She closed her eyes and tried to imagine what he looked like at that moment. What he’d look like if they were having the conversation face to face.
His normally hard expression would be a little softer. His posture not so rigid and tense.
“Do you think… I mean, I don’t have any experience with the kind of trauma she’d been through… would it help to… to talk to her?”
She frowned, unsure of what he meant.
“I talked to her a little tonight. It was mostly to settle her down to sleep.” She was a little uncomfortable with the conversation, not because she didn’t trust him or because she was upset at him for what happened. She didn’t know what he was hoping for.
Or if that was his concern.
“I mean…”
She heard him clear his throat.
“Do you think I could talk to her?”
His words…
His words settled over her like a physical touch.
“I don’t want to hurt her. Those tears…”
She could hear anguish in his voice and she felt a measure of it herself. The feelings were welling up inside of her again.
“How can I help?”
“Help?” She probably sounded as hesitant as she felt. “I’m calling her therapist as soon as her office opens. I can call you after that- or I can text you if you don’t want to talk on-”
“Call me.”
His answer was immediate.
Well, he’d answered her before she’d even asked the full question.
“You can call me,” his voice was softer, his tone easier than a moment before. “Noelle? I’d like it if you called me.”
She smiled and a yawn started a body-long stretch.
“Sounds good.” She snuggled deeper into the mattress. “I’ll call you tomorrow as soon as I talk to Doctor Barr.”
“Good.”
She heard him exhale and it sounded like it was a relief for him.
“I’m… I’m going to look forward to your call.”
She drew her knees up and wiggled under the light blanket she used to sleep under. “‘Nite, McCrae.”
“Good night, Noelle.”
She was fairly sure that she ended the call at that moment, or maybe he did.
Either way she finally felt enough peace to fall asleep.
She hoped he did too.
CHAPTER 7
