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Taken aback by her comment, I focused on the abrupt woman in front of me.

“We all understand why he did it—”

“I don’t,” I muttered.

“Have you asked him?” Opening my mouth to answer she added, “Really asked him? With an actual interest in his answer?” She waved her hand at me, as if dismissing any answer I might offer as unimportant. “Anyway. Despite understanding why he did it, it was still a stupid thing to do. And he knows it.”

Jessie looked around the room before focusing back on me. “I’ve known Danny for a while now and the thing with him is... You won’t find anyone with a bigger heart. But he’s impulsive. He does things without thinking sometimes.”

“Dante said Danny always thinks of contingencies.”

“Oh, he does. Danny plans for everything. There isn’t just plan B’s. There are plans X, Y, and Z’s. The problem is, Danny is analytical. He forgets the emotional. That’s why he was always closer to Ellie, and I was closer to Dante. I don’t do well with the emotional crap either.”

The waitress stopped at our table and took our order, halting the conversation. Once she stepped far enough away, Jessie continued.

“Danny is a hero.”

I tried to stop it. I really did, but my eyes rolled so far back in my head I almost passed out, causing Jessie to laugh so loud the other patrons turned in our direction.

“Let me rephrase that. Danny is used to being the hero. People come to him for help all the time. He helps people get found, he helps people hide. He helps find criminals, and he helps to rescue people that are in trouble. And he does it all from behind his computer screen.”

I knew that much was true. No one ever questioned the documents he gave to Dani and me.

“His family was in trouble. He comes from a group of men that have rescued trafficked people. They brought down a major trafficking ring, and Danny was a part of that. He’s one of them, and he thought he could do it too because he worked it all out with computations and algorithms.”

“It sounds like you’re making excuses for what he did.”

“I am,” she said bluntly. “Because despite what a giant pain in the ass he can be, his heart is even bigger, and Danny leads with his heart.”

“I thought you said he forgets about the emotional.” I felt like this conversation was going around in circles.

“He does.” She nodded. “He forgets other people love him just as big and just as hard as he loves them.”

Ok, I could see that. I had told Danny in one of our sessions I could see how big he loved. It was why I couldn’t understand how he could do what he did.

“You know, for someone who doesn’t do well with the emotional crap, you’re pretty good at explaining it.”

“Oh, I understand it just fine. It’s the showing it I have trouble with.”

“Jessica.”

Jessie narrowed her eyes at the deep voice that called her name. “Go away, Grayson.”

“Can’t do that, darlin’. Hi, I’m Grayson Powell.” The gorgeous man standing at the end of our table held out his hand, and I shook it.

“Melissa,” I said.

Grayson sat next to Jessie, pushing her further into the booth so she could avoid touching him. My concern grew when he leaned closer, ignoring her obvious discomfort.

“What was that about having trouble showing emotion? I’m thinking a little immersion therapy would fix that right up.”

“Actually, this is Dr. Melissa Jefferson. I am already in therapy.” I opened my mouth to correct Jessie about being a child psychologist, not a general psychologist, but the glare she quickly pointed in my direction had me closing my mouth with a snap. “So, what you heard was doctor-patient confidentiality. Ignore it.”

Grayson just smirked. “You can’t run forever, sweetheart.”

He leaned over and kissed the side of Jessie’s head before leaving us alone in the booth. The way Jessie’s eyes closed at the gesture and the quiet sigh that slipped between her lips told me I had read the situation wrong.

When her eyes finally opened, I smiled at her.