Page 27 of Rescuing Ryder

“Kassie, don’t you feel it might be weird if I join you? I see you as your therapist and it grays the lines between us,” she advised.

Kassie bit her lip as she thought about Claire’s reasoning. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure. Why don’t we head to the kitchen? Can I offer you anything to drink?” Claire asked as she led the way.

“No. I’m meeting the gang shortly. I’m thinking of using a new therapist,” she admitted as she sat at the bar.

Claire stopped and stared at the woman she saw weekly in her office. “Did I do something to make you decide to switch?”

Kassie shook her head. “I’ve given this some thought. We’ll see each other more in a social setting now because you live here. I want our time together to feel more like a friendship than a patient-and-doctor relationship.”

“I appreciate your thoughtfulness. If you want, I can refer you to another psychiatrist. However, because of our unique situation of you and Chase acting as my boss, I don’t feel it appropriate to see each other in social settings unless it concerns fundraising or something for the hospital,” Claire informed her professionally.

Kassie’s eyes widened at Claire’s statement. “Claire, we worked together at Seattle Health before Chase recruited you here. I thought we remained on friendly terms,” she confessed, astonished.

“Neither of you acted as my boss in Seattle. Now, I answer to both of you. I don’t want to blur the lines of our professionalism,” she explained.

Kassie bit her bottom lip before nodding. “I’m sorry to have bothered you. I need to get going.” She slid from her seat and walked toward the door. Claire opened it as they neared. Kassie stepped out of the doorway and turned toward Claire. “If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to call us.”

“Thank you. I will,” Claire closed the door.

Kassie drove to meet the women of Serenity and thought about Claire. They seemed on the edge of friendship when she worked with her in Seattle. Yes, as the hospital’s founders, she and Chase held the title of ‘boss,’ but rarely felt a need to enforce it. Everyone loved working at the facility, and they barely experienced a turnover rate among employees. When she returned home, she planned to discuss the situation with Chase and see if he might have any insights into why Claire turned down her offer of friendship with the Serenity women. Clairenever seemed to attend the functions, always offering an excuse. Now Kassie began to wonder why.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Claire sat on her back porch with a glass of wine and tried to relax. Dr. Klein’s secretary called and said she received a communication from him stating he experienced a family emergency and requested her to clear his schedule for the next two weeks. Knowing his mother suffered from dementia, Claire assumed he spent time with her. Her warning about David Kilner would have to wait until he returned. Detective Stewart called to reassure her the man she considered a threat remained locked up in the mental ward. Somehow, she didn’t feel confident in his claim.

She read the page of her book for the tenth time and sipped her drink while watching the sun dip between the mountains, usually her favorite time of day. Now, she dreaded the pitch black of night. She searched among the bushes to see what hid in them, her imagination getting the best of her. Every creak, clatter, or sound of the wind made her jumpy.

She became so absorbed in thinking about her problem that she didn’t hear the screen door open and shut. When she glanced up, she let out a terrified scream and threw her wine glass at the intruder as she darted for the door. Two strong armsgrabbed her from behind as she reached the entrance, and she clutched them desperately, fighting to escape his hold.

“Claire, it’s me. It’s Ryder. Damn it, stop screaming. Your neighbors will think I’m attacking you,” he commanded.

At the sound of his voice, she stopped struggling. “Stop scaring me. You can’t sneak up on people and expect them not to yell,” she retorted. Her body still trembled in fear and she crossed her arms, hoping he didn’t notice.

Ryder frowned as he carefully regarded her. “I called your name out twice and you didn’t answer. Your doorbell doesn’t work and when you didn’t answer, I assumed you sat on your porch,” he explained.

Sighing as she slowed her heart rate, she opened the door and entered the kitchen. She grabbed some towels and a broom to clean up the spilled wine and broken glass. Her hands shook as she retrieved the items, and Ryder blocked her way.

His shirt, now covered in red wine, stuck to his skin. Ryder’s mouth firmed in a straight line and he narrowed his eyes at her. “You want to tell me what’s going on?”

“I started a new book, and you startled me. I didn’t expect anyone to come into my backyard,” she divulged shakily. “You gotta stop sneaking up on me. Give me your shirt and I’ll throw it in the wash. I’m sorry I threw the wine at you.”

He unbuttoned his soaked shirt while she held her hand out to take it to the laundry room. He sat on the stool while she started the washer and returned.

“I set it on a quick wash. It won’t take long,” she shared with him as she grabbed the towels and the broom. Ryder followed her back to the porch and held the dustpan. She swept up the pieces of glass and threw them into the garbage. Claire soaked up the remaining wine on the floor, thankful she hadn’t picked a rug for the area yet, and it only soaked into the concrete. In the morning, she’d take the water hose and wash it off.

Claire bent to pick up a piece of jagged glass when another piece stabbed her palm, causing her to cry out. Ryder knelt and grabbed her hand, applying pressure.

“Geez, Claire. I think I’ve patched you up more in the last few days than I did the clumsiest guy on my team. Let’s go into the kitchen and let me clean the glass out of it.”

“It’s fine, I’ll do it. Why did you come here? I postponed our session until tomorrow.” She hissed as blood seeped into the towel.

Ignoring her, he led her back to the kitchen and held out a stool for her to sit. “Keep pressure on it until I return.”

“Where are you going?” she asked as he walked into her bedroom.

“To pull out your first aid chest. You need to put this in the kitchen where it’s more accessible,” he called as he dug into her cabinet under the sink. Pulling out the big plastic tub, he returned to the kitchen.

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