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“I can see that you care about and are worried for your brother, but therapy only works when the person wants help. You can’t force him into treatment, or expect it to work unless he’s on board.”
Chase’s expression fell. “I am worried about him. We won’t be able to keep him here if his behavior continues to escalate, but I don’t know what will happen if we force him out. I feel like his work here is his lifeline, you know?”
I nodded, feeling empathy for him. “I’d be happy to meet with him, but he needs to want the help.” I was about to provide tips on how to help his brother in the meantime when the door opened and a beautiful young woman walked in.
Mr. Raven’s smile was radiant as he stood and kissed her on the cheek. He was a man deeply in love. It was beautiful to watch, even as I was envious of her. Not that I wanted Chase Raven. No, what I wanted was a man to look at me with the same love in his eyes as Chase had for his wife.
“I’m sorry, I’m interrupting,” she said.
“No, no. How are you feeling?” he asked. His hand gently rubbed her belly where a small bump indicated a baby was growing there.
She bit her lip and did a little eye waggle.
He laughed. “Again?”
I didn’t know exactly what they were communicating, but I couldn’t help but feel that perhaps Mrs. Raven was feeling amorous. I heard some pregnant women had ramped up libidos.
I stood, wondering if he was going to indulge her there or if they had a place in the building for conjugal visits.
“Ms. Reynolds, this is my wife, Sara. Sara, this is Ms. Reynolds, the therapist I was telling you about. I was just filling her in on Hunter.”
“Oh, it’s so nice to meet you,” Sara reached out her hand to shake mine.
“You too, Mrs. Raven.”
“Oh please. Call me Sara. I’m so glad you’re going to help Hunter. I know he looks scary and on edge all the time, but I think deep down he’s a softy.”
“Softy?” Chase quirked a brow.
She shrugged. “I have a soft place in my heart for him. I can see he’s hurting and wish there was something I could do to help him.”
I found her compassion for her brother-in-law sweet.
“The thing is,” Chase said. “Sara and I are expecting a child in a few months and I worry that if Hunter’s behavior continues to get worse, we won’t be able to have him around. We’re a difficult family, but we are family. I don’t want to have to push him out of the business or our lives.”
I believed Chase Raven was sincere in his concern and love for his brother, although I was annoyed at his willingness to abandon him. Then again, he had a child to consider.
“I can’t promise anything, but I’d be willing to meet with him once. I won’t force him into therapy, but I can talk to him. After that, it’s up to him if he wants help or not.”
“That’s all I ask. Thank you so much,” Chase said.
“Hunter is a good man,” Sara said. “I hope you can reach him.”
“I’ll set up a place for you to meet with him privately. Can we do it now?”
Now? “Ah…” I looked at my watch. I didn’t have clients on Friday, as most people didn’t want to start their weekends by scraping through the dark recesses of their minds. “Sure. Okay.”
“Great,” Chase said, going back to his desk and picking up his phone.
“Hunter is guarded and can be provocative,” Sara said in a way that suggested she was warning me.
“Do you feel safe around him?”
“I do, but Chase is right. He seems to be getting worse, at least around others. He’s always really sweet around me.”
Huh. Interesting. I wondered what it was about her that was different for him. Was he in love with his sister-in-law? Or was it that she looked so young and innocent. She looked barely over twenty.
“You have a special bond with him?”
She shrugged. “I guess. I don’t know. All the Raven brothers are…challenging, and Hunter is at the top of the list for that, but for some reason, around me, he seems to be able to rein it in.”
“Maybe because you’re pregnant,” I suggested. “Some men have an innate protector instinct, especially ones in the military.”
“Maybe,” she said. “I just hope he doesn’t scare you. He won’t hurt you. I’ve never heard of him being violent to people.”
“What about the women your husband says he gets with.”
Sara rolled her eyes. “Good God, the man is a whore. I have no doubt that all the women he’s with are ready, willing and able. I suspect there are some that hang out at the club just to be chosen as Hunter’s woman-du-jour.”
