Page 47 of The Sandbar saga

Chapter 17

The front door of thecottage slammed shut. Race lowered the file he was going over and looked expectantly at the door. Katie had left an hour ago to go on a walk with Paige, one of the realtors at her work.

"Dr. C?" Katie ran into the room, coming to a stop. "Why didn't you tell me my mother sold the house?"

"Race."

She glared. "Fine. Race."

"You never asked." He leaned back in the chair. "I thought you went for a walk on the beach."

"We came here and walked the path." She sank down in the chair in front of the desk, her slim, bare legs going in opposite directions as she sulked. "We went two and a half miles, then double backed to round it up to five miles, which took us past my old house. Twice. Where is she?"

"Do you want to see your mother?"

"You can't ask me a question when I asked one first." She thrust her hands in her hair and held her head. "You know I don't want to see her, but I've been avoiding Copper Street because I thought she was living there."

"She sold the place soon after I took guardianship of you." He leaned forward, braced his elbows on the desk, and steepled his hands. "You never asked about her, and I didn't want to introduce what her moving away meant when you were progressing at St. Mary's. We can discuss it now."

"I don't want to talk about it. I want the facts." She frowned. "As an adult, I think it's my business to know she sold the house."

"Why?"

"Because it was my father's house." She stood; her body taut. "Nevermind. You don't care."

"I care about you." He took in her agitation. "We can talk now."

"I don't feel like talking in circles. I just wanted an answer." She walked out of his office. He followed her into the front room that he used as a waiting area for his patients.

"Do you want me to find her?" he asked, stopping her from storming out of the cottage.

She stilled with her hand on the doorknob. "No."

"If you change your—"

"I won't." She opened the door and left.

He watched her through the window. She had the right to walk away from an uncomfortable conversation. That didn't mean he liked her going off without letting him know how she was feeling.

She was upset. She was hurt. She was confused.

Some of that pain he was responsible for, and he knew would one day come back to visit. He wished he could've protected her longer.

Personally, he couldn't stand her mother. The harm she'd caused Katie was unforgivable. Unfortunately, because she was Katie's mother, the impact of her lack of love would be something Katie had to deal with her whole life. A mother's and father's treatment of their child were deeply engrained within everyone, whether they had a parent or not. That importance began at birth.

The way Katie viewed her childhood would affect every relationship, no matter how big or small, for the rest of her life.

He went back to his desk and opened the folder he was going through before Katie had arrived.

Jason Pruitt. Twenty-seven years old. One prior suicide attempt. Failure to take responsibility for himself. Childhood abuse. No sign of mental unbalance.

He rubbed his hands over his face. No matter how many patients he took on with a similar diagnosis to Katie. The insight into her psych escaped him.

The front door opened. He got up from his desk and walked into the other room.

"Right on time." He held his hand out. "Come on back, Jason. How have you been?"

"Good, Dr. Conner. I got promoted at work." The slender man pushed his glasses up higher on his nose. "It came with a dollar an hour pay raise."