Page 10 of Saving Grace
“She’s waiting on you, honey.”
“Thanks, Willa,” I mumble, hoping like hell she doesn’t have a clue about why I’m here. I walk quickly down the brightly painted hallways to our usual meeting place. The murals on the walls depicting cowboy and horse scenes bring forth memories I’d rather not think about. I don’t pause to study them. No need to when I’ve walked past them a thousand times.
My petite, blonde-headed sister-in-law sits in a black swivel chair behind her oversize desk, feet kicked up and inadvertently showcasing her flamingo socks.
“Nice feet.”
Kristen jumps, those bright-pink flamingos quickly finding the floor. “Make noise, boy,” she says while brushing her hair outof her startlingly pale blue eyes. “About time you showed up, though. I was starting to think you’d flake out on me.”
Instinctively, my body tenses, going on the defensive.
“I’m fine, Kris,” I snap, tempted to turn around and leave, my brother’s threat be damned.
“I have roughly forty-five minutes before my first session. Come sit with me,” she says as she stands and walks to the picture window, taking a seat on the couch and crossing her feet underneath herself.
“I don’t need you to pick my brain.”
She lifts a brow. “Then why are you here?” When I don’t answer, she continues. “I’m not your therapist, and you aren’t my client. But you are my little brother for all intents and purposes. I just want to know where your head is and see if I can help.”
I fist and release my hands a few times, letting the short nails dig into my palms and relishing the bite as the fight slowly seeps from my muscles. I join Kristen on the couch. She sits quietly, letting me wrap my head around what I want to say.
“Where’s Hope?” I ask, referring to Kristen’s therapy dog. I could really go for some puppy snuggles.
“Declan took her to the barn today. She’s been getting into things at the house, so we decided to let her burn off some energy out there instead.”
Damn. I roll my shoulders, trying to exude the confidence that I definitely do not feel. “I can’t afford to do it again.”
“Do what?”
I cut my eyes at her. “Don’t act clueless, Kristen. It’s not a good look for you. I know my brother ran his mouth.”
A fire lights in her glacier-blue eyes at the slight toward her husband. Awesome. I’m pushing buttons without even meaning to, today. “Your brother may have a big mouth, but his heart iseven bigger. He doesn’t know any more than what he saw. And you don’t have to talk to me about it if you don’t want to.”
I squeeze my eyes closed, my knee bouncing with nervous energy. After a few cleansing breaths, I open my eyes and exhale slowly. My gut says she already knows, but I need to judge her reaction for myself, to know that the people I love and trust purposely kept me in the dark.
“I have a daughter, and none of you bothered to tell me.”
“Your brother didn’t know she was yours until yesterday.”
I scoff, arms crossing over my chest as I look away.
“And I couldn’t have told you without violating—”
“—patient confidentiality. Yeah, yeah.” Groaning, I push up and walk to the window, staring out at the barn. It’s tough to see from here, but I can just barely make out a few of the horses in the paddock by the arena. That’s where I’d rather be right now.
“I will admit to yesterday being a new low for me,” I finally say, eyes still trained outside. “I haven’t felt this pathetic in a long time. It shook me pretty good—all of it—but I’m tough.”
“Tough enough to handle Leila and a baby on your own, right?”
Shit.
“You can’t rush over there and bombard her with questions. You can’t demand she let you see a daughter you’ve never met.”
A terrifying thought crosses my mind. “How much does she know?”
Kristen’s eyes soften as she studies me, taking in my question.
“How much does she know, Kristen?”
