Remember Me Read Online Free

was always so damned silent.
    And then he was inside, turning on lights, as well as the television, adding a pretense of normalcy to his existence. He tossed his keys on the hall table and then looked around on the floor for the mail that was usually there, compliments of the mail slot in the front door.
    It was missing.
    Frowning, he turned to see it stacked in a neat pile on the end of the couch, then shrugged. Even though he had a cleaning service, Betty LeGrand often felt the need to oversee their work.
    After giving the stack of letters a quick glance, he headed for the kitchen. A hot cup of coffee sounded good, and it would take some of the chill from his bones.
    As he began to fill the carafe with water, he noticed a dirty plate and fork in the sink and grinned to himself. His mother had eaten that last piece of cherry pie. Damn. He’d been thinking about that off and on all afternoon.
    Then he shrugged off the thought and finished making the coffee. A piece of pie was the least of his troubles. With the coffee in progress, he headed for the bedroom. Maybe a hot shower and some dry clothes would change his attitude. The television was blaring as he walked back through the living room. He picked up the remote just as the broadcast of the local news began.
    â€œRepercussions from the earthquake that struck southern California at noon yesterday are still being felt. Transportation is difficult, both in and out of the state. Some airlines have resumed service, but travel into the area is being discouraged at this time. At this hour, the death count is rising, with many still unaccounted for.”
    Clay frowned, then hit the down arrow on the remote. When an old rerun of I Love Lucy appeared on the screen, he upped the volume and tossed the remote on a nearby chair as he headed for his room.
    In the act of unbuttoning his shirt, he noticed mud on his boots and paused, hoping he hadn’t left a trail of it behind him. The floors were clean. Just to make sure they stayed that way, he leaned against the wall and took off the boots, first one, then the other, carrying them with him as he entered the bedroom.
    He automatically glanced toward the bed, and he frowned as he noticed the jumble of covers. He could have sworn he’d made it before he left. But as he continued to look, the covers suddenly moved, revealing a dark head and a long, slender arm. He took a sudden step back. His belly lurched, and he closed his eyes.
    â€œSweet Jesus…I don’t need this.” He took a deep breath.
    He looked again, certain the ghost he’d just seen would be gone. He was wrong. It— she —was still there.
    Completely shaken by the image of Francesca asleep in his bed, he let the boots he’d been holding slip from his fingers to hit the floor with a thump.
    At the sound, the ghost rolled over slowly, opening her dark eyes and smiling at him with that sleep-sexy grin he knew so well.
    â€œHi, honey,” Frankie said, and then glanced toward the window. “My goodness, is it still raining?”
    Staggering backward, he grabbed at a wall for support. He’d known for months that he was operating on guts alone, but he’d never thought he would lose his sanity. Not this completely.
    â€œFrancesca?”
    His soft whisper barely stirred the air. He couldn’t bring himself to say her name again for fear she would disappear. Then something clicked, and his heart started pounding. What if she was real? As soon as he thought it, he discarded the notion. It was impossible.
    He watched her roll over to the side of the bed, then sit up. As she did, she turned pale, reaching toward the side of her head and frowning.
    â€œOooh, that hurts,” she said.
    â€œFrankie?”
    She shook her head, as if trying to clear her thoughts.
    â€œClay, sweetheart, you’re soaked. Why don’t you get a hot shower while I start dinner?”
    Clay walked across the room like a man in a trance. When