Page 1 of Barry

CHAPTER 1

Barry Marks sat in his truck outside Dr. Wheeler’s office. His scarred hand stroked the thick fur of his little Sheltie dog. He wasn’t going to leave her at the ranch alone, and it was too hot in the truck to leave her unattended, so she was going to the appointment with him. If Doc Wheeler didn’t like it, he’d walk out.

“Ready, girl?” He whispered the question, and Honey was on her feet. The fact she’d been poisoned recently didn’t seem to bother her at all. Well, it sure as hell bothered him, and that, plus a multitude of other reasons, was why he’d made the extra appointment with Doc Wheeler. “All right. Come on.”

He opened the door, and the dog jumped out of the seat and waited for him as he took the time to lock his truck. Itwasn’t something that was done around Hollister, but he was over some fuckwad out there messing with him.

He glanced up at the bluff behind the town where a murder had taken place not long ago. It wasn’t the first dead body he’d seen. Unfortunately, it was, however, the first murder scene he’d helped investigate. And what he found there … well, that was the real reason for talking with the doc today.

He and Honey walked up the steps, and when he opened the door, Doc Wheeler turned to look at him with a smile. “Well, look at that. You’re on time.”

That comment hit Barry wrong, and he reacted. He snarled at the doctor and shot back, “You say that like I’m not punctual at other times.” Barry sighed. “Damn it. I’m sorry. I know that wasn’t what you meant. I’m on edge. A sharp edge.”

Doc Wheeler glanced down at Honey. “You’re always on time, Barry. I was making a joke. Your defenses are up today, aren’t they? The exercises I’ve given you aren’t helping?”

“Yeah, none of it. That’s why I’m here. I’m drowning.”

“No, you're doing exactly what you need to do. You made an appointment. You recognized your tipping point and made a positive choice. Who do we have here?”

“My dog. This is Honey.”

“Ah, the famous little fighter.”

“Yeah, some bastard tried to poison her with anti-freeze. Doc Kate saved her.” His blood pressure spiked atthe thought of what some bastard had done to her. He clenched his fists and jaw, trying to let the anger dissipate the way Doc Wheeler had been teaching him, but it was hard.

The doc bent down and extended his hand. “Hello, sweetie.”

Honey’s rear end nearly wagged off as she tentatively walked up to the doctor. “I couldn’t leave her unattended at the ranch, and it's too hot to keep her in the truck outside. If she can’t be in here, I’ll come back another time.”

“She can stay. I’ll just make sure to close the door that goes to the clinic. Zeke and Stephanie wouldn’t be happy with a critter running loose in that portion of the building.” Doc Wheeler stood up after giving Honey a couple of scritches and motioned into his office. “Have a seat. I’ll meet you there in a second.”

Barry headed into the office with Honey right beside him, and when he sat in the chair, she jumped up onto his lap. A moment later, Doc Wheeler came in, shutting the door behind him. Then he sat down across from him and leaned forward. “So, tell me what’s going on.”

Barry kept his eyes on his dog as he talked. It was a lot easier having her to pet while he dumped all his shit. “I told you about people thinking I destroyed the stockyard, right?”

“You did, but it wasn’t you. You were with Ryan and Rusty when someone attacked Kate at Tegan’s place.”

Barry snapped his eyes up to the doctor. “Doesn’t stopthem from thinking it, though. Hell, even Tegan thought it was me who trashed the stockyard.” Tegan was as close to a new friend as he’d made in that town, and it had felt like a knife gouge when Tegan had admitted he’d suspected Barry at first. It was logical, given the circumstances. He’d been framed. Someone had taken the sledgehammer out of his truck and used it on the stockyard. But who? No one knew. That was another flash point for him.

“Ken and Tegan know it wasn’t you. Who is it you’re concerned with?”

“The people here in town. I walk into the diner to talk to Corrie, and everyone shuts up. I can tell. Corrie says it’s my imagination, but it isn’t. I’m the plague, and they’re letting me know they don’t want me around.”

Doc Wheeler sighed. “First, you are not the plague. You are a man. Second, some of the gossips in this town have nothing better to do than speculate on things they don’t have enough information on to make a logical conclusion. Your perception may be skewed, but I don’t doubt people are trying to make sense of what has been happening. How long have you been with Corrie?”

“Since the service. She and Gunny, her husband, adopted me. I told you that. They took me in and gave me the only stable home I’ve ever had. Well, until now. Until Hollister. After Gunny died, Corrie came up here with Andrew, and well, you know what happened then. I spiraled.”

“Has she ever lied to you?” Doc Wheeler cocked his head.

Barry rolled his. The doctor was keeping him on point, not letting him stray from the conversation the doctor wanted him to have. “No, but damn it … I didn’t do anything. I’ve been working hard, Doc. I got to be a better man.” Barry closed his eyes and shook his head. “Kathy needs me to get better. Hell, for that matter,Ineed me to get better.”

Doc Wheeler smiled a bit and leaned back in his chair. “That’s the first time you’ve admitted that.”

Barry opened his eyes and stared at the man across from him. “What? That I need to get better for me?” The doctor nodded, not saying anything. Which was par for the course with the guy. The doctor always waited for him to talk, which was irritating as fuck for a person with anger issues, which he had. He hadmajoranger issues, among other things, as he was finding out. “I told you Kathy and I are talking, going out and such. She’s a good person. Nice to the bone, you know? My anger never fazes her. She waits it out, but not without boundaries. She’s set limits, and I would never cross them. That is a sacred promise I made myself. She and Corrie are the only ones who do that. Set limits and expect me to keep them. And they do it with care. They’re strong women. They both deserve someone they can be proud of.”

Corrie, he considered a mother, and she told everyone in Hollister he was her son, and she was proud of that fact.The woman had been through absolute hell, but she kept on loving him. She was sure as shit more of a mom than his bio mother ever was. That waste of space packed up and left him to fend for himself when he was fifteen. Life got harder really fast. To survive, he’d done things he wasn’t proud of. Things he’d never mentioned to a soul, and he prayed those acts would stay in his closet of horrors. His hand that was petting Honey stopped. “I need to be someone I can be proud of.”

Doc Wheeler crossed his legs at the ankle and leaned back into that big leather chair of his. “Your mom and Kathy both care for you. When people care for someone, they’re willing to deal with the baggage we bring into a relationship. Tell me why you can’t be proud of yourself.”

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