Free Then He Kissed Me by Maria Geraci

in his plan of care, not coddled like some child.”
    Lauren stilled. They’d discussed anti-depressants before with Doc Morrison, and Lauren knew that eventually Daddy would need one. But he’d insisted he didn’t need “any more dang drugs.” And as for Momma? Ha ! Good luck with anyone telling Momma what she needed. “Are you serious?”
    He frowned. “Did you think I wasn’t? Frankly, I’m surprised Dr. Morrison hasn’t already suggested it.” He looked at her behind those designer glasses of his. Lauren had a sudden urge to snatch them off his nose and grind them to the ground. But that was childish. Nate Miller’s bedside manner left a lot to be desired, but he was just looking out for Daddy’s best interests.
    She folded her hands in her lap and tried for a pleasant expression. “Thank you for taking good care of my father today. My mother and I appreciate it. But I think we’ll wait and let Doc Morrison handle this.”
    “That’s your prerogative, of course, but I’d like to go on record as saying that I’m deeply concerned. If that cut had been just a tad lower, a towel wouldn’t have been able to stop the bleeding.”
    Lauren felt the color drain from her face. “You’re not suggesting my father…tried to slit his wrist?”
    “I’m not suggesting anything. I’m merely looking at the facts.”
    There was something so cold blooded about the way he said that. Dan Handy might be just a “fact” to him, but he was a live warm-blooded human being. He was funny and smart and caring. And deep down, he was…scared. They all were. Couldn’t Nate Miller see that?
    “You can quote the facts all you want, Mr. Spock, but the truth is you don’t know my daddy at all. He’s the last person on earth who would ever hurt himself. Or anyone else for that matter.”
    “There’s no need to raise your voice. I understand you’re upset—”
    “What? You think I need an anti-depressant, too?”
    He reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a pamphlet and handed it to her. “That might not be necessary. Here’s some information on support groups. Unfortunately, there isn’t a group that meets in this area, but there’s a hotline number you can call as well as a website where you can get more information. Being a caregiver is stressful. Your mother and you are both at risk for developing depression and other stress related diseases.”
    She tossed the pamphlet back on his desk. “I have about a dozen of these, thanks.” She stood up to leave. “Are we done here?”
    He closed his laptop and rose. “Absolutely.”
    “Great. Then, have a good life,” she said and stomped off down the hallway. The nerve of him to suggest Daddy might have tried to hurt himself! If Doc Morrison knew… She should report him. How could Doc think Nate Miller was capable of taking over his practice? She actually hoped now that Jessica succeeded in her little plot to get him down to Miami. The sooner he hightailed it down south, the better for everyone.
    Her parents were waiting for her in the reception area. Daddy was talking to Ralph Humphries, one of his old golf partners. “Sweet Tea! Look who’s here today.”
    “She’s still prettier than a June bug, Dan,” Ralph said, giving Lauren a hug. He was only a couple of inches taller than Lauren and had a full belly and a short white beard. When she was little, Lauren used to think he was Santa Claus.
     “I hope you’re not too sick,” she said. Her heart was still pounding from that awful encounter in the office. She tried to shake it off before Daddy could see that she was upset.
    “Nah, just getting my diabetes checked,” Ralph said. She almost told him he might want to wait and come back tomorrow, when a real doctor would be here to see him, but she kept her mouth shut.
     “We got the prescription for the antibiotic,” Momma said. She looped her arm through Lauren’s and took her off to the side where Daddy and Ralph couldn’t hear her. “What did