She didn’t want it. Had asked her lawyer to sell everything he could and manage the bank account. Movement to her right caught her attention, and she saw Cody leading a horse toward the barn.
“I have a lot of money,” she said, turning toward Darren again. “I want to buy some horses with it.” She felt shaky and weak, and she hated that. “I want to ride horses again.”
He reached for her, and she slid across the seat and found comfort in his embrace. “I’ll help you,” he whispered.
She supposed that he didn’t realize how much he already had. Farrah felt unworthy of this good man, but as she stayed tucked into his warm arms and breathed in the masculine scent of his skin, she prayed that she could somehow be the woman he deserved.
Tuesday came,and with it Farrah’s appointment with Dr. Kenna. Farrah had spent several sessions with the redheaded therapist, and she really liked her. So she accepted the water bottle she’d been offered and looked at the pictures of Dr. Kenna’s children while she waited.
For the first time since she’d started seeing someone, Farrah felt like she had a lot to say. The first couple of sessions had been strained while Dr. Kenna asked her questions Farrah didn’t want to answer.
But she’d stayed. She hadn’t stormed out or refused to come back, though she’d wanted to do both. Then she’d think of Darren and remind herself of why she needed to be here. If she really wanted him in her life, she needed to get it all cleaned up before he could move in.
“Farrah, come on back.” The doctor smiled at her from the doorway, and Farrah grinned back. “You look good today.” Dr. Kenna had been blessed with sharp, green eyes that didn’t miss a single detail. Growing up with her as a mom would’ve probably been torture.
“I feel good today,” Farrah said, taking a seat on the couch opposite the one Dr. Kenna sat on.
“Tell me why.” She didn’t take notes. She didn’t hold anything. She sometimes had chocolate almonds she snacked on, or a bottle of pink lemonade, almost like she was simply spending time with a friend.
“I think I’ve finally told Darren everything.” Bubbles of excitement formed in her chest, and she felt…giddy. She proceeded to tell Dr. Kenna about her conversations with Darren, her decision to buy horses and get riding with him, her time with some of the women in town at bunko night.
Her throat felt dry and her water had long been drunk by the time she stopped talking. Dr. Kenna had listened, showing asmile when she needed to, or gesturing for Farrah to continue. She edged a bit farther forward on the seat now.
“Farrah, I’m a little bit worried about everything you told me.”
Some of Farrah’s giddiness fled. “What do you mean?”
“I fear…I’m just worried that you’re taking on too much, too soon.”
Farrah had not been expecting that. She leaned back into the couch, the wind that had been propelling her along suddenly gone.
“Remember how we were going to take things one at a time?” Dr. Kenna cleared her throat and stood. She retrieved a small notebook from her desk and handed it to Farrah. “Let me find you a pen.”
A moment later, Farrah was armed and ready to write.
“Without thinking about it, without analyzing anything, I want you to write one-word answers to what I ask you. All right?”
Farrah trusted Dr. Kenna, so she nodded even as a blip of concern passed through her. What if she couldn’t think of the right word? What if nothing came to mind?
“If you can’t think of anything, just say pass, and we’ll move on.”
Farrah nodded, her throat too tight to speak anymore.
“One word.” Dr. Kenna perched on the edge of the couch again, her pencil skirt pulling across her knees. “What are you hoping to gain from our therapy sessions?”
Farrah scribbled CLARITY across the top of the page and glanced back to the doctor.
“How can you get what you want?”
WORK got written next.
“What will it take to get what you want?”
Farrah almost wroteworkagain, but thankfully, her mind thought of TIME, and she put that instead. She wasn’t sure if she could use the same word more than once or not, and she didn’t want to ask.
“Who can help you get what you want?”
So many names came to Farrah’s mind. Her mom. Her dad. Dr. Kenna. Darren.
