Penny was cleaning up her study materials from the kitchen table when Sam walked in the backdoor. She couldn't help the startled expression that crossed her face as he entered.

"Good, I was hoping to catch you, I thought we would go down to the beach for dinner." He looked at his watch then at her. "Can you be ready to go in about twenty minutes?"

She hadn't really expected him to take her out and it must have shown as her mouth opened and closed a few times before she could make any sound come out of it. To his credit, Sam waited patiently for her to speak.

"I didn't really think you meant it, besides what about the Eastons?"

"They're going out for a romantic dinner for two at the Pink House, and I never say things I don't mean, what would be the point in that?" He watched her, waiting.

"Ummm....we, yes but....,"

"Go get dressed Penny, I'm hungry and I'm not on call this evening so we can enjoy ourselves."

Penny blinked, nodded and then turned to walk into her room. What did he mean by change? She looked down at her calf length skirt, and loose sweater set. She would have to dig deep for something that didn't resemble what she was already wearing.

Fifteen minutes later she looked at herself in the mirror. She had found a pretty sundress in a baby blue color that fit her a little tighter than she would have liked. It had a scooped neckline and cap sleeves with and empire waist stopping just above her knees. She had also found a pair of tan sandals that crisscrossed over her foot in a complicated pattern.

Her hair would have to stay as it was, there was no way she was wearing it down on the beach because it would be a hopeless tangle in only a few minutes. Taking a deep breath she picked up a sweater and her small purse and opened her door only to find Sam sitting in the chair at the desk.

He stood when he saw her, a smile coming to his lips. "You look lovely."

Penny suppressed the blush but wouldn't meet his eyes as she thanked him. Instead she focused on taking in his appearance. He was wearing a loose pair of cargo shorts with a button down dress shirt in a light yellow that was untucked. On his feet he wore a pair of sandals as well. He looked nothing like a doctor.

"Shall we go, I'm starved." He motioned for her to follow him and he held open the door for her, then the truck door as well. It was all a little too much like a date, and she hadn't been on a date since high school.

As they rode out to the beach she couldn't help but think that he smelled good, and she was fascinated by his hands as they rested lightly on the steering wheel. They parked down front on the strand where they were directly across from the restaurant which had a wonderful view of the beach from the deck above.

Penny kept waiting for someone to call her out and ask Sam what he was doing with the likes of her, but no one looked at them odd, and the waitress gave them a friendly smile as she seated them and took their drink order.

"You really do look lovely Penny, why don't you wear dresses like that more often?" Sam asked as she settled back into his seat letting the sounds of the restaurant and the ocean wash over him.

She just shrugged and smiled. She wasn't going to tell him that she thought her boobs were too large or her hips too round, it would only draw his attention to them more than the dress already had. "I could ask you the same thing."

"I have a reasonable excuse though." He smiled at the waitress as she delivered their drinks.

Penny could give the same excuse, her work wasn't conducive to pretty dresses, but knowing he wouldn't buy it, she only smiled and looked down at the beach below.

"So you're not going to answer my question?" She could feel his gaze on her, looking at her face and her hair.

It was such a caring gaze that she couldn't help but be honest, "I don't like my figure. I'm a little too well-endowed," she said softly before taking a sip of her drink.

Sam threw back his head and laughed. "Oh Penny, most women would kill for a figure like yours, and from a man's stand point there is no such thing as too well-endowed when it comes to certain things."

"Unless you're my father." She should be pleased that she had made him laugh but instead she was hurt, she knew he wasn't laughing at her, but it made light of something that had been a serious issue for her as a girl.

He grew serious as she watched her. "He's not your real father is he?" Sam smiled vaguely at the waitress as she dropped off the appetizer that he had ordered for them.

Penny eyed the chili fries with doubt. "Aren't you supposed to know not to eat stuff like that?"

He gave her a heart stopping grin that made him look years younger just before he bit into a fry with his perfect teeth. Her heart somersaulted in her chest.

"Haven't you heard, Doctors make the worst patients." He scooped up more of the offending looking heap before pushing it towards her.

"No." She shook her head reaching for her drink, hoping she had distracted him from his question.

"Your father?" he asked after another bite.

She sighed, inwardly cringing, she had told him she would tell him and now she was obliged to do so, even though she had promised in a moment of weakness. "What makes you think he's not my real father?"

"Something your aunt said to him."

"He is not my biological father but he adopted me as an infant so he is my real father, which means that I have to own Aunt Barbara as well." She watched him wishing she had his self confidence. She could see a few of the women in the restaurant looking him over as he ate.

"Has he always treated you the way he did today? Does that have something to do with your accurate book keeping?"

"Yes," she cleared her throat. "my mother died when I was ten, and the house, the chores, and everything that had been her responsibility became my responsibility. It was a good thing that, legally, he had to send me to school. I don't doubt that, if he had had the option not to, he wouldn't have. I cleaned, cooked, did the laundry, did the shopping, and I was expected to do it all on very little money. If I ran out or needed extra I had to prove why I needed it and where all of the money he had already given me had gone. I have always been an ungrateful and sinful creature that's not new."

"Have you thought about why he felt that way?"

"Nothing I care to look to deeply into. He never physically touched me in anyway, verbally though, I was his punching bag, and it took me until the age of twenty six to leave his house. The job with you was my way out quickly. When you almost didn't give it to me..." She shook her head unable to continue. "And that's my sad little story." She forced a smile ending the conversation as the food was delivered to their table.

"Should we stop off for some antacid on the way home?" she asked, eyeing his burger.

"Probably, maybe I'll just have some peppermint tea, I hear it's a cure-all."

He followed her lead and kept the rest of the dinner conversation light and amusing, and it wasn't long before Penny felt herself relaxing and joining in the conversation. They were debating the merits of actual books versus digital copies when a shadow fell across their table.

It was an older woman with dyed red hair and skin that had seen a little too much sun over the years. "Dr. Evers, I'm not sure if you remember me-"

"I do Ms. Paul, how are you?"

"I'm fine thanks to you, I just wanted to come over and thank you again. I don't want to interrupt you and your wife at dinner." She smiled as he rose to tower above her.

"That's alright, I was just losing an argument so you couldn't have picked a better time to interrupt." He threw his arm over the woman's shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

"Penny, this is Kelly Paul, a past patient of mine."

Kelly held out her hand and Penny shook it, about to correct her on the fact that she wasn't Sam's wife, but he didn't give her a chance to, as he launched right into asking her about her health and her family. The man not only remembered her name but he remembered the names of her family members as well.

The woman didn't stay long as she thanked him again and then moved back to her table, pointing towards Sam who gave a friendly wave then turned back around in his chair. "I hope she didn't see me eat the chili fries." He grinned letting her get a rare glimpse at his sense of humor before he caught the waitress's eye and asked for the check.

"Are you ready?"

"Sure," she said, not really ready to leave at all, she had been enjoying her time with him.

After he paid the bill he rose and waited for her to do the same, his manners flawless as he let her proceed him out of the restaurant. He made the way back to his truck and all of Penny's hopes for a walk on the beach under the moonlight were dashed, as she held open the truck door for her.

"Thank you for the very nice dinner," Penny said after he had navigated the strand traffic and they were back on the main highway again.

"You're very welcome, I enjoyed your company."

She watched his hands on the steering wheel as they kept the truck on the road. Penny had never found the act of making light conversation easy, so she just remained silent watching the scenery of the marsh grasses under the full moon as they sped by the window. The tide was out and it would have been much prettier if it had been in. Then the moonlight would have been glinting off of the water.

"Do you get to go down to the beach often?" Sam asked.

"No, It's funny, I've lived here my whole life and I've only been down to the beach a couple of times and never at night. It was fun."

He turned to look at her sharply but the cab of the truck was too dark to make out his expression. "What not even on a date?"

Had he said that to make it clear that they were not on a date? "No, not even on a date." The fact of the matter was that she had only been out on a few dates in her life, and then it had been in high school, and the few high school boys she had been out with had never been overly romantic.

They were silent again and Penny turned to look out the window, and she was completely surprised when she felt the truck shudder as Sam stomped on the breaks hard. She looked up just in time to hear and see a car coming from the opposite direction veer into their lane, hit the car in front of them, completely flip, and land right side up and about thirty feet into the marsh. The hit car spun into oncoming traffic and was hit a second time by another car.

Thankfully, Sam had been going at a moderate speed and had been far enough back to break in enough time not to be involved in the accident. He had had to break hard and fast and it jolted Penny causing the seat belt to dig into her shoulder.

Sam quickly pulled over to the side of the road, turned on his hazards, and the cars behind him were able to stop in time as well.

"Call 911, tell them that there's been an accident on the east side of the bridge, and that they need to send fire because there's a car in the marsh. Then stay put." He jumped out of the truck and moved to the car closest to them.

Penny did as she was told and she watched for the next hour, as police, EMTs, and Firefighters all arrived and started the job of sorting out the accident. Once the EMTs arrived Sam was pulled aside by the police and he spent a considerable time talking to them before he rejoined her at the truck.

"We should be able to go soon, they're going to start clearing in a few minutes and open the road back up, are you alright?"

"I'm fine." She nodded, there was no way she was going to complain. If Sam had been a careless driver they could have very well been included in the wreck. "Is everyone O.K.?"

Sam looked grim as he shook his head. "No, there are two fatalities and one critical. They took the critical away about half an hour ago."

"You don't need to go?"

"No, there is nothing I can do that the other doctors at the hospital can't, and I'm not on call this evening."

"This is a heck of a way to spend an evening off," Penny said sadly.

"The night wasn't an entire loss." But before he could expound on that statement he was called away by one of the police officers who had a question.

When they were able to leave the scene it had been over two hours and they were both tired, neither one wanting to talk. As they entered the kitchen Penny offered to make coffee and Sam sank into the chair by the fireplace looking weary.

"It must be hard knowing you can help and not having the necessary tools to do so?" She turned to look at him, expecting to see his eyes closed but he was looking at her strangely.

Suddenly, self-conscious, she looked away. "What, did I say something wrong?"

"No, most people wouldn't have even thought of that?"

Penny just shrugged, it was common sense to her. They had arrived at the scene and he hadn't had anything other than his cellphone, what would he have been able to do?

They both heard the front door open and then a few moments later Sydney and Cole wandered into the kitchen.

"I thought I smelled coffee, you have enough for a few more cups?"

"Sure." Penny smiled as she pulled a few mugs down and began to set a tray with milk and sugar.

"There was an accident on the highway leading back from the beach and we got caught up in the traffic jam. We had to have sat in our car for more than two hours," Cole said in exasperation.

"Good thing you had enough gas," Sam said, not giving anything away.

Penny followed his lead and didn't say a word, what would be the point. There hadn't been a happy ending and it would have only created a lot more questions about something she didn't want to remember.

"No, it was a good thing neither one of us had to go to the bathroom," Sydney said and they all laughed.

"That could have been a problem," Sam agreed.

They spent the next half of the hour talking about their plans for the next day while Penny listened in, not saying a word. Eventually, Sam stood up ending the conversation, thanked Penny, and escorted the others from the kitchen with an excuse that Penny probably wanted to clean up and go to bed, and not disagreeing she did just that.