Free Been In Love Before: A Novel by Bryan Mooney Page B

as she asked, “You ready?” Then she plopped down heavily into a nearby chair.
    “For what?” he asked.
    “Clothes shopping. Didn’t Bobby tell you?”
    “Well, he mentioned something about you wanting to take me shopping, but, Patti, I have so many clothes right here at the store. And I can just use them if . . .”
    “Nope. No fights and no arguments. Get your car keys; we’re going to the mall. Now.”
    He looked at the old and worn clothes he had gotten from his brother’s house, and his gaze went from the picture on his desk of him and Tess at the cabin fishing, to the telephone. He recalled his conversation with Coleen. “Okay, let’s go.”
    Patti was shocked, as she had fully expected to have a long, drawn-out discussion with him about spending money on clothes, then they would negotiate which stores, which clothes, and an overall budget, and after two hours he would finally agree to go. She had never expected that he would capitulate so easily.
    He walked from his desk and helped her from her chair. Then he hugged her and whispered, “Thanks, Patti. I love you as one of my own.”
    Her eyes began to fill with tears from her father-in-law’s sudden display of affection; then she looked at him. “I love you too, Pop, but you’re still going shopping with me.” She kissed his cheek and put her arm in his and said, “Come on, let’s go before we both break down in tears.”

Chapter Ten
    Monday morning Ryan Macgregor arrived early at his office, hoping to speak with his partner, Doctor Mary Gladings. He noticed that her car was not in her assigned parking spot as he guided his SUV into the space next to hers, marked “Dr. Macgregor.” She had asked him to cover for her while she was on an extended cruise with her husband and family, just in case any of her patients needed to speak with someone in an emergency. He himself usually did limited talk therapy but was going to be lecturing at a convention about the benefits of mixed therapy and medications. Talking to patients would be good practice for him.
    He waited in the car for a few minutes, hoping to see her, but then remembered that she was leaving that day and would not be in the office for at least a week. He would talk to her when she returned. Maybe he would take some time off when she was back in the office. It had been years since he had had any vacation. Or maybe next year, he thought.
    He entered through the private rear door to his office and set his briefcase next to his desk as he perused his calendar of patients. Busy day, he thought. A patient just about every forty-five minutes, then an hour for lunch at one o’clock and then busy again until three p.m. He took a deep breath and flipped the switch. A green light went on in the waiting room to alert June, his longtime assistant, that he was in his office and ready to see patients. A few minutes later she knocked on his door and nudged it open, holding a mug of coffee in one hand and two chocolate chip cookies on a plate in the other.
    “Good morning, June. How many times do I have to tell you, you don’t have to bring me coffee . . .” He looked at the homemade cookies and finished by saying, “But I do appreciate you bringing me these homemade cookies. Thank you.”
    “Happy to oblige, Dr. Macgregor.” She laid a napkin on his desk and set the plate of delicious morsels on top, next to his steaming cup of coffee. “There you go. Let me know when you’re ready for your first patient. They are already outside waiting.” She walked to the door and paused before turning. “And Dr. Macgregor, I added a patient at ten a.m., one of Dr. Gladings’s. His file is on your desk. You said it was okay if one of hers called in and had to see someone. I hope you don’t mind?”
    He looked up from his newspaper and cookies and said, “It’s all right. Who is it?”
    She hesitated before she said, “Jeffrey Long. He was very insistent. I’m sorry. Did I do something