The Accident

All of my writing is fiction, and the stories and characters are products of my imagination. They were created for my fun and, hopefully, your enjoyment. Some of the events in the stories are not particularly condoned nor encouraged by the author but are there to create and enhance the story of the imaginary characters and their lives. Comments are always encouraged and carefully reviewed. All characters within the story who need to be are 18 years of age or older. I hope you enjoy! And take a second to vote and comment.

Note: I am not a doctor nor any other type of health giver. So, I ask for a little forbearance here as I'm writing about a hospital and care for serious injuries. I've tried to research things as best I could, but I'm sure people familiar with emergency operations will find flaws in some of the things I've said. I apologize and ask that you overlook them.

~~~

"I don't want that name to be anywhere that I can see it," Molly said as she ripped the envelope apart.

"I think it's going to take time for that to happen, Molly. And some of it depends on how fast you tell them of the name change."

"I suppose, but it ruins my day when I get something addressed to Molly Holmes or, worse yet, to Mrs. Stephen Holmes. I hate the day I met him, let him bamboozle me, and believed his lies." The tears on Molly's cheeks told how much the whole subject troubled her.

Trying to stress the positive, Lynn, Molly's long-time best friend, said, "I think you can consider yourself fortunate you got away from him as quickly as you did."

"There's nothing that's associated with Stephen that's fortunate," Molly fairly snarled.

"Maybe this isn't a good subject."

"Nothing about Stephen is good."

"You know, if you let your anger go on too long, it'll just keep eating at you and making you miserable when what you want is for him to be miserable."

Molly stood, walked to the window, and stared at her car parked in the driveway. She sighed.

"You're probably right, but it's not quite like turning off a light. Plus, I'm going to see my lawyer later today to find out a little more about the settlement, which I'm sure will mean I'm getting less than I thought I was. Stephen was always good at manipulating things."

"That's a nice car you have," Lynn said, looking out the same window.

"Not as nice as the one he kept."

"Isn't he paying for this apartment?"

"Three-quarters of it. I'll have to find a new place when his time is up. I can't afford this."

"Why did you get such an expensive place?"

"I think Stephen was trying to impress the divorce people with how generous he is."

"I think I've asked before, but are you going to be okay with everything?"

"That's a big question. I make enough to get along just fine. I'll get a one-bedroom apartment and save my money so I can get a house as quickly as possible."

"That might make you more attractive to a man, too."

Molly snorted. "You're a cruel woman, Lynn, using me and man in the same sentence."

"My mother always told me that time heals all wounds."

"Maybe that works for your mother, but it ain't gonna work for me, honey."

"I think I understand why you feel that way, but I hope it works for you, too. You're a giver and one of the most generous and genuine people I've ever come across, and you need to share that and your love with someone."

"Lynn, that sounds noble and uniquely wonderful. I tried it once and was royally screwed over by it. I'm not interested in going through it again."

Lynn understood that she was, in effect, beating a dead horse, and she wasn't going to create a change in Lynn, at least not in the immediate future.

"Did you say you were going to see your lawyer today?"

"Ugh, yes. More details on the settlement. Have you heard the country song, She Got the Gold Mine, and I Got the Shaft?" It says they split everything right down the middle, and she got the better half. Reverse the genders and you have Stephen and me."

Lynn chuckled. "I think you exaggerate, my friend."

"I wanted children, but thank goodness there weren't any. Having to share them with him would have been awful. I'll let you know what happens."

"It's nasty out there with the cold and snow and ice."

"Ugh, I hate to drive in that stuff. You be careful, too."

~~~

Austin knew he should call his mother. It had been nearly a week, and she worried about him since he'd started work in the emergency room. She'd hoped he'd be a family doctor, taking care of snotty noses, the flu, and UTIs, not people who've had all sorts of horrible things happen to them and are broken beyond repair. He knew he had time to do it right now.

"Austin, is everything okay?"

"Just fine, Mom. I thought I'd give you a call before I headed off to work."

"When you do, be careful. The news people say it's snowy and icy everywhere."

"I haven't even looked out the window yet, but I'll be careful." Austin knew that it would be a busy day with the snow and ice, and he could only hope that most of the injuries would be minor and easily attended to.

"I worry about you and all the awful things you must see working in that emergency room."

"Mom, most of what happens there is very routine. There are broken arms, people with the flu, kids with upset stomachs, things like that. It's just once in a while that we get those really bad ones."

"Still, I can't imagine dealing with that."

"Look at it this way, Mom. Lots of times, I'm able to save a life or put people back together. It's very rewarding."

"I'm sure that's true, honey. "

"I'd better get going, Mom. I'm due at the hospital before long."

"Well, be careful and fix lots of people."

"The best days are those when I don't have to fix anyone."

"I'm sure that's true. Just be careful today."

Austin hung up the phone and went to the window. They had predicted the cold and a dusting of snow, but there were two or three inches, and it was still snowing lightly. He put on his down jacket and knit hat, then headed to the garage. He was confident his Mercedes would get him the six miles to work very easily but wondered about the rest of the population.

When he pulled into the hospital parking lot, he saw the flashing red lights at the ER entrance. He sighed and headed for the doctor's entrance. It looked like the bad day he was dreading had already begun.

~~~

Molly pulled into the parking lot at the attorney's office, already angry in anticipation of what was going to happen. Stephen had said things to her before the divorce but said different things to the attorneys when the legal things began.

She climbed out of the car and nearly fell trying to close the door. There were about three inches of snow covering a coating of ice that Molly had discovered two or three times on her trip. A quiet profanity as she steadied herself before taking her first step. Carefully, she made her way to the door, grumbling all the way.

She climbed the stairs and went into her attorney's office. The office manager announced her, and she was directed to the inner office.

"Hello, Molly. Glad to see that you made it. I almost had to call you and cancel. My driveway is uphill to the street, and I barely made it."

"I slipped and slid my way here and nearly fell in the parking lot, but I hope it's worth it for the news you're going to share with me,"

"Well, let me say first that, in my experience, very seldom is everyone happy with the way things work out. We'll have to see today."

"I don't trust that bastard any further than this," she said, holding her thumb and forefinger about a half-inch apart. I found out he's been lying to me ever since we married and probably before, too."

"Everything on these papers has been checked, so he shouldn't be lying to us now." Will handed the bundle of papers to Molly. "Sit down, review these, and let me know what you think."

"The agreement was that we'd split everything fifty-fifty, right?"

"Correct, and that's the way we did it."

"He owned the house when we were married, so I'm surprised he agreed to that. He had to have something up his sleeve."

Will laughed. "Are you always this pessimistic?" he asked, smiling at Molly.

"It's not pessimism when it's about Stephen."

"Look those papers over. Here's a pen and legal pad to make notes if you need to."

Will sat at his desk, leafing through a thick folder, as Molly settled into a large and comfortable chair and began reading. He was aware of her fidgeting and writing and wondered what was causing that. He's been very satisfied with the negotiating and accounting and expected the paper signing with Molly to go very smoothly. In about fifteen minutes, she stood.

"Will, this is all bullshit."

That caused him to raise his eyebrows. "How do you mean that, Molly?"

"Stephen was always bragging about how much money he was making and stashing away, and how wonderfully he was able to manage his stocks, and that soon we'd be traveling the world. This thing," she waved the papers at Will, "don't show anything like that."

Will furrowed his eyebrows. "Rest assured, Molly, that all of these figures have been checked and verified with his bank and his broker. There have been no withdrawals from the savings accounts--well, nothing significant that would indicate he was hiding money, and the same with the stocks. You two had agreed to sell the house and split the money, and that's there as well."

"Even the sale price of the house seems small. I don't know that much about it, but ... "

"I'm sorry, Molly, but those are the numbers."

"That bastard was lying about everything, I think. I hate his guts."

"If you insist, you can refuse to sign, and we can check again, but I doubt it will change anything, and it will cost you more money."

Molly growled. "I'm sure he's cheating me somehow, but I'm stuck. She walked around the desk and sat down. "Where do I sign?"

She seemed so angry that Will was almost afraid to get close to her. He stood behind her and pointed as she angrily signed. He checked to ensure that she wasn't adding profanity to her signatures.

"Thanks, Molly. I'm sorry it didn't add up to what you were expecting, but I'll let you know when everything is finalized."

She almost glared at Will. "I can hardly wait," she fairly snarled as she stood and marched out of the office, mumbling, "F'ing bastard."

Down the steps and at the door, she snugged her coat around her neck and headed to her car. She was stomping through the snow when she was suddenly flat on her back. When she sat up, her hip aching and oaths flowing from her lips, she blamed it on Stephen. She wouldn't have been here if it wasn't for him. Brushing off the snow as she walked, she climbed into the car, upset that her slacks and coat were wet and annoying.

She climbed into the car, slammed the door, and pushed the starter button. The engine roared into life, her foot on the accelerator. When the engine slowed, she shifted into reverse and, wheels spinning, slowly backed out of the parking place. A quick shift to drive followed by more spinning, and Molly was on the way home.

As she turned the corner, she struggled to retrieve her cell phone from the pocket of her wet slacks. Finally successful, she found Lynn's number and punched it.

"Hey, Molly. Wait, are you driving?"

"Yeah."

"You shouldn't be talking to me and driving, so don't look, just talk. And how did things turn out?"

"I'm sure Stephen has screwed me over with the settlement."

"How could he do that?"

"I don't know, but somehow I think he hid things. He was lying to me the whole time, so he probably lied to them, too. I'm so mad that if I laid down in the snow, it would start boiling."

Getting more angry by the moment as she talked with Lynn, Molly didn't realize she was going a little faster than she had planned, the road having two ruts in the snow with no salt or plowing done yet.

"If I had a chance, I think I'd castrate him with a pair of dull scissors."

Lynn laughed. "That's a little drastic, isn't it."

"I'd love every minute of doing it." She looked at the phone and Lynn's smile. "Don't you smile. I'm mad as hell."

"I can tell that, Molly. Hey, what happened to the phone? Molly? What was that noise? Molly, are you there? Molly, say something."

~~~

Austin was an emergency surgeon, but he was a doctor, and on days like this, he filled in when the others were busy, which happened often. He felt that it kept him up to date on non-surgical problems.

"Hey Austin, how was that young boy's wrist?" one of the other doctors asked Austin.

"X-rays were good, so just sprained. The lady wasn't so lucky. Hers was broken."

"I think the X-ray department will earn their wages today."

They both quickly turned their attention to a nurse who'd just hurried into the room.

"Get ready, guys. Squads are bringing in two they say are in bad shape. A man and a woman -- head-on crash on Route 21."

"You take the first one, and I'll take the second," Austin said, knowing that the third doctor was tied up.

"Deal," came the reply, and they both began quickly washing up.

Nurses were there and ready, knowing they'd be needed if the accident had been as bad as it sounded.

In three minutes, a gurney came through the door and was directed to the next room. Austin couldn't tell if it was the man or the woman, but he was ready. A second gurney quickly followed, and he stepped forward. It was the woman, but there was lots of blood.

"She wasn't wearing her seatbelt, so she's probably banged up pretty well. They said the car was a mess." The nurse was already beginning to work with her face and head, which were covered with blood, while Austin moved to her abdomen, which was also obviously bleeding.

"How long on the face cuts? We need to get an MRI as quickly as possible."

Austin was working mentally to match the blood coming from the lady's abdomen and the cuts on her face.

"I've packed her face, so we're good for the MRI."

The nurse and an orderly wheeled her away.

"Not wearing her seatbelt," Austin grumbled. "When will people learn?"

He went to the adjacent ER cubicle.

"How's he doing, Bob?"

"Better than I'd hoped for. He was driving a rather large delivery truck, and she suddenly came across center, and there was nothing he could do."

"So, he's awake and talking to you?"

"Yeah. He has some broken bones, but otherwise, seems okay. We'll do some tests to be sure."

"Mine is getting an MRI. Something jabbed her in the abdomen, and she has some facial cuts."

"Sounds like you'll be busy for a while."

Austin went back to his room to wait for the return of his lady patient.

"Dr. Wolfe, your patient is Molly McKenny and -- "

" -- Wait. What did you just say?"

"Your patient is Molly McKenny?"

"Holy shit. We went to high school together and dated for a while. I thought she was married."

The lady from the desk looked puzzled.

"Sorry for the language. I'm just surprised."

"No problem, Doctor. And I understand your surprise. How is she?"

"Bleeding some, and we don't know anything else yet."

"Looks like she's back, so I'd better get to work."

Austin heard a low moaning as Molly was wheeled into the room. Her eyes weren't open, but she was stirring.

"Luckily, Doctor, no organs were damaged."

"Good. We'd better call Doctor Bernstein to set up getting those face cuts taken care of."

"I'll finish cleaning them up. I think they're just weeping now," the nurse added.

Austin bent till he was close to Molly's ear. "Molly, can you hear me? Molly. It's Austin Wolfe."

Molly grunted. "I hurt."

"I'm sure. Where do you hurt?"

Molly moved her arm, and Austin held it still.

"Just tell me," he said.

"My side," she whispered, "and my leg."

"Here?"

"No."

"Here?"

"No."

"Here?"

"Ouch," she said, and her body jerked.

"We need to X-ray her right leg."

"Noted. So, you know her?"

Austin chuckled. "We dated in high school, and now that you have her face cleaned up, I recognize her."

"She's a pretty lady. I'm sure Doctor Bernstein can hide those cuts."

He bent again. "Molly, it's Doctor Wolfe. Austin Wolfe."

Molly's eyes slowly opened. "Austin?" she questioned softly.

"Yes, and I'm a doctor now, and I'll be taking care of you."

"Why?"

"You were in an accident, and you have some injuries."

"I was talking to Lynn on my phone."

Austin silently cursed cell phones.

"Lynn Covington?"

"Yes."

"We'll call her. And now I'm going to put you to sleep and do a few repairs."

"I don't want to be repaired. I want to go home."

"You will be once we get everything taken care of. You just relax, and we'll get it done."

Molly moaned a protest, but she was quickly sedated and readied for minor surgery on the wound in her side. Dr. Bernstein had arrived and would be taking care of stitching the cuts on her face. In a little over an hour, both were done, and Molly was on her way to X-ray and then her room.

Austin went to the office and, with the help of the people there, was able to find Lynn's phone number. He dialed.

"Hello."

"Is this Lynn Covington from Liberty High School a few years ago?"

"Um, yes. Who's this?"

"Austin Wolfe, and how are you?"

"Oh my gosh. Austin, I'm fine, and I can't imagine why you'd be calling me."

"I've been with a mutual acquaintance of ours, Molly McKinney."

"I was talking to her on the phone, and it cut off. Oh my gosh, is she okay?"

"Sort of. She was in an accident and came to the hospital here. I'm a doctor now, and I took care of her. She's a little beat up but generally okay. I just thought I'd let you know since she told me she was talking to you on the phone."

"Oh my gosh, there was a big noise, and she just suddenly cut off. Can I come to see her? Is she okay?"

"She's banged up a bit, but she'll heal. I'd wait a couple of hours until she wakes up from the anesthetic."

"Thanks so much for calling, Austin. I'll be there, and I hope I'll be seeing you."

"I'll be around for a while, so you probably will."

Things were surprisingly quiet in the ER for a change, so Austin decided to make a quick trip to Molly's room to check on her. He was her doctor but also her friend. At least he was a few years ago. As he made his way to her room, he thought back on the dates they'd had together. He'd been ready to ask her for a third date when she let him know she was going to date Stephen Holmes. He thought she'd married, and he decided he'd tactfully inquire about that. He hadn't checked her finger when she was in the ER.

A nurse was in the room, getting Molly settled and ensuring she had everything she might need.

"How's she doing?"

"She's complaining a little about the pain, but otherwise, she's settled in pretty well."

"I think I put painkiller information on the chart, didn't I?"

"Yes, sir. I'm just ready to start the IV, and I'll put it in there. That should calm her a little more."

Austin chuckled. "She's a personal friend. We actually dated in high school."

"Doctor Wolfe, that must have been hard to see her come in banged up the way she was." The nurse looked from Austin to Molly and back to Austin.

"I didn't know who it was until we'd done most of the work on her. We were working to stop the bleeding from the cuts on her face, so I didn't recognize her."

"Will you be here a while?"

"I'm on kind of a break, so I'll hang around until they need me downstairs."

"I'll be around if you need me," the nurse said and left the room.

Austin went around the bed and bent so he could closely observe the stitches in her face. He was always amazed at the number of stitches that Dr. Bernstein used on facial cuts. He always said he used five times the number that a regular doctor would use, and Austin could see that was true. He heard a noise.

"May I come in?"

Austin straightened. "Lynn Covington. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

He moved around the bed, and they hugged.

"So, you and Molly are still best friends?"

"Yes, and how is she doing?"

"She's still very groggy from the anesthetic, and she's getting pain medicine as well. But she'll be fine in time. She said she was talking to you on the phone."

"Oh my gosh, yes. We were talking, there was a loud noise, and then she didn't answer. I thought maybe her phone had run out of battery."

"She wasn't wearing a seat belt."

Lynn looked puzzled. "She always wears her seat belt. We go places together all the time, and she's very adamant about seat belts. She'll yell at me if I'm a little slow getting mine fastened."

"That seems strange then. How did she seem when you were talking to her? The driver of the truck she hit said she just came left of center and ran straight into him. The snow and ice didn't help, I'm sure."

"She was mad and upset. She went to see her attorney about her divorce settlement, and she was certain her ex had screwed her over, somehow hiding how much money he had. The agreement was to split things fifty-fifty, and she received far less than she thought she would."

"So, that might explain her not using the seat belt."

"She was mad as hell, and I told her to be careful, but I guess it didn't work. And, she called using FaceTime, and I told her not to look at the phone, and she didn't until right before she disappeared."

"Distracted driving."

"I feel so bad about it. Almost like it was my fault because of the FaceTime."

"Sounds like you did all you could. So, she's recently divorced?"

"Yeah, and she hates her ex, who she's found out was constantly lying to her."

"That's too bad. Just curious. Would I know her ex?"

"It's Stephen Holmes if you remember him from school."

Austin frowned and glanced over at Molly, who was still motionless.

"I hate to say it, but all of this doesn't sound too surprising. Not many of us trusted Stephen."

"He worked some kind of magic on her, I think, and she was crazy about him. Didn't you and Molly date for a while?"

"We did, and I really liked Molly, but she suddenly didn't seem interested any longer, and it ended."

"Too bad. I think you'd have been a much better choice."

Austin laughed but blushed slightly, too."

"I don't know. It takes a special woman to put up with what a doctor has to go through to become a doctor. I could barely stand it myself."

Lynn's turn to laugh. I think I just saw her move," she added.

Sure enough, Molly moved again as he moved around the bed. Austin rang for the nurse.

"Yes, Dr. Wolfe. Do you need something?" the nurse asked as she came through the door.

"Should these cuts have bandages?"

"They have the jelly on them, and Dr. Bernstein said to hold off on the bandages until she began to move." She moved closer to Molly. "And she's moving. Let me get what I need." She hurried away and was back in less than a minute.

The nurse carefully bandaged each of the three stitched cuts. "There," she said. "Call if you need anything else."

"Thanks," Austin called after her.

He turned back to Molly. "Let's see how awake she is. I'm sure you'd like to talk with her."

He bent over the gently moving figure in the bed, taking her hand in his.

"Molly, it's Austin again. And Lynn is here, too. Can you talk a little?"

Molly's eyes twitched a couple of times and then opened slightly.

Hello Molly," Lynn said. "I came up here to see you."

"Yeah," Molly answered hesitantly. "I was talking to you on the phone, and something happened." Her voice was still thin and weak from the anesthetic.

Lynn glanced at Austin, who nodded. "You had an accident."

Molly's eyes moved slowly to Austin. "You told me that, too, didn't you?"

"I did. From what I understand, you hit a fairly large truck."

"No wonder I hurt." Her brow furrowed. "Is that driver okay?"

"He'll be fine. His injuries weren't as bad as yours."

"Good," she said. "What are my injuries?"

Austin smiled, surprised at Molly's question. "Well, you have three cuts on your face, you have a badly sprained knee, and something--we don't know what--poked a hole in your side that I had to repair."

Molly was quickly becoming more alert.

"Does anything hurt?" We're dripping a painkiller through your IV."

"No, nothing really hurts, I guess."

"If it does, push this button, and the nurse will take care of it. I'd better get back to work, but you and Lynn can talk." As he was ready to leave, he realized he had been holding Molly's hand the whole time. He smiled, gave her hand a squeeze, and left.

"You should have hung onto that one," Lynn said with a chuckle.

"I should have run from all men," Molly answered. "I wouldn't be in this bed if I had. And I'll probably have scars all over my face to remind me of that."

"I doubt that, Molly. But you need to ask Austin to be sure."

"I'm not sure I want to talk to Austin."

"Molly! Why not?"

"He examined me and took care of me. He probably saw every private part of me. And we dated in high school. I'm not sure I can look him in the eye."

"He's your doctor, Molly. He had to examine you."

Molly grunted. "Can you use that keypad to call the nurse? Things are starting to hurt."

Lynn pressed the nurse call button.

"Hi, Molly. Are you ready for some pain medication?"

"I think so. My knee and my side hurt. And what's your name?"

"It's on the board there. I'm Kate."

"Can you crank the bed so that I'm not laying flat?"

"I can raise it a little, but not so you're sitting up straight." Kate didn't crank but used the electric control to raise the bed enough that Molly could look at Lynn.

"I can't get to the bathroom for a while, but do you have a mirror so I can see my face?"

"I think there's one at the station." Kate was back in thirty seconds and handed the mirror to Molly."

"Big bandages," Molly said.

"They'll be gone in a few days. Dr. Bernstein is the plastic surgeon we use for wounds where we don't want to leave a scar. He's excellent, and you'll need a magnifying glass to find the wounds after they heal. Men will be after you again."

Kate looked from Lynn to Molly, a chagrined look filling her face.

"Oops. I apologize for saying the wrong thing."

"She just went through an ugly divorce and was on the way home from her attorney's office, mad as hell at the settlement."

"I heard my seat belt wasn't fastened, and the snow and ice didn't help, I'm sure. I'm probably lucky to be alive.". Molly closed her eyes. "And I can blame it all on Stephen."

Kate's head turned toward Molly. "May I ask what Stephen's last name might be?"

"Holmes," Molly replied, puzzled.

"I need to apologize to you, I think. I had two dates with a Stephen Holmes a little over a year ago."

"Do you have a picture?"

"I think so," Kate said, pulling her cell phone from her uniform pocket. In a few seconds, she handed it to Molly.

"I assume the bastard lied to you, tool."

"He told me he'd never been married, and I was just the kind of lady he could tie the knot with."

"What happened?"

"On the second date, I could see the crease where his wedding ring belonged. I told him," she paused and giggled, "to go piss up a rope."

"Good for you, Kate," Lynn said.

"I hear someone ringing for me. I better run."

"I wonder how many Kates there were?" Molly said. "How many?"

~~~

When Austin was through for the day, he decided that Molly was probably asleep, and he'd check in on her during his rounds in the morning. He remembered the good relationship they'd had before she decided to break things off. She was a very pleasant memory from his past, even if it had been fourteen or fifteen years ago. He did feel sorry for her that she'd been through an ugly divorce that may have indirectly caused her accident. But his job was to ensure that she'd heal properly and be as good as new when she did.

He was at the hospital earlier than usual as he wanted some extra time to talk with Molly. He had one other patient he needed to check on, and he did that quickly -- they were to be discharged that morning, and he signed the necessary papers at the nurse's station.

He asked Kate how things had gone for Molly during the night. She checked and said there was nothing to report. He moved down the hall and peeked into the room, not wanting to wake her if she were asleep but hoping that she wasn't.

"Good morning," he said cheerfully.

"I'm hungry. When do I get something to eat?"

"I saw the cart down the hall, so they should be here soon with your breakfast. Being hungry tells me you're feeling better."

"Like everyone, I want to get out of her and go home."

"It won't be too long. You'll need a little help at home probably. That knee is going to be sore for a while." He moved closer and lifted the cover by her leg. "Have you seen this brace?"

"Not very well."

"Austin used the control to raise the head of the bed. He pushed the covers away from her leg."

"I look like a football player."

"That knee needs protection, just like theirs do."

"How long do I wear that?"

"I'd suggest that when you get out of here, you have Lynn or someone else take you to your family doctor and have him check. He may want to send you to an orthopedic doctor just to be safe."

"Yeah, I guess I can do that."

"I need to check that wound in your side. I'll turn my back and you arrange things so you're covered, okay?"

"Why should I do that? You probably saw everything there is to see yesterday when you examined me."

Austin looked taken aback. "I'm a doctor, and I examined you, but I don't recall seeing everything there is to see. Honestly, if I did see anything, I don't recall it."

The look on Molly's face said she didn't believe him, but she didn't say anymore. They looked at each other wordlessly, and then Austin turned his back.

"Okay, I guess," she said after thirty seconds.

Austin turned around, and the dressed wound was ready for his inspection, and Molly had done a thorough job of covering the rest of her. He smiled, thinking of what she'd said before. He was her doctor but had been a suitor in the past, and the conflict that produced may have bothered her.

"Tell me if it hurts when I loosen the tape. It shouldn't."

"Ouch," she said, and he immediately stopped. "Keep going. I think I'm just tender there."

In a few seconds, the dressing was gone.

"Wow, I did a good job," Austin said with a laugh. "Want to see?" He took Molly's hand and helped her sit uptight.

"What did that?" she asked, curling her lip.

"No idea, but it was clean. I didn't find anything extra when I cleaned it out, so that's good. You'll still be on an antibiotic for a few days just to be safe."

"Are those like the stitches in my face?"

"Not at all. I did those. The ones in your face are totally different. Where I'd use four stitches, Dr. Bernstein uses twenty. When those heal, you'll be your beautiful self again."

"I don't want to be my beautiful self again."

That wasn't the answer Austin was expecting, and he looked surprised.

"Molly?"

"I don't ever want a man to look at me and even think about asking me for a date."

"That's kind of harsh, Molly.

"Maybe it is, but it's the way I feel."

Austin laughed. "What if I ask you for a date for old times' sake?"

"Don't toy with me, Austin; I'm not in the mood."

"I apologize. I was just trying to lighten things a little."

Molly pulled her hand away from his and fell back against the pillow. "Ouch," she said.

"I'll leave this open for a few minutes," Austin said, hoping to change the subject.

"How about my face? I'd like to see it if I could."

"That's up to Dr. Bernstein." He thought for a moment. "Let me give him a call."

"Hello, Ben. How are you today? That's great. Listen, you know the lady's face you stitched yesterday? I'm with her now, and she's curious about the cuts. Can I remove the dressings, let her look, and then replace them? Perfect, I just wanted your permission. See you later."

He turned to Molly. Are you sure you want to see them?"

"Yeah. Gory stuff never bothered me. I'd have been a good military medic."

Austin chuckled. He raised the head of the bed a little more so that Molly was nearly upright just as Nurse Kate walked in.

"Good morning, Dr. Wolfe. Do you need any help?"

"I talked with Dr. Bernstein, and I'm going to remove these dressings. Plus, you can see that I've already done her side. I'll need new dressings for all of that if you could take care of rounding it up."

"I can do that," Kate said and disappeared out the door.

Austin moved closer and began carefully working on the first bandage.

"Let me know if this hurts or feels like something is tearing."

"Tearing?" Molly said fearfully.

Austin smiled, looking into Molly's now wide-open dark eyes and enjoying it.

"Not really tearing, but the dressing is supposed to be non-stick, but nothing is perfect. If you had a lot of seepage, it could stick."

"I may skip looking."

Austin winked at her. "Doesn't matter. We have to take a look, and even doctors don't have X-ray vision.

Molly took a deep breath but didn't say anything, and Austin went back to work. In moments, he lifted off the first dressing.

"That wasn't bad," Molly admitted as Kate came into the room, her hands full of supplies and that same mirror.

"Oh, you got it off. Let me see." Kate stepped closer. "Did he hurt you?" Kate asked with a smile. She held the mirror so Molly could see the cut.

"No, he was very gentle, and that looks better than I thought it might.

"But there are two more," Austin cautioned.

But the additional two came off just as easily.

Austin glanced at the wall clock. "I need to be going, but I'll check with you later, Molly. Can you handle the dressings, Kate?"

"There may be delays if I get calls, but I'll get them, Dr. Wolfe."

The doctor left, and Kate began applying the dressings. "You're lucky," she said. "In my mind, Dr. Wolfe is the best. And he said you two went to high school together,"

"We did. And he's been very kind to me as a doctor."

Kate glanced at Molly, interested in her choice of words.

"He treats all of his patients like they're family and often goes above and beyond and does things he wouldn't have to do."

"I knew him all those years ago, and he was kind and pleasant. When we dated, I think I was the one looking for wild excitement."

"And you found it with Stephen."

"My day was going fairly well until you mentioned him."

"Not nearly as much as you, but that's a name that can ruin my day as well."

"I almost forgot."

"There, finished," Kate said. "Not too bad a job."

"How much longer will I have to stay here? Do you have any idea?"

"That'll be up to Dr. Wolfe. Don't quote me, but no more than two days, and maybe even tomorrow, depending on how that wound in your side is looking."

"I guess that's not too bad. It could have been a lot worse."

"It sure could have, and you're actually lucky, at least to my way of thinking."

"How's that?"

"Dr. Wolfe usually looks in on his ER patients once, and then they're turned over to one of the residents. But, in your case, he's noted that he's your doctor while you're here."

"He's nice, and if I hadn't sworn never to have anything to do with a man, yeah."

"Oops, someone is calling me. I'll see you sometime later, Molly."

Kate had left her the control for the bed, so Molly turned on the TV, settled on watching HGTV, adjusted the bed, and was bored. She dropped off to sleep, and when she opened her eyes, Austin was standing beside the bed.

"I hope I didn't scare you," he said.

"I guess I was sleepy."

"I thought I'd check with you before I headed home. How's the pain today?"

"Nothing hurts, so I guess I must be okay and ready to go home."

Austin chuckled. "Home, huh."

"Kate thought it might be one or two days," Molly suggested hopefully.

"But she told you not to tell anyone, right?"

"Uh-oh, I guess I forgot. She's not in trouble, is she?"

Looking stern, Austin said, "I don't like people doing my job for me."

Molly's expression changed as Kate came through the door. "I may have messed up," she said.

"What?"

"I told Austin that you said I might go home in one or two days."

Austin was vigorously winking at Kate who couldn't keep from smiling.

"You just can't resist teasing people, can you, Dr. Wolfe?"

He looked at Molly. "She's right. I can't resist, and I hope I didn't upset you."

Molly exhaled. "I'm just glad Kate isn't in trouble."

"Do you think you can handle crutches?"

"I played field hockey and softball in high school, so I'm a little coordinated."

"Probably tomorrow, then."

"No kidding? That's great. I'll sleep well tonight, knowing that. And Lynn will be here later."

It was about twenty minutes later that Lynn arrived.

"First things first," she said. "Do you have your cell phone?"

Molly laughed. "When the police were here to talk to me, they said they had my purse and other things from the car along with the cell phone. But it was smashed and wasn't working. I need to get a new one."

"Well, give me the number there on your room phone so I can call you."

She read the number to Lynn, who copied it onto her phone.

"You won't need it much longer; I'm going home tomorrow."

"That's great. If you can get along during the day, I can help other times. In fact, if you'd like, I can stay with you until you can get along by yourself."

"Thanks, Lynn. We can talk about that after we see how I'm able to get around. Austin said I'd have crutches, so I may do okay on my own."

Lynn was there for another hour, and after she left, Molly slept well but dreamt of falling with her crutches.

The next morning, Austin was there to check all of the dressings, deciding that the cuts on Molly's face and the wound in her side were already healing nicely.

"Everything looks good. You must be a healthy lady."

"I try to be."

"I'll get your release papers taken care of, and you'll be leaving this afternoon. You do have a way home, I assume."

"Lynn said she'd pick me up, and she may stay with me a few days, depending on how I do with the crutches."

"Good, we can provide you with the crutches and a wheelchair for a little fee. Plus, I'll have one of our physical therapists come by sometime and get you started on the crutches."

"Wow, thanks."

"Lynn should be able to help you with the dressings for a few days. You probably only need another day on the facial ones, but maybe a week on the other, just to be safe."

"Thanks for all your help, Austin. I know I'm getting special treatment, and I appreciate it, even if I do hate men," she added with a giggle.

"To each his own," he said, patting her shoulder before leaving the room. "See you this afternoon," he called over his shoulder.

The day was boring for Molly until the physical therapist arrived with the crutches. Molly decided she shouldn't have been surprised by how stiff she was, and the therapist had her do several stretching exercises before she started with the crutches. It was a little awkward at first, but Molly picked up some of the nuances reasonably quickly, and she could move around the room easily in a short time.

Next came the hallway and a longer walk. It was tiring, but Molly handled it smoothly. She was ready to go home.

Austin showed up as scheduled.

"I hear your crutch training went well."

"I went up and down the hall with no problem."

"No pain in the knee?"

"A couple of twinges, but no big deal."

"Have you called Lynn?"

"I was waiting for the final okay."

She went to the phone and dialed.

"Hi, Lynn. I'm ready to go. What? Are you sure? Three hours? No, no, I'll figure out something."

Molly had a very discouraged look on her face.

"Well?"

"Her car won't start. I'm stuck."

"Call her back and tell her not to worry. I'm ready to leave, so I'll take you home."

"Austin, come on. You can't do that."

"I can't? Why not?"

"Well, you're a doctor. I don't know. You just can't."

"Make the call. You want to get home, and I'm your Uber." He stepped into the hall. "Kate, I've reserved a wheelchair for Molly. If you can get it up here, we'll use it."

Molly sighed and made the call. When she hung up, something occurred to her.

"I don't have any clothes unless you saved the ones I had on."

"I suspect the ones you had on are in a bag in the closet, but I don't think you want to wear them. We'll get you a robe ... and a blanket. It's still cold."

Grumbling, Molly put on the robe, plopped into the wheelchair, and held onto her bag of hospital loot.

"It's not many patients that have Dr. Wolfe wheel them to the exit door," Kate said with a chuckle.

"Here's one that would just as soon it wasn't happening to her. I can just call an Uber," she pleaded.

"Right. Grab that cell phone out of the bag the police brought you and call for an Uber."

Molly grimaced. "Yeah, I forgot."

"Now that that is off the table, let's go," Austin said, laughing. "I'm the doctor in charge, and these are my orders."

He wheeled her to the elevator, then to the pick-up door of the hospital.

"I'll get my car," he said, leaving her inside.

He was back in a few minutes and wheeled her outside to the car.

"It might be easier," he said, "to put you in the back seat."

"No!. You're not going to be my chauffeur. I'll ride in the front seat."

Austin eyed her and knew that she was serious. He closed the rear door and opened the passenger door. He put the seat back as far as it would go and helped her inside. Once there, he covered her with the blanket.

"I'll let you take care of fastening your seat belt, but I'm going to watch to make sure it gets done."

"Austin, I always use my seatbelt. It was just that day, and I was angry and not thinking straight, and I forgot."

"And that's why I'm taking you home this evening."

Molly closed her eyes and shook her head but carefully if awkwardly, fastened her seatbelt.

"Here we go," Austin said, "and before we go too far, I want to propose something practical but impractical."

"What are you talking about?" Molly pulled the blanket around her head so Austin couldn't see her.

"Simple. You couldn't call an Uber, and Lynn can't call you. I'm going to stop so we can get you a new cell phone."

She pulled the blanket away from her face. "You can't do that. I've only got a hospital gown, a robe, and a blanket."

"And a wheelchair with a willing helper."

"Austin, I won't do it."

"Okay, you can wait till tomorrow and have Lynn load you into the chair and take you to get a phone. Of course, you'll have to hope she comes to your place since you can't call her. Or, you could leave her an email from your home computer."

Molly snorted. "I hate it when you're right. I hate it when any man is right."

"I'll explain it all to the person at the store, and I'm sure they'll be sympathetic."

"Okay, but nothing has changed."

She shared her cell phone provider, and it matched Austin's. He parked and unloaded the wheelchair, glad he'd driven the Mercedes rather than the Aston Martin, the snow making the decision easier. Molly was able to help, and Austin put the blanket around her. They headed inside.

"Look," he said, "there's no one else here."

"Thank the Lord for small favors," she replied sarcastically.

Austin explained the situation to the clerk as Molly handed her the smashed phone.

"Wow," she said, "but you look better than the phone."

"Thanks."

The clerk chuckled. "Are you on the way home from the hospital?"

Molly gave Austin a look. "Yes, and I can hardly wait."

"Those cell phones are really important, and it's good that your husband brought you to get a new one."

Molly looked like she might explode but settled quickly. "He's just a friend," she said very decisively.

"Sorry."

Some questions, and the clerk finally handed Molly her new phone.

"There you are, back in business."

"Thanks so much."

They were soon back in the car and finally at Molly's apartment. More scrambling, including bumping up five steps to the front porch. Once inside, Austin looked around.

"Is your bedroom upstairs?"

"Both of them are upstairs, but I can get up and down."

"Are you a restless sleeper?"

"Why?"

"I'd like to give you some relief from the knee brace."

"Molly grinned. That's up to me, you know." She enjoyed being able to control Austin, at least in a small way.

He laughed. "If things were torn, it would be different. Just be careful and use common sense.

"What should I do with the robe and blanket?"

"Well, in the morning, take the dressings off your face and leave them off all day. I'm sure Kate put some of the jelly in your bag, so use it several times. I'll stop by in the evening to check on you, and I'll pick them up then."

"You won't stop by tomorrow," Molly said defiantly.

"I let you go home a day early because you were doing well, and I felt I could trust you. Me stopping by is part of that trust."

Molly growled.

"A couple more days and Dr. Bernstein will remove the stitches."

"Yes, sir," she said, and almost painfully, "Thank you so much for all you've done."

"No problem, Molly. You've been a patient but also an old friend. It's been fun being with you again. Now I'll get out of your hair. Take care, Molly." Austin was out the door.

Molly tossed the blanket aside and sat down in the lounger. She was home, and nothing hurt. She was far from healed, but this was better than the hospital. She dug out her phone and called Lynn.

"Hey, you have a new phone already. How'd you do that?"

"Well, Austin brought me home and insisted on stopping for the new phone."

"Wait. Austin took you home."

"Yeah, your car wouldn't start, so ... "

"I don't know, Molly. He seems to be hanging around you a lot. Are you encouraging him?"

"Anything but. I'm just not used to a man being kind and considerate."

"Well, you'd better take advantage of it, Molly."

"No way, Jose. I'm not into any man now. Stephen ruined me. By the way, how's your car doing?"

"They're picking it up in the morning."

"If you can get here, you're welcome to use mine."

"You don't have a car, Molly."

"Shit. I forgot. Maybe I had a head injury, too. It'll be a while before I can drive. I'll have to buy a car."

"Didn't you check the distance between our houses a while ago?"

"I think it's about four miles."

"Maybe I'll get some exercise. The snow has nearly melted. See you in the morning."

Getting up the stairs had been awkward, but Molly had managed, the crutches left on the first floor. She'd slept well in her own bed and awakened at about eight-thirty. She wasn't sure what time Lynn would be heading her way, so she decided to get up. The hospital gown made the knee brace easy to deal with, but now she had to decide what to wear.

Keeping it simple, she put on baggy sweatpants and sweatshirt. She went to the bathroom and checked her face in the mirror. Carefully, she peeled off the dressings. She decided the cuts didn't look too bad, although she didn't think she'd want to go out in public with them showing. She made going down the stairs simple by sitting and bumping down on her butt. She laughed with each bump, glad that no one could see her.

Molly found her crutches and made her way to the kitchen. She had eggs and bacon on hand but decided on toast and jelly as the simpler solution. She did splurge and prepare three slices of toast and added a glass of orange juice, the high pulp variety which perplexed many of her friends who insisted on nothing but pulpless.

She finished eating and cleaned up the kitchen when there was a knock on her door.

"I'm not sure this was the smartest decision I ever made," Lynn said. "I'm exhausted, and I still have a full day ahead of me."

"You could have gotten an Uber."

"I'd have had to download the app, I think. This was simpler."

"Chicken."

They sat and talked, Lynn questioning Molly extensively about Austin until Molly told her to stop since there was nothing to talk about. The garage finally called, and her car was ready. They sent a car to pick her up, and Molly had some time to herself. She called her work to check in and was told to take her time and to be certain she was totally healed before returning.

In the early evening, there was the expected knock on the door. Molly opened the door, shaking her head.

Austin laughed. "You're very consistent, aren't you?"

"I try to be. Come on in."

"How's the first day on your own been?"

"Lynn came this morning, which was nice."

"Her car must have been repaired then."

"She walked over about four miles, and they called and picked her up here."

"At least you'll have a ride to Dr. Bernstein's to get the stitches removed. Let me take a look." He moved closer to Molly and visually examined her cuts. "Wow, Molly. They look good. How's the knee?"

"It's fine. I went upstairs last night and enjoyed sleeping in my own bed. And then I came down for breakfast this morning."

"Did the crutches help?"

"I didn't use them," she answered with a smile.

"How did you get down the stairs?" He smiled.

She returned his smile. "I bounced down on my butt."

"Good decision. Did you enjoy getting a good home-cooked breakfast and lunch?"

"I had toast and jelly for breakfast. I guess I forgot about lunch."

Austin sighed. "Would you like to go out and get a good meal?"

"Austin! I'm not interested in a date or a man," she said almost defiantly.

Austin just smiled. "I didn't say anything about a date or a man. I just asked if you'd like to go out and get a good meal. Or, if you have the ingredients on hand, I can fix a good meal for you. I modestly admit that I'm an excellent cook.

His response seemed to stop Molly in her tracks. "Austin, I'm, well, I don't know. I guess I'm still hypersensitive about what happened with Stephen." She looked him straight in the eye. A little deflated, she said, "Yes, I'd love to go out and get a good meal -- except for these cuts."

"Do you have any of that paper tape in your first first aid kit?"

"I think so."

"Upstairs?"

"In the bathroom."

Austin was up the stairs quickly and she heard noises from the bathroom, hoping that there was nothing too personal or intimate that he might stumble across as he hunted for the tape. But he was soon back downstairs with the tape and a pair of scissors.

"I assumed that you didn't want ragged ends of the tape where I'd torn it, so I'll cut it neatly."

He stood close to her, cut the tape, and carefully pressed it into place.

"Go look in the mirror and see if you're satisfied," he said.

The tape was nearly the color of her skin, and it hid the stitches perfectly.

"It looks fine, Austin. I'm ready to go get a good meal.

Molly used her crutches to go outside, and she was able to get into Austin's car without assistance.

"Steaks, Italian, Chinese, sushi? What is your preference?"

"Ugh. Stephen loved Italian, so that's all we ever had when we went out. It was good, but I always wanted to do something else. I never won one of those disagreements."

"So, what would you like tonight?"

"If it's okay, I know a little restaurant that has steaks that aren't the best in the world, but they're good, and it's small, and there won't be a lot of people there."

"Well, that sounds ideal for tonight, so direct me."

"I haven't been there in several years, so I hope they're still there."

"If not, we'll find someplace similar if that's what you like."

A short drive and more chatter when Molly suddenly said, "There it is, and it's still open."

Austin parked, helped Molly onto her crutches, and they went inside.

"Take any seat," the server called to them.

Molly picked a booth near one of the windows.

"Wow, I haven't been in here for quite a while, but it looks almost exactly as it did before." She had a broad smile on her face. "Stephen would never come in here."

"I notice you always pronounce his name as stehf-an, but we always called him stev-an when I knew him in high school, although I probably spoke to him only a couple of times."

"He started that after we began dating. He said it made him sound more sophisticated." She snorted. "There was nothing sophisticated about Stephen." She gazed out the window for a few seconds. "It's funny, isn't it? You were kind of at one end of the guys, and Stephen was on the other. I was in the middle." A little giggle. "How illogical is that?"

The server came to take their orders.

"What'll you two be having?"

Austin looked at Molly and smiled. "She'll order for both of us."

"Austin."

"You know what's good, and that's what I want to try."

Molly slowly lowered one eyelid, pursing her lips.

"Do you still have the country-fried steak, the special mashed potatoes, and the fried cabbage?"

"We still have all of that. So, two of them?" she asked, looking from Molly to Austin.

He nodded.

"I guess so," Molly added.

"I'll bring some ice water, too."

"What is country-fried steak?" Austin asked, smiling at Molly.

"You've never had it?" Molly asked, totally amazed as Austin shook his head. "Well, it's usually cube steak, breaded and then fried. I'm sure there are other things, but I never made it myself. I just love eating it."

"I'm anxious to try it."

"I bet you thought I'd want to go to a fancy steakhouse and get a big thick T-bone or something like that."

"That's pretty much what I thought."

"I'm comfortable here, you know." As she finished saying that, it struck her how true it was. Comfortable was a good way to describe how she felt, sitting here in the familiar restaurant and ordering familiar food from a life that seemed far gone. And, Austin. If she was interested in a man, he was about as good as she could expect, but when she thought about it, she couldn't imagine Austin being interested in her in that way. Each time she had sort of brought it up, Austin had indicated that he was just being kind and considerate. And that certainly fit him.

Austin smiled. "I can understand that. This seems like a place where neighbors and friends come to eat, and they talk across tables."

"That's kind of what I remember, too." She sighed and looked at Austin. "Thanks for agreeing on this. It helps make up for the ordeal of the hospital."

"You just looked and sounded like you could use something almost normal, plus you forgot to eat lunch."

"Crutches and stitches aren't quite normal for me, but hopefully, they'll be gone soon. I received a call from Dr. Bernstein who wants to remove the stitches tomorrow." She glanced at Austin. "No," she said, laughing. "Lynn is taking me."

"Darn," Austin said, snapping his fingers. He laughed.

Their food arrived, and Austin began sampling, Molly watching him carefully. She was anxious that he would enjoy her selections.

Austin sensed her anxiety and, as he had done before, teased her a little. He took a bite of the country-fried steak but kept his face expressionless. Next were the potatoes, followed by the fried cabbage. When he'd finished chewing, he looked at Molly.

"Gotcha," he said, laughing. "I can hardly believe how good each of them is."

"You're cruel. You knew that I wanted you to like them."

"That's twice I've teased you, and it was innocent and not too bad, right?"

"Yes, that's right, but you're still cruel."

"I'll try to do better, and I'll start here. Looking at you, I'll tell you that after your stitches are removed, there may be tiny red lines, but they'll disappear. Dr. Bernstein may tell you the same thing."

"I'd rather hear it from you."

"You just did."

"All this talk, our food is getting cold. Let's eat."

They ate in silence, enjoying the familiar for one and new for the other flavors.

"Dessert?" Austin asked.

Molly thought for a moment. She had a decision to make. Taking a deep breath, she decided.

"The day before the accident, I bought a pecan pie and ate one piece. It may be stale, but if you'd like to, maybe you could help me finish it up."

"You did say pecan pie, right?"

Molly smiled and nodded.

"I've never said no to pecan pie, and I don't plan to change that tonight."

"Okay, as long as I pay for my dinner."

"Sure, no problem."

They paid, tipped, and returned to the car. They headed toward Molly's.

"How are you doing with the brace?"

"It's annoying."

"Take it off tomorrow, but be careful."

"Thank you, Doctor."

At the apartment, Molly went to the kitchen and quickly cut two pieces of pie. If it was stale, they'd find out together.

"Well?" Molly asked.

"Delicious."

"Thank goodness," she said, taking a big bite.

They finished the pie, and Austin stood to leave.

"May I ask a favor?" Molly said.

"Ask away."

"Can you help with the brace and check my knee."

"Sure, but not with those sweatpants on."

Molly wasn't about to just take them off where she was, so she went to the stairs, climbed to her bedroom, and changed into shorts.

She bumped down the stairs on her butt, Austin laughing at her all the way to the bottom.

As she sat in the chair, he knelt in front of her and loosened the clasps on the brace. When they were all loose, he slid it down her leg and off. He pressed several places around her knee, asking if any caused pain.

"Not much," was her final reply.

"Walk across the room."

She did and returned.

"I think your knee is in good shape already. Just be careful with it."

She assured him that she would, and he left, leaving her very much alone. She'd been alone since Stephen had moved out, but this seemed different. She tried to remember how often she'd seen Austin since the accident, and it was every day. She climbed the stairs to her bedroom, changed into her pajamas, and slipped into bed. She set the sleep timer on the TV and fell asleep.

Lynn was there to pick her up in the morning for the trip to Dr. Bernstein's.

"So, how are you feeling?"

"Good. The brace came off my knee last night, and it's just a touch tender, but I can walk better without it than with it."

"What are your plans for the next few days? Are you going back to work?"

"On Monday, I think, unless the scars look horrendous after the stitches are removed. Austin said they'd be tiny red lines and would slowly disappear completely."

"That sounds good."

"I may try to look for a car before the weekend. I'm not sure what the insurance settlement from the accident will be, but I have a good bit of money from the divorce. Not as much as I hoped for, but I have a nice nest egg anyway."

"I sneaked away from work to take you to the doctor, but I'll have evenings to help look for a car if you'd like."

"Wow, I don't want to disrupt your life, but I do appreciate what you're doing."

"I know you'd do the same for me, so it's no problem."

There was a short wait at Dr. Bernstein's office, and Lynn stayed in the waiting room while Molly went in to see the doctor.

"Well, hello," Dr. Bernstein said. "I've seen you before, but you haven't seen me. It's nice to officially meet you."

"The same, and thank you for taking care of me."

"I did a little, but Dr. Wolfe was the main man. You're fortunate that he was on duty and took care of you."

"You're not the first who's told me that," she said with a chuckle.

"That's not surprising. People like Dr. Wolfe. He's not only an excellent young doctor, but he's an even better person. He cares about every one of his patients."

"I've seen that from the way he's followed up with things."

"Now, let's look at those stitches. Who put the paper tape on?"

"It was Dr. Wolfe." Molly slowed, thinking about what she was saying. "I wanted to go out, and he was kind enough to do the taping."

"It does a good job of hiding the stitches," he said as he gently pulled off the three strips of tape. "Now, let's get you de-stitched."

Molly couldn't see what he was doing, but he seemed to be making sounds of satisfaction, and although it took a while, he finally pronounced the process to be finished.

"We try to get facial stitches out quickly since if we don't, the small holes where the stitch material enters and leaves the skin can become permanent, and you get a railroad track scar. However, the internal stitches and the healing of the wounds are not complete, so you need to be careful of those areas. Don't scrub your face with a washcloth. Gentleness is the watchword for a while."

"I'll try my best to be careful. I don't need any complications."

"I don't anticipate anything, but if you have a concern, you can contact me or Dr. Wolfe. I'm sure he'd like to hear from you."

As she left the office, she pondered the last thing Dr. Bernstein had said. Would Dr. Wolfe really like to hear from her. When they had parted last night, it seemed that his doctoring was complete, and she wouldn't be seeing him again.

"Let me see," Lynn said when Molly returned to the waiting room. "They look pretty good. Have you seen them?"

"There was a mirror in the doctor's office, and I got to look. I guess I can't complain since I don't know what they looked like after the accident. They're supposed to disappear completely over time."

It was a little before noon when Lynn dropped Molly off at her apartment.

"You take it easy," Lynn cautioned. "You don't want to reinjure that that would or reopen those cuts."

Molly laughed. "I'm not doing anything strenuous. I might try to catch up on my cleaning."

And that's what she did. She dusted, then ran the sweeper after a break for a cheese and crackers lunch. One of her front windows had a big smear and she washed that. She tried to watch TV but shut it off in frustration.

Something was wrong. She was feeling different. She could only describe it as melancholy, something she hadn't felt after the breakup with Stephen. She tried to read a magazine but couldn't concentrate. If she'd had a car, she'd have gone to the mall and shopped, probably spending more money than she should.

She stood staring out the front window, nibbling her lower lip. Something was working its way into her brain. A thought? An idea? Something that seemed totally out of the question. But it was there, and she had to face it. She glanced at the clock. Nearly four. She knew that if she didn't, she'd always wonder.

She took a deep breath as she pulled the new phone from her purse. She smiled, remembering that he'd added his number to the new phone. She tapped the number.

"Molly, hello. Is everything all right?"

Evidently, he'd put her number in his phone as well.

"Yes. I mean, no. Austin, I don't know what I mean."

"Did you get the stitches removed?"

"Yes, and it's just as you said, and as Dr. Bernstein repeated. They're fine."

"Okay, that's good news."

There was silence.

"Austin, are you still there?"

"Yes. I'm waiting to hear why you called me."

She knew that he knew, but it was still difficult to say it.

"I'm lonely," she said softly.

"And you don't have a car, and you'd like for me to come by and take you to dinner again and then maybe stay at your place for a while after dinner?"

"Am I pathetic, Austin?" she asked gently.

"Not at all. I was hoping you'd call. If not today, tomorrow, or the next day."

Really?"

"I'm through here and just cleaning up a few papers. I'll be there in a few."

Molly put the phone in her purse, almost unable to believe what she'd just heard. She'd done everything possible to discourage Austin, even when he wasn't doing anything to indicate that he was interested. And yet, he apparently was and is. She had a few minutes before he'd be here, and she could be dressed nicely for him. She hurried toward the stairway, then slowed. She didn't need to have him find her crumpled at the bottom of the steps due to her own stupidity.

She was ready when he politely knocked. She opened the door to the biggest, warmest smile she'd ever seen. He stepped inside, and she was immediately wrapped in those arms that hadn't held her in nearly fourteen years.

"Molly, it feels so good to have you in my arms again." He kissed the top of her head.

"I never dreamed, nor even imagined, that you'd be interested in me."

"Something sparked inside me in the ER when I realized it was you. But you were adamant about not wanting anything to do with men. I decided to hang on and see what might happen."

"You were always kind and considerate but never made any moves."

"It had to be you, Molly, and when you said you were lonely, my body warmed at least ten degrees."

He could tell Molly's smile against his chest.

"Will you take me to dinner?"

"I will, tonight, and many other tonights, I hope."

"I'm looking forward to it."

"You're all dressed up, so I assume you're looking for fine dining tonight."

"I was, but can we go where we went last night?"

"Sure. Will you share your thoughts?"

Molly smiled. "When you kind of insisted on taking me to dinner last night, and I told you I wasn't interested in dating, you didn't outright deny that it was a date. When I was sitting with you in that restaurant, it brought back all kinds of pleasant memories from my past ... and it changed my thinking without my being aware of it. It's a special place."

So, they went to their special restaurant, ate their special meal, and shared their story with the proprietor who'd come out to greet them. They were treated to a free meal but promised they'd be returning often.

Back in Austin's Mercedes, he headed toward his house, Molly quickly noticing he was going a different way.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked, chuckling.

"My house."

"Okay," she said, not sure what he had in mind.

He laughed. "I'm still taking care of you. We're going to my house so that you can drive the Mercedes to your house, and I'll follow you in my Aston Martin."

"Austin, I can't drive this gigantic thing."

"Until you get a new car of your own, you can."

"I already had one wreck. If I have another, I'll ruin your car."

"The snow's melted, so you should be okay. And here we are. Would you like to take a peek at my house?"

"Sure, I'd love to see it."

Austin led her to the front door. "So you'll see the best part first," he said. He opened the door and stepped aside. He smiled as she passed him.

"Austin, this is beautiful."

"I like the high ceiling."

"How long have you had it?"

"I'm buying it from my parents. They moved to North Carolina."

"Is this where you lived when we dated before?" Molly's eyes were a little wide.

Austin laughed. "Far from it. Dad made a couple of excellent business decisions and bought this two years after we graduated. When they decided to move, lt simplified things if I just bought it from them."

"It's beautiful, and I'm anxious to see all of it."

"Well, all of it is not too beautiful. My parents took lots of the furnishings with them, and I need to replace them. Several of the rooms are nearly empty.

"Oh, wow. I'd never have expected that."

"I need someone to help me furnish them. Do you know anyone who might like to do that?"

"Austin, you're teasing me again."

"Maybe, but I'd like an answer to the question."

"I hope that you know that I'd love to do anything that involves you."

"Anything?" he asked, a big smile on his face.

"Anything," she answered emphatically, raising her eyebrows.

He stepped directly in front of her.

"I think it had to have been about thirteen or fourteen years ago that I kissed you twice and not on the same day. I think I'm way overdue to number three."

"Austin, I remember that I enjoyed kissing you back then, but nothing like I'm going to enjoy kissing you today."

It began as a tender kiss of affection but gradually became more animated as their passions grew more intense. Suddenly, Austin pulled away to a very surprised look from Molly.

"Molly McKenny, I'm the lover who could keep doing that for the rest of the night. But I'm also the doctor who carefully and fastidiously stitched a fairly deep and severe wound in your side. There are also wounds on your face that just had the stitches removed. As your doctor, and knowing myself and you, those not nearly healed wounds need to be nurtured with extreme care, something I'm not sure I could remember to do with you if we got started."

"Are you sure, Austin? I mean, I was enjoying kissing you this time more than I could imagine. I wasn't looking forward to stopping."

"Molly, we're both thirty-two years old. We probably have fifty or sixty years of life ahead of us."

"Austin, what are you saying?"

"Let me ask what you're hearing?"

"I'm almost afraid to say it."

"After what you've been through, you shouldn't be afraid of much."

"I'm hearing that you want to spend a long time with me. A long time."

"I guess your ears didn't get damaged in that accident. And we can start by you staying here tonight. That way, you won't have to drive the Mercedes home by yourself. Tomorrow is Friday, and that's my day off this week. I'll follow you home, and we can figure out what to do after that."

"After what you said before ... "

"Exactly. There's a second bedroom that's pretty well furnished. It has a bed and its own bathroom."

"Oh my gosh. Weird thoughts. My mother will never believe this," she said, running to Austin and hugging him.

After checking out the bedrooms, they went downstairs and cuddled together on the big sectional that Austin had in the living room that allowed perfect viewing of the eighty-four-inch television he'd had installed some months ago.

"You said you were going back to work on Monday," Austin began. "I don't even know where you work or what you do."

"Well, I work for Tim Randal and Son. They do commercial design work. I've been doing design art work for TV and other commercials for several small companies. It's kind of fun and uses the little bit of artistic ability that I have."

"I would never have guessed that, but I don't know why not. So, you have design and artistic talents?"

"I guess you could say that."

"As I mentioned before, I have a house that could use some design expertise, of which I have none."

"You mean you'd trust me to decorate your house?"

"Why not? You're going to be living here too, and it will be OUR house and not MY house.

"Austin, you keep saying things that make my heart pound, and I'm not used to that at all."

"Maybe I'm silly," he replied, "but I feel like we've been dating off and on for thirteen or fourteen years, and it's time we get things moving."

"Mostly off again," Molly said with a laugh. But she loved what he was saying, "and what he wasn't saying.

He looked at her very seriously. "Let me ask a question. If you had your druthers and didn't have to worry about making a living, what would you do?"

"Oh my gosh. I guess I've never stopped to think along those lines. It wasn't something that fit my time with Stephen. I'll have to think a little." She paused for a moment. "Why did you ask that, Austin?"

"Why would you imagine I'm asking that?"

She looked at Austin, at his eyes, and at his smile. Could that possibly be why he was asking? That didn't fit with what she had been used to. But this was Austin.

"You'd really let me do that?"

"You deserve that, Molly. And I feel somewhat guilty that I didn't fight to keep you."

"Don't feel guilty. I was determined. Destructively determined, so you would just have been wasting your effort. But trying to decide, l almost don't have a place to start."

"Some people like to volunteer at the hospital, reading to older people, encouraging the younger ones. Some want to work with the homeless or at a food bank. How about animals, the dog shelter?"

"I always had a dog when I was growing up, and I loved every one of them. For a while, we had two dogs. But Stephen hated dogs, so we never had one while we were married."

"Would you like to have a dog now?"

"They don't allow them at my apartment building." Molly's face saddened slightly.

"I just asked if you'd like to have a dog now."

"Well, theoretically, yes, I would. I still love dogs."

"What would you have to do to be able to have one?" Austin was looking very serious.

"I'd have to live somewhere else," she said, the light beginning to dawn. "Austin, are you very subtly asking me to move in here?"

He shrugged and smiled. "I enjoy the fact that you're beginning to read my mind." He smiled as he could tell that Molly's mind was churning, working to deal with the possibility he had intimated.

"I have no reservations," she said rather quickly, but I'm not sure how my mother will react. I think she's afraid I'll be hurt again."

"Well, you know I would love that, but I don't want to push you and have your mother upset."

"I could call her right now and see what she thinks, but she's not aware of what's been going on between us in the last few days." She took a deep breath. "Okay, I'd love to move in here, and the first time Mother wants to come over to see me, I'll tell her where I'm living."

"Are you sure?"

"Austin, I just sense in you that there's no way you'd treat me like Stephen did. And if you still have these feelings for me after fourteen years, that says a lot, too."

"So, would you like to have a dog?"

"Yes, I'd love it."

"I was ready to take you out to shop for a new car, but you might as well just figure on driving the Mercedes."

"That's such a big jump, Austin. I'm not sure my psyche can handle it." She laughed.

"The Aston Martin was a graduation gift from my parents. I told them I was hoping for a Bugatti Chiron. That got a nice laugh."

"I've heard of each of them but don't know a thing about them."

"Well, the Martin is worth somewhere around ninety thousand dollars."

"What, oh my gosh. I'll never drive that."

Austin laughed. "The Bugatti sells somewhere between three and four million. That's why they laughed."

"How can a car cost that much?"

"You just have to pick the right brand and model."

Molly stared at Austin, nibbling her lower lip. Then she smiled, a smile that had him wondering what was on her mind. He was about to find out.

"So I'm too fragile for certain things," she said with a chuckle. "But there are things that we can do that won't bother my fragility."

"Oh? Would you like to tell me about them?" There was a different smile on his face now.

"Austin, I think I'd rather show than tell. And if you think I'm in danger, you can tell me to stop."

"That sounds fair, and Molly, I'm desperately anxious to find out what you're going to show me."

"That sounds kind of nice coming from you, so you're on board with it then?"

A low growl came from Austin's throat. "One hundred percent."

"Take your shirt off."

Austin was surprised at the quickness of her response, but in seconds, the shirt was on the floor, and he was waiting for the next instruction.

Molly walked around behind him and gently raked her fingernails down his back. There were rustling sounds. He watched her blouse and bra land on the floor near his shorts. Her hands circled him and began playing with his nipples. He could feel the softness of her breasts against his back. This was so much better than his original plan for the evening.

"Loosen your belt and drop your pants," she whispered.

He did just that, the pants dropping to his ankles.

"Better bend and get those shoes off."

As he bent, she slid her fingers into the waistband of his boxers, and they joined the pants.

"Molly, are you sure?"

Both hands began massaging his butt cheeks, letting him know she was sure.

Austin's shoes and socks were off and tossed aside along with the pants.

"Austin, I believe you're naked."

"And you're just topless."

"I can fix that." In a few seconds, they were both naked.

Never having done it before, but sensing that Austin would love it, she moved to where she was standing three or four feet from him. But she could torment him a little.

"I'm sure you saw all this when you were checking me and operating on me."

"If I had, things would have moved a lot faster."

"We'd better catch up then. Lay down,"

Austin stretched out on the carpet, and Molly carefully got down with him, and moved between his legs.

"I haven't touched this beautiful thing yet, but I think it's time."

She wrapped her hand around his throbbing erection.

"It's so hot and feels so good in my hand," she crooned softly as she gently massaged the head.

Austin was silent, his eyes closed.

"But I know where it would feel better ... and taste better."

That opened Austin's eyes. He watched as she lowered her head, then saw his erection disappear between her lips. When he raised his eyes Molly's were looking straight into his. Her tongue was busy as she felt it touch the back of her throat. It had been a while, but when it went into her throat, she was happy that at least one thing left over from Stephen was proving useful.

"Oh, shit, Molly," Austin groaned as he watched his entire erection disappear into her mouth. Her eyes never left his, and five seconds later, she withdrew, then quickly swallowed it again. A few more thrusts and withdrawals, and there was one more groan from Austin. "Gonna come."

She released him, and in just a few seconds, hot milky liquid squirted onto her face, then her breasts. She smiled as he opened his eyes again.

"You look beautiful when you're all messy like that."

"I feel beautiful that way, too."

"Don't move."

He jumped up and ran to the half-bath, returning with a wet washcloth and a towel. He carefully cleaned her face, then her breasts, and finally dried her with the towel.

"You're a little different from what I remember in high school."

"You're different too, but still a lot the same."

"I don't remember these gorgeous breasts from back then."

"I didn't show them back then. But you haven't touched them yet."

"I'm afraid that when I start touching you, I won't be able to stop."

"I'm probably not going to tell you to stop, either."

Austin began gently massaging Molly's breasts, finally concentrating on the already firm nipples. They were soon much longer and harder, and Molly was breathing hard.

"I may just have a nipple-gasm if you keep that up."

"I'd love to be a part of that," he said with one last tug, "but I have another idea. Roll onto your back." He watched as she did, then added, "And spread your legs." When she did, he mirrored what she had done with him and found himself gazing at a dark and tempting muff.

Austin's fingers began to explore, and Molly's hips were gently in motion. After a moment one finger went searching for a small but very sensitive nub. He watched her react as that finger caressed it. Molly was moaning with each caress, her hips moving to help Austin.

"You tasted me, and now I'm wondering how you taste."

"Please hurry and find out."

Austin did just that, burying his face in her fragrant muff, his tongue quickly finding that hyper-responsive nub. Her hips were moving in time with her ever more intense moans.

"I may scream," she gasped between moans.

"The windows are closed," he answered, but talking distracted him from his objective, Molly's clit.

Austin's lips were now in action, and in just minutes, loud sounds were escaping Molly's lips as her body spasmed over and over.

Austin lifted his head as Molly opened her eyes.

"A few days ago, I couldn't have imagined this happening. But it has, hasn't it? And you know me pretty well now." She said all of that between her panting.

"I know a part of you, but I want to know all of you. And that will take time. But I have the time."

"Are you sure, Austin?" I mean, a week ago, I was anything but the girlfriend of a, if not famous, at least very accomplished doctor. I'm divorced and -- "

" -- Don't you dare say what I think you were about to say. Right this moment, I'm willing to commit the rest of my life to you, and I hope you can do the same for me."

"A kiss might convince me of that," she said as Austin moved from between her legs to kiss her.

"And you're sleeping with me," he added. "No second bedroom for you. And no clothes either."

"Ohhh," she said. That's different than you sounded just a while ago."

"Not really. I just thought that if we decided on an encore of what just happened, not having clothes of any kind would make it much simpler."

Molly giggled. "I think I'm going to enjoy staying here with you.

~~~

Of course, there was an encore, just one, but afterward, Molly lay cuddled against Austin, who'd fallen asleep rather quickly. It was just difficult to comprehend what had happened and what the results had become. Just ten days ago the thought of being with a man had disgusted her. She had been satisfied with spending the rest of her life as an angry divorcee.

Then there was this guy lying next to her. He seemed wonderfully content to pick up where he'd left off fourteen years ago. She'd found there was something about him that overcame and destroyed all of her reservations. Her brain insisted on wondering if she was making a second huge mistake, but her heart was wiping away all those wonderings.

Molly awoke to find Austin looking at her, his head in his hand, the elbow propped on the bed. She yawned and smiled.

"How long have you been awake?"

"Fifteen or twenty minutes, I guess."

"Why didn't you wake me?"

"I just enjoyed watching you now after seeing a bloody face and nasty abdominal wound and working quickly and carefully to repair it. When I found out who it was, it just seemed like Kismet, like it was meant to be. And you know what?"

"What?"

"It was ... and is. Plus, it doesn't hurt that you're naked and adorable."

"I'm not sure how to react, Austin. I'm not used to being talked to like this."

"You'd better get used to it."

Molly smiled, lifted her head, and kissed him. "Okay," she answered and climbed out of bed, wiggling her butt as she walked across the bedroom. "I guess my clothes are still downstairs."

"Yeah, and we need to take your Mercedes to your apartment to pick up some of your things."

Molly hurried downstairs and gathered her clothing, then came back upstairs. She began dressing as Austin was picking his clothing for the day.

I'll write a prescription for birth control today, but let's not forget to stop and pick up some, you know what. Four days will pass quickly."

His saying those things made her tingle. Four days. Four days of ecstatic torture.

"We can contact a rescue service and hopefully find a dog for you."

"Austin, really? I thought that was just a theoretical maybe."

"Theoretical, maybe. I don't believe I've ever heard that phrase before. I may use it in a medical paper."

"Austin, you're making fun of me."

"Not at all. It's a very descriptive phrase."

"Let's go get breakfast."

Their first day together was stuffed with activity. Austin had scheduled an appointment for the afternoon with a dog rescue group. He wrote the prescription, and they stopped at a pharmacy. She went to the pharmacy counter while Austin perused the condom shelves. From there, they went to her place and packed several suitcases, heading back to Austin's so she could officially move in.

They returned to the pharmacy to pick up the prescription, then headed to the shelter where the rescued dogs were staying. It was a small building behind a home, and the owner had volunteered it as a shelter where she could look after a few dogs. Others were being fostered in individual homes.

"You must be the people who called this morning. Our director called and said you'd be stopping by here to look. I have six dogs, and they're all large dogs, so if you want a little one, you're at the wrong place." She laughed. "I'm Agnes."

"I'm Molly and it's nice to meet you, Agnes, but I'm not sure which I'd like. I just think that one will strike me when I see him or her, and I'll know."

"Well, let's walk around to the back and take a look. If these don't strike you, we have plenty more. You can check our photos and then go visit any that look interesting."

"Sounds simple."

As they walked around to the back of the house, Austin caught up with them.

"This is Austin, Agnes, and he's going to help me pick one."

"Hello, Agnes, and she's going to be doing the picking."

"Are you not a dog person, Austin?"

"I am a dog person, but I'm even more of a Molly person, so she'll be picking."

Agnes laughed as they arrived at the door to the small building. "Sounds like the pressure is on you, Molly."

Agnes opened the door, and they stepped into a small entrance room with windows to view the main room where the dogs were roaming.

"There's the German Shepherd and the Weimaraner if you like sophisticated dogs. The Golden is there, and the Boxer. There's a Black Lab somewhere. Oh, here she comes. "

Molly was looking around, checking all of the dogs. She spotted the Lab when Agnes pointed her out. She squinted.

"Does she only have three legs?"

"Her name is Maggie, she's three years old, she was given to us by a couple who were going overseas and couldn't take her with them, and yes, she has three legs, but it's hard to tell, isn't it?"

Austin's interest piqued when he saw she had only three legs. "That's amazing. She doesn't seem to know she's missing a leg."

"That leg was badly deformed when she was born, and it was amputated. She's never known four legs."

Molly hadn't taken her eyes off Maggie. "Can I meet her?"

"Sure. You two stay here, and I'll bring her in."

Austin and Molly stepped away from the door and watched Agnes coax the big dog to walk with her. She opened the door, and Maggie peeked inside.

"Hi, Maggie," Molly said, extending her hand.

The big dog walked to Molly and sniffed her hand, and Molly carefully sat down while Austin stood by, smiling and watching.

Molly scratched Maggie's jowls and received a lick on the end of her nose. She looked up at Austin.

"Agnes, you might as well get the paperwork ready and let me know how much I owe you," he said.

"Looks to me like Maggie is happy with you guys, too." She disappeared out the door, and Austin joined Molly on the floor.

Magie lay down between them, her black coat shiny and bright.

"We're kinda sisters," Molly said, "and we have the good doctor to take care of us." She scratched the top of a very contented Molly's head.

Twenty minutes later, all three were in the Mercedes heading for the pet store. Supplies and a license were purchased, and they headed home to rest and play with Maggie.

Time moved along with Austin returning to the ER and Molly going back to work as well to inform the company that she would be resigning. She told them she'd continue to work until they'd trained and were satisfied with her replacement. There had been several questions about the Mercedes she was driving, and she'd had to share that she had a new boyfriend who'd provided her with a car since hers had been totaled. Of course, she'd shared with Lynn that she had moved in with Austin. Rather than teasing her about it, Lynn thought it was wonderful and something that Molly deserved.

The four days that Austin had spoken of were a part of everything going on, but Molly was nearly counting the minutes. She checked her face and abdomen regularly, noting, at least to her untrained eye, that they looked nearly healed. Austin had seen only part of what she was like when her sexual motor was running at full throttle. It hadn't happened for a while, but she was ready. It hadn't taken Austin long to change Molly from never wanting sex again to being hardly able to wait.

It was another Thursday evening, and Austin's working all night Monday through Wednesday had severely limited their sexual activity, although she was suspicious he was just saving everything for that special time. She wasn't sure what to do to get ready if anything. Actually, Austin hadn't mentioned anything about it, and she hoped he remembered.

She'd just gotten home from work when her phone rang. Austin.

"Hey, babe, what's going on?" She thought that calling him babe, something she hadn't done before, might give him a hint about what was in store for him later.

"Well, I was thinking that we haven't gone out to dinner in a while, and maybe as a tiny bit of compensation for putting up with my weird hours, we might splurge and have a nice dinner somewhere."

"Oh, that sounds nice. Shall I dress up a little?"

"Sounds good. It'll be over an hour before I get there, so you have plenty of time." He laughed.

She decided he probably knew what the evening had in store for them. She hopped into the Mercedes and headed for her apartment. She had a few dressy dresses but hadn't brought them to Austin's yet. Thinking of one in particular brought a coy smile to her face. She thought he might like it.

Molly was back in twenty-five minutes and showered, knowing that Austin would have to dress when he got home which gave her plenty of time. She put on a robe, not wanting him to see the dress until they were ready to leave.

Austin pulled the Aston Martin into the garage and went inside. "I thought you'd be all dressed and ready," he said.

"I will be soon," she replied, chuckling and thinking of what she'd be wearing.

"I'm going to run upstairs, shower, and dress. I'll meet you back down here."

Molly followed him up the steps and went to the bedroom, where she kept her clothes. Everything was laid out and ready. First came the red thong, the only thing she'd be wearing under the dress. The red dress followed, and she thought it was elegantly spectacular. It was backless, plunged in the front, and had a split up one side nearly to her waist. She slipped it over her head and smoothed it over her body. Looking in the mirror, she realized she had forgotten how much skin it left uncovered. Plus, it left no doubt that she was braless.

She quickly put a special braid in her hair and stepped into her high heels. Some lip gloss and a few subtle touches of makeup, and she was ready. She listened at the door until she heard Austin go downstairs.

She waited about fifteen seconds, then made her grand entrance, slinking sensuously down the stairs.

"Holy shit," Austin said, his mouth hanging open. "Is that really my Molly?"

"It's more Molly than you've been used to seeing."

"It's a Molly that I could get used to seeing."

"Do you like it?"

"For many reasons, yes." He stepped in front of her and smiled. "I dropped my wallet," he said, dropping it on the floor in front of her. "Could you please pick it up?"

"My pleasure," she said, bending from the waist to retrieve it and hand it to him.

"You'd better not do that at the restaurant unless you're anxious for people to see some nicely erect Molly nipples."

"I'll have to think about that," she said as she lifted her left leg and put her foot on the couch, revealing an almost totally bare leg.

"I hadn't even seen that before." He put his hand on her thigh. "Ready to go to dinner?"

"I am, and by the way, Doctor Wolfe, you look very suave and sexy this evening.

They climbed into the Mercedes, went to an expensive restaurant, and had a delicious meal. When Molly's napkin slid off her lap, she smiled at Austin, bent quickly and picked it up.

"If anyone saw that, it happened so quickly that they're asking if they really saw it."

"Does it excite you," he whispered, "that you may have exposed yourself?"

"Tonight is a very special night, and I'm wired. I think you know me well enough to understand this isn't normal."

"So you're wired?"

"Highly wired."

"I could tell when you came down the stairs at home."

"Why don't we head out then?" she suggested, smiling at Austin.

He paid the bill, and they headed out to the Mercedes. It was one of those weird winter days where the jet stream raised up and, instead of being below freezing, it was nearly seventy degrees. Tomorrow, it was supposed to turn cooler again.

There was just silent excitement as they drove away from the restaurant.

"Wait," Molly said. "Weren't you supposed to turn there?"

"If we were headed home, I would. But I have a surprise for you."

"Austin, what kind of a surprise could you have on a night like this."

"Just a few minutes, and you'll see."

He turned onto a small road and drove a minute or two, then turned again.

"Where are you going?" She was totally confused.

Without answering, he turned off the road into a bare area, not paved, but smooth. He pulled behind some trees and stopped.

"Wait," she said, peering out the window. "Is this ... "

"When I was thinking about the third date I was going to have with you, one that never happened, I thought we could go to Wilson's Grove and see what might happen."

"I thought that's where we were. Why are we here now?"

"To see what might happen," he answered with a chuckle.

"Austin, do you mean, for this special night, we're going to be teenagers again?"

"Might be fun to imagine that, except that we know way more now than we did as teenagers."

"We do, for sure. What did you have in mind?"

He opened the door and stepped outside, then opened the back door. "Watch the magic," he said as he pulled a lever and the back of the back seat folded down. He went to the other side of the car and did the same thing. "You'll notice that we have a nice flat and smooth surface that extends into the trunk." He returned to the driver's seat.

"You devious man," she said, laughing. "I wondered if you'd remember what you said about four days, and now I find you've been planning this."

"If you'd rather go back to the house, we can do that."

"Are you kidding? This is like going back to when we were dating and moving on from there. As long as you think I'm healed enough, I'm ready. I think my body temperature has already gone up three or four degrees."

"I've been here a couple of times just to check it out. I don't believe people come here anymore like they used to. Maybe in the summer when it's warm."

"It's warm tonight."

"That must be a sign."

Molly leaned across the console. "Don't you wish it was still light so you could see what's right in front of you?"

Almost instantly, the dome light came on.

"You're right. Wonderful pair, um, view."

"Turn off that light, and you might be surprised what happens."

The light went out, and Molly stepped out of the car and out of the dress. She tossed it back onto the front seat. In the darkness, she walked to about fifteen or twenty feet in front of the Mercedes.

"You can have twenty seconds of headlight for viewing."

When the headlights came on, Molly was naked except for the red thong and high heels, and she was posing and moving with a suggestiveness that Austin wasn't used to seeing. Molly continued to amaze him, but in ways he loved. He knew he'd lost track of the time, but he was entranced with what she was doing. Finally, he reached inside and switched off the headlights.

"Since you're tired of looking, I guess you'll have to move on to touching."

"Give me two minutes," he said and heard a giggle.

Molly knew what he was doing, and she was ready. "Come get me and guide me back to the car."

Austin's clothes were now on the driver's seat, and he set out toward where he had heard Molly's voice.

"Molly, where are you? I'm ready for the touching part."

"I'm here, and I need to find the car."

He moved toward the voice once more, only to hear Molly calling him from a different direction. He decided that if she wanted to play games, he had a game of his own. He thought he knew where the car was in the pitch blackness of the moonless night. And he was correct. He switched on the headlights, and there was Molly. Smiling, he walked toward her.

"So, now that you've found me, are you going to touch me?"

"Yes, and so much more."

"Hmm," she said. "When are you going to start?"

"As soon as I decide where to start."

"I have a suggestion," she said as she tugged on her nipples, making them even harder and more extended.

Each time he got closer, she reached for his erection. He was anxious to get back to the car and switch off the lights. Eventually, someone would see them. He rushed her, grabbing her around the waist and tossing her over his shoulder.

"Austin, not fair," Molly squealed as he tugged at the waistband of her thong. "I can't reach you."

Pulling the thong off in that position wasn't going to work, but it didn't keep him from running his finger under the leg band until he found something that brought a quick response from her.

"Ohh," she groaned. "Not fair." But she didn't tell him to stop.

He could barely believe that fourteen years after he had planned to take an eighteen-year-old to Wilson's Grove for a little kissing, she was now a beautiful woman lying over his shoulder while he was doing a little more than kissing. He stopped and let his finger continue its work, loving the sounds that were coming from Molly. He started walking again, Molly having stopped struggling to get free and just squirming as he massaged her clit. At the car, he sat her on her feet, and she immediately grabbed his erection.

"Let me turn the lights off," he pleaded. She relented, and the lights had barely gone out before she sprang into action.

"My turn," she said as she dropped to her knees, his cock almost instantly in her mouth and throat.

He'd experienced this several times before but never outdoors at Wilson's Grove, where there was a small chance they could be interrupted. Was that increasing the effect of what Molly was doing? Whether it was or not, he felt his body tensing.

"Coming, Molly," he groaned as a warning as he felt the spasms beginning. But she didn't back off or even slow as stream after stream of hot liquid shot into her mouth and throat, forcing her to swallow twice.

When Austin sighed, she said, "We don't have towels or washcloths, so I innovated. Do you think you can be ready again soon?"

"Are you kidding?" he asked as he caressed her breasts. "Let's get in the car, and I'll show you."

Molly opened the back door and climbed onto the lowered back seat, careful to keep her butt pointed toward Austin.

"Are you trying to tempt me, Molly?"

She stopped and spread her legs a little wider. "Like this?"

He climbed in behind her, his chest on her back, and reached around her, squeezing and caressing her breasts.

One day, I'm going to spend an hour just playing with and loving these fantastic pleasure globes."

She heard it all, but her heart and mind clung to one word. If he was loving her breasts, was he loving the rest of her, too? Her heart was pounding at the thought.

The altered back seat of the Mercedes was working out well. Being a visual person, Austin had turned on a small light that allowed him to see who and what he needed to see. The kissing was beyond anything either of them had ever experienced. Austin touched, caressed, and kissed every part of Molly he could reach, and she was helping all she could. Her moans, squeals, and hard breathing had his blood boiling, and his erection ready for more action.

He reached into the front seat, found his pants, and retrieved one of the small packets.

"So, you're ready to make me yours?"

Austin gazed at Molly. "Yes, I'm more than ready. I was beginning to fall in love with you fourteen years ago, and it's taken all this time to make it happen."

She was watching him and waiting.

"I love you," he said, "and it feels so good to say it."

"And I love you, Austin, and want to show you how much. I'm about to explode."

It all happened fast, a very animated Molly taking the lead, pushing Austin to his back, climbing aboard, and riding him relentlessly. Her moans and his groans grew louder and louder until suddenly, she cried out.

"I'm coming, Austin. Oh shit, I'm coming." Her body began to shake and spasm as she leaned backward, resting her head against the rear window.

Austin groaned even louder as his body began to jerk, nearly matching Molly's spasms. It lasted long seconds for both of them until she suddenly collapsed on top of him.

"I didn't know I could do that," she whispered to him.

"What, have an orgasm?" he whispered back.

She bit his ear. "No, I thought I had to, or you had to, you know."

"I guess that doesn't always have to happen for you."

"I loved it. I hope it happens again. We came together."

"Maybe that's a sign that we're good for each other."

"I'm sure it is kind of a sign of our love."

"I think you like that word."

"I do. I loved hearing it just a few minutes ago, and I loved saying it back to you. And I'm going to keep saying it for the rest of our lives.

Austin kissed her. "I'll be doing the same, so we'll be hearing that a lot."

"Thanks for thinking of Wilson's Grove. It's kind of sentimental that you did, and it means a lot to me. You're a busy doctor, concerned with saving people's lives and repairing their bodies, yet you're caring enough to remember Wilson's Grove and taking me there for our first sex." She giggled. "Were you planning to have sex with me fourteen years ago?"

"What if I was? If you knew that's what I wanted, would you have canceled the date?"

"Well, sex on the third date is sort of a norm now, but I'm not sure it was then. Plus, it was high school. And you never asked, so I didn't have to decide. I think I'm just as happy things went the way they did, despite how much I hate the time I spent with Stephen."

"It's hard to disagree with your saying that. But I've carried very pleasant thoughts of you for all these years, almost like a fantasy, I guess. Doesn't sound like a doctor, does it?"

"Let's go back to the house and see if there's anything else we need to do or try. I'm all in for anything."

"You go ahead and dress first, then you can start driving while I dress."

"We go home on small roads and side streets. I'm not going to dress, so I'll go ahead and start driving. You can dress back there." Molly opened the car door, walked around, and opened the front door. She tossed Austin's clothes into the back seat, where they were caught by a naked man, gently shaking his head in disbelief.

There was nothing unusual on the trip home unless you consider Austin's inability to stop staring at Molly's naked body unusual. He considered it perfectly normal since she had what he considered to be a nearly perfect body.

At home, they pretended they were going to bed by turning on the TV and climbing under the covers. Both had forgotten to wear pajamas. After an hour of loud and steamy activity, the TV was switched off, cuddling began, and sleep followed.

It had taken fourteen years for Austin to get Molly to Wilson's Grove, the lovers lane of their high school days, but he considered it worth the delay.

EPILOGUE

Molly had begun volunteering at the animal shelter and was soon hired as the Assistant Director. She loved working with the animals and helping them find a forever home.

Austin had lured Molly to the emergency room to see some new equipment and when she arrived, the room was full of people there to see him propose. They were married a month later and Abriella was born nine months and one week after that.

It had been the kind of thing you'd read about in a story, but it had happened to Austin and Molly.