Page 128 of Penalty to the Heart

“No.” I shake my head. “This doesn’t have anything to do with Gregg. Or maybe it does. Honestly, I don’t know anymore.”

His brows furrow at my erratic state, which is to be expected since I’m usually the voice of reason.

“I messed up, Rex. I really messed up.”

“You?” He smiles warmly. “I highly doubt it.”

“I did. I really did. And now… I might lose my job over it.”

Rex’s expression turns serious with my statement.

“What happened?”

I tell him everything, from start to finish.

Rex—God bless him—doesn’t interrupt once as I explain how my relationship with Caleb was always complicated from the start. How I felt some kind of kinship for him. Whether I initially knew it or not, there was always this pull between us. Something that called out to me whenever I was in his presence. Either it was his grief that struck a chord inside me or just blatant physical attraction. I’m not sure. All I know is that when he was at his lowest point, I couldn’t stomach it, needing to ease his suffering in any way I could.

And now… now I’m just as lost as he ever was.

“I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do. Should I tell Trent? Should I just walk right up to him and tell him the whole truth, let the cards fall where they may? Or do I take Caleb up on his offer and pretend that nothing happened between us? Can I even give Caleb impartial advice when I feel anything but?”

“Those are a lot of questions, Roxanne.” Rex frowns. “And I’m afraid only you have the answers to them. What does your gut tell you?”

“That I should go to Trent.”

“Then do that. Trent will understand. Of that, I have no doubt.”

“Are you sure? Trent isn’t exactly the understanding type.”

“Best he hears it from you, rather than from someone else,” Rex warns. “We both know how he’d overreact then.”

That’s true.

Trent might not like the fact that I slept with one of his players while said player was a patient of mine, but he’d be furious if he got blindsided by the truth coming out before he learned about it.

“In the meantime, I say the best thing for you to do is not engage with Donovan if you can avoid it. From what you just told me, it seems like he’s a man on a mission, and he won’t easily give up, no matter how hard you try to discourage him. Though, I’m not surprised, really. I saw how he looked at you at my party the other night. He’s completely besotted.”

“He’s unreasonable, is what he is,” I grumble, hating how my heart skipped yet another beat by Rex’s description of Caleb’s feelings for me.

“Well, whatever he is, I’m glad he’s appeared in your life.” Rex laughs.

“Glad?” I retort in shock. “How can you be glad? Do I have to remind you of the dilemma I’m in?”

“Yes, I’m fully aware of your predicament, but I’m sure you’ll find a solution for all of it. When I say that I’m glad that Donovan came into your life, it’s because I’ve never seen you talk about anyone with such fervor. The boy, for all his faults, has managed to do something I didn’t think possible—getting under your skin, sweet girl. That alone should tell you that your feelings for him aren’t just based on physical attraction, as you so put it. There’s something there, Roxanne. And I wish you’d allow yourself to find out what that something is. A couple of years back, you never would have entertained such strong feelings. That’s growth.”

“Or betrayal.”

“Ah, so it seems we have arrived at the true heart of the matter.” He frowns. “You feel that having feelings for someone that isn’t Gregg is a betrayal of his memory.”

“In part,” I admit.

“And do you think living like a ghost is something that would make Gregg happy?”

“Pot, kettle, Rex. Pot, kettle,” I reply with a sigh.

“Ah, see, that’s where we differ. I’m leaving Boston in a couple of days so I can finally start honoring my Martha by living my life to its fullest. Take it from me, sweet girl. The dead make for terrible bedfellows. You are far too young to close yourself off in such a way.”

“Debatable,” I mumble, not having the strength to argue with such a dear friend.

---