by Dawn Brower
A smile lit her face. “I don’t always know what’s going through my head. But I’ll try to make sure you’re not the last person to know what’s going on these days. Which reminds me...” She bit her lip. “Ren and I set a wedding date. You’re going to be there, right?”
“Would I miss your wedding?” He raised an eyebrow. “Come on, free food and alcohol. Who’d pass that up?”
She slapped his arm. “I’d like you to be more than a mooching guest. I’d like you to be a part of the ceremony.”
It was his turn to raise an eyebrow. “I absolutely refuse to get on board with that male maid of honor nonsense people are doing these days. I’m not going to be your best person.”
Dani laughed so hard she had to wrap her arm around her stomach. She held up a hand and said, “No,” through breathless cackling. She hiccupped a few times and then did her best to stand upright. Her back hit the wall and she slid to the floor. “I can’t.” Another ripple of laugher filled the hallway as her head fell between her knees through gasps of air.
“It’s not that funny.” Matt said with irritation. “Why are you on the floor?”
She lifted her head. Her face was beet red and tears fell from her eyes. Matt had never seen her laugh so hard in his entire life. It was a sight to see. Damn, he’d missed her. She was the absolute best friend he’d ever had. He fought a grin, and the laughter threatening to spill out of him. Dani took a deep breath and said, “This picture of you in a bridesmaid dress filled my head and I couldn’t let it go. I think you should do it. You’d make a lovely maid of honor.” She gazed up at him with false sincerity. “Quite beautiful, and you’d steal the show.”
His mouth opened and snapped shut several times. After a moment, he shook his head and said, “No. Now if you’re done making fun of me, do you want to tell me what you actually had in mind?”
“I rather like your idea better.” A huge grin remained firmly on her face. “It has merit. Don’t dismiss it out of hand.”
His brows snapped together as he glared down at her. “I don’t think so, Brosen.”
“Fine,” she acceded. “Help me up.”
“You managed to get down there by yourself,” he said. “I think you can find a way up the same way.”
He missed this side of his best friend. They’d had too much tragedy of late. He looked forward to her wedding, and he’d willingly play any part she asked him. Even if it was wearing a gorilla suit and dancing around like a moron, and yes, he’d even wear a dress if it kept a smile on her face. He’d not tell her that though. Why open himself up to embarrassment if he could avoid it? Matt hoped it wasn’t as bad as all that though. Dani wouldn’t do anything untoward.
She stood up and said smoothly, “I’d like you to become ordained and marry us.”
That wasn’t what he’d thought she’d say. Him? An ordained minister? That was...odd. But for her he’d consider anything. She’d been his rock when his world fell apart. Between Dani and Claire, they’d kept him grounded. There wasn’t much he wouldn’t do for either one of them.
“I’ll look into it, and if it’s possible I’ll do it.”
She leaped into his arms and gave him another bear hug. “I knew I could count on you. Now go to your appointment before they cancel it entirely.”
He’d forgotten about the damn shrink. Matt glanced at his watch, nodded at Dani, and rushed away. Dr. Adams would be in her right to cancel it. He hoped she didn’t though. When he got there, he apologized profusely to the receptionist. She stared at him and calmly told him to take a seat. It looked like he’d been relegated to the naughty chair. “I’ll inform Dr. Adams you’re here, but she’s with another patient. You were late, so she moved up someone who knows how to arrive early.”
“It’s all right. I know I’m behind schedule. I’ll wait.” Matt settled into a comfortable chair, picked up a nearby magazine, and settled in for the duration. It couldn’t take that long...
***
Claire ran her fingers down her skirt, smoothing it down evenly. Why had she let Matt keep her panties? A flush filled her at the idea of him carrying them around all day. It would be exciting to go commando the rest of the day. She’d never done anything so wicked in her entire life. She glanced at the clock and frowned. He hadn’t texted her to tell her he was on his way back yet. It’d been forever since he’d left. At this rate, she’d have to head home and wait for him there. She couldn’t very well stay at the office all damn day.
Claire glanced down at the package she’d received. The one with the white negligee—she should have disposed of it sooner. The white roses screamed at her for attention too. The two gifts had slipped her mind with the craziness of the day. Maybe she should do something with them now that they were staring back at her. It was so damn creepy that someone had sent anything to her—and the more she looked at the package the more uneasy she felt. Something about the gifts didn’t sit right with her. Why hadn’t they signed the note or taken credit for giving them to her? What did the person who sent them have to hide? Maybe it didn’t matter and she was over-thinking the whole situation. Either way—whoever did wasn’t someone she wanted to associate with. If they had been from Matt, he’d have made it clear. The gift had come with a crazy note that left chills running down her spine, and the roses were unidentified, but surely they came from the same person. She picked up the package and frowned. Maybe the roses could be donated to a nursing home or a shelter. She sure as hell didn’t want either one. As far as she was concerned, both could be thrown away. Should she throw it away in the office or take it home and do it?
In the office—she didn’t like the idea of carting any of it to her home, or even Matt’s. She didn’t want to taint it with the ugliness the negligee and roses represented. The cleaning company Matt and Dani hired would have them disposed of before they returned to work for the next day. They were quite efficient in emptying the trash and keeping the office free of debris. Claire tossed the entire package and vase of flowers in the trash can and considered it a decision well made.
She headed toward her desk and settled in. Even if it killed her, she’d get some work done. Concentrating after Matt left had proved damn near impossible. Still, she’d managed to e-mail Dani the details about the second interview with Olivia West, organize some closed cases, and research a land development deal that Matt had been working on before his accident. The company had time to make a decision and didn’t want to work with a new attorney. Now that Matt was back in the office he could finish his work on it.
Her phone buzzed on her desk. The vibration startled her from the motion she’d been proofreading. Claire picked it up and frowned. “Damn it,” she cursed. It wasn’t news she’d wanted. Matt had been too late for his appointment and had to wait for an opening. He said he’d make it up to her later. How, she didn’t know, but it looked like she’d could go home and wait.
Or not...
She could find something else to do. But what? Matt hadn’t given her any indication how long he’d be. Amy had left the office an hour ago, so she was completely alone in the office. She sighed and decided to go home after all. There was a novel on her nightstand she could read, and if Matt finished on time they could do something later. If not, she’d call it a night and talk to him the next day.
She shot him a quick text telling him she was going home then packed up her office and turned down her lights. She headed out the door and stopped short when she ran into someone in the hallway. Her hand flew to her chest as she let out a shriek. “What the hell are you doing lurking outside my office?”
“I told you we needed to talk,” Nolan said. His face was contorted and it gave her chills. “You hung up on me.”
“I don’t have time for you,” she said and tried to push past him. He grabbed her and pulled her against him. “Let me go.”
“I can’t do that.” He leaned down and inhaled. “You always smell so divine.”
Claire shuddered. He was acting more bizarre than u
sual. Why was he so fixated on her lately? He’d thrown her aside a long time ago because Reese had been the one he wanted. Why was he acting like she was the one to kick him to the curb? Oh, how she wished she’d never dated him. Nolan was the one black mark on her past she regretted.
“You’re insane,” she retorted. “Why are you here?”
None of this made any damn sense. Had he fallen and hit his head? What was he thinking coming here and cornering her like this? Her heart quickened and a thousand sensations filled her stomach. Every nerve in her body came on full alert. Why had she texted Matt she was going home?
“I miss you. Why do you keep pushing me away?” His voice was full of awe and a hint of something she didn’t want to touch on. He even sounded a little crazy. “Did you get my gifts?”
Maybe because he was a man-pig? What gifts was he talking about? Drat. So the flowers had been from him... “You’re in a relationship with my sister. If I needed a reason other than you’re a cheating bastard, that one would be high on my list. Hell, even if I wanted you, that would stop me. But you should know I haven’t lost my mind recently, so I’m not about to have anything to do with you for any reason regardless.” She tried to jerk her arm free, but he kept a tight grip on it.
“You run and run and run. Every time I come near you. I can’t have that anymore.”
Was he talking nonsense now? Yes, she kept her distance from him, but Claire didn’t run. She didn’t have to. He’d pushed her out of his life in favor of Reese. This was all too much, and she had to find a way to get away from the lunatic holding her hostage. “I don’t have time for this. I’m only going to say this one more time. Let me go, damn it. I have better things to do than entertain your idiocy.”
“You’re prettier and prettier every time I catch you. Can you put the white negligee on now? I want to see how it looks on you.” He brushed his hand over the side of Claire’s face. “I bet you will look lovely laying on top of the roses.”
Claire gulped back as uneasiness filled her. A sudden realization hit her and she didn’t like where her mind was wandering. It couldn’t be... Nolan was a jerk, but he didn’t... Did he? That nightgown had been so odd, and he said he sent it to her. What did it mean?
“How many times have you caught me?” she asked wearily.
“I’ve lost count,” he said as he pinned her against the wall. “This is the last time though. I finally have the real you. The others were practice for the finale.”
Shit. Nolan was certifiably insane. No wonder she fit the profile of the women being attacked. She was the one that was the object of his fantasies. Nolan was the one hurting all those women. Claire was sick to her stomach with the knowledge. How could she not have seen it sooner, but more importantly, how was she going to escape? He had her tightly in his grip and she couldn’t see a way out.
She closed her eyes and prayed a solution would come to her or she’d not make it through the night. A tear fell down her cheek. If Matt were coming back to the office... No, she couldn’t depend on him to save her. She’d have to do something to save herself.
“Don’t cry.” Nolan licked the tear off her cheek. “We’re together again, and I’ll make it so good for you.”
Oh, God...
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
“Hello, Mr. Price,” Dr. Marlee Adams said. “Please have a seat.”
Matt sat in a nearby black leather chair. He turned his attention to the doctor and took note of her appearance. She had sable-brown hair and honey-brown eyes. She was quite lovely and serene in composure. Maybe that was a psychiatrist thing? Did they train them to remain as still as possible with a blank expression on their face? If so, Marlee Adams had nailed that part of her education.
He fidgeted in his seat, waiting for her to say something. Wasn’t she supposed to shrink him or something? “How does this work?”
“I have read over your case. Dr. Sousa was quite thorough with your care. He’s also astute in his assessment of your dilemma.” She steepled her fingers together. “I was under the assumption your eyesight was still evading you. Can you tell me when and what changed that?” She smiled warmly as she picked up a yellow pad of paper and a pen.
“I’m not certain...” He let out a breath. “Ren explained he believed it was all mental. I didn’t consider that might be my problem until he mentioned it.” Matt tapped the chair with his forefinger. “Once he put that seed in my head, I started to push it and concentrate. It happened—I don’t know, rather suddenly.”
“I see.” She wrote something down on her notepad.
What did she see? He didn’t understand a damn thing. “What?” He gulped. “Do you think I could lose my sight again?”
“I’m not certain.” She met his gaze. “I suppose it’s certainly a possibility. You have to come to terms with the reason you were mentally blocking your sight. Tell me, have you had nightmares?”
Was his dreams a part of the reason he’d been blind longer than he should have? The accident continued to haunt him. It had almost ruined his life. The horror still sat with him. If he thought too hard about it his breath seized inside of him and he fought for control. He didn’t like the idea of that fear controlling him for the rest of his life.
“I have had dreams periodically since the accident,” he replied. “How does that play into my issue?”
She remained quiet for a few moments. When she finally spoke, her voice was smooth and reassuring. “Your fears manifest inside your dreams. The mind is a funny thing. It does what it needs to, and keeps us in a state that makes it possible for us to continue functioning. The dreams might have been a way to ease your fears out slowly until you were ready to face them.”
She set her pad of paper and pen on a nearby table and focused on him. “We’ve only begun to discuss what your problem is. It’s my belief that you’re a long way from being cured—for lack of a better word. This isn’t going to be settled in one therapy session.” She picked up her pad of paper again, wrote on it, and then set it down on her lap. “I’d like you to see me every other week. Throughout those sessions we’ll be able to ferret out what your deepest fears are and what caused your blindness to remain after everything medically could be done for you.”
That seemed reasonable, but Matt still didn’t like it. He’d hoped that the doctor would say he was fine. Wasn’t the fact that his sight had returned a good thing? It had to be. He wouldn’t accept anything less. “I guess I don’t understand why I have to continue coming in. Didn’t I face my fears already? I mean, I can see now. Why isn’t that enough?”
She stopped writing on her pad of paper and gave him her attention. “You haven’t faced them though. You just think you did. Whatever held you back is still lingering deep inside of you. Until you come to terms with it, there is always the possibility they will return. What will you do when or if that happens?”
Matt considered what she said and had to admit, at least partially, she was right. What would he do if he lost his vision again? In truth, he had no idea what he would do. He prayed to God he’d never have to face that situation. He wasn’t sure he would be able to handle it if his sight was taken from him a second time. The entire time he battled with that loss he’d been a complete ass. He’d almost lost the woman he loved by pushing her out of his life. He’d made a lot of mistakes, and he didn’t ever want to make them again. For that reason alone, he’d continue with the therapy. Clearly he had a lot of issues he needed to work through. This session was only a starting point, and more of an introductory than a session to find out what was rooted inside of him. From what the doctor inferred, it would take several meetings for that to come to fruition. He wasn’t exactly looking forward to bleeding his emotions, but if it made him healthy and whole he’d do it.
“All right,” Matt agreed. “I’ll continue with therapy. If you think it’s for the best I can’t argue with it. My sight may have returned, but I don’t want to take a chance it might go away again. I’m willing to do whatever is necess
ary to make that never happen to me again.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” she said and ripped a slip of paper from her pad. “Give this to my secretary and she’ll schedule appointments for you over the next couple of months. I look forward to working with you.”
Matt nodded and stood. He grabbed the paper from her and left her office. Maybe coming in to see her wasn’t as bad as he’d thought it would be. Still, he had plans with the woman he loved, and he didn’t want to dally too long at the hospital. He made quick work of the doctor’s instructions, scheduled his appointments, and left so he could join Claire.
***
Matt pulled his car into the parking lot outside of his office. The meeting with the shrink had gone better than expected. Even if Dr. Adams had stared disapprovingly at him when she first called him back to her office—they talked—or rather Matt did most of the talking. She asked so many questions, and many he didn’t know how to answers. All in all, it was good though. Sure, he left without understanding a damn thing, but he expected that. The Doctor said it would take a while for him to come to any definitive conclusions. Her recommendation was to continue therapy and find the root of his issues. She suspected he had some underlying emotional trauma from the accident and that was his deterring factor. His nightmares were a huge clue. The therapist was probably right and he had a long way to go before he was fully recovered. The idea of losing his sight again terrified him. What would he do if he lost it again? He shuddered at the thought and shook it away.
He leaned over and grabbed his phone off of the seat. He hadn’t dared look at it while he was driving. One horrible car accident in his life was enough to make him take every precaution necessary. The phone buzzed in his hands. He flipped it over as a second notification of a text message flashed on the screen. He swiped his finger across it and read the message from Claire. He looked over and frowned. Her vehicle was still in the lot, so she probably hadn’t had a chance to leave yet. After a moment of considering his options, he decided to go inside and see her. It could take her a little while longer to wrap up and come outside. If he went in, he could rush her out the door and take her to dinner as promised. He opened his car door and slid out.