Read Online The Doctor She Always Dreamed Of by Wendy S. Marcus - Free Book Online Page A

physique, she jogged a lot. He watched for as long as he could, before she turned right at the end of the road and disappeared from view.
    Over the next few hours, Derrick busied himself by doing laundry, helping Mom with her exercises, and then occupying her so Dad could get out for a much needed haircut in town and a few hands of cards at the firehouse. By three o’clock, though, he was done waiting for Kira to return. She could have pulled a muscle or cramped up or been hit by a car. She could be lost or injured and waiting for him to come find her.
    â€œI’m going after her.” Derrick stood.
    â€œAbout time.” Dad looked up from reading the newspaper he’d gotten while in town.
    â€œAbout time? You’re the one who told me not to go after her right away.”
    â€œWait too long and a woman’ll start thinking crazy stuff and creating problems that don’t exist.”
    Unbelievable. “It would have been nice if you’d shared that important bit of information a little bit earlier, don’t you think?” Derrick grabbed his car keys and left.
    A new coffee shop had opened on Main Street about two blocks down from a dollar store and six blocks before a fancy gas station/convenience mart. Growing up, Derrick couldn’t wait to get out of this town. Now, he felt a tug of longing for the slower pace and peaceful quiet of small-town life. “Hey, Mr. Harvey.” Derrick waved out his car window. The owner of the local hardware store had to be pushing ninety years old, yet there he stood, sweeping the sidewalk out in front of his store.
    His old employer waved back, although Derrick got the impression he had no idea who he was waving to. After scanning the sidewalks and benches all through town, the playground at his old elementary school, and the track behind the high school, he took a right toward the park...and spotted Kira, lying on her back under a big old weeping willow tree, her legs crossed at the ankles, both hands up behind her head.
    He pulled into a parking spot, shut down the engine, and climbed out of his car.
    Kira rolled onto her elbow. Seeing him, she rolled right back into the position she’d been in when he’d first spotted her without so much as a wave or a smile or any sign of welcome.
    He approached anyway, on guard, not sure what to expect.
    â€œIt’s so peaceful here,” she said, keeping her eyes closed. “I’ve just managed to calm myself down. Please don’t ruin it.”
    Without saying a word he lied down next to her, assuming the same position, only eyes opened so he could watch the fluffy white clouds floating along the beautiful blue sky. He inhaled a lungful of fresh country air tinged with the scent of fresh cut grass. When was the last time he’d laid in the grass, looking up at the sky? When was the last time he took a few minutes to appreciate a beautiful day?
    He couldn’t remember. Long hours at medical school and now work, both leading to exhaustion, kept him mostly indoors. His present life was so different from his life as a child, so cluttered with responsibilities, so lacking in time to relax and enjoy life.
    â€œIf I’d grown up in a place like this,” she said quietly. “I never would have left.”
    â€œTrust me,” he turned to face her. “If you’d grown up in this town you’d have been counting the days until you could get out same as I did.” She kept her eyes closed, her pretty face turned up toward the sky. Derrick continued, talking and watching her. “After I graduated high school I couldn’t pack up and get out of here quick enough. I’d even signed up to take summer classes at college. I’d told my parents it was so I could get ahead, before the fall semester started. But really, I couldn’t stand the thought of another boring summer working two jobs, swimming in the same lake, playing in the same baseball league, going to