Page 6 of Silent Threat
He pulled to an abrupt halt about two feet from her. Resentment radiated off him. This time he didn’t back off, didn’t give her space, didn’t reassure her that he meant no harm.
You flinch, you lose.Annie didn’t flinch. She couldn’t allow him to knock her off center again.
Remain positive and cheerful.
“Cole?”
He gave a sharp nod.
“Hi again.” She thought about also signing the greeting, since his file said he was deaf. But then, he hadn’t needed signing at the gas station. “You’re pretty good at reading lips.”
He jabbed the piece of paper he’d been carrying toward her, her Band-Aids flashing on his knuckles. “How about you just initial the damn thing so I can get out of here?”
Don’t let them see you scared.He might have spooked her back in the alley, but this was her turf. He was her patient, her responsibility.
Annie accepted the treatment log from him and tucked it into her back pocket. She flashed him her best professional smile to let him see she wasn’t rattled. “Let’s just follow Hope Hill protocol.”
His dark gaze pinned her in place.
According to his paperwork, he’d been a sniper, and he looked at her like one, as if he was noticing every little detail about her. As if he was evaluating a target: noting distance to the last inch, and maybe the wind speed and direction, calculating how best to eliminate theproblemhe had to deal with.
His assessment required only seconds. “Shit Hill can shove their protocols up their—”
“I’m Annie Murray, your ecotherapist at Hope Hill. How are you this morning?” She held out her hand, drawing comfort and strength from the trees behind her. “Nice to meet you, Cole. I’m looking forward to working with you.”
He didn’t even look at her hand, let alone take it. Suddenly he was watching her as if she were something he thought about eating for breakfast and he was wondering if he should bother with a knife and fork or just grab the damn thing.
She ignored the urge to step back and instead rolled into her spiel. “We have a two-hour introductory session today. I’d like to walk the full five-mile track.”
“Do the inmates ever get a choice?”
“I think the word you’re looking for isinpatient. A wonderful program, isn’t it? The intensive therapy you’ll receive here will make a huge difference.”
Disdain oozed from his pores.
“But back to your question.” She smiled. “You do get a choice. All therapy is voluntary here. We will have our introductory session today, and then you can decide if nature therapy is something you’d like to add to your schedule.”
He watched her.
“OK,” she said. “That’s an impressive don’t-mess-with-me look.”
“Smart people usually heed it.”
The wordsthose who don’t are deadhung unsaid in the air between them.
She shook off her sudden sense of doom and said, “The sooner we start, the sooner you’ll feel better.” She poured all the cheer and optimism she had into her voice, even as her gaze dipped to his combat boots.
“Actually, let’s start with this,” she amended. “I know the boots are obviously sending a message.” And so did the camo cargo pants and faded military T-shirt he wore. Street clothes were strongly encouraged at Hope Hill, both for the patients and the staff. Civilian readjustment was one of the program’s goals.
“But for now,” she continued, “I’m going to ignore that. Your reluctance for civilian wear should be discussed in your counseling session with your psychiatrist, Dr.Ambrose. I’m sure he’ll bring it up, if he hasn’t already. My objective for today is to explain ecotherapy and lay out a treatment plan for the month that you’ll be spending at Hope Hill. If you choose to work with me, over the next weeks, we’ll work that plan. Then, toward the end, we’ll focus on continuation, providing you with a list of things you can do once you leave here.”
He frowned so hard, she was pretty sure that if she squinted she’d see the wrinkles on his forehead spell outno way in hell.
She kept on smiling. “You don’t have to wear boots.” She wiggled her toes on the dirt path. “Barefoot feels pretty great.”
He said nothing.
She smiled wider. “To start with, I’d like to introduce you toearthing. Easy peasy. We’ll walk around barefoot in nature. It’s a relaxing and healing practice. Our bodies absorb negative electrons—which are actually good for us—from the earth through the soles of our feet.”
