Page 5 of Healing Hazel
The man wasn’t nearly as tall as Nigel, but he wasn’t a wimp either. Add in the fact that his hand looked disproportionally huge when he gestured for me to come forward and I was pretty shocked I managed to move my feet.
“Let’s see what we’re dealing with. It can’t be all that terrible considering this is the first time you’ve come to my office, Miss Waltman.”
“You know my name?”
I had to admit he had a great chuckle, but couldn’t the villains in all those scary movies claim the same a moment before sinking their teeth, claws, or say a chainsaw blade into you?
“I make it a point to know all the students in our hallowed halls.” He moved around his desk and pulled out the chair in front of it a bit more as if to make sure I saw it as my next destination.
Considering the fact that being seated meant my butt would be inaccessible, I didn’t hesitate to accept his invitation. Onceseated, I listened to him close the door I’d not even realized I’d left open. Perhaps it was my subconscious’ attempt to keep an escape route accessible.
“Can I offer you a glass of water?”
“That would be fabulous!” I said and then slapped a hand over my mouth when a very inappropriate bark of strangled laughter escaped.
He had the grace to ignore the fact he was sharing his office with a loon and simply opened his mini-fridge and pulled out a bottle of water. He didn’t just twist off the cap and hand it to me either. He turned one of several very pretty crystal glasses sitting on a silver tray on his credenza over and poured the water into the glass. A napkin was placed on the surface of his desk and the glass carefully set down. By the time he moved behind the desk again, my heart was no longer threatening to pound its way out of my chest. Even though picking up the glass required me bending forward slightly, the fact he was now seated in his leather chair assured me he wasn’t going to pull any sort of sneak attack on my posterior.
I took the time to swallow most of the glass’ contents before setting it down again. “Does that work every time?” I asked, gesturing to the credenza and the glass as I sat back in the chair.
“Most of the time,” he admitted with a grin that threatened to pull one out of me. “Ready to tell me why you’re gracing my office?”
“Gracing is such a nice word,” I said, pretty shocked that I was able to make light of a situation I’d been positive was going to be terrifying. “Professor Berringer thought it might do me good to receive a few swats.”
His eyebrow quirked inthatway, but for some reason, it didn’t send me flying out the door. It simply told me he’d probably heard every excuse ever dreamt up by some student facing discipline.
“Okay, while that is true, I guess it’s because I sort of zoned out in class again,” I confessed.
“Which won’t help you when it comes time for finals.”
“That’s pretty much what she said, and you’re both right. I promised not to do it again, but I guess she didn’t really believe me.”
“Or perhaps she’s concerned that if you don’t take the lesson to heart, you won’t truly learn the importance of paying attention in a class that will affect your future?”
There was a reason he was head of the university and the fact he could state things so clearly and without a bunch of threats or declarations of the pitfalls of failure made him very good at his job. “Or that.”
My admittance earned me another grin as he held out his hand.
I was just about to shake his hand and thank him for his words of wisdom when I realized my fingers were still clutching the card. “Oh, sorry, it’s um, a little wrinkled,” I said as I slid the card into his hand.
A chuckle made me see how much that didn’t matter to him. “They quite often are.”
He took a moment to read whatever it was that Brooke had written making me wonder why in the hell I hadn’t done the same.
“Tell me, Miss Waltman, did Professor Berringer also offer an ear?”
“Yes, but I-I don’t want to bother her.”
He sat forward for the first time as if to make sure I paid attention. “Miss Waltman, I assure you that nothing you could say to any professor or any member of the staff would be found boring. We all actually care a great deal about everyone in this university or on the Ranch itself. And unless I’m wrong, Professor Berringer is also a friend of yours.”
“Funny, she said that too.” My voice was so soft it was a wonder he could hear, but I had no doubt that he’d heard every word, both spoken and those left unsaid.
“Then I hope that one day you’ll feel able to take her up on the offer.”
I could only nod because I was determined not to cry.
“To be quite honest, you look like you can use more than a few swats.” Evidently he saw the panic in my eyes because he reached out and settled his hand gently on top of mine that somehow had moved to clutch the edge of his desk. “I didn’t mean that literally. While I’m a firm advocate of paddling, I’m even more of a believer in the power of communication. The very fact that you’re taking college classes while working full time at the clinic tells me you have a well of untapped strength to call on. But I want you to consider the fact you don’t have to do everything alone. There are people all around you just waiting to help. You’ll find that talking solves a lot of issues that your brain is trying to persuade you are better kept in some dark box never to see the light of day. If not Brooke, perhaps you can talk to another friend or I can arrange an appointment with Dr. Denten.”
I looked up and managed to meet his gaze. “Thanks, and I’m not trying to brush you off. But… I think I know the person I really need to talk to.”
