TO DIE FOR (Eva Rae Thomas Mystery Book 8) - Willow Rose Page 0,6

urgent desperation as it rushed through my veins. This couldn’t be right. She couldn’t have heard me right. “It’s your daughter. She had a child. She needs her parents more than anything right now.”

“I don’t have a daughter anymore. Just leave. Please.”

And just like that, she slammed the door shut in my face. I stood back, staring at the palm trees cut into it, suppressing my desire to kick down the door, grab her by the neck, and drag her with me to the hospital, or at least shake some sense into her.

How could anyone be this cruel?

I knew the feeling of rejection a little too well from my own mother when I was Amy’s age, and I think that is why it angered me so much and why I made the decision I did.

Chapter 5

Then:

“You’re alone today?”

Lynn looked at Jeffrey questioningly. He sat down on the couch, his hands folded in his lap. He seemed like a completely changed man, so different from the cocky guy with the handsome smirk she had gotten used to. He was still in an expensive suit, but it couldn’t hide the fact that he seemed like a broken man. Lynn felt worried and sat up straight in her chair.

“Where is Joanna?”

His eyes didn’t meet hers yet. They stared at his shoes, and his fingers fiddled with the edge of his suit jacket.

“Jeffrey?”

Finally, he lifted his gaze and looked into her eyes. Her heart sank when seeing the hurt in them.

“What happened? Can you tell me about it? Take your time if you have to. Settle down.”

He sighed and fought his tears. The sight made Lynn feel so incredibly worried for him. This was a completely different Jeffrey than she had ever seen during their sessions. And if she was honest with herself, it woke some strong maternal feelings inside her. She felt an urge to protect him, to care for him.

“She left me,” he said with a sniffle. “I’m sorry.”

He reached for the box of Kleenex on the small table between them, then used one to wipe his eyes.

“Why do you say you’re sorry?” Lynn asked.

He scoffed. “You must think I’m a total mess. It’s not like I’m the first guy to be dumped in the world, right?”

Lynn couldn’t take her eyes off of Jeffrey. Somehow, seeing his vulnerability had triggered something inside her, something profound that she struggled to understand. Gone was the alpha-male, the grin, and the constant flirt, but it didn’t make him less attractive. Not by any means.

“You’re right about that, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt. Let’s help you work through this. Tell me what happened,” Lynn said. “When did she leave you?”

Jeffrey moaned lightly. He was shifting in his seat. “The day after we were here last time. We had a huge fight when we got home, and then she packed her bags and left. She said she went to her mother’s place, but I called there later when she wasn’t picking up her phone, and her mom said she wasn’t there. I haven’t spoken to her since that day. I keep calling her, but she doesn’t pick up. It’s driving me nuts.”

“Okay,” Lynn said. “So, you think she might be with another man?”

Jeffrey’s head jolted upright, and he stared at her. “Why? Do you think she is?”

Lynn took a deep breath.

His head slumped. “Of course not. You have no way of knowing that. I just… I always suspected that she might be seeing someone else.”

“So, there’s a jealousy matter there,” Lynn said, squinting her eyes at him. “Is that something you’d like to work on? In our future sessions?”

Jeffrey glared at her. “You mean that? I can come back even if she’s not with me?”

“Absolutely.”

He sighed and leaned back, a look of relief on his face.

“Thank you, Doc. You have no clue how much that means to me. I felt like I was going to die this past week. I know I can talk to you. I feel like we have a real trust-thing going on here.”

That made Lynn smile secretively. She felt that too, and she also felt that Jeffrey could be a good patient to work with, work through this break-up, while secretly suppressing that gnawing feeling inside of her that her motives for taking him on weren’t as honorable as she made them out to be.

Chapter 6

“I’m giving Amy and the baby your room. So, you and Olivia will have to share a room from now on,” I said as I drove