Page 75 of Isabelle & Jason
“Jason—” Penny’s soft voice shattered the quiet in the café, and Jason shook his head.
“It’s fine. Everything happens for a reason, right? Who knows where the future will take us?”
His sister’s pensive stare spoke volumes. They all struggled somewhat with control and wanting to save the world. It was probably the reason they sought out jobs in these fields. Mathew sighed, but he didn’t speak.
The tension grew excruciating, and Jason reached for his sandwich again even though he’d lost his appetite. “Anyway, this is the café. Mateo and Nikki, my bosses, purchased this place. They’re going to have me running it for the foreseeable future. I think Nikki had thought about running it for a while, but she’s busy with everything at the ranch. Besides, I think she’s realized that it wouldn’t be conducive to seeing her family as much. It takes a lot of work to keep this place running efficiently.”
Penny frowned. “But I thought you said it wasn’t as bad as being a head chef at the restaurant.”
“Oh, it’s not. But it is time-consuming.” He nodded to her sandwich. “I’m here at three in the morning most days to get the bread ready for baking. Sometimes earlier.”
Mathew groaned. “I hate early mornings.”
Penny laughed and gave him an incredulous look. “Says the guy who’s on call most of the time and has to go in at all hours of the day and night when there’s an emergency.”
Jason and Mathew exchanged smiles. They all loved their work. Even when it meant losing sleep.
“Well, I’m happy for you,” Penny assured him. “This seems like a great place for you. And you always loved the dessert part of the job. Please tell me you’ll be putting your chocolate soufflé on the menu.”
“Who do you think you’re talking to?” Jason chuckled. “Of course it’s on the menu. That and several other specialty desserts.”
Their conversations shifted to other topics. It was mostly Mathew and Penny chatting about random topics. Medical studies that crossed over their two respective fields.
While spending time with his siblings had given him a boost of sorts, and he was already feeling better about where everything had settled, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was still wrong.
There was a hole in his heart that refused to be filled by anything or anyone.
Anyone but her.
28
Isabelle
“How are you feeling today, Isabelle?”
“Izzie.”
Dr. Klein glanced up from her notepad and offered Isabelle a warm smile.
Smiling, Isabelle shifted in her seat. She fingered the hem of her shirt and glanced toward the window. It was hard to believe that she’d been seeing Dr. Klein for two months already. Back when she’d first started meeting with her, she’d had to call her personal number a lot.
It had felt needy and weak, but Dr. Klein had assured her that she was more than happy to answer any and all calls.
“I’m doing better, I think.” Isabelle returned her focus to her therapist. It had been difficult at first, knowing that Dr. Klein was Jason’s sister. But after the first month, it had felt natural. “My nightmares are less frequent.”
“That’s wonderful. What do you think is the reasoning behind that?”
“I don’t know.” Isabelle chewed on her lower lip. There was no way she’d admit that the nights she didn’t have nightmares, she dreamed of a certain handsome cowboy instead. That was the last thing her therapist needed to know.
“Are you certain?”
Isabelle nodded. “Honestly, it’s not like I didn’t talk to someone before…” She thought back to when she’d discussed her fears and her fuzzy memories with Jason. “Just not in a professional context. Do you think that’s why I’m improving?”
Dr. Klein’s smile never wavered. “It’s hard to say what will tip the scales in the favor of healing. Sometimes people improve simply because they can vent their concerns. Other times it’s acknowledging that one needs help. Often there is no one variable. Tell me about a typical day for you.”
Isabelle blew out a breath and did as she was told. She didn’t understand Dr. Klein’s reasoning for going over the mundane before they moved into the grittier aspect of her emotions. Perhaps it was helping beneath the surface.
They did a few other exercises before Dr. Klein shifted the topic. “And have you come in contact with the individual? You mentioned he lives in town.”
