Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Leo
Dr. Kennedy Dixon. Healing Horses Ranch.
Except Dr. Dixon didn’t have an opening. So, despite Gideon’s suggestions, I’d been stymied.
The nice lady who answered the phone, saying she was Rainbow Dixon, had let me know Justin Bridges-Powers had an opening and so here I was, on a Thursday evening, meeting with a therapist.
Gideon hadn’t said anything after my weird text asking for a recommendation for a counselor.
The Sunday-night handoff had gone well. Melodie appeared reluctant to let me go when I returned her to Gideon, but Trevor was already cuddling with Lucky, and they were happy together.
“They’ll be okay,” Gideon had said. “We’ll send lots of pictures.
And, if you want, you can come for dinner on Wednesday. ”
Being a masochist, I’d gone for dinner.
Archer and Gideon were clearly holding back on the PDA. They reached for each other several times, only to pull back when they remembered I was there. Well, if the little looks they gave me were any indication.
Our kids were, apparently, over the moon at having all their daddies in the same place. Slowly but surely, Archer had moved into the stepparent role with ease—even if the two men weren’t officially married.
I did my best to smile, enjoy the lasagna, and prove to our children—as well as the adults in the room—that I could be civilized and friendly. It shouldn’t have been as difficult as it turned out to be.
Hence me showing up at Healing Horses Ranch the next night to see a therapist.
A lovely woman with black hair and eyes the palest shade of blue I’d ever seen greeted me in the parking lot, along with a yellow lab. “I’m Rainbow and the dog’s Tiffany. She’s very friendly, but don’t feel pressure to interact with her.”
“She’s the therapy dog?”
“Yep.” A wide grin. “She does most of the heavy lifting around here.”
I crouched and held out my hand—much as I’d done with Gideon’s Lucky.
She sniffed, then gently swiped her tongue over my knuckles.
I petted her head.
Rainbow laughed softly. “Another friend. She collects them like bones.”
I wasn’t entirely certain that was a compliment, but I chose to see it as such. “I’m Leo.”
“Nice to meet you, Leo. Justin will be ready in just a couple of minutes. Can I offer you something to drink? Coffee, tea, water, juice—”
“Coffee would be great. Do you have decaf?” Probably asking a lot.
“Absolutely. Always do—especially this time of night.”
“I appreciate you seeing me so late.”
She waved me off, then gestured toward the ranch house.
I rose and followed her.
“Each counselor takes a night, and tonight’s Justin’s turn. Kennedy’s my sister, and the genius behind the ranch. She’s off tonight, but you might see her around. We live here.”
“So this is your home as well? How does that work for delineation?”
She laughed. “There’s none. Healing Horses is our vocation. Another time, I’ll take you to meet the horses—Fallon, Briar, Sugar, and Sienna. We do less riding this time of year, but they’re always up to being brushed.” She eyed my suit.
“I own jeans. I swear.”
“That’s good to know. We’re very much come as you are around here.”
We stepped onto a wooden deck, and she led me to a set of sliding-glass doors. She opened one and beckoned me inside.
I entered the space with the dog hard on my heels.
I grinned as she did a little dance around me.
“She’s enthusiastic.” I gazed around the massive room with soaring beams along the roof of the two-story space.
The back wall of windows faced over the riding ring and stables—that were shrouded in darkness given how quickly the light faded this time of year.
Rainbow chuckled. “Tiffany has her moments. Let me take your coat. Oh, don’t worry about your boots. Shall we head to the kitchen?”
Since she’d hung both our coats on pegs, I followed her—and my nose—into the gleaming white kitchen.
“Fresh buns. Have you eaten?” She moved to the coffee maker, selected a pod, and set about making a cup.
“Uh, I came here straight from work. I had a busy day.”
“Let me guess—you didn’t eat lunch.” She arched an eyebrow at me.
“Guilty. I had a surgery that ran long. Complications.”
“Oh dear.”
I shrugged. “The patient should be fine. I’ll call to check in with the nursing staff before I go to bed. And they’ve got my cell number. I’ll be keeping it on during my session…if that’s okay.”
She waved me off as if this wasn’t an issue. “We get all kinds of clients with different needs. If, for you, that means keeping your phone on, that’s fine.”
I wanted to ask what Gideon’s needs had been, but that was way out of line.
I’d searched my old emails and discovered I’d recommended Healing Horses to him back in November.
Along with another couple of therapists in the Mission City area.
At the time, I’d never considered he might go.
I’d just…wanted him to get help. Little had I realized that Archer—and Dr. Kennedy Dixon—would have such a profound impact on him.
Or me.
“Hello.” A gorgeous man, about my height, with red hair and a matching beard as well as soft-blue eyes, stepped into the room with a wide grin on his face. He held out his hand. “I’m Justin Bridges-Powers.”
“The counselor.” I shook his hand.
He shrugged. “I’m a PhD student, but I’ve still got some time to go before I hit doctor status.”
“Ah.”
“Coffee’s ready. Justin, are you up for a bun? I was offering one to Dr. Rodgers—”
“Please, it’s Leo. I shouldn’t have mentioned the surgery.”
Rainbow handed me the mug and then cocked her head. “We’re respectful of titles. Kennedy doesn’t go out of her way to advertise the fact she has PhDs…but she doesn’t hide it either.” She pivoted to Justin. “Green tea?”
He made a face. “Caffeine-free Earl Grey, please.”
She laughed. “Saw that coming.”
“I will take a bun as I’m a little peckish. Stanley’s taking the kids to A&W. Angus really wanted onion rings and my wonderful husband didn’t know how to resist.”
“But Angus isn’t manipulative.” Rainbow put hot water in a mug and added a tea bag.
“That’s the point.” Justin gave me a glance.
“Our son rarely asks for anything. So if he mentions he’d like something, then he really does.
So we’re more likely to accommodate him.
Opal? Our daughter? She wants everything all the time—so we have to work to temper her expectations.
But she’s five versus her older brother who’s twelve. ”
“Kids should come with an instruction manual.” I scratched my stubbled jaw.
Rainbow pulled two plates from the cupboard and gestured for Justin and me to grab buns. She placed a pat of butter on a tray beside the basket. “Honey butter. Oh, I have peanut butter as well. I should heat these up.”
Before either Justin or I could say anything, she put two buns on a plate and put that in the microwave.
I met Justin’s gaze and read a just roll with it in his eyes.
In return, I smiled. Then I sipped my coffee. “Thank you for this.”
“My pleasure.” Rainbow pulled the plate from the microwave and nudged a bun onto a plate. “No pressure.”
Justin laughed wholeheartedly. “Right. Like someone can turn down fresh baked buns with honey butter.” He grabbed a knife, slit his bun open, and slathered it with butter. “You’re a woman after my heart.”
“I already have your heart.” She laughed. “I’m just lucky Stanley’s not a jealous man.”
I cocked my head.
Justin handed me the knife. “She’s joking. I was working here before I met Stanley, and so Rainbow likes to tease that she has dibs on me.”
Rainbow sighed dramatically. “All the good ones are gay or taken.”
“Or both.” Justin pointed to his chest.
His coworker rolled her eyes.
I cut my bun and inhaled deeply. “This really is a wonderful treat.” I added just a light spread of the butter—fully aware it wasn’t the healthiest of foods.
“I’m going to drag Kennedy out of her office so she can have dinner with me.” Rainbow put her hand on her hip.
“And that would be our signal to leave the sisters alone.” Justin grabbed his mug of tea. “If you’d like to follow me…” He headed toward a hallway. I had my plate in one hand and my mug of coffee in the other.
“Do you want Tiffany?” Rainbow called after us. “She’s eaten.”
Justin caught my gaze. “Do you want her to join us?”
“As opposed to not? She’s a lovely dog and I don’t mind.” Is that the right thing to say? Did Gideon have Tiffany sit in on his sessions? Did he bring Lucky?
“Come along, Tiffany.” Justin clicked his tongue.
The lovely lab trotted behind us as we made our way into his office.
First to strike me were the bright-yellow walls. Soothing and yet sunny at the same time. His desk was off to one side. In the middle of the space was a long couch with two high-backed chairs across from it.
Justin gestured for me to sit.
I shrugged, uncertain of protocol.
“Wherever you’re comfortable.”
“That’s not really possible.” God, did I just say that out loud?
He smiled. “The couch is marginally more comfortable, and this isn’t a shrink’s office. I’m not going to ask you to lie back and list your troubles while I psychoanalyze you.”
That made me laugh because clearly he understood the hesitancy. “I had to do a psych rotation in med school.”
“Ah.”
I sat on the couch, then put my mug on the coffee table so I could consume my bun while the thing was still warm.
Justin sat on a chair across from me. He also put his mug on a side table and dug into his bun.
We ate in silence for a few moments, but then I noticed Tiffany. I swallowed. “Are we supposed to give her some? I’ve never had a dog and so don’t know protocol.”
“Nah. Tiffany doesn’t eat when she’s working unless, for example, a young patient wants to feed her. Kids can be empathetic, and if they feel the need to give treats, and it’s appropriate, we might allow it.”
The dog’s ears didn’t even flicker at the word treats. I was impressed.
“So she just sits here?” I gestured to where she sat—by the coffee table midway between Justin and myself.