Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance

The neighbor, Mrs. Carter, dropped by again, this time carrying two steaming bowls of noodle soup. She set them on the table with a warm smile.

Maja looked at the food, her heart giving a little squeeze. Dean still remembered her, always thinking ahead.

She smiled softly, picked up her chopsticks, and started eating. “Thank you, Mrs. Carter."

"Oh, don't mention it. We're neighbors, after all. Dean's always helping us out," Mrs. Carter replied, sitting down to chat while Maja ate.

That evening, Dean came home with several shopping bags in his arms.

"Maja, look what I brought for you!" he called out as he came inside.

He saw her waiting, and noticed their patient had had another bad spell that afternoon, so Maja had to give him more medicine. As the man slept, Maja quietly explained his condition and the medicines to Dean. Dean checked on the patient, then grinned at her. "You know, you could probably run your own clinic by now."

He handed her another three days' worth of medicine, passed instructions to Mrs. Carter, and saw the neighbors out.

Once the house was quiet, Dean turned to Maja with an eager smile. "Come here, I want to show you something."

of shoes. Maja unfolded the dress-bright, colorful,

"I wanted to get this for you last time, but my

She stared at the dress, her eyes bright. "I'm not really

on. Try

have a bunch of dresses,

"Well, at least try these. You've been wearing the same shoes forever. Didn't you say you had

her to sit. "Let's see if these fit. If not, I'll swap

and reached for her foot. Maja instinctively

twisted your ankle, I put ointment on for you.

talk," she said, a

grinned. "People already think

man and woman sharing a house for this long-of course

she cared about rumors; she hardly knew anyone in this town. She'd

live here. She

to ruin his reputation.