AllFreeNovel
Share Us
To my surprise, Donna reached over and squeezed her hand. I started to relax. Jackie’s raw grief had opened the door, and the guarded cattiness seemed to have subsided. For now.
“My husband would only grind this certain bean into his coffee. I hate it. It’s so strong and bitter, but I can’t bring myself to throw it away. It just sits on the counter, and I have to see it every day,” Stephanie muttered.
“I went through the same thing with a bottle of brandy,” Susan admitted. “I finally asked the maid to toss it. I thought that I would be more upset when it was gone, but it just made things a little easier.”
I gave each woman a soft smile. “We all attach certain memories to physical objects. There’s no set time limit for when you need to get rid of these things. Stephanie, Susan obviously found some peace when she got rid of hers, but you don’t have to feel like it will be the same for you. If the coffee encourages fond memories, it might be something that you want to hang on to, but if it just causes grief, I would suggest that you at least put it in the cabinet. Susan’s solution to have the housekeeper help her is great. You could get a friend to help you.”
“What about baseball mitts?” a deep male voice grumbled through the room, and my entire body stiffened. “Would you suggest burning it right after you lose your husband?”
I kept myself perfectly composed as a wave of ice cascaded through me. Even after all this time, I recognized that husky voice all too well.
“I’m sorry, this is a closed-door session,” I said without turning around. I was proud that my voice didn’t have a single tremor. “If you’ll stop by our front desk, they can give you more information.”
“No, please,” Stephanie said with a wicked smile. “Let him stay. I think I might need a male perspective.”
And just like that, I lost complete control of the group. Even Jackie brightened a little as the sound of boots on tile vibrated into the room. Taking a deep breath, I turned to face him.
Hell. He looked even better than I remembered.
Dressed in a black t-shirt and a fitted pair of jeans, he’d tanned under the California sun and filled out even more. He’d always had a great body before, so it was completely unfair that he’d only managed to improve. His dark hair curled under his black cowboy hat, and those crystal blue eyes gleamed with mischief.
What the hell was he doing here?
I needed to stay professional. These women deserved the rest of their therapy time even if they were distracted. “Sir, if you’d just wait outside.”
“What is your suggestion to finding it hard to sleep in an empty bed?” Susan asked as she leaned forward. Her breasts nearly spilled out of her shirt.
“I don’t believe the gentleman will have much experience in that area.” The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them, and when he smirked at me, I struggled to backtrack. “What I mean is—”
“But he’s a stranger,” she whined, using a simpering voice, “and my therapist says that it can be therapeutic to talk to strangers.”
Her therapist said what?
Before I could stop him, Brendan grabbed a chair, swung it backwards, and straddled it. Every pair of eyes settled on the space between his legs. Including mine.
Dammit.
“I think—”
Brendan just ignored me. “In my experience, ma’am, the best way to deal with an empty bed is to fill it.” I inhaled sharply at the horrible advice, and he shrugged. “Dogs are good. Cats. Even piling pillows on the side might help. Something you can grab when the pain overwhelms you. Something you can squeeze. Weighted blankets are good too.”
I blinked. That was actually pretty good.
“Oh, my.” Donna bit her lower lip and looked up at him through her lashes. “Who are you, sir?”
“I’m sorry, ladies. I didn’t mean to crash your session. I’m Brendan Ward. I’m just here to see the good doctor.”
“I’m not a doctor yet,” I said automatically.
“How do you know Ms. Quinn?” Jackie asked quietly.
“Oh, we go way back, but it’s been awhile since we’ve seen each other.” He gave me that lazy smile that shot spirals of heat throughout my body. “I thought we might hook up. Her boss told me that she was here.”
Of course, Dr. Jacobson had pointed him in my direction. The man didn’t give a damn about closed-door sessions. “Brendan, if you’ll just wait outside,” I said through gritted teeth.
“Mr. Ward, are you a cowboy?” Stephanie simpered.
“Yes ma’am. I own Ward Ranch up near Monterey. Are you in the market for a horse?”
“I am now.”
It was obvious that we weren’t going to get anything else done. Glancing at the clock, I stood. “All right, ladies. Our time is almost up. I’d like to remind everyone that these sessions are open for as long as you need them. There are other open sessions as well if you want to check the schedule on the bulletin board out front. I just ask that you please sign up so we can get an accurate head count. Also, Dr. Jacobson is open for one-on-one counseling as well.”
