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.

stopped at his house to grab some cash. "Maja, do you need

good, thanks,"

feel like cooking, just go next door

gone, leaving Maja alone

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

couple-one lying on the bed, the other sitting nearby, worried-settled

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

place-no phone, no internet-books had ĕ become her only entertainment. She

wandered back to the sweet dream she'd had earlier: she was a kid again,

her across

cookies, sharing them with her sister Annie, are you thirsty? Let me get your

out, "Emmery, can you get us some

move at first, so she

grabbed a cup, filled it, and

looked up at her. "Do you know my