Been In Love Before: A Novel Read Online Free PDF

latest in his field, but he could no longer tolerate the incessant medical bulletins. In addition, he was not interested in their conventions, even though they were usually held in some remote island paradise or on a luxury cruise ship. He had a good practice with another doctor, and he was good at what he did, but he could not face the truth: his Gracie was gone. As a psychiatrist, he was at a loss. What could he do? Talk himself out of it? He had lost the love of his life. It wasn’t fair. Life wasn’t fair.
    He looked at the still water of the pool beside him and wondered how long he would have to stay under the surface before he would die . . . and join her.
    What if I take the rest of the sleeping pills and just lie on the bottom and never wake up? Maybe I could just take the pills I have in the medicine bottle upstairs and just fall asleep . . . and never wake up? That should be enough to do the trick. Just lie in our bed, with thoughts of Gracie. Why wait? She is only a breath away. She would be there waiting for me.
    Grace had always said he was a procrastinator and afraid to make a commitment. They dated for years until she gave him an ultimatum—get married or else. I could join her at the bottom of the pool; it would only take . . .
    “Hello?” he heard a familiar voice call. Again, it sounded through the air: “It’s me; I’m home.”
    “Oh my God, Gracie?” He was dozing, and his eyes began to tear as he looked into the sun at a figure approaching him.
    “Dad? Daddy? Oh, there you are,” said his daughter, causing his recurring dream to once again disappear in an instant. A tear still hung in his eye, unable to fall. His Gracie was gone.
    “I was calling for you, Dad. Didn’t you hear me?” said his tall, independent, red-haired daughter. She was the image of her mother, temper, iron will, and all. She had taken charge of everything since her mother died. In a way Ryan was glad to have her help. He was lost and adrift without his Gracie.
    “Hi, Mary Katherine. I must have dozed off here by the pool. I didn’t hear you come in.”
    Only her parents called her Mary Katherine; everyone else called her Mary Kate or clung to her childhood nickname, Graw , given to her by her paternal grandfather. When her grandfather first saw the screaming red-haired baby, who was delivered at his home, he said in his heavy Scottish brogue to her mother, “Hell, woman, don’t worry about it, she’ll graw out of it!” She immediately stopped crying, and the nickname Graw stuck.
    Her eyes narrowed as she examined her father in the early-morning light and guessed what was going on. “I miss her too, Daddy.” She kissed him on his forehead.
    “What was that for?”
    “Do I need a reason to kiss my only father?”
    “No, no, you don’t. What’s up?”
    “I thought Uncle Eian and Uncle Robert would be here waiting for me.”
    He squinted, looking up at her into the hazy morning Florida sun. “I left them a message, and Robert called back saying he would be here, but it would probably be much later in the day. He and Bobby were down in the Keys fishing. And I’m sure your uncle Eian will be here soon; it’s Sunday, free food and free drinks, and he never misses a game on TV when he’s not in the broadcast booth.”
    “Like always. Daddy, can you call them and make sure that they are here later today, definitely? I really need to talk to them and to you today.” She kissed his forehead again and said, “I’ll see you later, Daddy. I am off to meet with the caterer, and then I’ll come back here before I go to the office and meet a new client.”
    “It’s Sunday, Mary Katherine. Don’t they give you time off?”
    “Yes, Daddy, they are very good to me there at the law firm, even though I am new there. I love my job. However, I have work to do. But make sure to call them, okay? I’ll be back later. Bye, Daddy. Love you.”
    She kissed his cheek and, like a whirlwind, was gone.

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