“And she said I’m not the man for her.”
Charlie Dennison shook his head as he stared at the television screen. “Unbelievable.” Then he jumped to his feet and shouted, “Block the lane! Block the lane!”
Hank found it difficult to focus on the Mavericks game, although he loved basketball. He and Charlie always got together at Hank’s house to watch sports on his big screen. But tonight Hank’s mind kept drifting back to his meeting with Dr. Rachel Grant.
She was impossibly stubborn and impossibly beautiful—especially when she was angry. Not that he’d made her angry on purpose, but the sparks he’d seen in those bewitching green eyes still made him feel a little woozy.
Or maybe that was his concussion.
His dog, Georgie, padded over to him, then leaped onto the black leather recliner and draped herself across his lap. The German shorthaired pointer had been by his side almost every moment since he’d returned from his disastrous counseling appointment with Rachel.
His dog always seemed to know when he was hurting—but he wasn’t sure if Georgie was sensing his physical injuries from the bull or the blow to his ego.
“Why would she think I’m not that man for her,” Hank said aloud, still perplexed that Dr. Grant seemed immune to his charms. He’d never gotten that kind of reaction from a woman before.
“Pass it!” Charlie yelled.
Georgie started gently licking one of the many bruises on Hank’s forearm, leading him to softly stroke the top of her head to reassure her. “It’s okay, girl. I’m fine.”
Georgie looked up at him with her soulful brown eyes, as if she didn’t quite believe him, then rested her head against his chest.
“He’s open! He’s open,” Charlie shouted at the television, then raised both arms straight in the air in celebration. “Three points!”
“Yes, as if he can hear you.”
Charlie turned to Hank as the game went to commercial. “So this therapist turned you down? Was this before or after she called you impotent?”
“After.” Hank reached into the bowl of peanuts on the table beside him. “I’m sure Cade had big laugh about it when he made that appointment. But we’ll see whose laughing when I’m through with him.”
“That might take a few months considering your condition. Although I notice your face is untouched, so I’m a little surprised the woman turned you down.” Charlie grinned. “That’s new for you, isn’t it?”
“Rachel is…different.”
“Oh, you’re calling her Rachel now? Wow, she did get in your head.”
Grandma Hattie stepped into the living room, drying her hands with a dish towel. Nacho, his orange tabby cat, was right on her heels. “I heard some yelling in here. Did you need boys something?”
“No, Grandma, we’re fine. Charlie and I were just talking about the game.” He didn’t want her to know he’d struck out the first day on the job. Especially since she was the one who had taught him never to quit when things got tough.
She nodded. “Okay, well, supper will be ready soon. I’ll plate it up for you boys so you can eat out here and watch the game.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Hank said, knowing his protest would be useless. Grandma Hattie did exactly what she wanted, when she wanted. And currently, she wanted to treat Hank like he was still a little kid.
“Oh, it’s no bother,” Hattie said. “Do you need another ice pack?”
“Nope, this one’s still good.” Hank reached back to shift the ice pack to a different spot on his shoulder.
He was even more sore today than he’d been yesterday, with new bumps and bruises surfacing all over his body. But if he had to choose between the bull and Rachel, he’d almost rather face down the bull again.
Too bad that wasn’t an option.
“One more thing, Grandma Hattie,” Hank asked. “We never discussed how long this job is supposed to last. Or maybe we did, but I don’t remember.”
“Well, Rachel’s friends paid for two weeks of services.” A glint of pride shone in her blue eyes. “I even told them it might not take that long, because once Hank Holden sets his mind to something, he gets it done.”
“No pressure there,” Charlie said under his breath as Hattie disappeared down the hallway.
Hank didn’t mind working under pressure, but this job didn’t involve vaccinating a herd of cattle or treating an injured horse or any one of a hundred challenging jobs that he’d taken on over the years.
It involved Dr. Rachel Grant, who had made it perfectly clear that he wasn’t the man for her. So how could he change her mind?
Charlie sighed. “I wish your grandmother would come to my place every day and fix me supper. And dust. And vacuum. And do my laundry.”
“She only does it when one of us is sick or injured.” Hank started to shrug his shoulders, but the pain stopped him. “It’s like she takes personal afront to any germ or mishap that dares to harm one of her grandsons. And it’s not like we have a choice. Believe me, I’d rather she just take it easy now that Grandpa’s gone. Instead, she’s started a new business.”
Charlie grinned. “And convinced you to take on a job for her during your vacation time. She seems like one smart lady to me.”
“And I’m not going to let Grandma Hattie down. One way or another, I’m going to protect Rachel from her stalker.”
“Sounds like Dr. Grant’s not interested in your services. It’s funny how you can’t stop talking about her though.”
Hank scowled. “That’s not true.”
“You haven’t talked about anything else, including the game, since I walked through the front door.” He looked at the dog. “Back me up, Georgie.”
But Georgie just snoozed peacefully on Hank’s lap, apparently unconcerned about the recent complications in Hank’s life.
“So she’s really a knockout?” Charlie asked.
“Yeah,” Hank said, then cleared his throat. “But that’s not relevant. Some creep out there must think she’s a knockout too, which is why he won’t leave her alone. So how do I find him and protect her at the same time?”
“Especially since she’s already rejected you.” Charlie smirked. “Sorry, I’ve just never heard of that happening to Dr. Love ’em and Leave ’em before, so I’m going to enjoy it for a while.”
Even Hank couldn’t remember the last time a woman had turned him down. And he sure didn’t like the way it made him feel: frustrated, confused, and worst of all, helpless. “I just need to get Rachel to listen to me.”
Grandma Hattie entered the room carrying a large serving tray with two plates on it filled to the brim. “I know how to make that happen.”
Hank wondered if his grandma had been eavesdropping in the hallway. He hoped so, because he could use some help right now. “How?”
“Go to Dr. Grant’s group meeting tonight. The one Edith attends every week. It starts at eight o’clock and they each get a turn to talk about anything they want. Maybe you can convince her to give you another chance.”
Hank stared at her as she set the plates on the coffee table. “Do you mean that Lonely Hearts group?”
“That’s the one,” she said, handing him some utensils. “I made pizza, wings, and some homemade queso for the chips, so have it, boys. And there’s more where that came from.”
He checked his watch, surprised to see that it was almost quarter till eight. He jumped up, dislodging Georgie from his lap, then almost cried in pain from the sudden movement. It took a moment for his head to stop spinning.
The dog gracefully leaped onto the floor and pranced with excitement.
“Sorry, girl,” Hank said, leaning down to scratch her behind the ears, “but we’re not going for a walk right now. Charlie will take you out soon, won’t you, Charlie?”
“Sure.” Charlie looked up in surprise, a chicken wing in each hand. “But where are you going?” Then a light dawned in his eyes and he grinned. “Oh, you’re going after Dr Grant, aren’t you? But don’t you want to finish watching the game first?”
“Nope.” Hank grabbed his cowboy hat before heading for the door. “I’ve got a game of my own to play.”
Rachel couldn’t be more pleased as she sat with the small circle of people gathered in her office. She’d started her Lonely Hearts group only a couple of months ago, but they were already bonding. And the newest member, her friend Gina Mitchell, seemed to fit right in.
In less than fifteen minutes, Gina learned about Edith’s exploration with a new dating app, Frank’s desire to find a woman who liked fishing as much as he did, and Lacie’s distress at her ex-boyfriend’s news that he was bunking with a new cowgirl.
Rachel just sat back and observed the group dynamics, watching as Gina sat cross-legged on the green tweed sofa in her office, dressed in loose, gray sweatpants and an oversized Texas Tech sweatshirt.
Her curly dark hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail and she stopped wearing mascara because it made crying messier. Rachel knew Gina had been insecure about men, so Kurt’s straying had cut deep.
“So then he dumped me,” Gina explained, her nail-bitten fingers picking apart the empty paper coffee cup in her hands. “For some older woman with fake boobs, fake hair extensions, fake everything.”
“Then your future ex-husband can look forward to a fake relationship,” Edith said, “and you can live authentically, knowing that you haven’t betrayed someone you loved.”
“Oh, he’s going to be sorry to lose me,” Gina promised, walking over to the trash can to toss the shredded remnants of the coffee cup away. “The funny thing is that Kurt doesn’t even seem like my husband anymore. It’s as if someone else is inside of him, pulling all his strings.”
“Like an alien in a Kurt suit?” Edith said, laughing. “That reminds me of Men in Black, one of my favorite movies. And that Tommy Lee Jones is a hottie!”
Rachel had seen Men in Black enough times to know every line. The cockroach scenes alone had made it one of Russell’s favorite movies. She was just happy to see her group bonding so well and they were certainly more entertaining than any of her recent blind dates. Now she couldn’t floss her teeth without thinking about Tad.
Her mind drifted to the nicer memory of Hank walking into her office this morning. She couldn’t imagine dating a cowboy like him, although just the thought of it made her feel a little wobbly inside.
Part of her was relieved that his appointment was a ruse, because the way she’d been thinking about him was anything but professional.
“Thinking that Kurt has been taken over by an alien does make me feel better,” Gina said with a smile. “Although our wedding anniversary is coming up soon, so that’s something to dread.”
Everyone groaned in unison, then Lacie said, “I hate special dates now, like anniversaries, holidays, or even my birthday. They’re just not as fun anymore.”
“That’s why I wanted to join your group, because I knew you’d understand.” Gina rubbed her forehead. “I just feel like I’m too old to start over. I don’t even want to think about dating again. I’m used to being Mrs. Kurt Kurtz.”
“Wow, that’s quite a name,” Frank said, shaking his head. “I have to believe you’re not sorry to get rid of that.”
“No, you’re right,” Gina said. “There are some bright spots to this divorce. They’re just really hard to see sometimes.”
“There’s no hurry to start dating again,” Lacie told her. “I’m taking my sweet time. And you seem to be handling your husband dumping you pretty well, all things considered.”
“Not really. If Rachel hadn’t talked me out of lacing his coffee with rat poison, I’d be sitting in a jail cell right now. But she knew just how I felt, after what she’d been through with Russell.”
Three pairs of eyes turned in Rachel’s direction.
“Who’s Russell?” Lacie asked.
Edith leaned forward in her chair. “Were you married, Dr. Grant?”
Frank just stared at her, his mouth hanging open. At last he said, “I thought you were a lesbian.”
Rachel made a mental note to lace Gina’s coffee with rat poison. “No, I’m not married and I’m not a lesbian. But we’re not here to talk about me.”
“Russell was her fiancé,” Gina explained to the group. “He just up and left her without a word last year on Valentine’s Day. Isn’t that despicable?”
“I don’t want to waste part of the group’s time talking about me,” Rachel said, wondering how she could steer the group to another topic. But maybe that wasn’t fair. They were sharing all their lonely heart stories, so why should she get a pass?
“I think it’s just awful,” Lacie exclaimed. “Dumping someone on the most romantic day of the year?”
“What’s so romantic about it?” Edith asked. “Valentine’s Day is just an annual reminder that I’m old and alone.”
“Valentine’s Day is a week from tomorrow,” Rachel said. “How does everyone feel about that?”
“Lonely,” Frank replied. A retired feed salesman, he now spent his days on a fishing boat. When his wife filed for divorce eight months ago, she’d listed ‘alienation of affection to a wide-mouth bass’ as one of her reasons.
Lacie cupped her chin in her palm. “It makes me feel like a loser.” At just twenty-two years old, Lacie had joined the group a month ago.
Dressed in a black tunic sweater and matching jeans, her hot-pink cowboy boots were hard to miss. The daughter of a rancher, she worked as a waitress and was still trying to figure out what she wanted to do with her life.
“I say we boycott Valentine’s Day,” Edith proclaimed. “I mean, it’s not like I have a date for it anyway.”
“So how would this boycott work?” Frank asked. “Would we picket somewhere?”
Edith shook her head. “No, that’s too much work. We just need to find a way to make a statement that Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be celebrated—and that it often causes great unhappiness for many people.”
“Or maybe we could have a personal boycott of the day by not getting caught up in the hype,” Rachel suggested. “Instead of celebrating romantic love, you could celebrate loving yourself.”
“But I want to do more than love myself,” Gina replied, looking wistful. “I want to feel normal again. Right now, I feel like I’m on a roller coaster ride of anger and sadness.” Then she looked over at Rachel. “How do I get off the roller coaster?”
Rachel had been asking herself that question ever since Russell had left her. Sometimes she wondered if she would ever heal.
“There are no easy answers,” Rachel told group. “I once read that unhappiness comes from our resistance to accept reality. We want things to be different and the fact that they aren’t makes us feel angry or sad or resentful.”
“So I shouldn’t be angry that Kurt left me?” Gina asked, looking confused.
“Of course you can be angry. You need to feel those emotions to process them.” Rachel saw Edith nod in agreement. “But once you reach acceptance of what is, then you can start to heal and move forward.”
“Wow,” Lacie said. “I wish I was as cool as you, Dr. Grant. I’ve done so many stupid things since my boyfriend broke up with me.”
Rachel smiled. “I’m not cool at all, Lacie. In fact”—she looked around the group—“I’ll tell you a secret I’ve never told anyone.”
“Not even me?” Gina asked in surprise.
“Not even you,” she admitted. “When my fiancé ran off last year, he broke my heart. I was so hurt and embarrassed that I didn’t tell anyone he’d left.” She took a deep breath. “I even sent myself flowers on Valentine’s Day and pretended they were from Russell, just to avoid any awkward questions. And I wrote myself a beautiful note to go with the flowers.”
No one said anything for a long moment, then Gina pressed one hand against her chest and gave a relieved laugh. “Oh, that makes me feel so much better. Maybe I’m not crazy after all.”
“I know!” Lacie exclaimed, her face brightening. “If Dr. Grant can do something like that, then maybe it’s normal to feel this way.”
Rachel held up her hands. “Hold on, I don’t believe that any one person should be the definition of normal. We’re all on a spectrum. There’s no right way or wrong way to be.”
“Does that mean it’s not wrong to want to kill my husband?” Gina mused. “Because I think I’d really enjoy killing him. I’ve thought of so many ways to do it.”
“If you need to get rid of the body,” Frank offered, “I’ve got a boat over at Callahan’s Lake. The water’s pretty deep there.”
For a moment, everyone just stared at Frank until the older man finally burst out laughing. “I’m just joking, ladies. That lake’s not deep enough to hide a body.”
“Instead of planning a murder, let’s play true confessions,” Edith suggested. “Dr. Grant has already started us off. We’ll all tell one embarrassing secret that we’ve been ashamed to admit before.”
Before Rachel could respond, she heard footsteps behind her and turned to see Hank Holden walk into her office.
“Hi, I’m Hank,” he said with a wave. “Am I in time to join your Lonely Hearts Club?”
“You’re here to join our club?” Rachel asked archly.
“Yes, if you’ll have me.” Hank was still trying to catch his breath as he walked into her office. The ten-mile trip into Pine City from his acreage outside of town had been delayed by a flat tire.
He’d changed it and had his pickup truck back on the road in record time, breaking a few speed limits on the way. But now he was late, his stomach was growling, and his headache was back with a vengeance.
He feared his strategy might have backfired. Because Dr. Rachel Grant did not look happy to see him. The way his luck was running tonight, she’d probably think he was her stalker.
But it was too late to back out now.
“Of course we’ll have you!” Edith rose to her feet to greet him. “We’re not a club exactly, but that sounds more fun than a therapy group.”
“I’m Frank,” an older man said, pulling an empty chair into the circle. “Have a seat, Hank. It will be nice to have another man in the club. I was feeling outnumbered.”
“And you already know me,” Edith said, beaming at him as he sat down. She resumed her seat and told the group, “Hank is the grandson of a dear friend of mine. He’s a veterinarian. And a bachelor!”
As Edith made the introductions, he noticed another familiar face in the circle.
“So what are you doing here, Dr. Holden?” Lacie asked him with a bemused smile. “Don’t tell me you have a lonely heart. On the weekends, I waitress at the Wildcat Tavern and I always see you there with a woman on your arm. Usually, a different woman every time.”
Hank chuckled. “Hey, Lacie, isn’t there some kind of waitress and patron confidentiality agreement? I don’t want you spilling all my secrets.”
Lacie laughed. “I won’t tell on you if you don’t tell on me.”
“Deal,” Hank said, glancing at Rachel.
He still couldn’t believe what he’d overheard before making his presence known—Dr. Rachel Grant’s fiancé had abandoned her a year ago on Valentine’s Day. He suddenly felt a surge of anger. What kind of jerk would do that to a woman like her? Or to any woman?
Lacie had been right to call him out on his active dating life, but he’d never made any promises that he couldn’t keep.
“We were just about to share our secrets, Dr. Holden,” Rachel told him with a cool smile. “Since you’re new here, we’ll let you go first.”
He shifted in his chair, not expecting to be put on the spot. Yet, he sensed this was some kind of test. Maybe if he passed, she’d learn she could trust him. “I have so many secrets, it’s hard to choose just one.”
Everyone laughed except Rachel. Her gaze was fixed on him and he knew a challenge when he saw one. If he backed down now, he’d lose any opportunity he might have to help her.
“Okay,” he said at last. “I do have a secret that I’ve never shared with anyone.”
As the group stared expectantly at him, Hank was suddenly hit with an urge to make something up. But he was in too deep now and he’d never been a coward, so he took a deep breath and plowed ahead with the truth. “My secret is…that I’ve never been in love.”
“What?” Gina gasped. “How is that possible? You’re at least thirty…”
“Thirty-five,” Hank said. “And I don’t know if it’s unusual or not, but it’s true.” He held up both hands. “Don’t get me wrong, I love women. I mean, I really love women. But I’ve just never been in love with a woman before.”
He found himself looking over at Rachel to gauge her reaction and was surprised to find that she looked intrigued. Maybe his strategy was working after all.
Frank scratched his grizzled chin. “But it sounds like you’ve got the ladies falling at your feet. So why join our club?”
“Yes,” Rachel agreed, tapping a pen against the notepad on her lap. “I’m wondering the same thing.”
Hank realized he hadn’t thought that far ahead, but before he could make up a credible reason for joining them, someone answered for him.
“Isn’t is obvious?” Edith said with a fond glance at Hank. “We’re all here because we’ve loved someone deeply—and then lost them. But Hank’s here because he doesn’t even know what that kind of love feels like.” Tears shimmered in her brown eyes. “And that must be the loneliest feeling in the world.”