Page 19 of Lost and Found

“I was in the neighborhood,” he says, looking down at the floor.

I shrug. “No explanation needed. I’m not complaining about seeing you, even if you weren’t in the neighborhood.” Reid’s eyes dart up to meet mine. A small smile plays on his lips. “So, did you meet your brother’s fiancé yet?”

“Yeah, I did. Leaona is really awesome and my brother actually seems so happy. I think it’ll be good for him. She fit in with family perfectly,” he explains.

I nod. “That’s good. I’m glad she fits in. That’s important. Marriage is really hard when the family doesn’t approve of you.” I fall silent wondering where that just came from. Reid gives me a curious look, but doesn’t say anything. I shake my head and give an unsure smile. “So, what are you doing right now?”

“Well, I’m off for once, so I’m not sure what to do with myself.” He shrugs. I study him and realize that he’s not kidding. He really doesn’t know what to do with himself. He really is lost when he’s not working.

I give him a full watt smile. “Good for me then, because you can save Arden a trip and give me a ride home after I treat us both to some ice cream.” I reach forward and loop my arm through his, resting my hand in the crook of his elbow.

“Bossy much?” he asks, with a raise of his eyebrows.

Laughing, I reply, “Someone has to be. You clearly don’t know what to do with yourself when you’re not working, so I’ll help you figure it out.”

“Starting with ice cream?” he asks.

“Yep, ice cream and then we’ll see where the night takes us.” Reid looks a little uncertain as I look up at him. I stop walking. “You’re one of those planner people aren’t you?”

He laughs. “Planner people?”

I nod my head. “Yes, planner people. People that plan everything. They can’t have something thrown at them on the spare of the moment.” I raise my eyebrows in question.

He scratches at the back of his head. “Hmm...I guess I am like that. I like a plan. I like to know what I’m doing before I do it.”

I start to shake my head vigorously. “Not with me around. Come Reid, live by the seat of your pants! Run out into the unknown,” I call out, as I dart in front of him and spin around and stop facing him. “You only live once, you might as well make it a good one.”

Reid tilts his head to the side. The sun setting behind him casting a beautiful golden glow around his tall, muscular body. “You are something, you know that?”

My head falls back in laughter and for the first time since I woke up, I don’t care that my head is empty because I feel like…me. I feel like this is who I was always meant to be. “So I’ve been told,” I tease him. “Now, come on! I really want a banana split withextrafudge sauce.”

“Whatever you say,” he says with a chuckle, as he heads in my direction.

Chapter Seventeen

Reid

I don’t know what drew me toward the physical therapy building. That’s a lie. I know what is drawing me to it or more ofwhois drawing me to it. I know that Paige will be here when I check the time on my watch. I just got finished having family lunch, meeting Jonas’ fiancé, Leaona. It went really well, but it also made me feel like something is missing from my life.

I’ve never been one of those guys that was concerned about relationships, marriage, or even having a family of my own. The only thing I have really, truly wanted has been to be a successful doctor. However, seeing Jonas, my self-proclaimed bachelor for life brother, engaged and happy made me question my own decisions and the direction that my life is heading.

I had asked him what caused the change and his reply was one, simple word.

“Leaona,” he said, with a wide grin.

I shake my head thinking he didn’t understand my question. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Yeah, it is. I know what you’re asking. You want to know what caused me to change my entire life, the way I think and see things, everything…the answer to the question is simple, Leaona. You know yourself that I loved my single life. I wasn’t like you married to my job, but I liked my freedom and not being tied down to anything, but I met her and things just changed. It made sense all of a sudden,” he says, with a shrug of his broad shoulders.

I probably look as perplexed as I feel. “What do you mean, it all made sense?”

Jonas reached forward and clasped my shoulder. “Everything made sense. The reason people fight for love. The idea of sharing your life with someone, starting a family. Everything mom and dad used to say about love, life, marriage. It made sense once I met her.”

I think about these words and we sit in silence for a while. I take a sip of my water while thinking about how something or someone means more to me that my career. A question forms. “How did you know she was the one?”

Jonas’ grin is large. “Because she’s the one that made me question everything. She made me question where my life was and where it was headed, and who I wanted to be in the future. She made me question if I wanted someone by my side. Up until her, my answer had always been no. I didn’t need or want anyone by my side, but then all of a sudden, the idea of a future without her in it, scared me. I found myself wanting to be around her as much as possible. When I made decisions, I found myself asking what would she think or want. I would often wonder what she was up to or doing throughout the day, at the most random times. I wanted to hear about her day and what she did. It wasn’t small talk to keep her appeased like all the times before. It was because I actually wanted to know. It might sound cliché, but when you know, you know.”

Jonas’ words kept running through my head and after leaving the restaurant where we had met up, I had found myself walking around the downtown area aimlessly, trying to picture my life the way Jonas had described his. I didn’t think I could ever be like him, but then she came into my mind and I knew what Jonas said was correct.

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