Elizabeth square in the eyes. “Doc, we just want to help you. Tell us what is going on.”
Gracie pulled her attention from Thompson and stood from her chair, walking to stand behind her sister. “Listen, I don’t know who you think you are or how you can possibly help her, but she doesn’t have to tell you anything.”
Mike knew Claire heard enough. Lines were being drawn, and fences were being built. If she didn’t do something soon, all hope of helping Elizabeth would dwindle right before his eyes. Mike’s heart fell into his stomach. He had to help her. He had to fix this and make things right for her.
Claire stood and walked around the table. She held out her hand to Elizabeth . “Come take a walk with me. I met the most extraordinary man while I was in town. Mrs. A introduced him to me as your father.”
Mike knew that Claire wouldn’t use her gift of reading minds on the unsuspecting doctor since the danger wasn’t centered around her family. He trusted Claire might talk some sense into her, at least get her to open up and make it more comfortable for the two of them to talk.
“Oh crap.” Elizabeth pushed to her feet, almost knocking her chair into Gracie and glanced at her watch. “I forgot to call him.”
****
Claire linked her arm through Elizabeth ’s and started walking toward the French doors. “It’s all right, dear. He knows you’re safe. I sent him to your house and told him you’d be along shortly.”
Elizabeth ’s mouth dropped open. “And he listened?”
Claire smiled and winked. “Mrs. A and I can be very persuasive.”
Elizabeth couldn’t believe he’d taken orders from a stranger, that he wasn’t demanding to see his daughters and know their whereabouts. It was so out of character for the General that, for a brief second, she thought Claire must have been talking about someone else.
“Are you sure it was my dad? He’s not the type to take orders.”
They walked through the doors to the garden and sat on the stone bench. The floral scent of roses wafted to her nose. The garden was beautiful, incorporating colors of roses she’d never seen before.
“Oh, sweetie, I’m sure it was him. All I had to do was explain that we were your friends and all we wanted to do was help you, and I think that shocked him. After that, I’m not sure what Mrs. A said to him, but he left without saying another word.”
Huh, she wondered what the old woman had said.
Elizabeth turned toward Claire. “Uh…thank you. I think.”
Claire took her hands into hers. “Sweetie, we just want to help. No matter what the problem is, we can help you.” Claire stood, walked to the roses, and plucked one. “We may look sweet like this rose, but we have thorns that draw blood.”
Claire turned toward Elizabeth and smiled. “Mike is too stubborn to let you drop this, and he won’t. You’ve been there for all of us, helping us when we fell, so Elizabeth , just this once, let us be there for you. All we need to know is what we’re up against.” Claire sat back down next to her and twisted the rose in her fingers. “We aren’t going away. You’re getting our help, regardless of whether you ask for it.”
Elizabeth released a sigh and swallowed around the lump in her throat. She’d never discussed the professor with anyone outside of her family. “Claire, you know I adore your family, and I won’t be the reason for anyone else in your family getting hurt or, worse, dying.”
Claire handed her the rose. “ Elizabeth , trust us. Let us in. I promise we won’t let you down.”
Elizabeth stood from the bench, walked to the roses, and knelt down. She let the silky petals slide through her fingers. She closed her eyes. Damn .
She opened her eyes and stood, spinning around to meet Claire’s eyes, and decided to tell her everything. “I have a stalker. I had a professor in college that became fixated on me. He was older, and I looked up to him, like a mentor, but for some
Gracie pulled her attention from Thompson and stood from her chair, walking to stand behind her sister. “Listen, I don’t know who you think you are or how you can possibly help her, but she doesn’t have to tell you anything.”
Mike knew Claire heard enough. Lines were being drawn, and fences were being built. If she didn’t do something soon, all hope of helping Elizabeth would dwindle right before his eyes. Mike’s heart fell into his stomach. He had to help her. He had to fix this and make things right for her.
Claire stood and walked around the table. She held out her hand to Elizabeth . “Come take a walk with me. I met the most extraordinary man while I was in town. Mrs. A introduced him to me as your father.”
Mike knew that Claire wouldn’t use her gift of reading minds on the unsuspecting doctor since the danger wasn’t centered around her family. He trusted Claire might talk some sense into her, at least get her to open up and make it more comfortable for the two of them to talk.
“Oh crap.” Elizabeth pushed to her feet, almost knocking her chair into Gracie and glanced at her watch. “I forgot to call him.”
****
Claire linked her arm through Elizabeth ’s and started walking toward the French doors. “It’s all right, dear. He knows you’re safe. I sent him to your house and told him you’d be along shortly.”
Elizabeth ’s mouth dropped open. “And he listened?”
Claire smiled and winked. “Mrs. A and I can be very persuasive.”
Elizabeth couldn’t believe he’d taken orders from a stranger, that he wasn’t demanding to see his daughters and know their whereabouts. It was so out of character for the General that, for a brief second, she thought Claire must have been talking about someone else.
“Are you sure it was my dad? He’s not the type to take orders.”
They walked through the doors to the garden and sat on the stone bench. The floral scent of roses wafted to her nose. The garden was beautiful, incorporating colors of roses she’d never seen before.
“Oh, sweetie, I’m sure it was him. All I had to do was explain that we were your friends and all we wanted to do was help you, and I think that shocked him. After that, I’m not sure what Mrs. A said to him, but he left without saying another word.”
Huh, she wondered what the old woman had said.
Elizabeth turned toward Claire. “Uh…thank you. I think.”
Claire took her hands into hers. “Sweetie, we just want to help. No matter what the problem is, we can help you.” Claire stood, walked to the roses, and plucked one. “We may look sweet like this rose, but we have thorns that draw blood.”
Claire turned toward Elizabeth and smiled. “Mike is too stubborn to let you drop this, and he won’t. You’ve been there for all of us, helping us when we fell, so Elizabeth , just this once, let us be there for you. All we need to know is what we’re up against.” Claire sat back down next to her and twisted the rose in her fingers. “We aren’t going away. You’re getting our help, regardless of whether you ask for it.”
Elizabeth released a sigh and swallowed around the lump in her throat. She’d never discussed the professor with anyone outside of her family. “Claire, you know I adore your family, and I won’t be the reason for anyone else in your family getting hurt or, worse, dying.”
Claire handed her the rose. “ Elizabeth , trust us. Let us in. I promise we won’t let you down.”
Elizabeth stood from the bench, walked to the roses, and knelt down. She let the silky petals slide through her fingers. She closed her eyes. Damn .
She opened her eyes and stood, spinning around to meet Claire’s eyes, and decided to tell her everything. “I have a stalker. I had a professor in college that became fixated on me. He was older, and I looked up to him, like a mentor, but for some
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