Everyone in the little Montana town of Pine Creek knew Harold and Linda Dawson.<\/p>\n
They had been married for thirty-seven years.<\/p>\n
They had raised three children, survived two kitchen renovations, owned the same pickup truck for seventeen years, and had spent more winters arguing over whether the thermostat should be set at 65 or 68 degrees.<\/p>\n
They were a perfectly ordinary couple.<\/p>\n
Except for one problem.<\/p>\n
Linda was convinced Harold had forgotten that romance existed.<\/p>\n
It hadn’t happened overnight.<\/p>\n
At first, she thought it was simply age.<\/p>\n
Then Harold stopped planning date nights.<\/p>\n
Then he stopped complimenting her.<\/p>\n
Then he stopped even noticing when she bought a new blouse.<\/p>\n
One evening, Linda stood in front of him wearing a dress she had bought specifically for their anniversary.<\/p>\n
Harold looked up from his newspaper.<\/p>\n
\u201cNice dress.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n
He went back to reading.<\/p>\n
Linda waited.<\/p>\n
Nothing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat’s it?\u201d<\/p>\n
Harold looked over the top of the newspaper.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI bought this for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt looks nice.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHarold, we’ve been married thirty-seven years.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou used to tell me I looked beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n
He smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou still look beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n
Linda’s heart lifted.<\/p>\n
Then he added, \u201cYou just don’t need me to say it every five minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her heart dropped again.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat,\u201d she said, \u201cis exactly the problem.\u201d<\/p>\n
The next morning, Linda decided enough was enough.<\/p>\n
She made an appointment with their family doctor, Dr. Peterson.<\/p>\n
After listening to her concerns, the doctor leaned back in his chair.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow is Harold otherwise?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHealthy as a horse.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAny major medical problems?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cStress?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOnly when I change the furniture.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAlcohol?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTwo beers on Friday night.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSmoking?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Peterson nodded thoughtfully.<\/p>\n
\u201cHave you talked to him about it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe says he’s tired.\u201d<\/p>\n
The doctor smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cHave you tried Viagra?\u201d<\/p>\n
Linda immediately laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot a chance.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy not?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat man won’t even take an aspirin.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Peterson chuckled.<\/p>\n
\u201cI understand.\u201d<\/p>\n
Linda sighed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just wish there were some way to convince him to try something without making him feel like something is wrong with him.\u201d<\/p>\n
The doctor thought for a moment.<\/p>\n
Then he leaned forward conspiratorially.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
Linda raised an eyebrow.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is one possibility.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMontana Viagra.\u201d<\/p>\n
Linda stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cMontana Viagra?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cExactly.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is that?\u201d<\/p>\n
The doctor grinned.<\/p>\n
\u201cTake one of the tablets, crush it into a fine powder, and stir it into his morning coffee.\u201d<\/p>\n
Linda’s eyes widened.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe won’t know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cProbably not.\u201d<\/p>\n
She leaned closer.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you’re sure this is safe?\u201d<\/p>\n
The doctor laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cLinda, I’m joking. Please don’t secretly put prescription medication in your husband’s coffee.\u201d<\/p>\n
She burst out laughing.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was beginning to think you were serious!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever,\u201d he added, \u201cif Harold is having genuine difficulty with sexual function, he should talk to me directly. There are legitimate treatments, and we can figure out what’s appropriate.\u201d<\/p>\n
Linda nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then she smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I have to admit, \u2018Montana Viagra\u2019 is a pretty good name.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI’ve been practicing medicine in Montana for twenty-five years,\u201d the doctor said. \u201cYou learn to entertain yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n
Linda went home feeling better.<\/p>\n
That evening, she told Harold about the doctor’s ridiculous joke.<\/p>\n
Harold laughed so hard he nearly dropped his fork.<\/p>\n
\u201cMontana Viagra?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat’s what he called it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cApparently, you crush it and put it in coffee.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harold shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat doctor is an idiot.\u201d<\/p>\n
Linda smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cSee? You laughed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI laugh all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou laughed at me last week when I fell off the porch.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou weren’t hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was emotionally injured.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harold reached across the table and squeezed her hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Linda smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love you too.\u201d<\/p>\n
For the first time in months, she felt hopeful.<\/p>\n
But the next morning, something unexpected happened.<\/p>\n
Linda woke up early.<\/p>\n
She made Harold’s coffee.<\/p>\n
Then she made breakfast.<\/p>\n
Harold came into the kitchen wearing his old flannel shirt.<\/p>\n
He took his coffee.<\/p>\n
He sat down.<\/p>\n
He drank.<\/p>\n
Then he suddenly froze.<\/p>\n
Linda looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
Harold stared at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou’re staring at me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
He stood.<\/p>\n
Linda blinked.<\/p>\n
\u201cHarold?\u201d<\/p>\n
He walked around the table.<\/p>\n
Then he swept the newspapers, plates, and napkins onto the floor.<\/p>\n
Linda’s mouth fell open.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n
Harold pulled her toward him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI’m remembering something.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy I married you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Linda started laughing.<\/p>\n
\u201cHarold!\u201d<\/p>\n
He kissed her.<\/p>\n
She laughed even harder.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou’ve lost your mind!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n
He picked her up.<\/p>\n
\u201cHarold!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCome on.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked toward the living room.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomewhere without a kitchen table.\u201d<\/p>\n
Linda could hardly believe it.<\/p>\n
For the first time in years, Harold seemed to have rediscovered the man she married.<\/p>\n
The next hour was filled with laughter, affection, and a level of enthusiasm Linda hadn’t seen since their honeymoon.<\/p>\n
Later that morning, Linda lay beside Harold, staring at the ceiling.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n
Harold smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the doctor was onto something.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harold laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI told you that doctor was an idiot.\u201d<\/p>\n
Linda laughed too.<\/p>\n
But then she suddenly sat upright.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh no.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI forgot something.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe weren’t at home.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harold looked around.<\/p>\n
He finally noticed the unfamiliar curtains.<\/p>\n
The strange furniture.<\/p>\n
The coffee shop sign on the wall.<\/p>\n
The table they’d been sitting at that morning.<\/p>\n
He slowly turned toward Linda.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere are we?\u201d<\/p>\n
Linda covered her face.<\/p>\n
They had gone to Starbucks.<\/p>\n
And apparently, in the excitement of the moment, they had created a scene that neither of them would ever forget.<\/p>\n
A manager was standing nearby with his arms crossed.<\/p>\n
A teenage employee was staring at the ceiling.<\/p>\n
Someone at the next table had already called the police.<\/p>\n
And their coffee was still sitting on the floor.<\/p>\n
Linda quickly grabbed her purse.<\/p>\n
Harold pulled on his shirt.<\/p>\n
As they hurried toward the door, the manager shouted:<\/p>\n
\u201cHEY!\u201d<\/p>\n
They stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cYOU TWO!\u201d<\/p>\n
Linda turned around.<\/p>\n
The manager pointed toward the mess.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou’re never allowed back here!\u201d<\/p>\n
Harold looked at Linda.<\/p>\n
Linda looked at Harold.<\/p>\n
Then she started laughing.<\/p>\n
By the time they reached the parking lot, she was crying from laughter.<\/p>\n
Harold opened the truck door.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know,\u201d he said, \u201cwe’re going to have to find another coffee shop.\u201d<\/p>\n
Linda wiped her eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cDefinitely.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe somewhere they don’t know us.\u201d<\/p>\n
She climbed into the passenger seat.<\/p>\n
\u201cHarold?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah?\u201d<\/p>\n
She smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you think Dr. Peterson has any idea what he started?\u201d<\/p>\n
Harold started the truck.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope not.\u201d<\/p>\n
Linda laughed.<\/p>\n
Then her phone rang.<\/p>\n
It was Dr. Peterson.<\/p>\n
She answered.<\/p>\n
\u201cHello, Doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow did everything go?\u201d<\/p>\n
Linda looked at Harold.<\/p>\n
Then she looked back at the Starbucks sign.<\/p>\n
\u201cDoctor\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a disaster.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh no,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
Linda tried not to laugh.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe second he finished his coffee, he jumped up, swept everything off the table, ripped my clothes off, and made love to me right there!\u201d<\/p>\n
There was a long silence.<\/p>\n
Finally, Dr. Peterson said carefully:<\/p>\n
\u201cWell\u2026 that doesn’t sound so bad.\u201d<\/p>\n
Linda sighed.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe not to you.\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked at Harold.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut we’re never allowed back in Starbucks!\u201d<\/p>\n
Harold burst out laughing.<\/p>\n
Linda did too.<\/p>\n
And from that day forward, whenever anyone in Pine Creek asked why the Dawsons suddenly started buying their coffee at the gas station, neither of them would explain.<\/p>\n
They simply smiled.<\/p>\n
And changed the subject.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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