Promise Me (Asher Family #1)

Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

HUDSON

I wake up with a gasp in a dead sweat.

I’m not a nightmare kind of guy, but since the day Sadie woke up, I’ve had one every night.

It’s the same thing every single time, too.

It’s me waking up in a hospital bed after my knee was sliced and the doctors and therapists telling me that was the end of my career. That everything I had spent my entire life working for was gone.

Just like that.

Poof.

I never had PTSD or anything, but Sadie’s face— fuck , I keep seeing it.

That moment. The fleeting fucking moment where you don’t only feel lost, but you feel like you have no idea who you are as a person.

I sit up, swing my legs over the side of my bed, and drop my face into my hands.

Our situations are different, and I know this. Having pieces of your life taken from you—hell, I can’t even begin to imagine what she’s going through.

Linc texted the morning after I’d left the hospital to let me know the doctor’s diagnosis.

I’ve spent hours researching it. How long does it last? What are the chances it’s permanent? What restrictions does she have in the beginning? How can I help her?

I shake my head and head for the bathroom. I turn the shower on, waiting for the water to turn hot.

But one thing she didn’t forget was our relationship. I’m the last person she’d want help from. Yet all I can think about is that she lost something, and right now, there is no guarantee she’ll ever get it back.

It hurts. She’s got to be hurting.

Our past aside, I can’t help but feel heartbroken for her.

As soon as I’m ready for the day, I jog down the stairs and head into the bar.

I worked the closing shift last night and didn't get to sleep until about three this morning. So, by the time I walk into the main room, it’s nearing time to open for lunch.

“Morning, Boss.” Betty smiles from behind the bar top. She’s polishing some wine glasses and wiping down our laminated menus.

“Morning.” I pull up a seat.

She places the clipboard I used to take inventory last night in front of me, and I glance over it.

Summertime is good for the bar. Certain drinks and foods sell quicker than others. I mentally note which ones I might need to order extras of at the end of the week and hand the board back to her.

“We had quite a few customers asking for desserts yesterday,” she says quietly and turns to put the wine glasses on their rack .

“Yeah.” I scrub my hand over my face.

The one thing I’ve never spoken with Sadie about and thus never fought with her over is the fact that I sell some of her treats in the bar. It’s almost as if our worker personas know to keep it short and talk less. It works.

For obvious reasons, there have been no pies, cookies, or cupcakes at the bar in the last few days.

Linc has kept me posted on her stay in the hospital, and I know she gets to go home today, but that by no means confirms that she’s going back to work.

My best friend has also kept me up to date on the things his sister doesn't remember. I have a love-hate feel with it. I want to know, so I can’t make it worse, but I don’t want to know because every time he tells me something new, my heart hurts for her even more.

For Sadie Collins. A woman who has hated me for as long as I can remember.

How in the hell does her accident have this effect on me?

Is it because I found her?

Because I noticed what she was baking when it happened?

Because she’s my best friend’s little sister?

Someone knocks on the front door.

Linc.

I get up quickly and unlock it for him.

“The front door. That’s a change.”

He shrugs and steps inside.

“I was meeting the guy for the new door at the bakery.”

Ah.

“Did everything go okay?”

He nods. “It’s in and locked up for who knows how long.”

“Knowing Sadie, she'll be back to work in no time.”

Linc blows out a breath. “Considering she didn’t even remember the fact that she owns the bakery or why she owns it, I’m not as convinced as you. But I sure as hell hope you’re right.”

And there’s one more thing to add to the list.

We make our way back to the bar top, where Betty has placed two glasses of water.

“How is she?” she asks.

“She seems fine and acts fine. She lost her memory, has a baseball-sized bruise, and gained some stitches. All in all, I think we got lucky.” He groans. “I hate saying that. Nothing about it feels lucky.”

I pat his back but don't say anything.

“Can I ask you something?” he asks, twisting fully to face me.

“Yeah, of course.”

“She comes home today, and the doctors gave us suggestions to help her memory return. No added stress is a big one. So ….”

I nod, knowing exactly where this conversation is going. I wish he didn’t feel the need to bring this up at all, but I can’t imagine what he and his dad are thinking these days. I know my best friend trusts me. He’s just being cautious, and coming here to talk to me gives him peace of mind.

I won’t argue with him over that.

“You don’t want me to fight with her,” I say, finishing his sentence.

“Yeah.”

“I won’t.”

“Even if she tries.”

“I won’t,” I repeat.

“If she comes down here and tries to work for God knows what reason, call me, and I will come take care of it.”

“Done.”

He lets out his breath.

“Thank you. ”

I clap another hand on his shoulder and stand.

“I’ll open the kitchen early and make you a burger. Eat and then get back to your family. Let me know when you’re home, and I’ll have someone drop off some dinner.”

His head drops. “One thing off my plate for the day. I appreciate it.”

“I wish I could do more.”

I place his food order and let my team in the back know I’ll be sending food out later. When I step back into the bar, Betty is unlocking the door, and a few people are walking in. They don't look familiar, so my guess is they are tourists.

I smile and welcome them inside.

Then I sit next to Linc again and glance at his phone screen. He’s reading more about his sister’s condition.

“Fuck,” he groans. “There is so much online about this. I want to help her, but this stuff—I’m so in over my head. Maybe it’s better if I don’t do anything unless she asks.”

“Being there is enough” is all I say.

He takes a screenshot, scrolls a little more, and takes another.

I watch him for a moment as a new thought crosses my mind. I’ve spent so much time obsessing over what I lost and how it was going to change me. I was mad that no one understood what I was going through.

But how many of my friends or family had this same reaction? Maybe it’s better if I don’t do anything until he asks.

I never asked.

How many of them spent time like Linc right now, trying to find ways to help but didn’t know how to make it work?

The door to Main Street opens again, and like clockwork, Luca and Miles saunter in. They both grin when they see me, but they don’t waste time rushing to Linc and making sure he’s okay and asking if he, his dad, or Sadie need anything .

That’s when it hits me. My people were there. I was just too selfish to see it.

I don’t know how I’m going to help her yet, but if Sadie’s brain works anything like mine, I’m going to make sure she doesn’t make the same mistakes I did.