Page 7 of With All My Heart, Joy

He silenced her with an outstretched hand. “Please, Joy. Save it. I love my job. I’m willing for my mealtimes to take the hit now and then if it means helping someone live a better life, okay? Besides.” He patted his stomach. “You’ll help me achieve my fitness goals.”

Joy’s eyes strayed to his form. He didn’t look in need of any extreme fitness plan. In fact, under the sweater and business casual khakis, he appeared to be in excellent shape. “If you say so,” she said when the silence stretched. She didn’t mean to be checking out her counselor. Not like that.

“I do.” His smile seemed genuine enough as he ushered her to the door. “I’ll walk you to the lobby. I’m glad you came. I have a good feeling about this.”

It was strange to feel disappointment snake through her as she stepped into the lobby. She didn’t want to leave. Mr. Miller’s office felt safe. Protected. A sanctuary with her name on it.

“I’m glad I came, too,” she said. And she really was.

Chapter Two

The last time Isaac ate something this good was the last time Silas had invited him over to enjoy his fiancée’s incredible cooking. His best friend wasn’t half bad in the kitchen, either. But nobody he knew cooked quite like Lucy Halverson.

“Thank you, Lucy.” Isaac abandoned his empty plate on the patio table and walked to where Lucy crouched with Paisley next to one of the tall, outdoor propane heaters that dotted Silas’s backyard. Only a millionaire ate outdoors in Michigan at seven p.m. in November. Only a millionairecould.

“You’re very welcome.” Lucy passed her camera up to him. “Check out Paisley’s pictures. She’s a pro already.”

Emotion compressed Isaac’s throat. The smallest gestures of kindness toward his daughter always elicited the same reaction. It was truly good of Lucy to spend time with Paisley. “Good job, Paise.” He set his hand on his daughter’s head, returning the expensive camera to Lucy. He didn’t want to be responsible for replacing Lucy’s photography equipment. His best friend was the millionaire—not him. While co-owning a counseling center paid well, he still owed money for his doctoral studies. And caring for Paisley had never been cheap.

“Why don’t you play with Maggie? Give Auntie Lucy a break.”

As Paisley took off at an awkward jog after Silas’s rescued greyhound, Lucy’s laughter spilled through the air. It was a familiar sound, and not because Isaac had heard it before from Lucy. He’d heard it in his office today. Joy and Lucy had the same laugh.

“So.” Lucy edged toward the impressive stone hearth that framed one side of the back patio. A fire crackled in the large fireplace, and Isaac was happy to migrate toward it. While Silas’s propane heaters were powerful, nothing beat the heat of natural flames. “How did it go with Joy today?”

Isaac faltered and nearly burned his hand when a flame took a sudden upward leap toward his outstretched limb. He didnotdiscuss his counseling clients with anybody outside of work. “I can’t talk about it, you know that. Counselor-client privilege.”

“Of course, of course.” Lucy reached toward the flames as Silas moved in behind her, sliding his hands along her waistline. Isaac averted his eyes. Lucy was perfect for Silas in every way. He was thrilled for them. But the dynamics of his friendship with Silas were changing. They weren’t two single men anymore, baching it out and bumping around the lake in their boats in their spare time. Silas was engaged.

“But you can say whether it went well or not, right?”

Isaac bounced his eyes back to Lucy’s face, noting the way Silas chuckled silently and shook his head even as he nuzzled his nose in her long, wavy hair.

Joy’s hair was shorter, straighter, and darker than Lucy’s. Joy was also shorter in stature than Lucy. In fact, other than the tinkling quality of their laughter, they didn’t share much resemblance. Joy favored her father. Isaac knew him well, but he didn’t recall if he had met Arlene Halverson. Perhaps Lucy took after the mother.

“I can’t even say that, Lucy,” he replied at length.

“She’s not going to give up,” Silas said. “She’s a bulldog, Isaac.”

Lucy shot a glare over her shoulder. “I’m persistent, like an adorable Yorkie. Not a bulldog.”

“If you say so.” The look Silas sent to Isaac said“Women….”In the not-so-distant past, Silas had real issues with women. Misplaced, twisted issues. But now he merely joked about it. Lucy had thawed his heart, and she made his world—bullheaded or not.

“You don’t have to tell me—I already know.” Lucy tossed her hair, and it slapped Silas in the nose. “Joy called me. I’m her accountability partner or something like that.”

“I asked her to do a daily check-in with someone close. She chose you.”

Lucy preened at the comment. A comment Isaac shouldn’t have made. Discussing his counseling sessions with family members of clients wasn’t acceptable chitchat. Which was one more good reason not to accept clients he already knew.

Before he could open his mouth to implore Lucy to drop the subject, a cold, wet nose pushed against his palm. His legs went rigid, turning into tree trunks, his arm an immovable branch.

“Hey there, Mags,” he said softly, his heart racing unnaturally all the while. He’d come to terms with his fear of dogs years ago. He could manage it. But did his best friendhaveto have a dog whose back was higher than Isaac’s knees? “Did you have fun with Paisley?”

Paisley appeared, panting worse than the dog, her wide face split with a blinding smile. Without hesitation, she dropped to her knees and threw her arms around Maggie’s neck.

“You’re the best dog ever, Maggie!”

Isaac gazed down at his daughter, his heart contracting at the sight of her so happy. This was the life he fought so hard to give her, day after day, year after year.

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