* * *
Dr.
Lyle Petersen was tall, with neatly groomed gray hair and sharp yet kind denim blue eyes.
His office was tastefully decorated in neutral shades and his furniture was extremely comfortable, something I noted on every one of my visits to him.
It was a little weird for me to see him as my therapist now.
In the past, he'd met with me only as my mother's daughter.
He'd been my mom's shrink for the last couple of years.
I watched as he settled into the gray wingback chair across from the sofa Gideon and I sat on.
His keen gaze shifted between us, clearly noting how we'd each taken seats on opposite ends of the sofa, our stiff postures revealing our defensiveness.
We'd made the drive over in the same way.
Flipping open the cover of his tablet, Dr.
Petersen gripped his stylus and said, "Shall we start with the cause of the tension between you?" I waited a beat, to give Gideon a chance to speak first.
I wasn't terribly surprised when he just sat there, silent.
"Well .
in the last twenty-four hours I've met the fiancee I didn't know Gideon had - " "Ex-fiancee," Gideon growled.
" - I found out the reason he's dated brunettes exclusively is because of her - " "It wasn't dating."
" - and I caught her leaving his office after lunch looking like this - " I dug out my phone.
"She was leaving the building," Gideon bit out, "not my office."
I pulled up the picture and passed my phone over to Dr.
Petersen.
"And getting into your car, Gideon!" "Angus just told you before we got here that he saw her standing there, recognized her, and was being polite."
"Like he'd say anything different!" I shot back.
"He's been your driver since you were a kid.
Of course he'd cover your ass."
"Oh, it's a conspiracy now?" "What was he doing there, then?" I challenged.
"Driving me to lunch."
"Where? I'll just verify you were there and she wasn't, and we'll get that part out of the way."
Gideon's jaw clenched.
"I told you.
I had an unexpected appointment.