was happier now than when she came in. Julianne couldn’t ask for anything more than that.
* * *
Today, as he walked into Legal Aid, Seth thought about what Julianne looked like this morning after sex, her face flushed, her eyes gleaming. I love you, she’d said. I’ve always loved you.
That gave him the strength to do what he had to do today. He brought lattes in for his early morning meeting with Ellen and found her seated in her office at the small conference table. “I think you like latte, right?” He handed her the coffee and she sipped the strong brew.
“Absolutely. Thanks for thinking of me.”
He sat, they chatted a bit about his birthday weekend, beginning with the staff having a small celebration for him on Friday. “So, you want to talk about the Cordello case?”
“No, I’ll update you later about that. I have something personal to talk to you about first.”
“About the injuries you suffered?”
“No. I’m not even having dreams about the incident anymore.”
“Oh. Then what is it?”
“I want to talk to you about finding a therapist.”
“For who?”
“For me.”
“You said you—”
“It doesn’t concern Malone and my injuries. It concerns my love life.”
Ellen’s brows skyrocketed, then her eyes narrowed. “Julianne?”
The people at work had met her and knew she was his on-again-off-again girlfriend. “Yes. We’re back together. This time, I want it to be forever.”
“So, you want a couples’ counselor?”
“No, Ellen, one just for me. I’m the reason we haven’t been able to stay together. I want to change that.”
She shook her head. “You know, I always knew you were special. But to hear a man admit he needs help, well, it’s refreshing. You’re refreshing.”
“Thanks.”
“Do you want a man or woman?”
“A woman, I think.”
“Young or old?”
“Older than me. Maybe forties. Fifties”
“Let me call up our referral lists.”
He nudged his chair closer in front of her laptop and she scrolled through the type of counseling each one practiced. Afterward, Seth said, “I think Christina Bell. I’ve worked with her too.” He sighed. “She’ll be busy.”
“She might do this for me, though. We see each other socially with our husbands.”
“I hate to take anyone else’s spot.”
“She’ll fit you in. I’ll call her right after our morning meeting.” She glanced at the clock. “Which starts in five minutes.”
He stood. “Sure, I’ll go so you can review your notes.”
“Before you leave, know that courage doesn’t happen when you have all the answers. It happens when you’re ready to face the questions you’ve been avoiding all your life.”
“Wow, where’d you get that?”
“It’s one of my favorite quotes. By Shannon Adler.”
“Huh. Well, now it’s mine.”
Seth left his boss, feeling better than he thought he would. He’d taken the first step toward figuring out why he’d been such a shit to Julianne. And to help him never do it again.
* * *
Julianne gazed at Seth across the candlelit table in the corner of The Hidden Cove Inn. His face was relaxed, his hair a bit tousled and his smile broad.
“I’m so glad we came out for dinner,” she told him. “We have a lot to celebrate.”
“More than you know.”
“What do you mean?”
“I found a counselor today.” Seth’s expression was chagrinned. “I have an appointment next Sunday.”
“Oh Seth. I’m so glad. And don’t be worried. It’s for the best.” She was thoughtful. “It’s on Sunday? Therapists don’t usually work on weekends.”
“I confessed to Ellen that I needed her input into getting counseling for personal reasons. I didn’t tell her what, though.”
“She called in a favor?”
“Yep. But the woman, Christina Bell, can start seeing me on a weekday after that because she’s finishing up with a patient.”
Reaching over, she took his hand. “I love you, Seth, for doing this.”
He squeezed her fingers. “Let’s toast.” He lifted his beer. “To us.”
She clinked his glass with her Chardonnay. “To us.”
“Julianne? What the hell are you doing?”
Both she and Seth startled at the man who’d come up to their table. Jason Zyzeri. Her heart leapt in her chest at his appearance and she couldn’t speak.
Seth threw back his chair and stood. His expression was concern bordering on anger. “Who are you to approach us and yell like that?”
“I’m Julianne’s boyfriend.”
Seth recoiled. To his credit, he didn’t ask her if this was true. “Like hell you are.”
“We’ve been dating. And this is our place.” Jason faced her. His eyes were…wild. “I’ve been trying to get in touch with you.”
“You can stop calling her, too.” Seth kept his voice low, but now it was menacing. “She and I got back together.”
Jason locked his