be upset? He’d never had the same degree of protectiveness over her that Elijah did. But ever since their dad had died, both of them had upped their guard over her a little more.
“Why are you getting all these vegetables?” Aiden asked. He wrinkled his nose.
“What do you care?” she snapped. “You’re not eating them.”
“You got that right,” he said.
4
Cade
It took everything he had not to slam the door behind him. Dr. Hersh was nice enough, but he got straight to the point.
The older Asian man peered over a pair of rimless glasses and made Cade feel like he could read Cade’s darkest secrets.
“Tell me about the incident with your team in Montana,” Dr. Hersh said within two minutes of Cade sitting down.
“Crew,” Cade had corrected.
“Alright,” Dr. Hersh replied. He leaned back in his camel-colored chair and waited.
Cade shrugged. “There’s not much to say. I’m guessing you have the reports from it.”
“I do,” the doctor said. “But I want to hear what you have to say about it.”
“Not anything new that isn’t in the reports.” Cade looked around the office. It was clinical and sterile.
“Can you tell me the emotions you’re feeling now when you think about it?” the doctor asked.
Cade looked at him bluntly. “Sad,” he said.
“Sad,” the doctor repeated. He held Cade’s gaze and didn’t make any notes. “Anything else? Anger? Confusion? Guilt?”
“Why should I feel guilty?” Cade snapped.
“I don’t know. I’m just giving you some options. Why don’t we talk about another subject for awhile?”
Yeah. Why don’t we?
“Is there anything in particular you’d like to discuss?” Dr. Hersh asked.
“No.”
“Alright. How about your romantic life? Many people have strong feelings about that. Is there anyone special in your life?”
Cade barked out a laugh. “Hardly.”
“You seem upset about that.”
“Why should I be upset?”
“I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me?”
Cade sighed. “You just started working with the firehouse, right?”
“That’s right.”
“Ever had a firefighter … patient before?” Cade asked. He hated to use that word.
“Not before my contract with the firehouse, no.”
“Then maybe you don’t know, but firefighters don’t really have a problem getting women.”
“I see.” This time the doctor did make a note.
Cade shifted. That wasn’t the response he’d expected. “So … if you’re asking if I’m hard up for a date or whatever, the answer’s no.”
“That wasn’t what I asked,” the doctor said. “Why do you think that’s what you inferred?”
“I don’t know,” Cade said, exasperated as he crossed his arms.
“So, I’m led to believe you’ve had a generous amount of sexual partners,” Dr. Hersh said.
“Yeah.”
“Do you think you’re afraid of intimacy?”
Cade glared at him. “Didn’t I just tell you that I’ve slept with a lot of women?”
“That wasn’t what I asked. Sex and intimacy can be mutually exclusive. And I’m getting the message that you lean heavily toward the sex-only side.”
Cade seethed below the surface, but he gritted his teeth and refused to say anything more.
“Do you have any interest in returning to the subject about your team’s deaths in Montana?”
“No,” Cade said coldly. He didn’t bother to correct him this time.
“Alright. Mr. Charles, I’m going to recommend medical leave for you.” Dr. Hersh began writing notes quickly on his pad.
“Medical leave? What? But I haven’t even started at this company yet!”
“Mr. Charles, let me make this clear. You can either continue to see me, or you can rethink your position with the company. It’s your choice.”
“You really think they’re going to pay for me to sit around and do nothing but talk to some shrink about my feelings?”
“Actually, that’s exactly what the fire captain has told me he’s willing to do. And I prefer the term psychiatrist.”
Cade let out a heavy breath as he carefully clicked the door shut behind him. “Mr. Charles?” the receptionist asked. “Would you like to schedule your next appointment now or—”
“I’ll call you,” Cade said as he grabbed his jacket. He felt the dark storm that brewed inside him begin to grow.
As Cade slammed his car door and started toward his new, tiny apartment, he spotted Lily across the street burdened with three shopping bags. Something about seeing her lifted his spirits. She nearly tripped on the uneven sidewalk, stopped and glared at the ground.
“Hey! What’s up?” he asked as he rolled up beside her.
She made a face. “My car crapped out again, so I’m walking home.”
“Walking? In those?” he asked and looked pointedly at her heels.
“Oh, yeah,” she said. “There was a special event at the bakery today, and you know French men. ‘A woman should always be in heels.’ At least when they’re representing Jean-Michel’s croissants, at least.”
“I actually don’t know French men that well. But can I give you a lift?”
She looked skeptical and shifted her weight to the side.
“Come on,” he said. “It’s on my way, anyway.”
Lily sighed and nodded. As Cade leaned over to push open the door, he noticed the top button
