“Love usually is,” Dr. Grace said with a Cheshire cat grin.
Vincestumbled back, almost falling over. Love. He hated that word. It only applied to family and his team. Not a woman. “Idon’tlove Fiona,” he venomously denied.
Hedidn’tlove any woman but his mother. Hedidn’tdo relationships. Didn’t even believe in them. To be strapped down to one woman for the rest of his life? The horror. Yet the thought of being alone the rest of his lifewasn’tappealing either. To continue moving from bed to bed. Nameless woman after nameless woman. When he tried to think about spending his life with one person, only one face appeared. Fiona. But thatdidn’tmean he loved her.
Vincestumbled back to his chair, his head starting to pound.
“Are you sure?” Dr. Grace asked, though judging by her tone she knew the answer.
“Idon’tknow what love is,” he softly admitted. Not the love a man had for a woman.
“Do you care for her?”
“More than I should,” he admitted, though hedidn’tknow why. He shouldn’t be telling a stranger about his problems.
“What holds you back from trying with her?”
“Are you a matchmaker too?”
“No.” She shook her head ruefully. “I’m just trying to help a patient.”
“I’m not your patient,”Vinceargued.
“Ididn’tsay you were.”
“I’m confused, Doc. If I’m not your patient, then why are we talking about this?”
Dr. Grace sat back in her chair looking like a Queen holding court. “Fiona has been through some monumental circumstances.I’m just trying to understand you two. When Fiona speaks of you, I feel like there’s something she’s holding back, for a lack of a better term. I just want to make sureit’snot something that’s going to interfere with her healing.”
She talked about him.
“I work with her brother.”
“Is that all?”
By the way she asked, he had a feeling she knew about their connection and what happened years ago. “That’s all there can be.”
Dr. Grace cocked her head. “Many of your teammates seem to be involved in relationships.” It wasn’t a question.
Where was she going with this? No one was more aware of his friends’ relationship status than he. “I’m happy for them, but it’s not for me.”
“Are you scared of committing?”
“Is there a point to all these questions, Doc?”Vincefolded his arms over his chest, feeling defensive. His marital status was no one’s business but his own.
“We’re getting to it.”
Vincedecided to humor her. “I’mnot afraid, no. No one has ever inspired me to want to settle down.”
“Ever?” She quirked a well-manicured eyebrow.
“Ever,” he said firmly, wanting to be done with this conversation.
Itwasn’tthe complete truth. Fiona made him want to change his wandering ways, but hecouldn’tbe with her, so there was no point in thinking about it. Soon she would go back to her life and he would continue on with his.
“Life is short,Vince. You understand that better than anyone. Everyone deserves at least some happiness in theirlife.”
“I am happy,” he said, though his words belied conviction.
