Summer Nights (Fool's Gold #8)(78)
“Let me know if you want my help in finding a therapist. I know a few who specialize in trauma. You’d have to go to Sacramento for sessions, but it shouldn’t take very many.”
“I’m not sure which would be worse. Therapy or sex.”
Dakota grinned. “Which is part of the problem. For most people, sex with a great guy would be the preference.”
“I guess.” She looked at her friend. “Thanks for being brave enough to take me on.”
“I’m here for you. I can also help you find a guy, if you’d like.”
“Ah, no, thanks. Great offer, but I think I should humiliate myself in private.”
Dakota tilted her head. “Why would there be humiliation?”
Charlie shook her head. “Now you’re going all therapist on me. Change of topic. How are the kids?”
“You’re trying to distract me.”
“Yes, and you’re going to let it work, because you love me.”
Dakota laughed. “You’re going to be the best mom. Seriously. Get this fixed, Charlie, because you have babies just waiting to come into your life.”
Charlie hoped she was right. The road to healing wasn’t going to be much fun, though. Therapy or a man? Honest to God, she couldn’t figure which road offered the least pain. With a man, she wouldn’t have to haul her ass to another town. With therapy she wouldn’t have to have sex. Of course it was possible her therapist would tell her to start dating, which meant the worst of both worlds.
She would get it figured out, she promised herself. Because she was ready to be part of a family.
* * *
ANNABELLE LEANED AGAINST Khatar. “For us to take our relationship to the next level, you’re going to have to be supportive of reality TV. There’s no other way around it.”
The horse rubbed the side of his face against her arm, as if nodding.
“Really?” she asked. “You wouldn’t mind a Project Runway marathon? Or a night of America’s Next Top Model?”
“Does he ever answer?”
Annabelle looked up and saw Clay standing by the fence. He was still the most incredibly good-looking man she’d ever seen, but she was getting used to having him around. Not that she had any interest in the man. For her the world had been reduced to a single man she couldn’t get off her mind.
“Sometimes,” she said with a grin. “I speak fluent horse.”
“There’s a talent.” Clay eyed the stallion. “I heard he was mean.”
“I did, too, but it’s silliness. Khatar is a sweetie.”
“He tried to kill a guy.”
Annabelle rubbed behind his ears. “I refuse to believe that.”
“Maybe Shane started the rumor to get the horse’s price down.”
She laughed. “I doubt he would do that.”
Clay studied her. “So you’re one of those, are you?”
“One of what?”
“A woman who thinks my brother has principles.”
“Are you saying he doesn’t?”
“No. I’m messing with you. Shane’s a good guy.”
Which was an opening to a conversation she’d wanted to have with someone. Maybe Clay would help her out.
She walked toward him. Khatar followed.
“Can I ask you something?”
Clay put one foot on a railing and studied her. “Am I going to like the question?”
“I don’t know.”
He shrugged. “Go ahead.”
“Am I like the infamous Rachel?”
Clay’s perfect mouth twisted. “If you are, you need to get the hell out of my brother’s life.” He swore under his breath. “Has she been around?”
“Not that I know of. I’m sorry to bring her up. It’s just she seems like a constant presence in Shane’s life. He’s judging me by her.” She leaned against Khatar. “The first time Shane saw me, I was dancing on a bar. I wasn’t drunk.” She explained about the dance of the happy virgin. “I guess because of his ex, it made him wary. I want to know what she and I have in common.”
“From what I’ve heard, almost nothing. Rachel…” He rested his forearms against the top railing. “Rachel lived big. She was always going and doing. Pretty enough, I suppose. But she knew how to attract men. All men.” He looked at her. “Rachel wasn’t happy unless every guy in the room wanted her.”
Annabelle swallowed, wondering if maybe she’d started down a path she didn’t want to follow. “I’d heard she cheated on Shane.”
“She didn’t just cheat. If a guy wasn’t paying enough attention to her, she came on to him. She needed to be the center of attention in every situation. She claimed to love Shane, but I don’t think she has a clue what love is.”
Annabelle bit her lower lip. “Did she ever come on to you?”
Clay’s look was hard. “More than once. Rafe, too. We didn’t know what to do. Did we tell him? Did we ignore it? We had no idea if he wanted to know or not. He tried to make the marriage work, but finally figured out it was a lost cause. So he left. She came after him. They got back together. It was a cycle that continued for a few months until he was finally done.”