Chapter 3

Angela still felt like she hadn't fully adjusted since leaving Turkey Hollow. She waved to a staff member as she left the hospital. It felt weird somehow to be back in the city. There were things she had missed, and was glad to have available again, but she noticed the noise more ... and the stink of exhaust and packed-together humanity too.

Now what she missed was podunk Turkey Hollow. Well, she missed Holly anyway. And the laid back, easygoing way of the people. And the good food.

And Dub.

Once hadn't been enough, of course ... for either of them. Dub still serviced his harem, though that wasn't really the right word for it. He was just a handy and safe way to get the little pleasure that hard working hill women felt they deserved.

That was one of the things that had changed in her. No longer did she think of what Dub did with his relatives as some wanton perverted act. It was just nature, taking its course under less than ideal conditions. In Turkey Hollow young men either worked in the mines, farmed, or left for greener pastures. Women just didn't have the range of choices in that setting, that their more sophisticated sisters did in the city.

Of course Dub still had to practice "birth control" with his cousin, aunt, mother and sisters. And their needs were, at least as far as Angela was concerned, ridiculously minimal. They only wanted him once a day for the most part. Angela wanted him all day long.

It had been a week after his clinic visit before she saw him again. He hadn't come back to the clinic, but when he saw her at the gas station, he'd come over and spoken to her.

"My problem is back," he said. "Mamma won't let me do what I done with you. She says it's too dangerous."

"I see," said Angela. "That's too bad."

"Yeah," he sighed. "But at least I know there's nothing really wrong with me."

"Still, it's not a good thing to go for that long with an erection," she said softly. "There can be complications, and some of them are horrific."

"I need to get married, I guess," he said.

"That would be one way to deal with it. Or you could get your mother to put everyone on the birth control pill."

"We cain't afford that," he said. "Mamma already done looked into that."

"Well," said Angela, amazed that she had accepted the obvious solution so quickly, "I suppose I could give you another treatment."

"Could you?" The look of delight on his face was so innocent and genuine that Angela wanted to laugh.

"As long as nobody finds out about it," she said. "I could get in a lot of trouble if people knew."

"Why would somebody think it was odd for me to go to the doctor?" he asked.

"I was thinking more of having you come to my motel room," she said.

"Oh," he responded, as if he would never have thought of that in a million years. "I could do that."

And so he had, and the treatment had lasted for hours, and Angela confirmed within the first one that she was lost. As often as Dub Fisher came to her, she would fling herself on the bed and spread her legs for him, willingly, laughing while she did so, eager to receive the fruit of his loins.

Nor was she very assiduous in demanding that he pull out when he came. It felt too good to have him grind against her as his groans and gasps announced that he was happier than at any time previous to this in his life. He was loving, and kind, and innocent. And he was a consummate lover.

She thought about going on the pill herself, but she was only scheduled to be there for another five weeks, and she hated being on the pill. Instead she obtained a supply of various products, each of which was sworn to prevent pregnancy. She started using a diaphragm too, at which point she never thought about asking him to remove his dangerous, spurting penis from her again.

It was a glorious five weeks, during which he spent a total of fifteen nights in her bed. Then Doctor Kimble came back, and it was time for her to return to the hospital, where she had been missed, primarily because other doctors had to take up her slack while she was gone.

But now she was back into the routine. Once again medicine prevented her from having the time to find a suitable man, and manage a dating schedule and the social games that went with it.

She checked her mail and went into the apartment, looking around like she had frequently done since getting back from Turkey Hollow. The apartment was too big, really. She'd learned that from living in a motel room for six weeks. She could afford it, but it was a waste of money, really.

She saw the machine blinking and pressed the button.

"Angela!" came the voice of her Turkey Hollow drinking buddy. "You must be doing well, since you haven't called your near and dear friends since leaving our little burg. Big doings are afoot, though. Call me back and I'll fill you in on all the gossip."

She picked up the phone, intending to order a pizza and then call Holly, but a knock at the door made her put it down. She went to the door and peered through the little round inspection port.

"Well I'll be damned," she sighed, and opened the door.

"Hi," said the hulking young man standing there. He looked completely out of place with his faded jeans and checkered shirt. She looked down, disgusted with herself as she realized she expected to see bare feet.

"Hi, yourself," she said. "I am astonished you left Turkey Hollow and ventured into the big city."

"I've been to town before," he said. "Two or three times, in fact."

"And what brings you here this time?" she asked, feeling butterflies in her stomach. This could be trouble, because she knew she couldn't refuse him, but him coming here every now and then wasn't going to work either. He couldn't afford it, for one thing.

"I kind of got in some trouble," he said softly.

"Oh?"

"I guess I kind of got to liking it when I didn't have to stop myself ... you know? With you?" he added.

"Uh huh," she said.

"Well Matty didn't mind. In fact, after the first time, she kind of liked it too. She said it was more interesting when I got all excited like that." He looked sheepish. "So we sort of kept doing it like that."

"And she got pregnant," said Angela.

"Yeah. Aunt Cherry too."

"Your aunt let you do that?" Angela was amazed.

"She didn't exactly know I was. I sort of learned how to get that good feeling without making all the noise and stuff. And it felt so much better than stopping it ... well, I know I shouldn't have, but I did, and that's that, and Mamma kicked me out before I could do any more damage."

"But they need you," said Angela. "You support them."

"I'm supposed to get a job and send them money," said Dub. "You know anywhere I might get me a job?"

"Is that why you came here?" asked Angela, feeling a little let down. "To ask if I know where to get a job?"

"One reason," he said.

"Is there another?" she asked, feeling suddenly like she was back in high school.

"Yeah. I sort of miss you."

"Sort of?" She felt exasperation building in her gut.

"Okay, I miss you like the dickens," he said, his jaw sticking out. "An I know I'm just a dumb hick, and all that, and you're a fancy doctor and pretty and all that, and I know I ain't got no call to bother you, 'cause you probly got a handsome, rich boyfriend with a fancy car and all that, but I miss you something awful, and Mamma's mad at me, and..."

"Would you like to come in?" asked Angela.

He blinked. "Yes, Ma'am."

"Dub," she said patiently. "We've been lovers. We've been as close as a man and woman can be, and if you EVER call me Ma'am again I do believe I'll cut your penis off, whether it needs it or not. Is that clear?"

"Yes Ma-" He stopped suddenly and his hands went to cover his groin. "Got it," he finished.

"Oh man," sighed the big man next to her in the bed. "I shore have missed that."

"Me too," she said softly.

"Really? You mean that?"

"I love you, Dub."

"No you don't!" he said, jerking up to stare at her.

"You stole my heart," she said.

"I cain't steal your heart," he said, wonder on his face. "I'm just a hick from the-"