Olivia remembered the day he’d said that. Sean had grinned and given him a punch on the shoulder. “I guess we have to like to you ’cause we’re cool dudes—and so are you.”
Arriving at the office, Olivia went to her desk in the long room behind Aaron’s office, where the therapists kept their notes and records. Mason was at his desk, working away at his computer. “Hey,” he said, not looking up.
“Hi, Mason.” She set her purse under her desk and opened her own computer. She needed to finish some notes on Matt. She didn’t intend to embellish anything, but she wanted his father to know how well he’d been doing in his interactions with others at the Horse Farm. He’d been a withdrawn, sullen kid at first.
She’d just started when Mason got up and walked around to her desk, perching on the edge.
“So where were you last night?”
“Pardon?”
“Checking out the new digs? Personally, I like the house you already have better. So, what do you think you’ll do with Marcus’s place?”
“Mason, I haven’t even begun to think about it.”
“I don’t think everyone’s happy the house went to you,” he said, grinning.
“We’re therapists, Mason. We’re not supposed to be gossips!”
“Yeah, yeah.” His grin was even wider now. “We’re human.” He glanced around, then bent low to whisper to her. “I think Aaron was planning to go and talk to you about the house last night.”
“Aaron can talk to me about the house anytime he wants. I was just as stunned as everyone else, and I’m not surprised he feels the same way.”
“He wants to talk in private.” Mason raised one shoulder in a careless shrug. “Actually, Aaron seemed okay about it. But guess who might just have it in for you?”
“Mason! Stop it.”
“Sandra,” he told her, leaning closer still. “I was eavesdropping. Well, I really couldn’t help it. They didn’t know I was still here. She said it was too bad you hadn’t taken up drugs and OD’d.”
He straightened suddenly. They’d both heard footsteps. But then Mason seemed to relax; it was just Mariah. “I’m so excited,” she said. “Everyone’s coming tonight! Except for Sydney—he says we never should leave the whole place entirely deserted. It was one thing for Marcus’s funeral, but that was only for a few hours and we were close by. So—” she counted off the names on her fingers “—it’ll be Brent, Sean, Matt, Nick, Joey, Drew, you guys, plus Aaron and Sandra. Oh, Liv, pitch in with me on the stories, will you?”
“Sure, if you want,” Olivia said.
Mariah shrugged. “Oh—I forgot. And the cool FBI agent. He seems to have a thing for you, Olivia.”
“I’m just his therapist!”
Mariah nudged Mason and they both laughed.
“Therapists are human, Olivia. I already told you that. Right, Mariah? Hey, you think every therapist out there lives a perfect life? Come on, you won’t be this guy’s therapist forever.”
“Are you telling me you haven’t even thought about sleeping with him?” Mariah asked.
Olivia frowned but didn’t respond.
“Don’t worry, I’ve learned to live with rejection. I know you’re not sleeping with me. But, seriously, you want to turn into some old maid? You’ve got to sleep with someone,” Mason said.
Olivia groaned and let her forehead fall onto her desk. “Please, guys, could we have a little decorum here?”
Mariah punched Mason again. “Yeah, get up. Mama Cheever’s on the way. I could tell the click, click, click of that woman’s boots anywhere.”
The two of them stood quickly, going to their separate desks. Olivia returned her attention to her notes. Sandra poked her head in. “The boys are here, Olivia. Sydney has them stashing their gear for the day. They’ll be ready as soon as you are.”
“Just finishing a report on Matt, for his dad.”
Sandra frowned. “You’ll let me see it before you send it?”
“If you wish.”
“We need to be very careful these days, you know.”
“Yes, I know. I’m being very objective here, Sandra—not exaggerating Matt’s accomplishments, but not minimizing the truth, either.”
“People will believe in us or not, Sandra,” Mariah said. “We can’t sugarcoat everything and we can’t constantly be vigilant about what we say. We just have to move forward. And the rest of us...well, we weren’t addicts so we can’t fall back.”
“Some people think that former addicts are the best therapists. They know where their charges are coming from,” Mason put in.
Sandra sighed. “We’re here to help everyone who comes to us deal with their personal issues through equine therapy. Not all our guests are addicts! Brent’s not, for God’s sake! We’re much more than you’re implying we are.” She turned briskly to Olivia. “I’d like to see the report. Aaron wants me to approve everything before it goes out.”
Olivia punched a key on her computer. She smiled sweetly. “On its way to you now, Sandra.”