Catching Serenity (10 page)

Serenity
’s heart pounded as he moved closer.
What’s he doing?
She took a step backward.

Kelsie breezed through the door, bringing sunlight into the small office as well as some
kind of light, fruity scent. “Howdy hey! Don’t let me interrupt.” She tossed her purse on the floor beside the desk. “You two are having way too much fun. This is a place of business and I need to get back to work. I have a boss who depends on me, you know?” Giving them an impish grin, she eyed the items from the boxes they’d stacked on her desk. “Guess you’ve been busy, but if you two kids want to get friendly, you’ll have to take yourselves elsewhere.”

Serenity glared at Jackson
who appeared much too smug for her liking. “Now, see what you’ve done? Have you no shame?”

“
Don’t forget Old Persimmonhead standing on the outside looking in,” Kelsie said with a grin as she angled her head toward the window.

Serenity groaned while Kelsie and Jackson exchanged amused gl
ances.

“
I guess that’s what you get for having windows in your office,” Jackson said.

“
Not helping,” Serenity said under her breath. “Who doesn’t have windows? Without them, it’d be positively claustrophobic in this small of a space.”

“
We couldn’t have that,” Kelsie added.

This was weird considering Jackson said the exact same thing although the subject was different.
Serenity looked from Jackson to Kelsie. “I take it you two have met?”

“
Yeah, at Cup & Such,” Kelsie said. “It’s the happening place between seven and nine in the morning. You should come by and bring your dad sometime, Serenity. Jackson’s starting a study group on Wednesdays with some of the high school boys, right Doc?”

“
Right.” For whatever reason, Jackson seemed a bit embarrassed.

“
A
Bible
study?” Serenity said.

“
That, too,” he said. “Whatever subject they need help with, academic or otherwise. It’s kind of an all-inclusive study group.”

“
Don’t be surprised if the guys ask you a ton of questions and try to pick your brain,” Kelsie said, settling in her chair. “They think it might help them understand girls with you being a psychiatrist and all.”

“
Psychologist.” They’d simultaneously corrected Kelsie.

“
Yeah, well, good luck with that,” Jackson said, shooting her a grin. She felt like throwing something at him again.

“
The good doctor brought in his signed contract, Kelsie.” Grabbing a pen from the holder on the desk, she signed it. “I need you to copy it, give Dr. Ross a copy and start a new file, please. Then I need you to call Thompson Lighting about the lamps for his office. Oh, and we need to also contact Lewis Manufacturing for that ridiculously overpriced chair he wants.”

Kelsie saluted.
“Sure thing, boss. Give me a minute to warm up the copier.”

S
erenity turned to Jackson. “I can take it from here, but I appreciate your stopping by and your help with...Arnie and everything.”

“
Always happy to help you, Serenity.” Stepping close, he lowered his voice. “Don’t be too hard on Kelsie. She’s a good kid and has your best interests at heart.”

That stymied her.
“Am I being hard on her? Kelsie’s my employee and I need to keep her busy. She
was
a little impertinent, after all.” She frowned. “Don’t you dare make fun of that word. It’s valid.” She lowered her voice. “Did I really come across like a taskmaster?”

Jackson tweaked her chin.
“A beautiful one.”

She blew out a breath.
“Must you keep saying things like that?”

“
Yes, but if it makes you too uncomfortable, I’ll try to stop.” The sudden seriousness in his eyes told her he meant his words.

“
You don’t—”

“
Here you go,” Kelsie said as she came back into the room and handed Jackson an envelope. “I gave you two copies for good measure.”

“
Thanks,” he said. “I’ll see you later, Kelsie.” Swooping the stuffed giraffe under one arm, Jackson headed for the door. “Maybe you should follow the tradition at Martha’s Cup & Such and install a bell on your office door. You never know what riff raff might decide to drop by.”

“
Bye, Doc Jack!” Catching Serenity’s stare, Kelsie buried her head in a spreadsheet.

Halfway out the door, Jackson gave her his easy
and all-too-familiar grin. “So, I take it lunch is out for today?” A light flickered in those gorgeous dark eyes as she walked toward him.

“
Maybe another time. I’ll call you this afternoon once I find out the availability of the lamps and armchair.”

“
I see. Back to business. Fine. I’ll look forward to hearing from you again soon.” With a salute, Jackson departed.

Remembering Arnie, Serenity grabbed him from the chair and yanked open the door.
“Wait a minute!” Jackson turned, brows raised, his expression one of pleased surprise. “Here.” She hurried down the sidewalk. Catching up to him, she offered bubble-wrapped Arnie on her outstretched palm. “I can’t think of a better home than your office. Keep him. The kids might like him.” Thinking better of it, she pulled back her hand. “Forget it. I guess that’s a dumb idea. Arnie’s not very pretty...” Her voice trailed as Jackson slowly closed his fingers around hers.

“
Thank you.” He waited until she met his eyes. “Arnie was made with loving hands by a little girl for her mother, and kids can relate to that. I’ll highly value him and I’m sure he’ll become a favorite.”

“
Thank you,” she said. “I’d really like that.”

“
I’ll talk to you soon.” With Arnie clasped in his hand, Jackson turned to go. She watched as he headed down the street, stuffed giraffe under his arm and whistling as though he hadn’t a care in the world.

Going
back into her office, Serenity paused. A woman stood on the street corner the next block over. That wouldn’t be unusual except for the fact she was looking straight at her instead of watching Jackson like most women in their right mind would do. With dark, wraparound sunglasses and a white floppy hat pulled low on her head, it was impossible to see her hair color or guess her age. Tall and thin, she wore casual, white workout clothing—pants and a stretchy T-shirt and tennis shoes, also white. Perhaps sensing Serenity’s attention, the woman turned and strolled in the opposite direction a few paces behind Jackson. She carried no purse or shopping bag. Although it could mean nothing, Serenity couldn’t shake the feeling of unease.

“
Well, that was fun,” Kelsie said when she came back in the office.

“
That’s because Doc Jack makes anything fun. Don’t you have some work to do?” Her mind spinning, Serenity headed toward her office.

Kelsie laughed.
“I’m on it, boss. Thompson Lighting...looking it up now.”

~
CHAPTER 10~

On Wednesday morning,
Justin shifted in his chair. From the way he stared at the bookcase, Jackson could tell he’d spied Arnie. Scrambling down from his chair, the boy walked over to the bookcase and reached for the ceramic giraffe. Jackson expected Mrs. Johnson to stop him. Darting a glance in her direction, he noted her pinched lips and the set of her jaw although she remained silent.

The child
stopped with one hand poised in front of the shelf and shot him a sheepish grin over one shoulder. “Doc Jack, can I please see your giraffe?”

“
Sure thing. That’s Arnie. Hold on a second and I’ll get him down for you.” Pulling Arnie from the shelf, Jackson handed him over.

“
Be careful, Justin,” Mrs. Johnson said. “That’s breakable and it might be valuable to the doctor. He’s got the bigger giraffe if you want to hold him instead.”

“
I promise I’ll be careful. I like Arnie.” The boy ran his hand over the smooth, shiny contours of the giraffe and circled his finger over one of the irregular brown spots. When he turned it over to inspect the bottom, Jackson smiled. “I love you, Mama,” Justin read before handing him back. “Did you make this for your mommy?”

“
No, but a very special lady made it for her mommy and she loaned it to me.” Jackson wasn’t sure why he used that term since Serenity more or less gave it to him. Still, she might change her mind and want Arnie back eventually since he obviously meant a lot to her. Several of his other patients had also noticed the giraffe. As Serenity had predicted, Arnie was a great conversation starter.

Justin tilted his head to one side.
“What does
loaned
mean?”

Mrs. Johnson spoke up again.
“It means his friend gave Arnie to Jackson to keep for a little while, but she wants him back sometime.” Her voice sounded tight, bothered somehow.

Justin looked over at
her as he returned to his chair and plopped into it. On this, their second visit, Mrs. Johnson again wore the oversized sunglasses that swallowed half her face. In her sleeveless dress, her thin, tanned arms revealed no external bruising or marks of any kind. The lift of her chin, the squared shoulders and proper posture spoke volumes. She didn’t speak much, but when she did, she made intelligent comments occasionally laced with dry humor. When they’d arrived a few minutes earlier, Mrs. Johnson had handed the paperwork he requested to Mrs. Lange. He suspected the forms would be incomplete, but he’d deal with it. He was too intrigued by Justin and wanted to learn more.

“
You always tell me I can keep what you give me,” Justin said, frowning. He eyed the open bag of gummi worms on the desk.

“
Help yourself.” As usual, he fished out the cherry ones. Leaning his head against the chair, Justin tilted his chin to the ceiling and lowered one into his mouth. Chomping on the treat, he grinned at Jackson, his dimples deepening.

“
So, what do you think of Croisette Shores?” Jackson said. “Do you like it here?”

The boy
nodded with enthusiasm. “I like the beach. Nana got me a sand pail and we made a sand castle.”

“
That sounds like fun.” Jackson’s gaze slanted to Mrs. Johnson, but her chair was empty. “Excuse me a minute. Here, have another gummi worm. Or two.” Strolling to the outer office, he glanced around the reception area. Mrs. Lange sat reading a book at her desk. Startled, she closed it with a guilty look. “It’s okay,” Jackson said to reassure her. “Mrs. Johnson disappeared. Have you seen her?”

Mrs. Lange pointed to the bathroom.
“She darted in there a couple of minutes ago.”

“
Thanks.” Deep in thought, Jackson grabbed one of the children’s books from the small bookcase in the lobby. Returning to the inner office, he dropped the book in Justin’s hands. “Why don’t you show me how well you can read until Mrs. Johnson gets back?” Settling in the chair beside Justin, his thoughts were miles away.

The glance
Justin gave him was equal parts confusion and smirk. “Why do you keep calling her that?”

Jackson leaned forward, elbows on his thighs.
His pulse raced. “Because that’s her name.”

“
No, it’s not.” The child buried his head in the book, but he peeked at Jackson with an impish grin.

This
session was getting more interesting by the minute. Jackson swallowed hard, knowing he should stop and not take this conversation further. Mrs. Johnson made it clear from the outset she was to be in the room at all times during their sessions. No way could Justin know or understand it, but he’d thrown down the gauntlet and Jackson wasn’t about to stop him now.

“
She’s my Nana, but her name’s...”

“
Justin, why don’t you wait for me outside with Mrs. Lange?” Standing in the doorway, one hand on the door, Mrs. Johnson’s face was drawn. Reminded Jackson of the time he’d been sent to the principal’s office in grade school. But he’d done nothing wrong this time, unlike his childish prank in fifth grade. He met her gaze head-on, refusing to feel or act guilty.

“
Our visit with Dr. Ross is over, but I need to talk with him in private for a minute.”

Justin pouted.
“But we’ve—”

“
Now, young man.” Her voice, although calm, was unyielding as Justin scrambled down from the chair.

Jackson watched in silence as she closed the door behind the boy.
Walking around the desk, he motioned for her to be seated in the chair he’d vacated.

“
No thanks, I’ll stand,” she said. “I’ll get straight to the point. What gives you the right to question Justin when I’m not present?”

“
With all due respect, I didn’t ask. Justin freely offered the information.” Since he probably wouldn’t see them again, Jackson figured he might as well speak his mind. “Why did you leave the room? You set the rules and specified you were always to be present during our sessions.”

Frowning, she
crossed her arms and turned her head. “I should think that would be obvious.”

“
The session’s only thirty minutes. Couldn’t you wait?” That comment only made him sound like a jerk. “Sorry. I didn’t realize you’d left the room and mentioned your name. Now that it’s come up, we might as well discuss it. Are you denying you’re Justin’s grandmother?”

Mrs. Johnson
released an exasperated sigh and uncrossed her arms. Walking over to the bookcase, she picked up Arnie and turned him in her hands, examining the bottom for a prolonged moment. “If I’m going to continue bringing him to see you, I want your word you won’t try to pry information out of him. I don’t want him upset.”

Jackson bit back
a sharp comment. “Of course, I’ll give you my word. As long as
you
understand in my profession there’s a fine line between prying and the inherent right to know. He wasn’t upset in the least. Remember, you came to me and
he’s
my patient, not you. If you don’t want him upset, you might consider telling your grandson why you use a fake name.”

She gasped.
“That’s none of your business!”

Jackson
narrowed his eyes. This woman—with all her secrets and mystery—was his most unique yet difficult challenge. “I beg to differ since you’ve come to me for guidance. Dishonesty is annoying enough for adults but incredibly disingenuous when dealing with a child. Kids expect honesty and can slice through insincerity and lies faster than anything. It’s not fair to them and they deserve better, especially from the people they trust.”

The muscles in her jaw
s twitched. “Justin understands the reasons and they in no way affect what I’ve asked you to do for him.”

“
They definitely affect his past and it impacts our sessions as a direct result.”

She seemed startled.
“But it’s your responsibility to help me deal with Justin’s future, not his past. Isn’t that correct?”

Jackson
tried to contain his aggravation, not sure he succeeded. “We’re going in circles here. Do me a favor, please. Would you please remove your sunglasses?”

In a sharp movement, she turned her head toward him again.
“I hardly see how that matters.”

“
If you won’t comply, then I want your word neither you nor Justin have been abused in some way.”

She scoffed.
“The answer to that is a definitive no. As you said,
I’m
not your patient, Dr. Ross. I’m equally sure I could bring you up on charges for harassment to whatever board oversees the professional ethics of South Carolina psychologists or mental health professionals.”

“
For simply asking you to remove your sunglasses and asking for reassurance you haven’t been abused?” Jackson kept his eyes trained on her and crossed his arms over his chest. “I hardly believe that’s a crime.” To her credit, she didn’t turn away, but a sudden urge seized him to yank those ridiculous sunglasses from her head. The desire to get a good look at her eyes was at the top of the list. Not to mention it’d also put her facial features into perspective.

“
I don’t think you’ll file charges against me, and I’ll tell you why,” he said. “It’s clear you’re hiding your true identity for reasons known only to you at this point.” Pushing out of the chair, he walked across the room. “For one thing, if you
do
file charges, your identity will be revealed and I’m pretty sure—based on your behavior—you’d like to avoid that. So, it’s your call. Take your pick.”

“
All right.” With a deep sigh, she replaced Arnie on the shelf. He wondered why she’d picked it up, what ran through her mind when she looked at the inscription on the bottom. “Justin likes you, so I’ll continue to bring him here. You’ve earned his trust. I’d like you to start preparing him—mentally and emotionally—to reconnect with his...family.”

“
What can you tell me about them?” he asked.

“
Why do you need to know?”

Again,
Jackson tried not to show his aggravation with the guessing games she put him through, making his job that much more challenging. “I won’t ask for actual names, but I’d like to know if they’re aunts, uncles, grandparents or whatever. Can you tell me that much?”

After a moment
’s hesitation, she nodded. “Very well. Next visit.”

“
Fine. Does Justin know about these relatives?”

“
Yes.” The word was barely more than a whisper, so soft he had to lean closer to hear it.

“
I have one more question for you,” he said. “Why me? If you’re in no hurry, Dr. Rasmussen will be back soon enough and he’ll be practicing for another year before he retires.”

“
I should think that would also be obvious.” Retrieving her handbag from the floor by her chair, she slung it over her shoulder and appeared prepared to bolt.

“
It’s not or I wouldn’t have asked.” He couldn’t begin to second guess this woman.

“
Let’s just say I’d rather not involve Phil Rasmussen. And, with all due respect, why
not
you? You’re not doubting your ability to help us, are you, Dr. Ross?”

Was she teasing him? Hard to tell.

“Fair enough. Just do me a favor and don’t leave the office during our sessions. Save yourself some trouble and visit the ladies room before coming into the office, Mrs.
John
son.” She was an intelligent woman, and he suspected the meaning of his thinly-disguised—albeit bad—pun hadn’t escaped her understanding.

“
We’ll see you next week,” she said, ducking her head and departing, but not before Jackson heard what sounded suspiciously like soft laughter.
Laughter?
He hadn’t thought it possible.

Perhaps
he was getting somewhere, after all.