Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem novel Chapter 1498

Lowell bit his tongue and apologized. "Sorry about that. I got a little scared. It was just a reflex..." Diana scowled. "Scared? Are you even a man?" Lowell's eyes widened. "...Of course I am! I've just never ridden a horse before!" Diana glared at him for a few more moments. "I don't like people getting close to me. If you're that scared, I can just knock you out and carry you back. You can't be scared if you're unconscious." Lowell quickly shook his head. "No need! I'll be careful! Just tell me where to hold on, and I promise I won't touch you. If I touch you again, I'll walk the rest of the way with my injured foot!" he declared dramatically. "You can even go complain to my boss that I was harassing you! He's a man of principle; he'd fire me for sure!" Diana stared at him a little longer. "Get on." After pulling Lowell back onto the horse, Diana pointed. "Hold on here." Lowell quickly gripped the back of the saddle. "Got it this time!" Diana shot him one last warning glance before leading the horse down the mountain. The horse moved so fast, and with his injured foot, Lowell felt completely insecure. His heart was in his throat, and he had to fight the urge to grab Diana several times. When they arrived at the village clinic, Diana helped him dismount and called out to the doctor, "Ma'am, he rolled down the hill and got hurt. Can you take a look at him?" The middle-aged doctor asked, "And this is...?" "A tourist from out of town," Diana replied. The doctor put on a pair of medical gloves and rolled up Lowell's pant leg to examine him. His ankle was definitely swollen, and his knee was scraped up. "Any other injuries?" "My back, my chest... here... and here..." Lowell mumbled. The doctor's expression turned serious. "Take off your shirt, I'll take a look. Your pants too." "Huh?" Lowell froze for a second, then quickly shook his head. "No, it's fine. The other ones are just minor scrapes. You can just look at my ankle." The doctor raised an eyebrow. "Are you shy?" Lowell flushed. "...No, it's just... they're minor injuries, it's not necessary." The doctor turned to Diana. "Diana, why don't you help him onto the bed in the back? Help him get his shirt off and check where he's hurt." Now it was Diana's turn to be surprised. "You want *me* to undress him?" "Yes. He seems embarrassed. You're both boys, so you can help him check. If it's just minor scrapes, you can clean and disinfect them for him. If it's serious, I'll have to take over." Seeing Diana's frown, the doctor asked, surprised, "Are you embarrassed too?!" Diana's expression was conflicted. "I barely know the guy." "It doesn't matter if he’s a stranger, you're both boys." Diana's lips moved, but then he said, "You can clean his leg first. I'll go get someone." And with that, he dashed out the door. The doctor couldn't help but grumble, "What's with you boys these days? You’re all so prudish." Lowell was speechless. While the doctor treated his ankle, she started to chat. "Where are you from?" "Jindale City," Lowell replied. "Here for a visit?" "Yep." "How old are you?" "Twenty-nine." "Got a girlfriend?" Lowell smiled faintly. "Not yet." The doctor was curious. "How come?" "Work's been busy." "That's just an excuse," she said. "No matter how busy you are, there's always time for romance." Lowell just smiled again. "I guess the right one just hasn't come along yet." The doctor mused, "You know, I've always wondered. I can understand why the ugly ones have trouble finding a wife, but why are good-looking guys like you still single? You're handsome, our Diana is handsome, and you're both single."