Playboys' Christmas Surprises: A Christmas Baby Surprise. Catherine Mann

      * * *

      Where the hell had that come from?

      Porter wanted to kick himself. He’d been five seconds away from romancing his wife back into his bed again. Then he’d sabotaged it by asking a question to stop their progress in its tracks.

      “The yacht seems to have been a bone of contention between us and I wanted to try to heal that.”

      “Did you remember something about it?” He felt as if his marriage was one big ticking time bomb, set to explode the second she regained her full memory. He had to make the most of their time together before that happened.

      “It’s more like a sensation, feelings.” She tapped her temple, her forehead furrowed. “Intuition, I guess. But no, I don’t remember.”

      A reprieve. For now.

      He searched for the right words to strike a balance between honesty and gaining her trust without spilling all. “We did argue, pretty heatedly. You thought it was a waste of money, that we didn’t need it, wouldn’t be using it often enough to warrant the expense.”

      “It is a nice boat.” She drew a lazy circle on his chest with her finger.

      He struggled to focus.

      “Boat? That’s something you ski behind or paddle.”

      “Ah, so the big boat is important to you.” She patted his chest. “That’s rather Freudian.”

      He didn’t take the bait and argue with her as he would have in the past. Instead, he worked to explain his feelings rather than offer up a knee-jerk reaction. Over the past few weeks, he’d pushed aside her feelings for his own, and he knew if he wanted his family to stay intact, he needed to try a different strategy.

      “The escape is important to me. There’s no office here. It’s the anticonstruction site, no land.”

      “Oh.” She blinked fast, her hands falling to her lap. “Did you tell me that before?”

      “I didn’t,” he admitted. “I should have.”

      She stayed silent so long he wondered if she would change the subject altogether.

      Then she looked up at him, her blue eyes searching his face. “Would I have heard you?”

      He hadn’t expected that from her. Maybe they were both changing, making something good happen from the hell of the car accident that had stolen her memory.

      “Maybe. Maybe not. I honestly can’t answer that, Alaina. And you’ve mentioned before that it’s not fair I’m the filter for all your memories and questions.” He reached forward and slid a disc holder off the table. “We’re tied to this house for now. But I compiled all the videos and photos of our Tallahassee home. When we get back, if you’re ready and want to, I will try my best to help you connect with people who knew both of us.”

      “Thank you. Truly. This means more to me than...well, more than any expensive gift.” She took the disc from him and held it to her chest. “This is what I’m talking about. You’re really trying to hear what I need, to help us trust each other. I can feel that.”