Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Liz

"Why do I get the feeling they're blaming me for Mr. Hillman's fall?" Dean steps to the side and allows me to walk through the exit door ahead of him.

"I didn't get that impression at all," he says. "They're just concerned how he's going to bounce back from it. The older we get, the longer it takes for our bodies to heal. Although Mr. Hillman does appear to be in good health, accidents like his can be major setbacks."

"I get what you're saying. I feel so helpless though. Like, what am I supposed to do while he's in the hospital? We're always going places and doing stuff together."

"Well, you can always come over and help me paint." Dean laughs. "I'm only kidding."

I stop when we reach the sidewalk in front of the emergency room. "Do you think I can get a cab this time of the night?"

"A cab? Do you need a ride somewhere? Because I can take you."

"My car is still at the park. I rode here in the ambulance and I should probably see about getting it home. Unless you think it'll be okay parked there overnight."

"I'm sure it'll be fine, but there's no need for you to call a cab. I'll be more than happy to drop you by there."

Maybe it's me, but why do I get the feeling Dean's going out of his way to be nice to me? "Okay, if you're sure you don't mind."

I don't know why it surprises me when he walks up to a BMW and unlocks it. I mean, he is a doctor, and most doctors do drive nice vehicles.

"Could I talk you into grabbing a bite to eat somewhere?" Dean asks as soon as he pulls out of the parking lot.

"Did you hear my stomach rumbling or something?"

"No, but it wouldn't surprise me if you didn't hear mine."

"I could go for some food. It's late, though, so I'm not sure if anything's still open." I look at the time on the dash and I'm shocked to see it's nearing ten o'clock.

"Want to try Pancake Palace? It's been ages since I've eaten at one of those, but I could sure go for a stack of pancakes with some warm maple syrup."

"Mmm! That sounds delicious."

"Doesn't it?"

When we get to the restaurant, the hostess tell us to sit at any table that we'd like. It's slower than normal tonight, so there's only one waitress working the floor.

I follow Dean to a booth in the corner and wince when my legs touch the cold leather seat. I fold my arms against my chest, hoping he doesn't notice the goosebumps that are popping up all over my body. "It's sooo cold in here."

"Yeah, I agree. It is a little chilly. If the waitress comes by before I get back, I'll have water with lemon."

"Where are you going?" But he doesn't hear me and rushes out the door.

A few minutes later, Dean walks back inside, two jackets draped over his arm. "You look like you could use one."

I quickly slide my arms inside the sleeves. I stop for a second as I catch a whiff of his scent within the fabric. I don't want to look silly with the collar pulled to my nose, but there's something intoxicating about the way he smells.

"Everything okay?" he asks.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

We devour our food, neither of us realizing just how hungry we were, then push our plates to the end of table. The waitress comes back to collect everything and drops off cups of coffee. I don't normally drink anything with caffeine this late at night, but I'm actually enjoying spending time getting to know Dean. Call me crazy, but where has he been all my life?

A new shift of workers arrive a few minutes before midnight, so we close out our ticket and get ready to head out. Dean insists on paying and for once, I don't feel bad letting him.

When he pulls in at the park to drop me off, I'm almost sad the night is coming to an end. "I almost forgot to take your coat off. I'm really glad you had it in your car or else I would've froze to death."

"You can give it back to me later. It's cooled off and I'd hate for you to be cold on your drive home."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Does this mean I can see you again?" I feel a little bit silly, considering how long it's been since I've had someone treat me like this. Maybe I was wrong and there's still a few decent ones out there after all.

"That depends. Do you want to see me again?"

"I think so."

"I'd like that."

I feel my cheeks flush and it's a good thing we're sitting in the dark. "I appreciate everything you did for me earlier. I don't know what I would've done had you not come along."

Dean reaches over and places his hand on mine. "I'm glad I could help. I'm not being weird or anything, but I'll wait for you to crank your car before I pull off."

"Goodnight." I push the door open then look back over my shoulder before climbing out. "And just so you know, I'm a pretty good painter."