Free Nobody's Angel by Sarah Hegger Page A

composed as he looked. It helped to steady her nerves.
    “Lucy?” Her mother motioned for her to have a seat on the exam table.
    Lynne took the only chair and Richard perched on the edge of a high stool.
    “What can I do for you?” There was that voice she’d loved.
     
     
    “Richie Rich?”
    “My flower?”
    “Would you love me if I was fat?”
    “Nope, I would dump your chubby butt and find myself a skinny chick, but we could still be friends.”
    “Richard!”
    “Don’t ask stupid questions, Luce. I’m always going to love you.”

    A strangled twitter got away from her. Her face burned as the other two turned and stared at her. “Sorry,” she whispered. “I was thinking of something else.”
    Richard turned back to look at Lynne expectantly, the muscle in his jaw going into overtime.
    Lucy cleared her throat and looked at her mother.
    Lynne looked from Richard to Lucy and back again.
    Lucy kept her eyes away from Richard.
    “Lynne?” Richard prompted gently and her mother jumped. “Is there something you came to see me about?”
    “Well.” Lynne mashed her hands together, twisting her fingers painfully within each other. “I’m not so sure.”
    Silence. Richard waited patiently. Lynne threw Lucy a look of desperation.
    “Actually, Richard.” His name came out of Lucy in a breathy whisper. She cleared her throat. “We are here about my father.”
    “I see.” His body tensed as he turned to look at her.
    Lucy stuttered to a halt. She remembered those eyes so clearly. Laughing, serious, lovely Richard eyes looking at her, always watching her and so packed full of love and adoration that she could barely believe it was real. She’d killed that. The eyes looking at her now were cold, unreachable facsimiles of the other pair. It helped get her thoughts back on track.
    “We wanted to discuss his condition and what to do about it.”
    “What to do about it?” His eyes narrowed on her.
    “Our options.” Lucy battled on, feeling the sharp horns of a trap close around her.
    Richard made a small sound of disgust, more a sigh than an actual noise, but Lucy felt the impact.
    “Is this what you want to talk about, Lynne?” Efficiently he shut her off and turned back to her mother.
    “Well—” Lynne looked between her and Richard, her eyes huge, as helpless as a child, and Lucy felt her gut tighten in frustration.
    Richard’s eyes bored into her.
    “Mom”—Lucy took a deep breath and gently picked up Lynne’s hand—“you wanted to come here, right? You wanted to talk to Richard about Dad.”
    “Yes,” Lynne said, but sounded like she meant something entirely different. “Lucy thought it would be for the best.”
    And Lucy wanted to scream as she saw Richard snap to the inevitable conclusion.
    “He’s getting worse and you’re struggling to manage.” Lucy prompted her mother. Her heart sank as Lynne fiddled with the straps of her purse.
    “Right.” Richard stood. He gave her mother a tight smile. “Lynne, would you mind if I had a word with Lucy?”
    Now her mother looked truly torn, her eyes darting from one to the other frantically. “I’m not really sure—”
    “It will only take a minute.” Richard took Lynne gently by the elbow.
    Lucy almost panicked. She wanted to beg her mother to stay, but she stood her ground.
    Lynne slunk reluctantly out the door and Richard shut it gently. He turned back toward her, the tension palpable through his body. “I warned you, Lucy.” He looked suddenly much too large, eating up all the space in the room.
    “I didn’t force her to come here,” Lucy protested quickly. “She wanted to come and talk to you.”
    “Cut the crap.” He took a step toward her. “Lynne and Carl have been my patients since I started practicing. Give me a little credit here. You may not have forced her to come, but this has you stamped all over it.”
    She wanted to keep protesting her innocence, but his expression was set. He had accused and condemned her all