of Dellon’s quick temper and Rebecca’s cool, tight control. “Although they’re as different as night and day.”
“You’re fond of her, aren’t you?”
Slightly taken aback, Catherine hesitated, considering the early-morning call she’d received from Rebecca just a few days before telling her that Dellon had been seriously injured and was on her way to the hospital. She remembered her swift relief that it hadn’t been her lover who had been hurt, followed immediately by her concern for a young woman she had come to know and like. “I do like her. But I like many of my patients.”
“I agree. If you didn’t, I’d worry about that.” Hazel lifted a mug and sipped, then made a face. “Cold tea. Almost as bad as cold coffee.” She leaned forward, punched in several numbers on her phone, and asked Stef if she would mind bringing two cups of tea. “So you’ll be seeing her in a somewhat limited capacity—short-term, focused on her recent injury. Correct?”
“Yes. Usually these things are resolved in three to five sessions.” Catherine waited while Hazel got up to take the tea from her assistant. “Thank you,” Catherine said, taking a mug from Hazel. “But sometimes other things come out, and I end up seeing the individual for long-term therapy.”
“And that’s where you think problems might arise?”
“Potentially.” Catherine blew on the surface of the hot liquid and sipped. “Not necessarily. It’s just there are more confounding factors in this particular relationship than I’m used to dealing with, and I wanted to talk it out with you. I don’t want to transfer her in the midst of emerging issues.”
“I take it you haven’t been personally—socially—involved in any way.”
“No, Rebecca wouldn’t have that kind of a relationship with anyone she worked with, particularly a subordinate. Nor would I.”
“I think the very fact that you’re talking about it means you’ll be particularly sensitive to boundary issues. I wouldn’t worry about it.” Hazel rested her mug on the corner of her desk. “So, how are things with you and the detective sergeant?”
“The detective sergeant is now a detective lieutenant. She just told me earlier today.”
“That’s wonderful, isn’t it?”
“It is. I think.” Catherine shook her head. “It’s not what I thought it would be. I just assumed her promotion would mean she’d be doing mostly administrative work. Instead, they’ve given her command of some special unit to investigate high-profile crimes. That doesn’t sound an awful lot safer than what she’s been doing.”
“Her job still worries you,” Hazel observed matter-of-factly.
Just as honestly, Catherine answered. “Yes. It does. She goes to work every morning to a job where someone might try to kill her. I freely admit, I’m not well-adjusted to it.”
Hazel smiled. “You sound a little angry. That’s better than depressed, which was how you sounded the last time we talked about it.”
Catherine huffed out a breath. “I suppose I’m moving toward acceptance, but I don’t think it’s ever going to be easy.”
“I can’t imagine that it ever could be. Are you happy with her?”
“Oh God, yes,” Catherine replied instantly. “I…” She blushed. “I’m madly in love with her.”
“Wonderful.”
“We’ve talked about living together.”
“That’s news.”
“I’m ready,” Catherine said. “But I’m not sure that Rebecca is. Rather, I’m not sure that Rebecca thinks she is.”
“She’s afraid to disappoint you.”
Catherine jerked, startled. “How did you know?”
“A better question is, how did you not know?”
“Oh,” Catherine muttered with obvious frustration. “I hate it when we get to this point in these conversations.” She took a breath and let it out slowly. “I did know. I do know. I just want her to realize that I’m different from the other women she’s been with.”
“I imagine she knows that,” Hazel
“You’re fond of her, aren’t you?”
Slightly taken aback, Catherine hesitated, considering the early-morning call she’d received from Rebecca just a few days before telling her that Dellon had been seriously injured and was on her way to the hospital. She remembered her swift relief that it hadn’t been her lover who had been hurt, followed immediately by her concern for a young woman she had come to know and like. “I do like her. But I like many of my patients.”
“I agree. If you didn’t, I’d worry about that.” Hazel lifted a mug and sipped, then made a face. “Cold tea. Almost as bad as cold coffee.” She leaned forward, punched in several numbers on her phone, and asked Stef if she would mind bringing two cups of tea. “So you’ll be seeing her in a somewhat limited capacity—short-term, focused on her recent injury. Correct?”
“Yes. Usually these things are resolved in three to five sessions.” Catherine waited while Hazel got up to take the tea from her assistant. “Thank you,” Catherine said, taking a mug from Hazel. “But sometimes other things come out, and I end up seeing the individual for long-term therapy.”
“And that’s where you think problems might arise?”
“Potentially.” Catherine blew on the surface of the hot liquid and sipped. “Not necessarily. It’s just there are more confounding factors in this particular relationship than I’m used to dealing with, and I wanted to talk it out with you. I don’t want to transfer her in the midst of emerging issues.”
“I take it you haven’t been personally—socially—involved in any way.”
“No, Rebecca wouldn’t have that kind of a relationship with anyone she worked with, particularly a subordinate. Nor would I.”
“I think the very fact that you’re talking about it means you’ll be particularly sensitive to boundary issues. I wouldn’t worry about it.” Hazel rested her mug on the corner of her desk. “So, how are things with you and the detective sergeant?”
“The detective sergeant is now a detective lieutenant. She just told me earlier today.”
“That’s wonderful, isn’t it?”
“It is. I think.” Catherine shook her head. “It’s not what I thought it would be. I just assumed her promotion would mean she’d be doing mostly administrative work. Instead, they’ve given her command of some special unit to investigate high-profile crimes. That doesn’t sound an awful lot safer than what she’s been doing.”
“Her job still worries you,” Hazel observed matter-of-factly.
Just as honestly, Catherine answered. “Yes. It does. She goes to work every morning to a job where someone might try to kill her. I freely admit, I’m not well-adjusted to it.”
Hazel smiled. “You sound a little angry. That’s better than depressed, which was how you sounded the last time we talked about it.”
Catherine huffed out a breath. “I suppose I’m moving toward acceptance, but I don’t think it’s ever going to be easy.”
“I can’t imagine that it ever could be. Are you happy with her?”
“Oh God, yes,” Catherine replied instantly. “I…” She blushed. “I’m madly in love with her.”
“Wonderful.”
“We’ve talked about living together.”
“That’s news.”
“I’m ready,” Catherine said. “But I’m not sure that Rebecca is. Rather, I’m not sure that Rebecca thinks she is.”
“She’s afraid to disappoint you.”
Catherine jerked, startled. “How did you know?”
“A better question is, how did you not know?”
“Oh,” Catherine muttered with obvious frustration. “I hate it when we get to this point in these conversations.” She took a breath and let it out slowly. “I did know. I do know. I just want her to realize that I’m different from the other women she’s been with.”
“I imagine she knows that,” Hazel
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