AllFreeNovel
Share Us
So this was what complete felt like.
EPILOGUE
One month later
Tristan
“There’s really not much we have to pack. It’s not like we were expecting to stay.” Tristan gave Shane a pointed look.
Shane laughed and clapped Tristan on the back. “Well, I can’t say I’m disappointed. It will be nice to have a familiar face around here. You know, not a local.”
“The locals aren’t so bad.” Tristan’s gaze drifted toward the cabin where Dianna played in the snow with Mathew.
“You said you hired Grace? How is she doing?”
Shane rubbed his jaw and glanced back toward the main building. “Hard to say. She started about a week ago. She’s quiet. I’m not sure she’s going to be a good fit.”
Tristan’s brows furrowed. “Oh?”
“Yeah. We have a few clients scheduled to arrive next week, and I was going to have her be assigned to one of them. But I might have to reconsider. The client in question seems a little rough around the edges.”
He gave Shane a wry smile. “You know better than anyone that the Callahan women are forces to be reckoned with. Just because Grace is the youngest and she’s the quietest, doesn’t mean she can’t hold her own. Think about it. She had to stick up for herself in that household.”
Shane arched a brow. “True, but she just turned twenty-one. Do you honestly see her being willing to put her foot down when the client doesn’t want her help?”
“Exactly what kind of client are you describing? I thought you focused on helping kids like Mathew here.”
“I do. But equine therapy has the potential to help so many more demographics. I don’t want to turn anyone away who might need help.”
“What kind of client are you assigning to Grace?” Tristan shot a look in Dianna’s direction. He got this sense that Shane was worried about something serious. If there was even a chance that Grace wasn’t going to be able to handle it, Dianna wouldn’t be afraid to step in and have a word with Shane. “You’re not suggesting that this client could be dangerous.”
“No. Of course not.”
“Then why do you seem so nervous?”
Shane blew out a long, slow breath. “He’s a US Military veteran.”
“Oh. I heard about that. Weren’t you doing some kind of group session thing? Why would you have to assign him to Grace?”
“Because he doesn’t do well around other people.”
That’s when all the pieces came together. Tristan’s mouth dropped open and his brows pulled together. “And you thought the best person to set him with would be Grace? She’s barely trained. What were you thinking?”
“There’s no one else I can team him with. This guy doesn’t trust easily. Anyone I could assign him to would be a hard sell anyway. I thought that Grace’s meek attitude might be something that would help him relax a little.”
Tristan dragged a hand down his face. Shane was right to be concerned. This didn’t sound good at all, “If he doesn’t like people, then why is he even coming out here to get therapeutic services?”
“It was court-ordered.”
For the second time, Tristan felt like he’d been slugged in the chest. “You can’t be serious. A court-ordered therapy? You realize people who don’t want to have therapy aren’t the most amicable in the first place.”
“That’s what I’m saying. I don’t know what I should do in this situation. Everyone else I have on staff can be argumentative. Have you met your fiancée?”
Tristan shot another look at Dianna.
Shane was right.
From the very beginning, Dianna had fought him on certain aspects. To pair someone who wasn’t willing to listen to her could be disastrous. He rubbed the back of his neck and returned his focus to Shane. “You want a suggestion?”
