke first.

“She doesn’t even sound the same,” Bill said. “She talks differently. Did you notice that?”

Rob nodded. “Tell me about it. You want a beer?” Rob headed for the kitchen.

“Got anything stronger?”

“Jack Daniel’s.”

“Bring the bottle.”

Rob reappeared with a glass of iced tea for him, and the bottle of liquor and a glass for Bill. “God, I wish I could have a drink,” Rob said.

Bill held up the bottle. “Want some?”

Rob shook his head before he took a sip of tea. “Nothing stronger than this. I have to get back to work.” He took a long swallow. “And I’m afraid if I start on that, I won’t want to stop.”

Bill started to pour his own drink and stopped at two fingers. “Good point.” He capped the bottle and took a swallow, grimacing. “I don’t know how you’ve managed to hold it together.”

“I have to.” Rob looked at his glass. “She’s my life. If I lose her, everything else is pointless.”

Bill studied him. “Don’t give up on her, okay? I remember how she talked about you last summer. She’s madly in love with you. As upset as she was, she told me the only thing that got her through losing Mom and Dad was you.”

Rob looked away before he took another swallow. “I just wish I could believe that. You’d think she’d at least remember a few things about us if that was the case.” He stared out into space. “She put her engagement ring on her right hand.”

“Stop it.”

Rob looked at him.

“Rob, she loves you. Trust me, she does. I talked to her, what, a week before the attack? She was raving about the fricking wedding invitations. At the time, I could have cared less. She was describing them to me, babbling on. She was so happy and I was just listening to her, letting her talk.”

Bill stared at his drink, feeling guilty. “I wish I’d paid more attention now. I was just letting her go on and on. Man, you are her world. She has no doubts about you.” He took another swig of whiskey and swirled the glass. “I know few things with certainty, but I have no doubt about her love for you.”