Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance

Because of this, they never ran out of vegetables or fruit.

After a little over a month, Dean's leg was finally healed.

Not long after, he was out again making house calls, while Maja stayed home to hold down the fort.

One afternoon, as Dean listened to an old man's lungs, the elderly man grabbed his hand, his smile toothless but bright. "Dean, that girl of yours is something special. When are you two going to make it official? Think this old man could have a drink at your wedding before I'm gone?"

Dean smiled as he listened to the man breathe. "Don't worry, sir, you'll definitely get to toast at my wedding. But you have to take care of yourself, all right?"

The old man looked reassured. Once outside, Dean turned serious with the family. "He's not doing so well. Keep his spirits up, but I think you should take him to the hospital in town soon."

He prescribed some medicine to ease the old man's symptoms and suggested they let him rest for a while.

Dean helped the family find a car to get the old man to the hospital. Since he knew the patient's situation best, he'd be going with them.

On the way, he stopped at his house to grab some cash. "Maja, do you need anything? I'm heading into town."

"I'm good, thanks," she said.

He glanced at her, handing over some money. "If you don't feel like cooking, just go next door to Mrs. Taylor's and have a meal. I'll be home late."

With that, Dean was gone, leaving Maja alone in the house.

Before long, someone knocked at the door-a patient, doubled over in pain. The symptoms were familiar, and although Maja wasn't a doctor, she bravely fetched the medicine, remembering how Dean handled this before. "I'm not a doctor, but I've seen Dean treat this before. My advice is to stay here and wait for him to come back."

The couple-one lying on the bed, the other sitting nearby, worried-settled in to wait.

Pretty soon, the patient's stomach pain eased. Maja checked on them, then went back to reading Dean's old medical notes.

Ever since moving to this place-no phone, no internet-books had ĕ become her only entertainment. She read, tearned about herbs, practiced writing, and tried picking up the local dialect.

Her mind wandered back to the sweet dream she'd had earlier: she was a kid again, Annie still little,

chasing after her across a sunlitet

lawn. She opened a tin of cookies, sharing them with her sister Annie, are you thirsty? Let me get your brother-in-law to bring you some water."

She called out, "Emmery, can you get us some water?"

A blurry figure didn't move at first, so she called again, "Wes?"

The figure stirred, grabbed a cup, filled it, and handed it over.

Annie looked up at her. "Do you know my mom?"

Maja laughed, bright and carefree. "Wes, look, Annie's being silly."

The shadow in her dream laughed too, and soon the little girl was giggling along with them.

A few sharp knocks at the door brought Maja out of her daydream.

"Maja, are you home?"noveldrama

She put her book down and stood up. "Mrs. Taylor, are you not feeling well?"

The woman came in, carrying a bowl. "I'm just bringing you some lunch. Dean stopped by before he left, told me you're not much of a cook, so I made extra for you."

Mrs. Taylor, their next-door neighbor, smiled. "I noticed you didn't come over, and thought maybe you were too shy. So here you go."

She spotted the patient-around here, everyone knew everyone-and greeted them warmly. "You two haven't eaten either, right? Hold on, I've got more at home. I'll bring you something too."