“Are you okay?” Matthias asked.
Luis nodded. “I'm fine. But we have to find Jase.” Maybe he'd fallen into a ravine on his way back. Luis's heart pounded, and he had trouble catching his breath.
Then they heard a noise coming from somewhere in front of the car. A second later, they heard a groan. So Matthias put his arm around Luis again and they both crossed to the front of the car to see what was there.
As they rounded the left front fender, Jase stood up less than six inches away from them. He just popped up out of nowhere. Luis screamed so loud Matthias put both arms around him. Jase was so startled he jumped back, clenched his fists, and said to Luis, “Who are you?”
Luis blinked. “Jase, it's me. What happened to you?”
Jase stood there gaping at them as if he'd never seen them before.
“Jase, say something,” Luis said. “Don't just stand there with that weird expression. It's me, Luis. What have you been doing in here all this time?”
“Who is Jase?” Jase asked. “Who are you?”
Luis felt his face getting warmer. “What are you talking about? Don't you know who you are?”
Jase shrugged and said, “I don't know. The last thing I remember is hearing you two walk in here.” He pointed to the dirt floor in front of the car. “I was on the ground. I must have fallen down, I guess.”
“Jase, stop it right now,” Luis said. “If you're fooling around I'll never forgive you for this. You are Jase Nicholas, the Virgin Billionaire. I'm your husband, Luis Fortune. We came here to get away for a few days. You came out here to get firewood.” Jase often played little tricks on Luis. He thought it was funny once in a while to jump out from behind a door and scare him. He even had Hunter doing it now and then.
Matthias released Luis and walked over to Jase. He looked him up and down and asked, “Does anything hurt?”
“Jase, I swear, if you're joking around right now I'm not going to laugh,” Luis said. “I'm serious. You're really freaking me out.”
“Calm down, Luis,” Matthias said. “I don't think he's joking around. I really don't think he knows who we are.”
Jase shrugged again. “I'm sorry. I don't seem to be able to remember anything.”
“What's the last thing you remember before you heard us come into the barn?” Matthias asked.
Jase frowned and rubbed his jaw. He squinted hard for a second. But when he opened his eyes he spread out his arms and said, “It's a complete blank.”
Luis walked over to Jase. He grabbed his hands and held them as tight as he could. “Jase, it's me, Luis. I love you. We're married and we have a child named Hunter. We down came here for a few days to get away because we've been working so hard. Thanksgiving is this week. Your mother and Preston are coming. So are Rand and Rob.”
Jase lifted his eyebrows. He looked down at the high heels and frowned. “I'm sorry. I can't remember anything. I don't know anyone named Rand or Rob.”
For the first time in Luis's life, he felt as if he might faint. He reached for the hood of the car and leaned into it.
“Don't get excited, Luis,” Matthias said. “Let's just get back to the cabin and I'll examine him.”
Luis looked up fast. “You'll examine him?”
“I'm in medical school,” Matthias said. “I'll check him out and we'll make sure he's not hurt. He seems okay, from what I can see.”
Luis rolled his eyes. He was stuck in the middle of nowhere with a medical student, three other total strangers, and a husband who couldn't even remember his own name. His first thought was to get Jase in the car and to the nearest hospital. But then he remembered the roads were washed out and they couldn't leave. He'd checked his cell phone earlier and he wasn't getting any signals way out there. He couldn't even call an ambulance. So he stood up and reached for Jase's hand again. “Are you sure nothing hurts?” Maybe Luis could find a phone in town and call Cory. Cory would figure out a way to get them out of there. Luis could always depend in Cory in an emergency. His mind raced with ways out of this mess.
Jase said, “I don't feel any pain.”
Luis set his jaw. He stood taller and squared his back. He had to be strong now, for Jase's sake. “You're going to be fine. We're going to take you back to the cabin and Matthias is going to check you out. After that, we'll get some food into you. We'll go back to that cafe in town we passed on the way here. You're going to be just fine.”
Jase smiled at him and said, “I'm sorry I don't remember you. But if we are married, I can't say I'm disappointed. You're a very nice person, even if you do dress a little strangely.” He glanced down at the high heels again and frowned.
Luis's chest caved in. He saw a flash of lightning and heard a loud crack of thunder. A gust of wind made the barn doors creak. He put his arms around Jase and hugged him. “I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me. And I never dress like this. It's a long story I'll tell you later.”
Matthias went back for the umbrella they'd left near the barn doors. He brought it back and handed it to Jase. “Here. You take the umbrella. I'm going to carry Luis back to the cabin so he doesn't kill himself in those boots.”
Luis shot him a look. “I don't need to be carried. I can walk.” He was determined to be strong now. Jase needed him.
Matthias glanced down at Luis's boots and laughed. “I don't need two people with injuries tonight. I'm going to carry you and that's that.” He bent down and put one arm beneath Luis's legs and the other on Luis's back. He lifted Luis up before Luis had a chance to argue with him. He told Jase to go first. When Luis started to argue with him, he hoisted Luis up higher and said, “Shut up and put your arms around me. It's easier for me to carry you this way than for both of us to stumble back the way we came here.”
Luis was too tired to argue. He put his arms around Matthias and rested his head on his shoulder. “Do you think he's going to be okay?”
Matthias rubbed Luis's back and said, “He'll be just fine. I promise. Now stop worrying and let me take care of everything.”
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* * *
Chapter Five
After Matthias gave Jase a thorough examination in the living room, Luis told Jase a few basic things about his life without going into too many details. Then Luis took a fast shower and changed into a pair of jeans and a heavy black sweatshirt. He rinsed off the kinky boots and vinyl outfit and set them in a corner of the bathroom to let them dry. He would have thrown them out if he'd had a large plastic bag. He never wanted to look at that ridiculous outfit again.