Page 14 of Lorcan
Well, shit.Even if I held back all the personal stuff, I still had a hell of a story to tell. Because with Jai and Demetrius, even a “yeah, he might be a pup but we’re taking it slow, just meeting for lunch, maybe,” could be turned into something very interesting.
I headed their way.
Chapter Five
Lorcan
Isat in my truck during my lunch break and stared at the phone number I’d scribbled on a scrap of paper this morning. Healing Horses Ranch.
The entire drive home last night, I’d thought about what Cody had said. So much in that short conversation.
I couldn’t believe how open I’d been with him. About my concerns. About my naïveté. About my lack of experience. How I’d been with Stephen for all those years and yet had never known him at all.
Sighing, I fingered the paper. I hadn’t told Cody about the arrest or all that came after. I’d asked him not to search me on the internet. Which was kind of a dumb request. If he planned to invite me into his home, he should at least know what I’d been accused of. I hadn’t killed my ex-husband and disposed of the body—but the cops hadn’t charged that only because they couldn’t come up with the evidence. Not because they believed I was innocent.
Taking a deep breath, I swiped until I came to my contacts. I selected Cody’s name and tapped out a message.
—Hope you got home safe. Go ahead and google me. If you still want to meet, a walk in the park sounds great. —
Then, before I lost my nerve, I dialed the ranch.
After three rings, someone answered. A little breathlessly, she said, “Healing Horses Ranch, this is Rainbow. How may I help you?”
For just an instant, I froze.
“Are you okay?” She asked the question quietly—almost like she sat next to me in the cab of my truck.
I cleared my throat. “Yeah, I’m okay. My name is Lorcan. Uh, I spoke to Cody yesterday.”Please don’t ask the circumstances.I’d prepared a vague answer.
“He’s a great guy. Do you want to speak to him? He’s in with a patient, but I can take a—”
“No.” I winced as that came out a little more forcefully than I planned. “I, uh…he suggested I might try to see a counselor.” I closed my eyes. “But I don’t have a lot of money. I mean, I will soon. And my boss said my benefits kick in next week. The brochure said some psychological counseling was covered. But I don’t know—” I sort of ran out of steam.
“Okay, Lorcan. We operate on a sliding scale, so let’s not worry about money right now, okay? We can take care of you. Is there a particular counselor you’d like to see?”
“I’m gay.”Great, just blurt that out.
“That’s perfectly fine. All our counselors are LGBTQ friendly. Justin Powers is gay—”
“Yes. Cody, uh, mentioned him.” I wracked my brain, but nothing else came.
“Justin’s a great guy. Let me check his schedule.” She tapped on some kind of keyboard. “Okay, he’s got an opening Tuesdaynight. He had another patient scheduled, but they had to move to earlier in the day. Does five-thirty work?”
“I get off work at five. Near you guys. I don’t have enough time to go home and shower.”
She laughed softly. “We’re a working ranch with horses and therapy dogs. We’re quite accustomed to dirt and mess.”
“And sweat?” I resisted the urge to smell my pits.
“Absolutely. Justin’s a really easygoing guy. He’s seen a number of clients who weren’t able to shower before their session. Don’t get tripped up over that, okay?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“Do you have an email? We have an intake form—”
“I don’t have a computer. I guess—” Again, I wracked my brain. “I suppose I could go to the library.”
“These forms are confidential. You can fill them out when you arrive.”
