“But I want to,” he said, and she wouldn’t say his words were certain so much as a simple truth he didn’t know what to do with.
She swallowed at the lump in her throat. “Well, I guess we have to figure out how to do it, then.”
Silence stretched between them and too much distance. She wanted to go to him, but...
He frowned and looked at the door. She would have dismissed the sound herself, but his acknowledgment of it made her realize what it had been. The faint sound of a car door being shut.
“Stay put,” he ordered, and was out of her bedroom before she could argue.
She scowled at the space where he’d been. No, she would not stay put. She eyed the holster Shay had given her. She would stand on her own two feet. Love and future or not.
* * *
THE CAR THAT was parked next to his was sleek, dark and expensive. The man who stood next to it was much the same. Reece didn’t know what to think.
On the one hand, whoever was after Lianna and what she knew wasn’t just going to roll up in plain view and walk in...alone.
On the other hand, Lianna didn’t have any reservations, her website said the Bluebird was temporarily closed, and nothing about this man and his appearance felt right.
He heard Lianna enter the living room, where he was watching the man’s approach. He frowned. “I told you to stay put.” Maybe he’d said that more because he wasn’t sure how to find his normal control when she was near.
Last night had been... He couldn’t categorize it as a mistake. Not when it felt as right as anything ever had. Not when she seemed to know who he was and what he needed when he wasn’t sure he did. But he should have been focused on the assignment. Not his feelings.
The look she gave him seemed to say, I’m not going to follow all your orders, but she didn’t say anything. Hopefully because she remembered they’d left a listening device in the kitchen.
She stood next to him, peering out the window. She leaned forward and squinted at the man. “Dr. Winston,” she said, mild surprise in her tone but no sense of alarm.
“Who?”
“My...doctor.” She straightened her clothes unnecessarily. “Therapist, that is. From Denver. After Todd...”
She was trying not to seem embarrassed, but he could see the discomfort in her gaze, in the slight pink of her cheeks. “Understandable,” he said, cutting off her explanations. Because after what she’d been through, it was, and as someone who’d had to undergo his fair share of mental health evaluations either through foster care or the military, he was hardly going to let her be embarrassed over it.
Of course, that wasn’t really the image he was trying to portray for whoever was listening. He had to stop thinking about...everything else and focus on the fake persona he was supposed to be. “But what’s he doing here?”
“I couldn’t say. I haven’t spoken to him since I left Denver. He wasn’t very supportive of the move. Didn’t think I was ready, mentally.” She didn’t meet Reece’s gaze as she spoke quickly. “But look, he’s got a bag. I guess maybe he thought he’d...come stay.”
“A little blurring of professional lines, don’t you think?”
She finally looked at him, expression a little haughty. “I don’t know what to think, Reece.”
“Let me handle him.”
She huffed in indignation. “Why on earth would I do that?” She closed her eyes and winced, clearly forgetting herself for a second. Well, at least he wasn’t the only one. When she spoke next, it was softer. More pleading.
“I know him, Reece. He’s a trained, certified therapist who has nothing to do with this.”
“That you know of.”
Her mouth dropped open and her eyes went wide, not an act. “Are you suggesting my therapist was in on this?”
“Maybe not from the beginning, but anyone watching you could have paid enough attention. Could have considered you might tell your therapist something. This is all about information, as far as we know. Your therapist would be a natural target.”
She paled, and he felt like a plodding jerk. Surely there was a better way to tell her that. A better way to do...all of this. He blew out a breath and tried to find it, but she was collecting herself. The way she always did.
“You’re right,” she said, and though her voice wavered, she was back in control. “You don’t think he’s in danger, do you? Should we—”
“We should see what the man wants, and once he’s gone, you’ll tell me everything you ever told him.” He tried to sound stern for the listeners.
“Of course, Reece,” she said in a conciliatory way that scraped against his nerves. It was an act, but that didn’t mean parts of it didn’t grate.
A knock sounded on the front door and Reece went to it and answered it, with Lianna at his heels. She quickly swept past him, though, and smiled at the doctor, holding the screen door open so he could step inside.
“Dr. Winston. This is a surprise.”
“Hello, Lianna. Not a bad one, I hope.”
Reece hated the man. Immediately. If sight had made him suspicious, the way the man spoke and looked at Lianna made him downright territorial.
Lucky for him, he was playing the role of a man who’d be very territorial. And kind of a jerk.
“What’s all this, Lianna?”
“Oh.” She blinked, and Reece could see clearly she had to remind herself that he was playing a role, but it worked. To someone who didn’t know the situation, it would seem like she was what she was going to pretend to be. A woman too involved with an overbearing man. “Reece. This is... Um.”
“Reece Conrad,” Reece said, sliding past Lianna and holding out a hand.
The doctor looked at it and didn’t seem at all surprised to see a man here. Or the inn being closed.
Strike two.
Finally, he shook Reece’s hand and Reece made a show out of squeezing too hard. The doctor’s expression hardened, so Reece smiled broadly.
He’d forgotten how enjoyable playing a role could be.
“I’m Dr. Winston,” the man said. “And you are?”
“Oh, I’m a friend of Lianna’s.” He stepped back, slung his arm around Lianna’s shoulders and gave them a squeeze. “Didn’t know we were going to have company. Thought you closed the reservations for the week, hon.”
“Oh, I did,” Lianna assured him, sounding nervous, like she was afraid of displeasing him. That he didn’t like so much, but at least he knew it was an act. She slid her arm around his waist as if trying to reassure him.
“My wife and I were on vacation, going up to Devil’s Tower and the like. We were so close I just thought I’d stop in and see how Lianna was doing.” He smiled. It struck Reece as a cold, calculated smile.
Strike three.
“You could have called,” Reece said, not even trying to be polite.
“I suppose I should have.”
“No, don’t be silly,” Lianna said, looking up at him imploringly. “Reece, Dr. Winston was such a help to me before I moved here.”
“What kind of help?”
“Oh. Well...” Lianna looked down at the floor and never finished her sentence, looking perfectly embarrassed.
“Perhaps I could talk to Lianna alone? Doctor to patient? There are confidentiality rules, of course, and I’d like to discuss previous treatment.”
Sure you do, buddy. “I don’t think—”
“You did say you were going to check on that loose porch railing for me, didn’t you? You could do that while Dr. Winston and I have a quick chat, and then I’m sure he’ll be on his way, won’t you?” She turned a tremulous smile on Dr. Winston.
“Of course.”
Reece was loath to leave Lianna alone with this smooth operator, but the hint to go outside was a good one. He could look through the good doctor’s car and see wh
at he found, all while keeping a decent enough eye on Lianna. And having Elsie run the man, of course.
Lianna smiled up at him and gave him a gentle nudge out the door. She had her hip to him and patted it surreptitiously.
Underneath the fabric of her T-shirt was a lump of something. She had a gun on her. Well, that was some comfort, he supposed. He couldn’t imagine Lianna being one to carry a gun if she didn’t know how to use it.
He might not trust the doctor, but if the man had something to do with this whole mess, he wanted information from Lianna. Not to hurt her. Surely he wouldn’t be dumb enough to hurt her with Reece right outside.
“All right,” Reece agreed, still reluctant. Which he figured fit the profile of who he was pretending to be anyway. He lowered his voice as if he was trying to keep what he was going to say a secret from Dr. Winston. “I’d stay where I can see you, if I were you,” he said, with enough threat and a cold look in his eyes to make it look like he really was some kind of pushy abuser.
“Of course,” she said meekly.
But she had a gun strapped to her hip. She wasn’t meek. She was here because she wanted to fight for her life. For her son’s life. So Reece had to give her the space to do it.
And make sure this ended the way they both wanted.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
“Can I get you some coffee?” Lianna didn’t have to feign the nerves that made her look ineffectual and weak. This was all so strange. Pretending to be who she’d once been wasn’t easy. It left a sick feeling in her gut, and she wanted to explain it to Dr. Winston. He’d been such a help to her.
But Reece was right. This was...strange, at best. If she listened to her gut as Shay had told her to, this was all wrong.
He should have called ahead. He shouldn’t be here at all. But he stood in her entryway and she’d let Reece leave her alone with him.
He’s your therapist. You don’t actually think he’s dangerous.
But that was the kind of thing she’d said to herself about Todd. He’s your husband. He doesn’t mean it. He’s the father of your child. He just needs time.
She’d never had to remind herself that Reece or Shay or Sabrina had been there to help her. To keep her safe. Her doubts had been the little voice in her head. She rubbed at her temple. Trusting any kind of instincts was a lot harder than Shay had made it sound.
“Where’s Henry?” Dr. Winston asked, that pleasant smile affixed to his face. He still held the travel bag clutched in his hand.
Lianna tried to keep her expression passive, but the mention of Henry had all those doubts souring into full-fledged distrust. Maybe she could reason away him asking about Henry if it had been summer break, but if things were normal, Henry should have been in school. And wouldn’t Dr. Winston default to normal?
Maybe he thinks you’re already on summer break. Maybe he wants to make sure you’re sane enough to send him to school.
The problem was, she hadn’t talked to this man since she’d moved to Echo. There’d been no check-ins. She hadn’t even wanted to call him, like she’d been afraid she would. Moving to Echo had been good for her and Henry. Running the Bluebird had been everything she’d needed.
So what had brought him here now? What about now made him curious about Henry?
Should she lie? She tried to smile as if she still trusted the man before her. The man she’d told her problems to. Who’d taught her breathing exercises and helped her deal with her anxiety after Todd’s death. He’d been good for her. She didn’t think she would have been able to move away and find this place without his help.
But she couldn’t settle into that old trust. Not with him here asking about Henry.
“Lianna?”
“I’m sorry. This is just kind of strange.” She locked her fingers together, but let the tremor in them show. Trying to be brave while showing signs of nerves would work for this role she was playing. She hoped. She forced an anemic smile. “And you never answered me about the coffee.”
“No, I’m fine. Why don’t we sit?” He smiled genially, like he always had. Like he had always put her at ease.
Wasn’t this the kind of paranoia he’d warned her against? That being isolated and alone would give rise to the environment where everything would feel fishy, wrong and potentially dangerous.
Then she thought about Reece. He’d been sent here, he’d come back with her, because things were dangerous. She’d felt that paranoia rise when he’d been staying here, because there’d been something to be paranoid about.
Still, she smiled and nodded at Dr. Winston and led him into the living room. He sat down on the big couch and placed his bag at his feet. The couch was big enough that the polite thing to do would be to sit next to him.
She decided instead to take a seat at the table where she had an old computer guests could use. It created a barrier between them and also made her feel less self-conscious about the gun strapped to her hip.
Dr. Winston sat comfortably on the couch, looking much like he had back in his office in Denver. A well-dressed man with a kind face and easy demeanor. Lianna figured he could make himself comfortable anywhere. Make himself seem like he was the authority in any room.
Even having her suspicions and doubts, she felt like she had to tell him everything.
But she didn’t. She wouldn’t.
“I realize it’s...unorthodox of me to show up here,” he said kindly. “But you know I had concerns about your move. As a mental health professional, I’ve found it hard to let that go. I wanted to check up on you, Lianna. And I have to say, I don’t like what I see.”
Nor should he, considering she was pretending to be a different version of herself. Guilt tried to win over, but she caught sight of Reece outside, peering into Dr. Winston’s car. A reminder she wasn’t in this alone.
“Letting another man take over your life, much like the last one did. And where did you say Henry was?”
Lianna outright frowned at Dr. Winston. This was all wrong. Guilt or doubts, in her gut, she knew Dr. Winston being here wasn’t normal. Asking her about Henry...
Why was he asking about Henry? She’d taken Henry to see Dr. Winston once, and Henry had begged to never go back. Lianna had given in to Henry because Dr. Winston had made her leave the room, and no matter how much she trusted Dr. Winston, she didn’t like the feeling of being separated from her son when he was so young, so vulnerable.
It hadn’t been right, and she hadn’t made Henry go back because, overall, the death of his father hadn’t changed his life. And he wasn’t the one who’d been fooled. She was the one who’d needed therapy.
But Dr. Winston had always asked, applying a certain amount of pressure to bring Henry back. Oftentimes she’d leave his office thinking she would, but back home, faced with how well Henry was doing, she’d change her mind.
Why had he been so concerned about Henry? At the time she’d convinced herself it was professional courtesy or interest, but now...why was he asking after Henry again?
She looked up at Dr. Winston, and everything she’d been thinking must have been clear on her face, because his voice hardened.
“Lianna...? Where is he? I know he’s not in Denver.”
Lianna’s heart stuttered, then thudded hard against her chest. In her ears. Her voice wasn’t as calm as she would have liked. “How do you know that? Why do you know that?”
“Time is running out. I could have played this game for a lot longer if you’d kept your mouth shut. But you had to go get involved with people who would speed things up. I’m not a bad man, but you’re forcing my hand.”
Lianna slowly slid her hand toward the gun on her hip. Dr. Winston spoke so rationally, but the words weren’t right. They didn’t make sense. He didn’t make sense. Her heart pounded as she nudged the shirt up so she could reach under and get her fingers around the gun handle.
He
stood now, the color slowly rising in his face. Eyes cold and furious. “You told me you didn’t know anything. I told them you didn’t know anything, and now I’m being held responsible for your lies. It won’t stand.”
She wanted to look out the window at Reece, but she figured that would send the wrong message to Dr. Winston. To them. There was a “them” he was telling things to. It didn’t sound like he was a part of what Todd had been doing, but Reece had been right. Dr. Winston had become a target.
Now he was blaming her for it.
She might have felt bad, confessed all, told Dr. Winston Reece could protect him, but the fury in his gaze stopped her. His obsession with Henry stopped her.
He stalked toward the table. Lianna’s hands fumbled with the holster, but she didn’t let that get to her. She just kept working it until she got the gun free.
Dr. Winston slapped his palms on the desk and leaned in toward her. “Where is Henry?”
* * *
THE GOOD DOCTOR had left his slick sports car unlocked, so Reece could get inside to search it with no problem. He glanced at the house. It was hard to see through the windows with the sunlight reflecting off them, but through the big picture windows he could see the doctor’s legs. He was sitting on the couch, though his upper body was out of view. Lianna was somewhere hidden by the light’s reflection.
He didn’t like it. Even after the phone conversation with Elsie, when she assured him she’d dig everything up on Dr. Winston and get back to Reece ASAP, he didn’t like being this far away. The doctor could as soon take out a gun and shoot Lianna in the head.
But Reece fought back the urge to run inside. He was a trained operative. He had to think like one. Not like a man...who felt the things he felt for Lianna.
The rational side of his brain understood it made no sense for someone to come this far only to kill Lianna. It made no sense for one person to be behind all of this. It made no sense...
Unless he needs to silence what she knows...
Before Reece could react to that horrible thought, he heard the snick of a footstep too close. He didn’t pause or think. He acted out of instinct like he’d been trained to do practically his whole life. He whirled in the nick of time to keep a blow from knocking him out completely. Still, the meaty fist hit him in the shoulder and had him stumbling to the side.
Harlequin Intrigue May 2021--Box Set 2 of 2 Page 34
