by Jen Talty
“True,” he said just as they pulled into the office parking lot, situated behind the main drag of Lake George and right behind Gunners, a local watering hole. It was a quiet town, and most of their work was little things: divorce cases, runaway teens. Every once in a while, they got a case from Saratoga—like this one. Or from Albany. But for the most part, his life was quiet and calm.
Just the way he wanted it.
Chapter Two
Shannon pulled open her office door and gasped. The last person she ever expected to see sitting in her waiting room was her mother.
Melinda Cartwright had once said she’d never be caught dead in a therapist’s office, even if that office belonged to her daughter. Psychologists and psychiatrists were for the weak and mentally unstable—the truly sick and unsavory people of the world. Those twisted minds that even God’s salvation couldn’t mend.
“Hello, Mother.”
“I hate it when you call me that.” Her mom stood with all the style and grace expected of the queen. “I need to—”
“I’ll be with you in about fifteen minutes.” Shannon held out her hand.
Her mother didn’t like to wait for anyone, and given how she drew her lips into a tight line, she wasn’t happy to have been dismissed. Too bad. Shannon wasn’t about to interrupt a client’s session because her mother thought the world centered around her.
“It will only take—”
“Excuse me.” Shannon turned her back and faced her client’s father. “Please, come inside,” she said to Greg Mallory, who had been sitting quietly in the corner.
His gaze darted between the two women before he rushed through the doorway.
“Fifteen minutes, Mother.” Shannon didn’t wait for a response, but she did take in a deep, calming breath. If someone had died or had been injured, her mom would have barged right through her office door with no regard for the patient’s privacy. Whatever her mother needed, it could wait.
“Please. Make yourself comfortable.” Shannon sat in her gray-blue wingback chair, making sure she had her pen and pad. She needed something to fiddle with, while her mother probably paced a hole in her waiting room carpet. “Lilly and I thought it would be good for you to join us for a few minutes.”
“Is something wrong?” Greg asked. He’d taken the spot next to his daughter, but when he got too close, she curled up into a ball, hugging her knees.
Greg let out a long sigh, his shoulders hunched in defeat.
“Lilly and I were talking about how things have been going since she moved into your house.”
“It’s been a major adjustment for all of us,” he admitted.
“I can only imagine.” Shannon diverted her gaze to the clock on the wall. “I suggested to Lilly that perhaps we could schedule some family sessions. If you are agreeable.”
“I am,” Greg said, rubbing his hands up and down his legs. “I was going to ask if maybe I could come and talk with you, as well. I’m trying. I really am. I want to make this work.”
“Trying too hard,” Lilly muttered. “So hard, I can tell you don’t want me there.”
“That’s not true.” Greg inched closer, but he didn’t touch her.
Shannon suspected that Lilly would probably react negatively to the intimacy, and Greg seemed to be smart enough not to force his need to hold and comfort his daughter. They barely knew each other since Lilly’s mother had kept Lilly from her father for most of her life. He hadn’t even known she existed until she was seven years old.
“You look at me like I’ve ruined your life.” Lilly pulled her hoodie over her head.
“You haven’t ruined anything. None of this is your fault.”
Shannon stole a second glance at the time. Thankfully, this wasn’t the first time Lilly and her father had had this conversation. But so far, they never got past the blame game.
Shannon jotted a few squiggly lines on her pad. No words. Just getting out her anxiety over who sat in the waiting room. She needed to focus on her client. “Lilly. Can you ask your father what you mentioned to me?”
The girl nodded, swiping at her cheeks and setting her feet on the floor.
“What is it, Lilly?” Greg closed the gap. This time, he rested his hand on her shoulder. It wasn’t an intimate gesture, but it was physical contact.
“Are you afraid of me? Do you think I’ll hurt my little brother or sister?”
Greg shook his head. “God, sweetie. No. What makes you think that?”
“You never leave me alone with them, and Julie won’t let me babysit.”
“We’ve told you why. Until you stop”—Greg tapped her forearm—“hurting yourself, and I know you’re not still cutting. I worry that something will trigger that need when you are with them. And you’re still smoking, something I won’t have in my house. I hate that you hurt yourself, and I wish I knew what to do to help you, but we need rules. Most of which, you laid out for yourself before moving in.”
“I know. But you’re not going to trust me no matter what I do.” Lilly pulled her sleeves down over her hands.
“I trust that you love your siblings. What I don’t trust is that you’re ready for the responsibility.”
“This will all take time. It’s only been a couple of weeks since we left the courtroom, and you left the facility,” Shannon said. “But if you stick with our plan, I think things will change.”
“What plan?” Greg asked.
“I told the doc I’d start writing in a journal when I felt the urge. Or I’d talk to you—which is what she prefers.” Lilly pointed toward Shannon.
“I prefer it, too,” Greg said. “I don’t judge you, sweetie. I just want it to stop.”
“That’s why I asked you here. I think it’s a good idea for your wife to come in, as well,” Shannon interjected.
Greg nodded. “I know Julie would be happy to. All we want is for Lilly to get better. For all of us to heal.” He wiped his face, his eyes filled with tears. “I should have known what was going on at her mother’s.”
“Greg. Don’t go down the should-have road. It won’t help you or your family. We need to focus on the positive and what we can do today to help Lilly. We spoke at length about the triggers for cutting, and we’ve developed coping mechanisms Lilly can use. We’ve discussed the more she withdraws from you, the worse it gets. So, you and Julie need to help pull her back in. It’s not going to change overnight, but we’re on the right track.” Shannon stood to keep herself from tapping her foot on the floor. “I hate to do this, but our time is up for today. Why don’t you look at your schedule, and we can set up a couple of sessions together? Perhaps I can meet alone with you and your wife, too.”
“I’ll call you later today to schedule something. Thanks, doc.” Greg took his daughter by the hand and pulled her close to his side, kissing the top of her head.
Lilly didn’t shove him away or cringe.
That was progress.
“We’ll do whatever it takes,” Greg continued.
Shannon nodded. “Lilly? How does this all sound to you?”
“It sounds good.” Lilly blinked, showing off her blue eyes that reminded Shannon of the sky on the sunniest of days. A world of hurt still filled them, but today, they also showed the promise of hope.
Hope that today things will be different.
Shannon held the door for her client and her father. She smiled sweetly, squeezing Lilly’s arm as she walked through the door.
Counting to ten, Shannon reminded herself that being kind didn’t make her a pushover.
That said, she needed to keep her boundaries firmly in place when it came to her family.
“Mother,” Shannon said, turning her back and heading into the office once more. She stood in front of the counter where she kept her Keurig, not offering her mother a cup. “What brings you by?” She took a long, slow sip of her coffee, letting the liquid burn as it flowed down her throat.
“You look like you’ve put on a couple of pounds. Maybe it’s the hair
cut, which ages you. At thirty-five, that’s the last thing you want to do.” Melinda Cartwright had an opinion for everything, and she was always right, no matter what.
“I don’t weigh myself, so I wouldn’t know.”
“Of course, you don’t. But you should. That way, you’d know, and you could keep a handle on it,” her mother said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “I’m surprised by how nice this place is.” She strolled into the office with her nose in the air and judgment in her glare. “But it could use some pictures. Maybe you should put a couple of family photos on your desk. We’ll get some good ones at the wedding.”
“Mom,” Shannon said. “I’ve got another patient coming shortly. What do you need?”
“Oh, and you should really hang the picture of your father, you, your uncle, and your grandparents right up there.” She pointed to the wall over the couch and moved closer. “You still have that picture, don’t you?”
Shannon didn’t have a single picture of her father. Not one. And her mother knew it. “Mom, I don’t—”
“Hard to believe it’s been eighteen years since your father died. I miss him.” Her mother pulled a tissue out of her bag and dabbed her perfectly made-up eyes. The lids were covered in a stylish light purple with a bit of sparkle. Her thick eyelashes blinked widely over her soft blue eyes.
Melinda always looked as if she were ready to walk the red carpet. Her bouncy brown curls flowed over her shoulders. Not a single hair out of place, and absolutely no frizz. Not even on the most humid days in the summer. Today, her lips looked a little too full, especially when she talked. Perhaps she’d just had her collagen injections. Her designer pantsuit clung to her toned body she’d paid a small fortune for, between liposuction and a personal trainer.
And more surgeries.
If Shannon were asked to describe her mother, in all honesty, she would say that Melinda Cartwright was the original authentic phony.
“We both know Dad wasn’t a stand-up guy, so why do you insist on pretending he was? Have you forgotten the things he did to you? To me?” It really wasn’t overly smart to goad her mother, but it was the anniversary of Shannon’s new life, and there was no way in hell she would let Mommy Dearest mess with that.
Her mother gave her a scathing glare. “I have forgiven him. You should, too. He’s dead. Show some respect. He was your damned father, whether you like it or not.” Her mother stuffed the tissue into her purse and drew her fat lips into a tight line. “I didn’t come here to argue over your inability to forgive and forget.”
Shannon wanted to jump all over that one but chose not to. “Why did you stop by this morning?”
“It’s Tara. Her boyfriend broke up with her. I have half a mind to go to his house and talk some sense into that young man. Or maybe I should go straight to his father. But then I figured out a better way to deal with the problem.”
“Don’t meddle in her life,” Shannon said, knowing the warning would fall on deaf ears. “You can’t make Kevin and Tara get back together. It’s up to them.” And if the world would just leave the two of them alone, they’d likely figure out just how much they loved each other. If they had actually called it quits. The last time this happened, all the two love birds had was a little spat, and Shannon’s mother had simply overreacted, as she always did.
“Oh, they will get back together. You can count on that.”
“Maybe, but you need to stay out of it.” Shannon made a mental note to call her half-sister. Not to interfere, but to lend an ear if needed.
“All they need is a little help. And that’s where you come in.”
Shannon put up her hands defensively. “Oh, no. I’m not getting involved in one of your schemes. The last times you did that, Tara didn’t speak to me for a week.”
“I’m doing nothing of the sort, and if you would stop interrupting me like a child and let me finish, you’d see that.” Melinda placed her hands on her hips and scowled. “I just want to fake fix up Tara. Maybe with that cute neighbor of yours, just to make Kevin jealous.”
“Are you kidding?” Shannon stared at her mother. She shouldn’t be shocked, but this was over the top, even for her mom. “First off, my neighbor is much older than Tara, and I wouldn’t put him in the middle of your game.”
“What? Are you saying your sister isn’t good enough for him?”
“That’s not the point. You’d be using him, and that’s not right.”
Melinda’s eyes teared. How the woman did that on command had always remained a mystery. “I ask you to do one little favor for your sister to make her happy, and you refuse. You care nothing for anyone but yourself. You can’t even respect your father’s memory by having a picture of him in your office.”
“I don’t want anything personal in my office,” Shannon said with a huff. She didn’t owe her mother any explanation, yet she found herself reverting to old behaviors.
“Every doctor has something personal in their office. It’s how they relate to their patients,” her mother said as if she were the expert. “But since you’re not ever going to listen to your mother, let’s get back to your neighbor. He’s a private investigator or something, right? I bet he sees Kevin’s father every so often. I’m sure he’s the investigator the law firm uses.”
Shannon rolled her eyes. “Yeah. Actually, he is a PI. And I’ve hired him.”
“For what?” Her mother dropped her hands to her sides and narrowed her eyes into tiny slits, but they were still open enough to shoot a few daggers in Shannon’s direction.
“You know why,” Shannon said with a tight fist.
Her mother gasped.
Shannon swallowed the fear that beat through her heart. Exposing her emotions to her mother had proven dangerous in the past.
“Why would you do that?” Melinda whispered, looking around. “It’s best to leave dirty little secrets in the closet. Not even your stepfather knows what you did.”
“It’s not a dirty secret, and he knows; he just doesn’t want to start a fight with you,” Shannon muttered. Though she had lived nearly decades of her life mired in shame for what had happened and what she’d done. Not a day went by that she hadn’t wondered what her daughter had become. If good, loving parents had raised her.
Not the freakshow that Shannon had been subjected to.
“It’s not something this family discusses. Ever. And I won’t have it. Tell your neighbor you made a mistake.” Her mother fanned her face as if to dry her fake tears. “You probably ruined this for Tara, but I’d like you to introduce them anyway. See how it plays out.”
Shannon heard the outside door to her office open. “Mom,” she said in a soft voice, “look, I believe Jackson has a girlfriend. I see someone over there all the time, so I don’t think that is the answer. Just let Tara and Kevin figure things out on their own. She’s a smart girl.” Shannon placed her hand on her mother’s elbow. “I’m sorry, but I’ve really got to go.”
“Right. You have sick people to fix,” her mother said sarcastically. “Don’t forget the bridesmaid dress fitting this Saturday. I expect you to be there on time and with a smile on your face. You’re lucky that Bonnie even asked you to be in the wedding, considering how you feel about her fiancé.”
“I don’t dislike Fred. It’s just weird that I dated him, and now she’s marrying him.”
“Well. Don’t be late.”
“I will be there. I promise,” Shannon said, guiding her mother to the door, ignoring the desire to tell her to take a flying leap into the lake. She had tried to cut her mother out of her life once, but that had made it more difficult to maintain a relationship with her stepfather and her half-sister—two people she loved deeply and wanted in her life. For the most part, she and her mother had little contact, but this wedding had forced them to see each other more than at the usual family holiday gatherings. Once it was over, her mother would go back to ignoring Shannon.
And Shannon would go back to her peaceful life.
Shannon entered
the Boardwalk Restaurant, trying to shake off the tension in her neck and shoulders. The day had been long and hard, and there was still no word from her patient, Belinda. But what had her muscles tied up in knots had been the car in the parking lot. It looked identical to the one that had been parked at the top of her driveway.
The same one Jackson had pointed out.
She’d taken a picture of the license plate with her phone and texted it to Jackson. He responded immediately, letting her know he’d already taken the number, and then he reminded her not to walk to her car by herself.
But nothing about meeting for a drink after her dinner, and Shannon wasn’t sure how she felt about that. She wasn’t thinking about it so much because dating him was such a high priority, but because she resented the way his demeanor had changed the second she’d revealed a smidgeon of data about her past.
However, she’d looked forward to this meal all day, and she’d be damned if she let anything stand in her way of enjoying it now.
That said, coming into this place always caused her a bit of concern. She sucked in a deep breath, scanning the bar area, checking out every middle-aged man with graying hair but doing her best to avoid eye contact.
“Boo!”
Shannon jumped, nearly falling over. She clutched her feather pendant. “Jesus, Cameron. You scared the shit out of me.”
“What are best friends for if not to make you pee your pants?” Cameron looped her arm over Shannon’s shoulder. “How are you holding up?”
“Other than my mother showing up at my office, I’m good.” Shannon shook out her hands. In the year she’d lived here, and in the eighteen years she’d been coming to celebrate her father’s death, she’d never once come across a man she’d known in the past, but that didn’t mean they weren’t still lurking in the shadows.
“She didn’t.” Cameron’s voice screeched over the country music playing in the background. “I remember when we graduated from college, how mortified she was when you let her know you’d be going for a PhD in psychology. And of all the days for her to show up… Does she even remember what today is?”
