In Love and Rescue: When love is the perfect rescue... by K. Alex Walker

beer, he shot it into a wastebasket in the corner and rose. “Speaking of which, I need to go finalize that information. If you two will excuse me.”
    He shot Desmond a sympathetic look before leaving the two alone.
    With the way he felt about his wife, Doug knew the fact that Larke hadn’t remembered Desmond was eating away at him. It had to be. The year they’d spent separated, he saw his friend regress to the dark, occluded man he’d been before he met her.
    Desmond fell for Larke while actively trying to avoid it, and she’d transformed him without him even realizing it. But, he’d known Desmond a long time and his friend always seemed to be battling demons. Although he didn’t know all the details, he was pretty sure that those demons had played a role in ending their relationship.
    Still, there was hope. When he’d sp otted them walking up to Cordella, he saw a look on Desmond’s face that he hadn’t seen since he and Larke split. If they were lucky, maybe the only memory Larke would regain would be the happy years of their marriage. If not, maybe there was still room for them to start over.
    Larke watched Doug leave before her eyes settled on Desmond. It was strange how much more handsome he appeared whenever she looked at him, as if she was seeing him over and over again for the first time. She’d assumed that she’d hit the single woman’s lottery when he’d approached her on the beach, and even though he’d lied to her about who he was, she’d instantly believed him when he told her why he was there. There was just something about his dark, pearly orbs that dared her to trust them.
    “How are you feeling?” He asked, studying her. “Still shaken up?”
    “I’m getting better,” she answered. “Do you think you could come over here, though? Sit next to me?”
    He rose without question and took a seat, leaving about a foot of space between them. “Better?”
    “Yes.” A breath of hair swooshed from her lungs. “I know this probably sounds ridiculous, but I feel safer when you’re closer.”
    He shook his head. “Not ridiculous at all.”
    “Plus, there’s something about the way you smell. Just the way you smell is enough to put me at ease right now.”
    She lifted his sleeve to her nose, took in a whiff of his scent, and then released it. “Sandalwood. It reminds me of something, but I just don’t know what.”
    Me. It reminds you of me, he wanted to blurt out. It was the same thing she’d told him he’d smelled like on their third date and to this day, he still had no idea what she was talking about.
    “Well, when we get back to the States, I’ll buy you a giant bottle of sandalwood oil. That way, even when I’m not around, you can still feel safe whenever you sniff it.”
    An unexpected wave sadness washed over her when she thought about him leaving.
    “Want to play a game?” She abruptly redirected. “It’s a game that my Grandma Ruth used to play. It’s like an ice-breaker. It can tell you a lot about someone if you play it long enough.”
    “ I’ll bite,” Desmond agreed.
    Larke turned to face him and closed her eyes. “Ok. Try to guess what I’m thinking.”
    His outburst of laughter sent her lids flying open. A blush crawled up her neck as she watched his eyes sparkle with amusement, and it was amazing that something so simple could make her feel so wonderful.
    “ Without any clues?” He asked. “Come on, you have to give me something to go off of.”
    She closed her eyes again. “No sir. The point of the game is for you to guess. Just try it. It might surprise you.”
    Desmond cleared his throat. “Okay. You’re thinking that the egg salad sandwich that Doug had lying for over a week in the captain’s quarters probably wasn’t the best lunch idea.”
    Suppressing a smile, she lightly punched him in the shoulder. “Be serious.”
    He laughed. “Alright, alright. You’re thinking…” he paused, “you’re thinking that today was one of the worst days