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CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Kassie knocked on the door when she discovered the doorbell didn’t work. When Claire didn’t answer but her car sat in the driveway, she knocked harder. A few minutes later, Claire opened the door.

“I didn’t miss an appointment, did I?” Claire asked as she stepped aside to allow her in.

“No. I came to ask if you might want to join us for lunch. Since you live here now, I wanted to invite you,” Kassie explained as she viewed the newly painted home.

“Kassie, don’t you feel it might be weird if I join you? I see you as your therapist and it grays the lines between us,” she advised.

Kassie bit her lip as she thought about Claire’s reasoning. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure. Why don’t we head to the kitchen? Can I offer you anything to drink?” Claire asked as she led the way.

“No. I’m meeting the gang shortly. I’m thinking of using a new therapist,” she admitted as she sat at the bar.

Claire stopped and stared at the woman she saw weekly in her office. “Did I do something to make you decide to switch?”

Kassie shook her head. “I’ve given this some thought. We’ll see each other more in a social setting now because you live here. I want our time together to feel more like a friendship than a patient-and-doctor relationship.”

“I appreciate your thoughtfulness. If you want, I can refer you to another psychiatrist. However, because of our unique situation of you and Chase acting as my boss, I don’t feel it appropriate to see each other in social settings unless it concerns fundraising or something for the hospital,” Claire informed her professionally.

Kassie’s eyes widened at Claire’s statement. “Claire, we worked together at Seattle Health before Chase recruited you here. I thought we remained on friendly terms,” she confessed, astonished.

“Neither of you acted as my boss in Seattle. Now, I answer to both of you. I don’t want to blur the lines of our professionalism,” she explained.

Kassie bit her bottom lip before nodding. “I’m sorry to have bothered you. I need to get going.” She slid from her seat and walked toward the door. Claire opened it as they neared. Kassie stepped out of the doorway and turned toward Claire. “If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to call us.”

“Thank you. I will,” Claire closed the door.

Kassie drove to meet the women of Serenity and thought about Claire. They seemed on the edge of friendship when she worked with her in Seattle. Yes, as the hospital’s founders, she and Chase held the title of ‘boss,’ but rarely felt a need to enforce it. Everyone loved working at the facility, and they barely experienced a turnover rate among employees. When she returned home, she planned to discuss the situation with Chase and see if he might have any insights into why Claire turned down her offer of friendship with the Serenity women. Claire never seemed to attend the functions, always offering an excuse. Now Kassie began to wonder why.