One More Storm (Mistletoe Matchmakers of Clearwater County #6) - Bonnie R. Paulson
Chapter 1
Amanda
Fidgeting with the tassels on her brown and blue scarf, Amanda took a deep breath and looked around the unassuming office building.
She’d never been inside a therapist’s business place before. Were the walls supposed to be neutral and almost boring in color? Or the fake Ficus plants supposed to look so falsely cheery? Nothing about the dull cushions or the worn carpet made her feel comforted. Was that part of the strategy?
Someone must have recently heated something in the microwave somewhere with the lingering scent of a stew or casserole wafting around Amanda and a few of the other people sitting in the gray and blue tweed style lobby chairs. Her stomach growled, reminding her she hadn’t eaten all day because of nerves.
It wasn’t every day someone signed up for therapy.
Over twenty of the flat backed seats had been set up along the periphery of the large room with sporadic lines stretching toward the desks on the opposite side of the entrance doorways separating the lobby space into smaller waiting areas.
Biting the soft inner skin of her cheek, Amanda shifted on the seat and cast another anxious glance in the direction of the empty reception desk.
A small white sign read, “At lunch. Back at one.” At one. It was 1:01.
At just that moment, a smartly dressed woman in a white blouse and black pencil skirt sauntered from somewhere behind her desk and claimed her seat. She tucked the sign away, putting a headset on and signing onto the computer. Her professional smile was already in place. She notably avoided looking at anyone in the waiting area, like she didn’t dare bring on the influx that would surely follow.
Amanda suddenly didn’t want to approach the desk and talk about what she needed. This wasn’t like some standard doctor visit. She didn’t want to get to know the receptionist who, while appearing very friendly, didn’t seem overly warm. Maybe they grew them differently in Colby, Montana, or maybe Amanda was just looking for something to dislike so she could back out. Either option was very plausible.
Shaking her head, Amanda stood and turned toward the doors. Talking herself out of staying and filling out the paperwork wasn’t hard. Just how badly did she want to get therapy? Not at all, actually. In fact, she was only there because her family had encouraged her to do something. Anything to help her make sense of what was happening.
Her phone buzzed in her hand as she reached the door to the exterior lobby of the large office building. Glancing at the screen, Amanda wrinkled her nose. She grinned tightly and swiped the screen. “Taylor. How’s it going?”
“You’re leaving the office, aren’t you? I had a feeling you might want to bolt. I think you should know that this is good for you. Therapy is going to help you deal with all of this a lot better than if you try to take it on by yourself. You understand that, right?” Amanda’s sister’s voice was consoling while also being on the closer side of challenging.
Amanda released the door handle and turned back, pressing her lips into a thin line. “I’m waiting to talk to the receptionist. I wasn’t leaving or anything else. I know I need this.” Amanda rolled her eyes as she blatantly lied – they both knew she lied – but Taylor didn’t call her on it. Good thing. The call ended with Taylor laughing about something one of her twins was doing.
Tucking her phone into her pocket, Amanda looked up, straight into the eyes of the receptionist who arched an eyebrow as she studied Amanda. “Can I help you?” Professional. For some reason, the woman’s attitude struck Amanda as offsetting, but Taylor’s nagging call still rang in her ears.
Stepping up to the desk, Amanda smiled tightly. “I need some paperwork. I have a consultation today. The name is Amanda Dean.” She shifted her feet. She didn’t want to be there. She didn’t want to talk to a stranger about her problems. How could she trust anyone with her secrets?
“Of course. Here’s your paperwork and the last page is the list of therapists we have on staff. We’ll put you with an onboarding consultation today, but most likely that will be who you continue seeing. We don’t like to move patients around from their therapists. Do you have a preference on a male or female?” The woman finished her spiel like she’d said it a hundred times a day for the last decade even though