A Sure Thing by Marie Harte

Author:Marie Harte
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
Published: 2016-09-06T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

“That’s good, Rob. I think you’re really starting to break through.” Her first Monday client typically drained her for the rest of the morning, but Rob seemed to have reached a turning point.

His anxiety had lessened to such a degree that he could openly talk about his worries without showing visible signs of his unease. Mostly he seemed contemplative. And all without medication.

Rob Hill was her age, tall and thin, and when he smiled, he made everyone around him smile. Unfortunately, his doom-and-gloom attitude had pervaded every aspect of his life for the past six months. They hadn’t been able to peg the cause as any one thing, more a cumulative downpour of several bad incidents seeming to converge all at once.

The death of a favorite uncle, a good friend moving away, his girlfriend leaving him for another woman. All things that even taken individually would get a person down. But happening within the span of a few months, the effects had snowballed.

She might have chalked up his signs as depression, but he refused to take medication for his issues. After meeting with him for a few weeks, she’d agreed. He seemed to do better when he had “homework” from her, usually something that helped spark his creativity and put him in a balanced state.

Rob smiled at her, his blue eyes sparkling. He was blond, his hair longer than Landon’s, but she’d never mistake this man for her larger-than-life, supremely confident boyfriend.

Just thinking the word boyfriend made her tingle, and she smiled back. Stop it and focus on your patient, Ava. This is not about you.

With a silent apology to Rob, she continued the session, nearing the middle of their hour. “Continue to take the art classes. I think they’ve been a good outlet for you. We all have a creative self needing expression. And you found yours.”

He gave her a shy grin, then moved to his knapsack. “I have something for you.”

“Now, Rob, that’s not necessary.” And not acceptable. Ava took nothing more from her clients than payment for a session, a smile, or a thank you.

“I don’t need to. I want to. And besides, I made it.”

He handed her a charcoal sketch of herself, and she was blown away. “This is amazing, Rob.”

It looked exactly like her. Right down to the tiny grin on her face.

“Yeah. You’re so…” He trailed off, just staring at her.

And a huge wave of uh-oh smacked her full in the face. She was always careful to maintain a professional distance from her patients, but sometimes transference couldn’t be helped. Patients could too easily confuse gratitude with deeper affection.

“I’m so…?” she prodded, a polite smile on her face.

“Helpful.” He swallowed. “I’m glad you’re my doctor.”

Doctor. Not friend. So long as that line was never crossed, Ava felt as if she kept her patients safe from an unhealthy relationship with her.

“I’m glad you’re finally seeing your self-worth.” She nodded at the picture. “This is incredible. You should put it with your portfolio.”

“Nah.” He shrugged and sat back on the couch, slouching down.

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