Mary Ellen was sitting on a couch with red puffy eyes. A moment later, Nora came out with a cup of hot tea. "Drink that up, Mary Ellen"

The younger woman sipped and noted a bitter taste in it. "Nora, what did you put in this?"

"A hit of whiskey. Now, tell me what did David do this time?"

"Set up a romantic picnic. I was so stupid when I saw the note saying there was a surprise waiting for me. I guess I was missing Curt so much I didn't think"

"You have to tell Curt everything when he gets back tomorrow. David has been a pest while he was gone. Curt needs to go and straighten him out"

Mary Ellen suddenly felt fresh tears down her face. "H-he already knows"

"How?"

The younger woman blew her nose. "I ran into him at the hospital and he started yelling at me. He found out about the presents and accused me of going back to David. I don't understand. I love Curt….."

Nora was furious with her friend, but she kept it to herself. "Okay, Honey. When you finish your tea, I'm going to put you to bed. You're staying with me tonight."

Mary Ellen sniffled. "But Nora—"

"I know that your momma's home tonight, so if she's not asleep I'll let her know or leave a note. I'll grab your toothbrush, but you can sleep in something of mine."

Mary Ellen saw that her friend had pain in her eyes that she missed when she was upset earlier. "Nora, what's wrong?"

"Nothing" Nora replied wanting to change the subject.

"Nothing my foot. What's wrong? You've let me cry and took care of me. Now it's my turn"

Nora took a deep breath. "Stephan and I broke up last night"

"Wh-why? You two were having such a good time when we got together recently"

Nora inhaled again to keep from crying. "Stephan says our schedules don't allow for us to go steady, but I think he heard the rumors"

Mary Ellen sobered as she took in her friend's news. "Oh, Nora"

"Mary Ellen, don't worry about me. Now, drink and relax. I will be back in about an hour"

Nora grabbed her sweater and keys. Before opening the door, the older woman saw her young friend curl up into a ball on the couch with the afghan looking frail and sad. Going through and closing it, Nora made up her mind.

"I am going to find that idiot and give me a swift kick in the pants"

John Boy's truck pulled into the Walton's homestead to meet David. Erin got out and noticed his car but didn't see him. She started on the small path nearby until she found him.

He was leaning up against a large rock several yards off the path sleeping, his flask lying near him on the ground. As she walked over, she tripped on what felt like a branch and went down. She turned, looked next to her, and shuddered.

She had uncovered a dark hole that had a couple of boards on top of it. She peered down and saw that there was water below, but it was very deep. Grandpa had told them about a few of the old wells in the area that the Rebels used during the Civil War as booby traps for the northern troops.

She placed a couple nearby boards on top of the hole and threw some brush on it. She made a note to tell her father about it tomorrow.

Erin made her way over to the sleeping man and shook him. "David" When he wouldn't budge, she moved him again. "David!" Finally, she moved her mouth to his ear. Momentarily swooning over the patch of cologne that wasn't covered with whiskey, she yelled into his ear. "Doctor Spencer!"

"Wha?" David woke up. When he saw who had awakened him, his face became sad. "Erin, y-your sis-s-ster doesn't want me anymore. I'm a giving….up…..yes that's it. Giving up on her. She likes that othhhhheeer guy" He slurred.

"No, David, you can't"

"But…..she….doesn't like me anymore. She…..yelled at me….tonight when I showed….her the…picnic youuu suggest-" He belched loudly. "Excuse me, suggested"

Before Erin could say anything, David clumsily moved to stand. "I gotta go now. Whoa" he said standing straight before sitting back down on the rock.

"David! You can't drive!"

"I can't sleep out here, can I? Maybe I can. Oh God, Erin, she doesn't love me" David said before crying. "She gonna wear her grandmother's dress with….that other doctor"

'Not if I can help it' Erin said to herself. "Stop saying that. Mary Ellen loves you. She just doesn't realize it yet. I got you all the letters she saved from you, right?"

When he didn't answer, she continued. "That's proves something and it's that she wants you David, not Curt. You won't cheat on her like he is with Nora" Suddenly getting inspiration, she smiled. "Come on David, I'm putting you to bed, okay?"

"I'm going to bed?"

"Yep. Where I'm putting you will have a nice dry bed"

David smiled a crooked grin. "You know, you are sooooo nice, E-Erin. You're going….to be a….good wife to….G.E. someday"

Erin rolled her eyes. "That's G.W. and I'm not getting married anytime soon, no matter what people say. Come on, David, I have to get home soon"

When Erin and David walked away, two girls came out from a hill they were hiding behind.

"Elizabeth, why is your sister with Mister Spencer again?" Aimee asked

The other girl looked. "I don't know, but she shouldn't be meeting with him like that"

"I wonder why she was walking him. Do you think he's sick?"

"He looks like Grandpa when he has too much of the Baldwin sisters' elixir. She's not supposed to be around him anymore since Mary Ellen is marrying Curt"

"Are you gonna tell your momma and daddy?"

Elizabeth hedged. "I don't know. I don't wanna be a tattle tale, but her being with David isn't right" She pondered for a minute. "Oh boy, Aimee, we better get back to the house before dark. Momma will tan us both if we're late"

The girls ran back to the Walton house, their concern about Erin topped by avoiding the wrath of Olivia Walton.

Nora walked out of the Walton's house and into her truck with a few things for Mary Ellen. She meant to be out earlier, but was talking to Olivia, who was home with a stomach bug. The elder woman was certain that Curt would be by tomorrow with his tail between his legs begging Mary Ellen to forgive him. She agreed, but she still wanted to tell her friend he was an idiot.

She was a mile down the road when she saw a familiar van coming from the other direction. Quickly, she honked her horn repeatedly before pulling over. The van turned around and pulled over to the same side. Nora was halfway there when Curt came out of the vehicle and couldn't stop herself.

"You jackass! How could you say what you did to Mary Ellen?!"

Curt opened his mouth, but Nora continued. "She hasn't been sneaking around with David, you idiot! He's been sending her gifts and as soon as she realized they were not from you, she told him how much she loved you and to stop with the gifts. She gave them to the patients because they were too nice to waste. You know how Mary Ellen is."

"Nora—"

"No shut up, you fool! She didn't want to get you worried while you were in North Carolina. She was missing you so much that when she got a note to meet, she wasn't thinking and thought you were surprising her. When she got there, she saw a romantic picnic along with David and a pile of love letters she threw out a while back. After she told him off, she was leaving upset when you decided to be a jealous idiot by yelling at her."

"He set up a picnic for her? That son of a –"

"No, you idiot….you've said enough. I have a friend at my house whose heart is breaking right now and blaming herself. What is it with men? Did you and Stephan take a class on how to be jerks or is it just something your gender is born with?!"

Curt was jolted by Nora's words. "Nora, what's going on with Stephan? What's wrong?"

"What's wrong is Mary Ellen needs me right now and I'm here listening to your bellyaching"

The doctor came closer, a quip about his not getting a word in forgotten. "I need to talk to Mary Ellen because I was a first rate jerk, but right now, I want to talk to you. What happened with Stephan? I stopped at the hospital and he gave me the brush off. What's going on? Did he hurt you?"

Nora turned away. "He broke up with me" Curt was silent as he waited for her to continue. "He said our schedules didn't work, but….I think he heard what people are saying about us."

Curt sighed in frustration. "Good grief. How that stupid rumor got started I have no idea"

Nora had an idea. "Do you think it was David?"

Curt rubbed his face. "I don't know anymore. I just know when I do find the person who started it, they are going to regret it" He looked at his friend. "I'm so sorry, Nora"

She looked at Curt and saw the sadness in his eyes that she knew was not all for her. "I'll deal with it, but right now, you have more important things to do, like apologizing to Mary Ellen"

"Do you think she'll forgive me?"

Nora laughed. "Curt, you've managed to get on the bad side of almost everyone in Jefferson County, but they all still like you. If you can get them folks to love you, I think Mary Ellen will forgive you. Come by in the morning. I'll make sure she's up"

The doctor hugged his friend. "Okay" He was about to turn back to his van when he stopped Nora. "If you need anything, Nora, don't hesitate to ask"

"I won't. Now let's get home and get some sleep so you are fresh as a daisy when you see Mary Ellen tomorrow"

They separated and each took off. As he got closer to town on Nora's heels, Curt decided to do some thinking at the Walton homestead before home. As he was going to turn on the road split heading that way, he saw John Boy's truck head towards the homestead quite fast. 'Someone got a hot date tonight' he thought to himself as he chuckled. Suddenly he had a better idea on what to do, but he needed to get home first.

Erin arrived home at nine thirty. When she got in, she noticed the lights out and figured everyone was still at the fundraiser or in bed. Quickly, she ran outside, grabbed something and came back in. She finished what she had planned and went upstairs.

She saw when she got in her room that Mary Ellen wasn't there, but chalked it up to going to the fundraiser after her shift. After getting ready for bed, she went in and kissed good night to her mother, who had fell asleep while waiting up. When she got under the light blanket on her bed, she closed her eyes and smiled in her sleep.

'David can't fail tomorrow after the plan I have. That cheating weasel Curt doesn't stand a chance'