I concentrated on Charlie. She looked more beautiful than ever, even in her starchy blue suit. She was a little more casual today, pants instead of a skirt. A shame to cover those legs, though.

Those milky legs that had wrapped around me…

“Roy!”

I jerked in surprise. “What?”

“Are you even listening?” Reid asked.

“Yeah. Woman with a strange name. Guided hypnosis.”

“Do you know anything about it?” Rock asked.

“About what? Guided hypnosis?”

“Uh…yeah. That’s what we’re talking about. That’s what I asked you.”

“Why would I know anything?”

“I guess that’s a no,” Reid said.

“Why would I know anything about it?” I asked again.

“Just a question, Roy,” Rock said. “Chill out.”

Did my brothers really think I’d been in therapy? Did Charlie think I had?

I wanted a hole to open up in the ground so it could swallow me up.

What made them think…?

Did they know something?

Know something was hidden deep within me?

Shit. I was making things up.

Guided hypnosis, though…

Those blurred images that I couldn’t bring to the surface…

Could guided hypnosis help?

Because there was something locked away in my mind, something hidden so deep I couldn’t access it. Couldn’t…

Or didn’t want to…

But it was there, and it was important. Important to what we were trying to accomplish.

God, I didn’t want to go there.

But it was time.

I had to.

Perhaps it would be a relief from the constant mindfuck.

I needed to know more about this guided hypnosis.

“I’ll keep thinking on it,” Lacey said. “Maybe I’ll try the hypnosis thing. Do you know anyone who’s any good, Reid?”

My brother shook his head. “Just read an article.”

She turned to Charlie. “Find me a therapist in the area. Let’s get this figured out.”

“Will do.” Charlie stood. “Anything else?”

“Not that I can think of,” Lacey said. “Guys?”

Reid and Rock shook their heads. Charlie looked to me.

“I don’t work here,” was all I said.

“This concerns you as much as the rest of us,” Rock said.

“What I meant was, I don’t work here, so I can’t give Charlie orders.”

Charlie regarded me, her eyes slightly…sad?

Shit. Now I’d done it. But how? I was being respectful, not ordering her around. Right?

I held back a sigh. I’d never understand women.

29

Charlie

“What’s bothering you?” Lacey asked, strolling into my office.

Your brother-in-law.

But I wasn’t about to say that. Lacey had told me that getting involved with Roy wouldn’t be a problem as far as she was concerned, so I certainly wasn’t about to tell her I was upset about him. I refused to make it a problem.

“Nothing. I’m good.”

“We’ve been working together for a couple years, Charlie. I know when something’s bothering you.”