up and ask them of the man himself.
Well, she absolutely did not have a thing for Donovan. Not in the way Ben had meant. She was onlyâ¦intrigued by him. She was curious about him.
And yes, she wanted to help him get past whatever was eating at him, whatever had made him turn his back on his own life.
Was that so wrong?
He was watching her. Way too closely. âAll right.â He pulled a very clever sort of wheelie maneuver, leaning back in the chair, so the wheels lifted a fraction, turning while the wheels were lifted, and then rolling the chair backward until he was sitting beside her at the drafting table. âWhat terrifying thoughts are racing through that mind of yours?â He almost soundedâ¦friendly.
So she told him. âI think you need someone to talk to.â
âAbout what?â
âAboutâ¦all the stuff thatâs bothering you. I think you need to see a trained professional.â
He craned away from her in the chair. âA psychiatrist. You think I need a shrink.â
âI do. Yes.â
âNo.â
âJust like that?â She raised a hand and snapped her fingers. âNo?â
âThatâs right. Just like that.â
âDonovan, youâre a very intelligent man. You have to know that thereâs no shame in seeking help.â
âI didnât say there was shame in it. I only said no. And since I am perfectly sane and a danger to no one, I have that right. Iâm allowed to say no.â
âItâs not about being sane. I know youâre sane.â
âThatâs a relief.â He pretended to wipe sweat off his brow.
âI just thought that if you could talk it out with a professional, if you couldââ
âIâll say it once more, since you have a bad habit of not listening when I say things the first time. No.â
She could see she was getting nowhere on the shrink front. So she moved on to the next issue. âThen how about this? Will you go into Chula Mesa with me some evening?â
He actually groaned. âDidnât I make it clear two weeks ago that I was not going to Chula Mesaâwith you, or otherwise?â
âYou could rethink that. You could change your mind. People do that, you know, change their minds?â
âAbilene. Have you ever been in Chula Mesa?â
âWell, besides driving through it, no, I havenât.â
âIâve been in Chula Mesa. Iâve seen it all, been there. Done that. I donât need to go there again.â
âJustâ¦think about it. Please.â
âI fail to understand what a visit to Chula Mesa could possibly accomplish.â
âWeâll get out of the house, see other people, broaden our horizons a little.â
âIf I wanted a broader horizon, I wouldnât look for it in Chula Mesa.â
She was becoming irritated with him again. âYou really should stop saying mean things about Chula Mesa.â
âI will be only too happy to. As soon as you stop trying to drag me there.â
âIâll leave it alone for now, okay? Iâll bring it up again later.â
âWhy is it I donât find that comforting in the least?â
She still had a thousand unanswered questions for him. âOne more thingâ¦â
âWith you, itâs never just one more thing.â
âTell me about what happened, on that mountain, when you broke both your legs.â
He slumped back in the wheelchair. âItâs barely nine in the morning and already, youâve exhausted me.â
âPlease. Tell me. I do want to know.â
âYou should have asked Ben, before you broke his heart.â
She wanted to slap him. But then, that was nothing new. She schooled her voice to an even tone and reminded him, âA moment ago, you said he left more because of you than of me. Now you say I broke his heart.â
âFigure of speech.â
âHah. Rightâand since you