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“Yeah. At least he called me by my name this morning.”
“Dr. Mac and Josh should be here soon. How about, while they get Mark up and talking, I take you for breakfast?”
“Deal. Let me set this on his nightstand and check on him one last time.”
Tiptoeing back into the master bedroom, I put the water next to the Advil and took a moment to appreciate Mark sleeping. Despite looking like hell and most likely about to wake up with an epic hangover, he was still so very handsome.
Hearing conversation coming from the living room, I gave him one final glance and stepped out. I wondered how Mark would feel about waking up to see his friends had brought in his therapist. Given his history, however, this was probably the best thing for him.
“Ah, Juliette, it’s nice to see you,” Dr. Mac said by way of hello.
“Nice to see you again, too.” The way he was studying me was a bit unnerving. He was probably putting two and two together and figuring out that Mark was the man I’d been talking about during my sessions.
“Do you want to have a chat about last night and what happened with Mark before we wake him up?”
My eyes darted between all three men. “Actually, no.”
Everyone appeared taken aback by my answer, but I had a good reason. “I’d rather talk about things in front of him. He’d feel some disloyalty from me if I gave his longtime therapist my version of what happened. Just know that I love him, and I’m willing to speak with you later if he won’t and if you think talking to me will help him.”
Dr. Mac’s expression softened. “I understand and respect your choice.”
I was thankful when Brian came to the rescue. “We’re going to breakfast. Why don’t you keep us up to date once he’s awake?”
Josh nodded and squeezed my hand. “Thanks for staying.”
* * *
Once we were seatedat a diner a few miles away, I checked in with my mom to be sure Tristan was doing okay this morning. I was already anxious to return to him, feeling guilty that I’d spent the night away from him and was putting Mark first right now.
“Tristan good?” Brian asked from across the booth.
“Yep. He’s fine.” I put my phone away and put my elbows on the table. “Do you think I should’ve spoken with Dr. Mac about Mark?”
“No. I think what you did was respectful. Makes his job harder if Mark doesn’t want to talk about his problems, but Dr. Mac’s a smart man, and Josh already filled him in on the minimum.”
I ordered an omelet and sipped the coffee the waitress brought. “Distract me with wedding plans. I mean, is it just me, or does it feel like it’s taken forever to get here?”
He chuckled. “It has taken forever. But what can you do when your wife-to-be wants a winter wedding on the beach in North Carolina? February can’t get here fast enough.”
The ceremony would be intimate with only close friends and family invited. Afterwards, there would be a larger reception indoors at a local country club. Since Sasha had grown up in a small town where her father had been the sheriff for many years, there’d be plenty of people attending the latter. Given Sasha’s anxiety, I knew Brian was worried she’d push herself into a panic.
“Why is she putting herself through having a big reception when crowds of people aren’t her thing?”
“I know, right? But she wants to prove she can.”
It didn’t surprise me. Sasha was stubborn. But I also knew my friend would accomplish anything she set her mind to. The ceremony was for her, but the reception she’d put on for her family.
Over the next hour, Brian and I chatted about his upcoming nuptials. We also discussed possible leads for houses for sale once I was ready to buy again. When Brian’s phone buzzed, I waited expectantly. The tic of his jaw told me that whatever he’d read had irritated him. Could I read my boss or what?
“Everything okay with the text?”
“Yeah,” he lied.
My raised brow was all he needed to relent.
“I hate it when you do that.”
“What? Look at you like a liar, liar, pants on fire?”
