his gaze and slowly nodded. “Okay. Thanks.”
Tommy smiled to soften the intensity of the moment. “It sounds like this woman isn’t your favorite person.”
Amanda’s answering laugh was surprised and she shook her head. “No. She’s definitely not.”
“I’m sorry. That’s not something anyone wants to have to deal with. I’m sorry it’s happened to you.” Tommy tapped his pencil on the paper and offered a moment of silence for Amanda to process what she was dealing with and to clear up her tears.
He wasn’t going to point attention toward her sadness. She didn’t strike him as someone who wore her vulnerabilities on her sleeve.
Which made him like her even more. She was strong but not so strong that she didn’t feel things. And she seemed comfortable enough around him to show her true emotions.
What would happen when she found out the truth about him? He couldn’t be a therapist forever and he wouldn’t have any reason to stick around Mistletoe when he was finished with the case.
Somehow, he’d ended up riding the bucking bronco when all he’d wanted to do was visit the farm.
Chapter 12
Amanda
“Do you think I’m fixable?” Amanda’s teasing tone couldn’t be denied and yet, she meant the question with all the seriousness she could muster.
She felt broken and destroyed. She felt like she’d been cast away when she hadn’t even known it and now that the truth was there. She didn’t want to face it and that made it even harder to bear.
Tommy pulled back, the dark waves of his hair casting small shadows across his forehead and eyes. He took a deep breath while holding Amanda’s gaze with his. “Amanda…”
She spoke fast, cutting him off with a shaky smile. “It’s okay. I mean, it’s fine, if I’m not fixable. You can just say it. Don’t worry about sparing my feelings. I can handle it.” And she could, couldn’t she? It’s not like she didn’t know she was broken. The information wasn’t exactly classified.
Tommy arched his eyebrow and waited for her to finish. “What I was going to say is, you’re not broken. Not any more than the rest of us. All you need to do is learn to cope with the new circumstances. You have a ton of puzzle pieces and they’re all waiting to be put together. That’s why you’re here with me. We can put you back together.” The sincerity in his eyes left Amanda feeling whole and more than a little warm.
Did all of his patients feel that way when he reassured them? How many patients did he have? Were any of them pretty?
Amanda shifted on her chair, uncomfortable with the stab of jealousy shooting through her chest.
“You really don’t think I’m broken? My mom…” Amanda didn’t want to call her that, but that’s what it came down to. Her mom and the actions of her mother.
“Your mom sounds awful. I promise I’ll never sugarcoat anything for you. She sounds horrible and like you’re better off not having her in your life, but that’s not why we’re here. We’re not talking about why your mother is an awful person. We’re figuring out what part of your life is affected by the truth coming out and how much power it’s going to have over the rest of your life. Because that’s essentially what it comes down to. What’s going on in your life and how can you fix it? Not you. You’re not broken. But the situation you’re in needs to be addressed.” He offered a side smile, his gaze never deviating from her face.
Emboldened by the confidence in his tone, Amanda sat up straighter in her chair and nodded enthusiastically. “You’re right. I can take charge of my life. I don’t have to react, I can act. I like that.” She considered Tommy and the way his sweater added to the masculinity of the breadth of his shoulders. “Hey, do you have plans for dinner tonight?”
As soon as the question left her lips Amanda regretted it. She closed her eyes and held up a hand. After a second, she reopened her eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I know… That was, of course, totally inappropriate.” Amanda rushed on before Tommy could say anything. “I’m… I’m just alone right now and I know you’re kind of alone and I thought… I just thought maybe you’d want to get something to eat. I mean…” Whew, her heart was pounding and Amanda felt like she couldn’t catch her breath.
What was she doing? Of course, it