The Memory Read online

  “If you don’t need me, Geneva, I think I’ll take a nap so I’ll be rested for tonight’s service.” Perry stood and stretched out his arms. It’d been a long day, and it wasn’t over yet.

  Geneva’s hands released the ponytail they were holding. Stunning red spirals collapsed down her back.

  “When are you going to retire from preaching Grandpa?” Geneva asked for the hundredth time that weekend. She worried her grandfather was overdoing it. He never gave less than a hundred percent. Between church obligations and helping at the inn, he had a lot on his plate.

  “When you marry.” He winked at her then strolled to the back of the house to his room.

  Alone, Geneva lifted her head to the blue sky and silently thanked God for once again leading her through a successful ladies’ retreat. Sometimes, she felt like a cheat. She got more out of the weekends than her guests.

  “Look at me now, Elliot Starling!” The smug remark slipped from Geneva’s mouth at the back end of her prayer like acid, burning a hole in her throat. Guilt rushed in, and Geneva leapt up. “I’ve got no time to think about you, Elliot! You’re out of my life forever. It’s like Grandpa said, getting fired was a blessing. That’s all it was. God’s plan to bring me home so I can start this ministry.”

  Back inside the house, Geneva cleaned the kitchen then went to her room next to it and twisted her hair into a loose bun. She changed out of her Sunday clothes into a sundress she’d sewn and headed outside for a walk. The day was warm for March and sunny. Russell joined her with his nose to the ground in search of something interesting to chase.

  Not far down the road, Geneva’s mind drifted to the sore subject of Elliot Starling. He was never far from her thoughts—or heart. She’d developed a crush on him almost immediately after he hired her, but it was futile. Elliot Starling enforced company policies which included no romances between management and subordinates. Geneva kept her feelings secret for four years while there, which was more than she could say for her rival, Olivia Swanson.

  That woman was obnoxious when it came to Elliot. Everything Olivia did, she did to impress the boss and win his undivided attention. Geneva couldn’t play the same game. She wasn’t as confident or shameless as Olivia. Olivia would walk over her grandmother to get what she wanted. Geneva wouldn’t walk over an ant.

  Elliot Starling was more prone to go after Olivia anyway, Geneva had decided long ago. Olivia was a classic beauty who didn’t have to work too hard to look nice and sophisticated. Unlike Geneva, who needed a complete makeover to even get the job. Once Geneva was hired, she had to keep up the glamorous façade. Elliot wanted his sales reps to look like they were money-makers. The dress code was strict. Suits, heels, no flashy jewelry, well-groomed, subtle makeup. Geneva did her best with what she had to work with.

  Most of her disposable income went to keep herself slimmer than she liked, her hair sleek and dark brown, and her freckles covered as much as possible without looking heavily made up. None were easy feats. Her grandparents barely recognized her whenever she came home to visit.

  The glamour ended once Geneva got fired. She embraced her unique features without letting herself go. Walking briskly every day replaced aerobic classes. Although not as slender as she was in Orlando, Geneva wasn’t as heavy as she’d been in high school, either. She’d found a happy middle ground that made her feel good about herself. She felt healthier, too. Her hair tumbled freely to the middle of her back in loose, red curls. They were a lot easier to keep. She didn’t have to worry about dye jobs, or mess with straighteners or curling irons. At thirty-three, Geneva no longer hated her freckles, either. She’d made peace with them and never tried to cover them up. When the sun touched them, she glowed.

  Her emerald green eyes were her best feature. When she worked for the Starlings, she wore brown contacts to go with her brown hair. She felt the color coordination gave her a balanced, more natural appearance. Natural being the key word.

  “Umph!” Geneva snorted. “There was nothing natural about me in Orlando.”

  None of the changes to her appearance ever enhanced Geneva’s professional abilities. Nor did they change her personality or direction. Underneath the glamour, she was still Geneva Passion, country girl from Holly Park, harboring a secret crush on the handsome, smart, and successful Elliot Starling.

  Geneva came to a shade tree and sat down. After seven years, she still wondered what it would have been like to marry Elliot Starling. Her heart pitter-pattered beneath the cottony bodice of her sundress. She still carried a torch for the guy despite her eagerness to refute it.

  She picked up a twig and broke it in pieces then tossed it away. The feisty movement yanked Russell from his frolicking. He trotted over to Geneva and put his head in her lap.

  “Why do I even care, Russell?” Elliot Starling was probably married by now, she thought. The idea drew a dark circle around her. Elliot had too much going for him not to have found a wife by now. Besides being the most gorgeous guy on the planet, he was smart, wealthy, and generous. He came from a devout Christian family, too, which meant a great deal to Geneva.

  Before being fired, Geneva had felt Elliot drawing close to her. He’d say something at a party or compliment her at a meeting that made her heart skip a beat. There were times when she’d see him glancing at her when he thought no one was watching. His secretive attention was flattering. Then it all fell apart the morning he fired her. She’d been wrong about everything. His intense anger and reluctance to hear her side had proved it.

  Geneva picked up another twig and snapped it into several pieces. She’d been silly to think a man like Elliot Starling could like her. She’d let her imagination run wild every time he smiled at her. Elliot Starling represented all the dreamboats in high school who had teased her relentlessly. If he’d been captivated by her at all, it was only because she had glamourized herself. He wouldn’t have wasted one single smile or compliment on her if he’d seen the real Geneva Passion.

  “No more!” Geneva tossed the broken twig into the wind and stood, furious with herself. Russell jumped out of the way. “I don’t need Elliot Starling!”

  Geneva glanced at the empty roadway. At least no one but Russell was around to hear her chiding herself. With her thoughts in place for the time being, Geneva marched home, resolved to put Elliot Starling out of her head once and for all.

  It wasn’t that easy. Over the next few days, Geneva had to stay busy in order to accomplish her goal. She cleaned the entire inn from top to bottom. Curtains, rugs, closets, wood floors, and all. Her constant busyness wasn’t lost on her grandfather.

  He mentioned it Thursday when Geneva collapsed on the front porch swing. “You usually don’t do this much cleaning between retreats unless something’s bothering you. It’s that Starling fellow isn’t it?”

  “What on earth makes you think that?” Geneva redid the sloppy ponytail she wore with a jerk and a yank.

  “Kind of hard not to know these things with all the mumbling you do.” Perry chuckled. “I heard you mutter his name several times this week. It’s obvious he’s on your mind.”

  “Umph! If he is, it’s not in a good way!” Geneva’s fussy tone didn’t convince Perry.

  “After all these years, you still let him get to you.”

  Geneva huffed. “Elliot Starling isn’t getting to me, Grandpa! I hardly ever think about him. I don’t know why he came to mind this week. He just did, but I’m over it. I’ve got a big retreat coming up, and I’ve got to focus on it.”

  “Whatever you say, sweetheart.” Perry nodded, still unconvinced. He knew his granddaughter too well. She didn’t waste time mulling over people she didn’t care about.

  “It is what I say,” Geneva growled. “If I mumbled Elliot’s name a time or two it was probably from exhaustion and frustration. I still can’t believe he’d let me go for no good reason! His actions were incomprehensible. I had not had an affair with my client!”

  “I believe you, honey,” Perry said, flatly.
“Sounds to me like the man might have been jealous.”

  “What?” Geneva gasped.

  “Jealousy can make a man do regretful things.”

  Geneva scoffed. “I highly doubt Elliot Starling was jealous, Grandpa! That would be absurd.”

  Chapter 3

  Rick and Jewel had left Elliot alone most of the week at Elliot’s request, but Friday morning when Rick called the hospital, he got a pleasant surprise. Elliot wanted to see him. Rick saw that as a good sign, but the feeling disappeared when he reached Elliot’s floor at the hospital. Olivia was storming down the hallway like a brush fire on a hot, dry day.

  “I’m so mad I could spit nails!” She boomed at Rick despite ill patients in the rooms around them. “He won’t talk to me! He says I upset him! Can you believe that? I’m his fiancée, and he doesn’t want to see me. I’m meeting caterers today. Things have to be finalized. I’ve hired an orchestra for Pete’s sake. Rick, you’ve got to make him remember me!”

  Rick reared back. “Lower your voice, Olivia. This is a hospital. There are sick people here.”

  “Whatever!” She spat. “Are you going to help me or not? I realize your family isn’t thrilled about this marriage, but you might as well get used to me. I’m not going anywhere. Do you know how long I’ve waited to get Elliot to the altar? I’m not giving up and going away.”

  “I can’t make Elliot remember anything, Olivia. You heard the doctors. We have to be patient.” For an instant, Rick’s heart went out to the frustrated woman. She looked on the verge of tears, which would have been a first. “Look, maybe when he gets home things will start coming back to him.”

  “They better!” Olivia stomped away in a fiery tizzy. Any sympathy Rick had for her vanished into thin air.

  He continued to Elliot’s room with a prayer of hope in his heart. Elliot was sitting up, looking disoriented and forlorn when Rick walked inside. Rick was devastated. This man wasn’t his brother. There wasn’t a shred of confidence in Elliot’s expression, the one quality Elliot always exuded. Without it, he looked hollow.

  “I’m glad you came.” Elliot squared his shoulders. “I need your help.”

  Rick was flabbergasted. Elliot never asked for his help. Their relationship had been strained since he’d fired Geneva and hooked up with Olivia. They were civil, but rarely spoke at work. Their talents put them at opposite ends of the company, which made it easy for them to remain partners. Elliot was the brains, and Rick was all muscle. Elliot ran the business end, and Rick kept the products flowing.

  Rick pulled up a chair and sat down, resting an ankle over the opposite knee.

  “Do you remember anything?” His bluntness didn’t irk Elliot.

  He shook his head. “Nothing except for this dream I keep having.”

  “About Geneva Passion?”

  “I guess that’s her name.” Elliot shrugged like a little boy. “In the dreams, I call her Geneva. I feel some connection to her. Was she my girlfriend? Do you know anything about what happened—when and why I fired her?”

  Rick gave Elliot a hard look. God was at work here. He was forcing Elliot to see how unjust he had been.

  “Geneva was one of the best sales reps we had at the time. She was honest, decent, self-motivated, smart, and personable. You favored her, which didn’t go over with some of the team, but you kept it all professional. We had a policy in place that prohibited management and staff from dating so you were pretty careful. Someone accused her of having an affair with the client she was working with, you got mad, and let her go. I didn’t agree, but by the time I knew anything about it, Geneva was long gone. You never gave her a chance to explain herself. You just threw her out.”

  Elliot was stunned. He had been cruel.

  “I’m not a nice guy, am I?”

  Rick saw guilt flicker in his brother’s eyes. His heart went out to him, but he didn’t skirt around the truth to make it easy. Maybe God was bringing Elliot to his knees so he could use him in some way.

  “You used to be nice before you fired Geneva.” Rick made himself comfortable in the chair. This may be his only chance to tell his younger brother what he’d wanted to say for years. “You were kind and respectful to people. You had Christian values and lived by them. You were easy going and fun to be around.”

  “After the firing?”

  Rick brought his hands up and linked them together behind his head. “You changed. You and Olivia Swanson got close. You became arrogant, selfish, greedy, cold, and callous. Life became all about making money, fattening your financial portfolio, and presenting an image of wealth and prosperity.”

  “So Olivia really is my fiancée?”

  “Yep, she really is.” Rick nodded. Getting back to the other matter, he added, “Hopefully, the accident will change you back to the way you used to be.”

  “Were you and I close as brothers?”

  “We were before you became so self-absorbed and rich. We’d spend a lot of time together. You’d come to the house, play with my kids, watch some games with me, eat dinner.”

  “You’re married and have children?”

  Rick nodded. “Peggy’s a stay-at-home mom to ten-year-old Adam and four-year-old Haley.”

  “I don’t remember.” Elliot squeezed his temples with his hands and groaned. “I can’t remember anything but that girl!”

  “Maybe God wants to teach you a lesson.” Rick ventured out on the limb.

  “Did I lose my faith?” Elliot had wondered about that in the night when he couldn’t sleep. He’d tried calling out to God to help him, but didn’t know how.

  “I’m not sure,” Rick replied, honestly. “You quit attending church and dropped out of the Christian Businessmen’s Association. You began worshiping the almighty dollar.”

  “I get the impression you don’t care too much for me.”

  “I love you, Elliot,” Rick blurted. “You’re my younger brother. I’d die for you. I just didn’t like the changes in your lifestyle over the years. You turned your back on the family and God.”

  “I see.” Elliot dropped his gaze. “What did you mean by God might be teaching me a lesson?”

  “Think about it. You only have one memory.” Rick put his arms down and scooted to the edge of his chair. “It’s not a pretty one, either. It’s like you’re forced to focus on that one event in your life. I’m thinking it’s for a reason.”

  Elliot nodded at Rick. “I’m not sure about the God thing, but I do want to confront this memory.” Confidence strengthened his voice. “It’s the only one connecting me to my life. I have to find this girl. That’s why I need your help. I want you to help me get to her.”

  “To accomplish what?” The request surprised Rick.

  “I’ll know that when I see her again.”

  “Olivia’s not going to like this.” Rick flashed a sarcastic smile.

  “About Olivia,” Elliot moaned. “How long have I been with her?”

  “Your relationship started almost immediately after Geneva left. You’ve been engaged a few months. Olivia’s been pushing this marriage thing for years.”

  “How did we meet?”

  “She used to work in the company. She and Geneva started at the same time. When you and Olivia finally made your relationship official, she quit and started her own marketing company.”

  “She annoys me.” Elliot made a face like he was about to throw up.

  “She annoys everybody.” Rick snickered. “Seriously, your wedding is in three months. You’ve rented the venue already.”

  Elliot ran a hand over his face. “I can’t believe I’d want to marry someone so—demanding and selfish. She was in here this morning, ordering me to remember her. When I said I couldn’t, she got furious and started listing all the things we have to do for this wedding. I really don’t want to see her again. What did I see in her?”

  “I really can’t answer that.” Rick shrugged. “We never discussed Olivia.”

  Elliot leaned back on his pillow. “Tell m
e about our parents. Our mother seems sweet. What about our father?”

  “He died ten years ago,” Rick answered, quietly.

  “Oh.” Elliot strained to feel a loss, but no emotion came forth. Geneva Passion blocked out everything.

  “He and our grandfather started the company. You took Dad’s place as president of the company.”

  “Why me if you’re the oldest?” Elliot hungered to learn about the man inside his skin.

  “You were smarter than me, and you had a knack for organizing and managing. I preferred the labor end of things. I still do, so get better and come back to work. I really need your brainpower.” Humor laced Rick’s tone, but he was serious. Elliot got things done, quickly and efficiently.

  “I’ve got to find Geneva first. She may be able to help me.”

  Rick shook his head. “Don’t get your hopes up. I’m not sure where she is and even so, what makes you think she’ll even see you after what you did to her?”

  “I’ve got to make her see me.” Elliot was desperate. “Use every resource you have to find her. Please. I’m counting on you Rick.”

  “I won’t let you down.” Rick stood and stretched. “I need to get to work. We’ve got orders to fill and ship out.”

  “Let me know as soon as you find out anything on Geneva.” There was a plea in Elliot’s tone. “I really want to find her.”

  “Sure.” Rick nodded. “I’d like to pray over you, brother, before I leave.”

  Elliot expressed surprise and discomfort, but Rick didn’t seem the type to take no for an answer so he went along with him.

  Rick thanked God for protecting Elliot and saving his life. He prayed for God to bless his younger brother with continued healing and to help restore his memory. He asked for blessings for the family to help them deal with Elliot’s loss of memory. He even prayed for Olivia. Last of all, he prayed for Geneva and asked God to help Elliot resolve the matter in a way that would please Him.