The subject change was enough to shut Nick completely down. He sighed and sat back in his seat, the same seat where Dr. Thantos had dissected him more than once. It was clear he was no match for the shrink. All thoughts of Rebecca and her secrets dissolved at the mention of his unborn.
“He’s well.” Nick’s chest swelled with pride when he spoke of his child.
“Yes?”
“Yes. His heartbeat is strong and he’s kicking like Jet Li.”
“Him? You’ve really bonded with your child, identifying it as a son. What if the baby is a girl? Will you have the same bond?”
Nick smiled. His heart squeezed at the thought of having a living, breathing reminder of his beautiful wife. He could just picture a bright-eyed, dark-haired beauty with a heart of gold.
“Absolutely,” he answered honestly. “She would be the love of my life.”
Dr. Thantos smiled and placed his notepad on the table next to him. “Do you think your baby, being the reminder of the wife you loved and lost would be too much for you to handle?”
Nick smiled and shook his head. “I would think of my little reminder as a gift from God. If I could’ve kept Vera forever, I would have. But she’ll live on in our child.”
“That’s a wonderfully hopeful rationalization.”
“It is what it is,” Nick responded with a shrug. “Not many are fortunate enough to gain a loved one from the loss of a loved one.”
“This is true,” Dr. Thantos agreed. He retrieved his notepad from the table. Without looking up, he asked, “How does Miss King fit into this equation?”
Again, Nick was taken aback by the change in subject. He’d been sure that all conversation about Rebecca was done and he didn’t know how to respond to the curveball the doctor had thrown his way.
“What are you talking about?”
“Rebecca King.”
Nick shook his head emphatically. “I-I… she doesn’t. I told you I’m working on a case that she’s involved in.”
Dr. Thantos looked at him suspiciously. “Nick, I was in that room. I saw the way you looked at her and the way she looked at you. The chemistry between the two of you is suffocating. Now, do you wanna talk about it?”
“Nope. Not at all.”
The doctor scribbled something on his notepad then asked, “Why not?”
Nick blew out a frustrated breath. “There’s nothing to talk about. It’s nothing.”
“Hmm…”
Nick looked at his watch. The indifference in his response was becoming a source of irritation.
“You have twenty minutes left, so we might as well talk about it.”
A groan rumbled from Nick’s chest. “Talk about what, Doc? There’s nothing to talk about where Rebecca King is concerned.”
He realized his tone was gruff, and his irritation was evident. On the other hand, Dr. Thantos’ demeanor remained calm and professional.
“Let’s talk about the feelings of guilt you have because of your attraction to her.”
Well, so much for getting info from the doctor. Nick realized all he’d done was set himself up to get “shrunk.”
KING
“So, the armed Adonis is picking you up again, huh?” Jessica teased.
Rebecca ignored her friend’s ribbing and used the dry Rajasthani brush to sweep dust from the priceless Monet.
