The Way Back

By F. Scott Harris

Pete Enders works as an emergency room nurse practitioner, often disheartened seeing the hopeless plight of prostitutes who routinely suffer violence. One bright spot is his new wife, Molly. Molly's sister is also a prostitute, and while trying to help her, Molly is injured and ends up in a coma. Pete is devastated. His life begins a downward sp

• Language: English
• Publisher: Palmetto Publishing
• Release date: Feb 17, 2021
• ISBN: 9781649907103

F. Scott Harris

F. Scott Harris is a resident of the Midwest. He lives there still with his wife and their dog. An avid and lifelong reader, this is his second book offering. His debut book THE WAY BACK, published in 2021, was well received. In this book he is offering a foray into the science fiction genre. He continues writing avidly and anticipates more books to come.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Egg Salad

Snow was falling again tonight. It seemed like it was always snowing in Denver during March. Pete Enders was ready for spring to show up for sure. At the moment he was sitting watching the snow fall on the wind shield of his car. As he watched, big puffy flakes drifted lazily down to stick to his windshield before being swept squeakily away by wipers that had the delay set too fast. He was also half listening to the intermittent thrum of the wiper motor as it pushed the blades back and forth. All in all, he was as close to mesmerized from boredom as he could get. He was bored with his routine. He should have been more interested than he was, he thought. His life wasn’t really that bad he mused. He had a good job working as an emergency room nurse practitioner. He was single, in the prime of his life at 29, and in decent shape. He lived in one of the most beautiful places there was. All you had to do was look to the west and the front range of the Rocky Mountains were there. Some days they seemed close enough to touch. He frequently went into the mountains when he wasn’t working and hiked. He loved that, and would do it more often than he did given the chance. Ok, maybe I should just stop whining, he thought. Pete checked his watch. Seeing that his dinner break was almost over, he closed up his lunch bag, turned the engine off, got out, and put the hood of his coat up while heading into the hospital. It wasn’t really that cold, somewhere in the 30’s he thought, and spring would be here in full soon. It would take the upper elevations another couple of months to warm up and really begin the melt off though. Pete walked through the doors of the emergency room of Glendale Franciscan Hospital and into the men’s locker room. He hung his coat in his locker, grabbed his vocera and stethoscope, washed his hands and checked in at the nurses’ station in the emergency room. At the moment things were pretty slow. It was a quiet Thursday night at nine o’clock and the early evening people that had come in due to the flu and after work maladies were all handled. He checked the active cases and found they still had two. The first patient was a seventy-one-year old man who had come in complaining of chest pains, the second, a fourteen-year old boy who had come in with a broken leg earned while ice skating. The older gentleman, it turned out, was the victim of indigestion from a heavy meal, not infarction. The fourteen-year old was in the process of waiting for the orthopedic to get a cast put on, and would be taken care of shortly. The charge nurse, Molly Havenshire, approached Pete with a smile on her face.

How was dinner?

It was fine Pete said. It was the best fourteen-minute egg salad sandwich ever. Have you given Mr. Jensen his discharge instructions yet? Pete asked.

I was getting them ready now Molly replied.

Ok. Pete liked Molly, or rather more than merely liked her. He had been trying to get up the nerve to ask her out, but hadn’t found the right opportunity. Or maybe I’m just a big chicken, he thought to himself. Molly did seem interested in him as well. She talked to him a little longer than she had to on cases, she stood a little close sometimes it seemed. She always smiled at him when they were together, and sometimes she made contact when she didn’t have to. He was considering these things in fact when a touch on his arm shook him out of his thoughts. It was Molly.

Hey, where’d you go just then she asked. You were here with me a second ago. She smiled up at him. At only 5’4", Molly was shorter, with blond hair, cut at the nape of her neck, and green eyes. She also had an amazing deep dimple on her right cheek that was always showing just a little, but went into full crevice when she was smiling like she was now.

Sorry Pete said. Dumbass, pay attention. I went away there for a second.

Was it a nice getaway? Molly asked grinning.

It was great, you should go there with me sometime.

Pete noticed that Molly was still touching his arm. The touch must have been what got his attention, but her hand was still there now. She was close enough he could smell her. Just a faint scent of lavender that she must’ve used when she showered. Focus. Now ask her. Now. Or there’s now. Or maybe now. Molly, broke the touch away turning to leave.

Well you never know, maybe we’ll find ourselves in the same daydream again sometime. Molly said. She’s leaving. There she goes, she’s just leaving. That’s it, just watch her go. Way to seize the moment.

Molly.

Hmm, she said turning back to him? Pete took a step toward her, then paused.

I want to see Mr. Jensen’s work up one more time before we release him.

Sure thing, Molly said as she turned to go get the papers, but the smile wasn’t as big as before. Pete stood there in the hallway and watched her walk away.

You know, I’ve seen a lot of pain come through this emergency room. But that looked like it hurt even from over here. Pete turned to see George, the night custodian, leaning on his mop. Son, you’re never going to get near that if you don’t ask.

Thanks, O guru of the mop bucket for that brief and crude diagnosis, Pete said looking sideways at George. George raised his hands as though he was giving the stop signal with both. His mop was in his rolling bucket, the handle resting against his chest. George always looked to Pete as though he was somewhere between sixty and one-hundred years of age. It was hard to tell. He could’ve been either the world’s oldest working man, or your favorite uncouth grandpa. He was wrinkled and wizened from what was clearly a life of heavy mileage, but his eyes were clear and sharp, and George saw everything.

All I’m saying, Peter, is that you had another shot right there and then. She’s given you four of those chances this week by the way.

Yeah? asked Pete.

Yes George said. You know, Peter, I was married to the same woman for forty years, and she made me feel every day the way I see that girl does you. What way is that, you ask? I’ll tell you. Scared. Scared that at any moment I would lose her, or say or do the wrong thing. Scared that I didn’t measure up to what she was worth. It’s just plain cowardly is what it is. Step up son, seize the lightning and hold it hard. It may take you by surprise. It may rock you and shock you, but you’ll never regret it.

Is that what you did? Pete asked.

Yes, I did, and it was a ride worth taking. That life was the best I’ll ever know. Seize what you want Peter, and don’t let it go. George was looking him square in the eye now. George held Pete’s gaze for a moment longer and then turned to go, pushing the mop and bucket along ahead of him.

Pete watched George for a minute, then shook his head and went and checked the test results for Mr. Jensen one more time, but Molly wasn’t to be seen. He gave the discharge instructions to another nurse who went and saw to the release. The rest of the evening was quiet with only one other patient group coming in, a thirty-year old mother with two sick kids in tow. Pete found himself leaving the hospital at midnight. He hadn’t had any other interaction with Molly which was just as well. Even if she wouldn’t have felt it, he would have felt awkward. It was clear now that as George pointed out, she had been flirting with him. He was stupid and chicken, simple as that. Well he could fix it tomorrow, he just had to find his courage, or find a way not to overthink it too hard. It took him about thirty minutes to drive home from the hospital. Traffic was fairly light and the plows had been out so the roads were clear and he made good time. He had put together enough money to buy a house in Aurora not far from the airport. Bruce, his mountain dog, met him at the door. Pete had found Bruce as a puppy two years earlier in a box on the side of I-25. He had nearly run over the box when at the last second, he saw the small head of a puppy come sticking out of the top. It never ceased to amaze Pete at how stupid and cruel people could be. He had pulled over half in and half out of the slow lane to shelter the box from traffic and grabbed the little dog who was half starved, dirty, and shivering. Pete had taken the puppy home and now Bruce weighed in at a solid hundred and forty pounds. The dog never left Pete’s side at home and had been known to tear up more than a few things when Pete was at work, which the vet assured Pete wouldn’t continue to happen. Bruce was still in his late puppy stage and would settle down. Bruce was whining and wagging for all he was worth, and Pete had to smile.

Hey Bruce, how’s my dog, how’s the pup?

Pete petted the animal and scratched his ears for a minute, then climbed the stairs, and took off and threw his coat over the back of his recliner, just inside the living room. Bruce took off for the kitchen and Pete followed. When Pete got to the kitchen Bruce was standing wagging and waiting at his bowl. I’m that predictable, huh, pal?

Pete fed Bruce and went to the refrigerator to grab a bottle of water. Then he went back to the living room and collapsed into his favorite chair opposite the TV. He drank the water and in moments was fast asleep. He spent the rest of the night in the chair. When he awoke the next morning, he couldn’t feel his feet. That was because Bruce was laying in the chair, across his legs, sleeping.

"Oh, oh come on, boy, you’ve got to get up!

Pete lowered the handle of his recliner and shoved at Bruce until the dog grunted and climbed sleepily down from the chair. It took Pete a couple of tries to stand up before he was successful. He finally succeeded by rubbing the tops of his legs to work feeling back into them and get the blood moving. Once he was up, he walked down the half flight of stairs of the split-level house and let Bruce outside for his morning constitutional. It was cool this morning with a dusting of new snow covering everything including his jeep since he hadn’t put it in the garage last night. I must’ve been more tired than I thought. When Bruce was finished, Pete let the dog back inside and went up the stairs towards the kitchen to get breakfast.

He was scheduled to work tonight again, but he had the day until about three o’clock. He made himself some scrambled eggs and peanut butter toast and sat there at the kitchen table eating with the quiet of the morning around him. He gave his toast crust to Bruce, which the big dog ate appreciatively before settling down on the rug next to the table. Pete sat quietly for a few minutes thinking of Molly and George and what had been said yesterday, as well as some of the encounters he’d had with Molly over the last few weeks. He now realized that George had been right last night, and Molly had been wanting him to step up, or make a move, or respond to what she had been leaving out there for him to pick up on. Ok stupid, now how’re you going to fix it? He decided if the opportunity presented itself tonight that he’d say something, and if it didn’t, he’d try anyway.

Having convinced himself, at least in theory, that he had the guts to ask Molly out, he got up from the table, put his dishes in the dishwasher and went and took a shower. He turned the TV on as he got dressed and half watched, half listened to the stock report. He had started watching the market when he was in college and his roommate was a business major who had the stock ticker on all the time. Early on Pete thought he had a knack for seeing things in the market that were beneficial to making more money. So, he had saved and scraped together a thousand dollars for an investment, that had in fact paid a handsome return, and in short order Pete had ten-thousand dollars. He had left the money where it was, and watched for another opportunity to present itself which took a few weeks, but when it did, it was as clear as good glass to him. He made the trade, and it in turn had earned him a five to one return leaving him with just over fifty-thousand. Not long after this, his friend the business major, had started asking Pete for tips to better understand what he was seeing. The math was easy enough if you paid attention. Need plus greed always totaled dollars. Sure, there was more to it than that, lots of corresponding logistics, and differing metrics to work through, but Pete had always excelled at math, and after watching the corresponding data for a short time he was able to create a picture of probability that left him comfortable with the resulting trade or investment. Interestingly enough, the idea of wagering the money he had earned on a stock chance didn’t leave him nervous at all. In his mind he wasn’t really taking a chance so much as reading the market. It shouldn’t have been hard or risky for anyone who paid attention to the mathematical details. After his fourth successful trade, he had made enough to buy the house he was living in now, and had moved out of the dorm. Not long after he moved, his roommate had changed his major to accounting. Pete still kept in touch with Stuart and they were the best of friends. It turned out Stu was a good accountant. Pete didn’t do a lot of speculative investing these days. His portfolio was growing steadily and had gotten fairly sizable, and he believed that when the time came for retirement, he would be comfortably set for his dotage, but that was for another day and time.

Pete loaded Bruce in his car and the two of them spent the day hiking around in the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. They arrived home tired and just in time for Pete to change clothes and head off to work. Bruce went right to the recliner and got comfortable to wait. The drive in should have taken about a half hour, but the traffic of the Denver sprawl wasn’t cooperating. It took him closer to an hour to arrive at the hospital, the net result being he was ten minutes late getting to the floor. He apologized to the doctor on shift and started checking the cases right away. They were busy tonight. A multiple injury car accident had just arrived, and the waiting room was already full of cases ranging from flu to a woman in the early stages of labor. The car accident arrived in two ambulances with a total of three people needing immediate attention. All in all, they had a crushed pelvis, a broken wrist, a possible concussion, and multiple deep lacerations to tend. Stabilizing of the three car accident patients had to come first, surgery had to be notified, family members had to be contacted, and the man with the crushed pelvis went into shock and coded, requiring the extraordinary efforts of the emergency room team to revive and stabilize him. Pete looked up at one point and saw Molly in the next curtain space tending the young woman from the car accident with the broken wrist, but that was all he had time for. She saw him and smiled briefly then went back to her patient. Once the man with the pelvis was stabilized and headed to surgery, Pete made his way over to the room where the man with the possible concussion was being tended. Dr. Irsay was checking him over, and Pete noticed right away the man was handcuffed to the gurney he was sitting on. A uniformed policeman was standing in the corner of the room. Dr. Irsay finished his preliminary examination, ordered a head x-ray, and moved on. Pete went and made sure that the woman in labor had been transferred to obstetrics and her OB/Gyn had been contacted. The flu patients were still waiting. He turned to go retrieve the casework for the next patient in line and saw Molly was approaching him.

Do you have a minute? she asked quietly with a serious expression.

What’s up? Pete asked suddenly concerned. Molly was always sure and steady even when they were at their busiest.

It’s my patient. She says that she thinks she broke her wrist when her hand went through the windshield when they hit the other car.

Sounds plausible to me, said Pete.

Me too, Molly said, except she doesn’t have any lacerations or abrasions from the windshield, and it doesn’t look like blunt force trauma to me.

Pete nodded. Let’s go take a look. They walked the short distance to curtain two, and found the young woman holding her arm, and trying not to move it too much. The first young woman had been joined by a second woman who was talking as Pete and Molly entered the room.

T, I done told you he was gonna get you smacked and worked on.

Both women stopped and looked as Pete and Molly entered the curtain space. Pete took a second and looked at the injured woman’s charting on his laptop.

Miss Mixon, I’m Pete Enders. I’m the nurse practitioner in the emergency room tonight. Do you go by Samantha? he asked.

I go by Sam, she responded quietly.

Can you tell me more about how you were injured?

Samantha Mixon looked at Pete for a second and then at Molly before answering. Her chart said she was twenty-six, but she looked closer to eighteen to him. She was light weight and thin, with a somewhat emaciated look reminiscent of malnourishment. The brown eyes looking out from under her black hair were intelligent and calculating though.

Well it’s like I told the nurse, I was sitting in the passenger seat up front, and a car crossed the lane and hit us. I jammed my arm against the dashboard, when I stuck it out to stop myself from going through the windshield.

Pete nodded then asked, Was your left hand pinned somehow at the moment of impact?

No, she replied.

The only reason I ask, Pete continued, is because people almost always come in here with impact injuries in both arms in a head on car accident. We see it all the time.

At this observation the young woman’s expression turned cold and hard.

Look my wrist is busted, are you going to do anything about it?

Yes ma’am, Pete replied. Molly here asked me to come over and make sure there wasn’t anything else you needed. So, is there anything else we can do to help you?

No, there’s nothing you can do, Samantha Mixon replied curtly.

Alright. Let me go check on where the orthopedics people are to get you taken care of, Pete said. Pete gave Molly a knowing look and a shrug as he departed leaving Molly to finish prepping Samantha. He made some notes in the chart, then moved on. The rest of the evening was a blur, and Pete found himself looking up later on to find out, his shift change was here already and it was time to go. Pete finished up by checking on the last of his patients, filled out his chart work, and then went and collapsed in the staff breakroom. Molly was sitting at a table by herself with a bottle of water and an open package of Ho-Ho’s in front of her. Her head was lowered and her eyes were closed in a picture of exhaustion. Pete went over and sat down across from her.

Thanks for all the help tonight, he said.

Molly looked up slightly and gave him a tired smile. Her dimple creased in just a little, and she was looking at him through the tousled hair on her forehead.

Some nights are long even when they go by fast, she said.

You know, I think Ho-Ho’s are one of the signs you’ve given up wanting to live, Pete joked.

Don’t pick on me Enders, or we’ll talk about your love of egg salad sandwiches, Molly replied. She lifted her face the rest of the way and her smile was bigger now, the dimple going deeper. Damn, even exhausted she’s beautiful. Pete made up his mind. Take a deep breath, and go. Molly, do you want to get something besides Ho-Ho’s and egg salad sometime?

Molly looked at him for a second then said simply, What do you have in mind?

You know, I have no idea, Pete said smiling sheepishly.

Well, do you know when? Molly asked sitting up and leaning forward. Her dimple was full crease now. She wasn’t going to let the opportunity pass to give Pete a hard time for making her wait patiently and he knew it.

How about tomorrow? It is going to be Saturday. You know the night when the rest of the world goes out.

You’re wrong, Molly said.

What am I wrong about? Pete asked perplexed.

It’s already Saturday, Molly said pointing at the clock on the breakroom microwave.

So, later today then? he confirmed smiling ruefully.

Yes.

Well that doesn’t give me much time to figure out what you really want, Pete said.

I think you’re up to it, Molly replied. I’m looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

The door to the breakroom opened and George came in pushing his mop bucket. Oh, I thought this was empty, George said.

Well Pete might be staying, but I’m going home, Molly said.

Good. That way I can finish my mopping, George replied.

Molly got up from the table, gave Pete one last smile and left. Pete watched her go with a smile. Man, she’s beautiful.

It’s about time. The sound of George’s voice broke through Pete’s reverie. Pete looked over at the older man and smiled. Feels good, doesn’t it? George said. Pete got up from the table without responding and headed for the door.

Of course, it’ll feel better if you don’t screw up your chance with the girl.

Pete stopped at the door and turned around to look at George. The old man was busily mopping the floor, but he had a big grin on his face. Pete left without further comment. The drive home was quiet, the interstate fairly empty, or as empty as the I-25 ever was, and Pete made it home in about a half hour. On the way home he kept smiling, thinking about Molly. Bruce met him at the door as usual, looking to be let out after multiple hours holding his needs in. Pete let the big dog outside, and sat on his deck looking at the stars while Bruce sniffed around seeking whatever it was that made for a good spot to go. The night was peaceful and quiet and the sky full of stars. When Bruce finished, he came up and sat next to Pete on the steps of the deck, looking for attention. Pete absently scratched the big dog behind the ears and sat thinking. George was right. Pete needed to make a good impression. Thinking about it now Pete realized that George was probably right and Molly had been dropping hints for a while, but that didn’t give Pete a free pass. In his somewhat limited opinion, women didn’t give you a bunch of chances to make the impression they were looking for.

I need to plan this out, he told Bruce. The big dog wagged his tail briefly at the comment from his master. Come on buddy, lets go inside. Pete got up and headed inside with Bruce following behind.

CHAPTER 2

Date Night

Pete slept in, waking up about ten o’clock. Bruce was lying next to him, monopolizing much of the bed space. Pete got up and went through the morning’s motions, seeing to his dog’s needs and his own, then sat down at his laptop to formulate a plan for that night. He thought that since he and Molly were already familiar, he could forgo some of the usual first date stuff but that didn’t mean he should ignore it entirely. He figured dinner was a good way to go since he and Molly had talked about Ho-Ho’s versus egg salad so he’d have a natural transition. He also realized that pizza wasn’t going to do or a bar. Molly would want something nicer probably, and bars had too much noise and crowd. Pete wanted to be able to have a quiet conversation with her and see if he couldn’t get her dimple to show up. In the end he decided on a nice Italian place in Estes Park, where they could get dinner and then maybe use the river walk afterwards. It was a bit of a drive, but if they left early it could be just right. He texted Molly and decided on five for a starting time. She asked where, and Pete hedged until she reminded him that she wasn’t going to be caught wearing jeans if the occasion called for a dress. He relented and said that it was casual and she might want shoes she could walk in.

There was a brief pause, and then Molly simply replied, got it. Those two words left Pete stewing until it was time to leave to pick her up. Molly lived in an apartment complex in Wheat Ridge on the western side of Denver so Pete left about a half an hour early to make sure he was on time. When he arrived Molly was ready, and met him outside her building door. She was dressed in jeans and a sweater and had decided, she told him, on tennis shoes since he’d mentioned walking. He told her she looked great, which sounded a little strange to his ears since in all the time they had known each other that had never come up. It could’ve been sooner, if you’d had the nerve to ask her out before now. Molly said thank you with her dimple showing and a small self-conscious laugh, while tucking her hair behind her ear. Pete wondered if she was nervous too. After all, this was unexplored territory for the both of them. They climbed in Pete’s jeep and Molly asked where they were headed.

Have you ever been up to Estes Park? Pete asked.

Once, she replied, a few years ago. I went hiking with some friends.

Well then this’ll be something new, Pete replied. There’s an Italian place up there I was thinking we’d try.

Sounds good, but Estes is over an hour away so if you’re going to make me wait that long for dinner we better get moving, Molly said. Pete started to say they could do something else and then realized Molly was grinning at him.

By the way since I picked the place, he said, you’ve got to pick the music for the drive.

Fair enough. I’ve got lots of music on my phone.

The drive was pleasant up state highway 36 through Boulder and Lyons toward Estes Park. The traffic was light and the sun setting over the mountains as they drove. Molly connected her Bluetooth to Pete’s jeep radio and selected music from her phone. Pete had wondered what kind of music Molly liked and was surprised to find that she had picked a list of 90’s popular music. Pete had in truth pictured her as more of a country music girl which he mentioned. Molly said she had several lists and after a few minutes she proceeded to go through a variety of lists she kept on her phone. She had everything from one labeled romantic to one tagged as metal stuff. Molly looked at Pete sheepishly over that one. It’s for when work sucks.

Pete simply nodded at that. He understood all too well the pain and toll of the emergency room. The drive took an hour and a half exactly, and they found themselves in the town of Estes Park. The town itself sat nestled in a natural valley at both eastern entrances to Rocky Mountain National Park. The town wasn’t bustling yet with the overgrown swell of seasonal tourism that accompanied summers in the park. The evening was warm and pleasant and the food was excellent. Pete liked this restaurant and made a point of eating here whenever he came up to Estes for hiking in the national park. Thinking about it, he realized he picked this restaurant because it was comfortable for him. That made this a little easier. He hoped that Molly was enjoying it. They talked quite a bit while waiting for dinner to arrive. They began talking about work because it was easy and familiar, but before long it moved on to families and how each had grown up. Pete was surprised at just how little he really had known about Molly and he had worked with her more than two years. Dinner arrived and the conversation slowed a bit as they ate, both of them clearly trying to use their best table manners. Dinner took an hour and a half to finish and Molly asked Pete why she needed shoes for walking. Pete suggested they could go for a walk along the Big Thompson River. Molly said yes so, he called for the check.

Pete found himself thoroughly happy and tried to see just how deep he could make Molly’s dimple go. They walked from the restaurant the short distance down towards the river. The town of Estes Park had developed the area along the river into a walkway, as a way of interfacing with the river, while it wound its way through the town. The water was high from the normal early season spring runoff. It gurgled and splashed as it wound its way over the boulders and through the crags of rocks in its’ midst. The sun was down now and the moon was up, illuminating the walk in places the lights from the local restaurants didn’t reach. They walked for a bit and when Molly’s hand bumped Pete’s, he took a hold of it tentatively. He was rewarded by her grasping his hand in return, and when he looked at her, he was rewarded with a big smile that made her dimple flourish. Pete found himself grinning as well and for no other reason than pure and simple happiness in the moment. The two of them walked and talked for a short distance further, then returned the way they came. They stopped at a bench along the river where it was gurgling softly through some small rapids and sat down. They were each quiet for a minute just enjoying the night. When Molly spoke, it took Pete by surprise.

So, do you come up here often? she asked.

I go hiking in the park whenever I get the chance. I’ve been coming up here for about ten years now, Pete replied.

So, do you bring dates up here too then? Molly asked.

Pete realized her tone had changed and he looked at her closely. She’s wondering if it’s your regular move.

You’re the only person I’ve ever brought up here. The truth is, I don’t date much.

Well for a guy who doesn’t, you’re pretty smooth, Molly said smiling.

Sometimes you just get lucky, Pete answered. She was looking up at him through her eyelashes as they sat on the bench and he realized how close she was. Sitting like this he could smell her perfume faintly and even see how green her eyes were. Pete leaned over then and kissed her. Molly kissed him back. The kiss turned into kissing that went on for a few minutes. When they finally broke away, both of them were breathing a little heavy. Pete checked his watch to provide himself a diversion and was surprised to see it was after ten o’clock. He looked around, and realized that most of the restaurants and shops were closed and dark.

I guess that makes it time to go, he said gesturing to the darkened shops. If I keep you out much longer it’ll be tomorrow before I get you home.

Well you don’t want to sully my reputation, do you? Molly asked grinning. They walked back to his Jeep holding hands. When they got there Pete opened the door for Molly. She turned and kissed him again.

I just wanted to make sure the first one wasn’t an anomaly, she said with a mischievous smile.

Well, was it? Pete asked. For an answer she smiled her deep dimple smile then slid into the passenger seat. Pete found himself walking around to get in his side of the jeep with a grin on his face that he couldn’t shed, like it was stuck there. Get control man, or you’ll screw it up for sure. That was the sobering thought he needed. When he opened the drivers’ door of the jeep his face was composed. He started the jeep after making sure Molly was set and they started back.

The return drive was different somehow than the drive up had been. Molly put on different music and the two of them talked softly and sporadically to each other as though afraid that the wrong comment would ruin the mood that had been created. Pete looked down once and realized Molly was playing the song list titled romantic songs. He looked over at her. She was looking back at him smiling. No words were exchanged, but somehow, he felt in that moment, each of them knew the other’s thoughts. This wasn’t going to be their last date. When they reached Molly’s apartment, Pete came around, opened the door for her, and when she got out, they kissed again with her leaning against the jeep. He walked her up to the door and she spent a minute looking for her keys. Then she kissed him again and went inside after soliciting a promise that he’d call her when he got to his place. Pete assured her he would and waited for her to get inside before leaving. His drive home was filled with thoughts of Molly and the evening he’d had. Pete didn’t think he’d ever had as good a time with anyone. That had to be silly, of course, because he’d had other girlfriends, some in college and another a few years ago that had lasted about a year. Maybe it was just because it had been awhile and the night had gone so well. Well, whatever this was, it was good, and he wanted more of it. He reached his place, took care of Bruce who was anxiously waiting at the door, and then sat down to call Molly. A thought occurred to him as he did. Should he just send her a text instead? It was late after all and he didn’t want to disturb her if she’d fallen asleep. She did ask specifically for a phone call though, so maybe she would be mad if he didn’t call. Maybe she’d think he didn’t really want to talk to her if he just sent the text. In the end he decided to call for the simplest reason of all. He wanted to hear her voice. He found her number in his phone and hit send. Molly answered without preamble.

Everything ok?

Yep, he answered. Better than that I’d say. Bruce was happy I got home too.

I didn’t know you had a roommate, Molly said curiously.

Well, he thinks the place is his most of the time, but he can’t work the doorknobs, so he needs me. Bruce is my dog.

Oh, Molly replied, then went on. I had a great time tonight. You’ll have to introduce me to Bruce sometime.

He and I would like that, Pete responded. Molly said good night and they both hung up the phone. Wow. Bruce that was cool, Pete said looking at the dog. Bruce wagged his tail and went into the bedroom and laid down. Whatever this was, everything was fine and Bruce was sleepy. After a minute, Pete locked up and followed Bruce’s lead.

CHAPTER 3

The Twist

The next few months were a blur to Pete. Spring came in full to the Rockies and with it, lots of chances for he and Molly to see each other. The two of them spent as much time with each other as they could when not working. They even found ways to work most of their shifts together by rearranging them whenever possible. Pete had never been happier in his life. Time spent with Molly was little short of glorious, which Pete realized sounded absolutely stupid. Still, it was how he felt whenever Molly was near. She had entered a world in which his most common companion had been a big furry dog. All she had needed to do was be herself, and amazingly enough, she appeared to feel the same way about him. It continued to be astounding to Pete. Bruce was crazy about her too. In fact, Pete wasn’t sure that his dog didn’t like Molly better. Bruce was frequently found lying between he and Molly in the morning after nights when she stayed over. Pete found that he wanted to share anything and everything with her. Spring turned into summer. Their time together increased until they were inseparable. At some point in the month