She’d heard Walt mumbling about their leaving. Already four members were slated to depart within twenty-four hours. “But there’s still so much to do.”
“I know,” Walt had said.
“How long are you staying?”
“Another week.”
Monica had thought she couldn’t be in Jamaica, but without a job to go home to, what was her hurry? Wouldn’t it just be like Pat to force her to come home just to throw her job out the window.
She needed to talk to Walt about her options but he’d already returned to the main hospital. The poor guy was being dragged around more than she was.
Tauni held a teenage girl’s leg as Monica wrapped it in a bandage. “Do we have any more four-by-fours?” The square bandage material was in extremely short supply.
Tauni moved her hand to give Monica room to tie off the bandage. “Less than half a box.”
“I’ll call Walt and ask if he can spare more when he comes back tomorrow.”
“The government says we’ll get more soon.”
The government, as Tauni called them, promised all kinds of things soon. Yet soon had yet to come. They brought food with armed guards and had no problem pushing people away from the trucks with excessive force. It was downright scary. Hunger was becoming the next national disaster.
People were becoming short with each other, the goodwill effort was bending to the basic human needs. Goodwill was in the toilet when your family was hungry.
Monica released the girl’s leg and offered a smile. “It’s looking good. Healing perfectly,” she told the mother who sat at the girl’s side.
“Thank you.”
Tauni nudged Monica’s shoulder and nodded toward the door. “Looks like you have a visitor.”
Monica glanced up and saw Trent. Beside him was an even more familiar face.
She squealed and all but ran to hug her brother-in-law.
“Hey?”
She felt a hand on her arm, pulling her away from Jack.
“Hey?” Trent’s frown was lethal. He kept looking between the two of them. “You two know each other?”
“Yeah, he’s—”
Trent threw his hands in the air, stopping her words. “I don’t want to know.” He turned and started to storm away.
“Wait up.” Monica grabbed Trent’s arm and spun him around. What the hell was his problem? “What’s wrong with you?”
“Me?” Trent glared at Jack and returned his glare to Monica. “What about you? I wouldn’t have kissed you if I’d known there was someone waiting for you at home.”
Monica’s jaw dropped.
“Kissed you?” She heard Jack say.
She poked a finger in the middle of Trent’s chest. “You might wanna check your testosterone at the door, buddy. Jack is my brother-in-law. As in married to my sister.”
It was Trent’s turn to drop his jaw.
“Oh.”
“Yeah, oh! You thought I’d…” God, what he must think of her. Never, even in all her Ice Queen days, did she fool around with more than one guy at a time. She couldn’t even date different guys. She turned her back on Trent and placed all her attention on Jack. “Hi.”
Jack winked. “Hey, darlin’. You look… well, you look like crap.”
She laughed, despite the turmoil in her belly placed there by the man whose stare was boring holes in her back.
“Only family would say that. Even if it’s true.” She made sure the word family could be heard by anyone within ten feet. “Speaking of family, how’s Jessie… you know my sister? Your wife?”
Jack glanced over Monica’s shoulder and offered a pained look at Trent. “You’re in so much trouble. Monica’s like a burr in a saddle when she’s mad.” Jack glanced back at Monica. “And she’s pissed.”
Monica didn’t even turn toward Trent. She grabbed Jack’s arm and pulled him out of the room and out the back door. Maybe Mr. Testosterone would get the hint and leave them alone.
Jerk.
She dragged Jack to the shade tree she’d dubbed her break room and pulled up a patch of grass. “Jessie told me you were coming. You didn’t have to search me out.”
“Jessie would skin me alive if I hadn’t checked on you personally.”
Monica smiled. Jack would do anything for her sister. “Well, I’d say it wasn’t necessary, but I’m so happy to see a familiar face I can’t tell you.”
“I don’t know how you do it, darlin’. Your sister is so proud of you. We all are. Katie wanted me to tell you there’s a spa day planned the minute you get home.”
Katie was Jack’s sister, and although not truly Monica’s sister-in-law, she might as well be. “Tell her I’m counting on it. Looks like I may have all kinds of time on my hands when I get home.”
“Oh… why’s that?”
“It’s complicated. My boss took me off the schedule. She’s always looked for a reason to fire me.”
Jack’s dimpled smile fell. “She what?”
Monica waved off his concern. “I’m sure it will be fixed when I get back.” She wasn’t sure of anything.
“Who would fire a nurse who rips apart their life to do this?” He tossed his hand in the air and indicated all the people, the tents, the destruction.
“It will be fine.”
“I have lawyers—”
“And I’ll let you sic them on her if she tries to make my termination stick. Let me try it my way first.” Good lord what a switch in her life. In Jessie’s life. Neither of them could count on a man for anything growing up. Monica knew that Jack didn’t offer empty promises and if his father, Gaylord Morrison, got word of Monica’s problem, the whole damn hospital would have lawyers crawling all over it.
“Just say the word.”
Monica had liked Jack from the minute she met him. He was perfect for her sister. “I will.”
Jack leaned back on his arms and nodded toward the clinic. “So, what’s with you and Fairchild?”
“Fairchild?”
“Trent.”
“Oh, is that his last name?”
Jack’s eyes narrowed. “You’re kissing the man and don’t know his name?”
She kicked his leg. “One kiss. And names are… useless here.” Yet Trent had driven back yesterday just to learn hers.
“Still think you should know his name first. Makes a man feel used otherwise.”
Monica busted out in a belly laugh. “Men love being used for kissing.”
“Not that one. He didn’t seem happy to think you might have someone else.”
“Yeah, well… it’s not like he has a right to own a jealousy card. We just met.”
Jack flicked off an insect that had crawled up on his leg. “That doesn’t always matter. Just thinking of Jessie looking at another man was an issue the day after we met.”
“That was different.”
“Oh, why?”
“I don’t know. It just was.” Jack and Jessie were meant to be forever. Monica didn’t think that was out there for her. She had serious trust issues and was the first to admit it. “Enough about him. Tell me about Danny. Is he riding that colt yet?”
Her nephew was a constant source of chatter in the family. The kid loved life and was happier on a ranch than any kid could be.
They talked about home for a while longer and then Jack started to stand. “I told my pilot we’d get out of here before dark.”
She stood and hugged him again. “Send my love. And tell Jessie I looked great or she’ll worry.”
“You look tired.”
“I’m exhausted. But it won’t last forever. I’ll get some sleep soon. Don’t worry.”
He looked around at the people that were everywhere and in every state of dress. No shoes, clothes that looked as if they’d been worn for days. “If you need a fast exit, I’ll send a plane.”
“Thanks, Jack. It makes me feel better about being here knowing someone’s watching my back.”
“You can be just as big of a pain in the ass as
Katie. Might as well treat you both the same.”
He didn’t mean a word of it, and Monica knew it. He draped his arm around her and walked her back inside the clinic.
Trent had pulled up a chair and was sitting by the door, waiting.
Monica hesitated.
“I’ll wait for you at your car,” Jack said. He kissed Monica’s cheek. “Bye darlin’. You be careful.”
“I will.”
Jack swaggered out the door.
Trent stood and shoved his hands in his pockets. “I guess I owe you an apology.”
She leveled her eyes with his. “I guess you do.”
“I’m taking your brother-in-law back to the airport. I’ll be back to get you out of here.”
“I’m busy—”
“According to Tauni, they have enough help tonight so you can get out of here. You’ll get sick yourself at this pace.”
“Fine.” She was too tired to argue. “Now, about that apology…”
His eyes walked a slow dance down her frame and back up. Her skin stood on end as if he’d touched her. He leaned forward, placed his lips close to her ear. “My apology needs privacy.”
He walked away… again… with her rooted in one spot staring.
Anticipation shivered up her spine.
Chapter Eleven
“I feel I need to say something here,” Jack said as Trent shook his hand for the last time.
“How about thank you?”
Jack lifted a brow and tilted his Stetson back an inch. “Monica’s like a sister to me.”
Ahh, Jack is taking on the role of big brother.
“Most people think I’m a nice guy.”
Jack let his hand drop, fished a business card out of his back pocket, and handed it to Trent. “If she needs anything, and I mean anything, call me. It sounds like her job is giving her a hard time back home. I’d like to know the name of whoever is in charge of the operation here.”
“Her job, really?” Trent asked.
“Not everyone is a nice guy.”
Trent tucked the card into his front pocket. “I’ll see what I can find out.”
“Appreciate it. Thanks for the lift.” Jack stood taller and nodded. “Take care of her.”
“Not a problem.”
Jack jogged up the steps to his private plane and disappeared inside.
Nice guy. Good thing I don’t have to hate him. Mr. Testosterone, as Monica had called him, had jumped the assumption level and nearly blown a good thing. Testosterone in his veins, caffeine was needed intravenously, and his coffee needed CPR. Yeah, he had Monica on his brain.
It wasn’t like Trent to care one way or another about what a woman had back home. In fact, Trent assumed most of the women he’d met and spent horizontal time with on the island had something else going. Made it easier.
But not with Monica.
He’d have to consider the why of that later. Thinking about it now gave him a headache. Or maybe that was hunger.
His apology to the woman in question would have to be more basic than flowers and chocolate… none of which were available. Unless he wanted to skip through the freaking woods and pick them himself. Trent drew the line there.
Back in his Jeep, he headed down the hill again. This time to bring her to his home… at least for a little while.
Hormones were awful things, crazy little buggers that nudged into your good sense and often made a fool out of you.
Jessie pushed back tears when she realized Jack was calling her from twenty thousand feet.
“Hey, darlin’, how’re you doing?” His voice was soothing, rich, and so Jack.
“I miss you.”
“I’ll be crawling into your bed before you wake up,” he told her.
That helped. “How is it there?”
Jack hesitated. “Horrific.”
“How can we help?”
“I’m contacting community outreach through our cooperate headquarters, setting up a relief fund. They need shelter, tents, clothing, food. All the basics.”
“I want to help with something,” Jessie told him.
“We’ll figure something out when I get home. Monica sends her love,” he said.
Hearing her sister’s name brought a smile to her face. “You did manage to find her.”
“Sure did.”
“Did she seem off to you?”
Static came through the line as Jack mumbled something that sounded like there’s a guy, but Jessie wasn’t sure. “What was that?”
“Trent Fairchild. Nice guy. Got all hot under the collar when he assumed I was someone other than her brother-in-law.”
Jessie closed her eyes and shook her head. “Wait. What? Back up… Monica met a guy?”
“That’s what I said. She was either worked up over him or the fact that the hospital isn’t cooperating with her leaving.”
Now Jessie was confused. She had Jack explain everything again. Slowly.
“So let me get this right,” she said a few minutes later after Jack explained what he’d learned. “She was fired and she’s kissing some helicopter pilot named Trent?”
Jack laughed. “Yeah, well, she wasn’t fired, but close enough. And get this, the Fairchilds own a charter company we use at the Morrisons all over the country. I’ll have to ask my dad about them.”
Jessie grabbed a piece of paper and jotted down the name. “Oh, that’s OK, I can take care of the digging. Serves Monica right for all the nosy sister behavior when you and I were dating.”
“We never dated,” he reminded her.
She chuckled. He was right… they hadn’t dated. She hadn’t allowed it.
“Hurry home.”
“I love you, darlin’.”
“Love you, too.”
Jessie hung up the phone, held it to her chest. After a long sigh, she punched in Katie’s phone number.
Katie answered on the first ring.
They exchanged hellos and how ya doings, and then Jessie got right to the point.
“We need to find out everything we can about a guy named Trent Fairchild.”
“We do?” Katie asked.
“Yep. We really do.” Jessie smiled at the thought of some guy twisting Monica up.
For all the years Monica had dated anyone, Jessie never knew her to go crazy over any of them. Must be a sign.
She wasn’t sure what kind of apology Trent was planning, but it had better include food and a bed… and a shower.
Make that a shower first, food, and a bed minus a partner, at least until some zzz’s had been obtained. Monica had a new respect for doctors that went through medical school and their internships where they could count the hours of sleep in thirty-six hours on one hand.
Her feet ached, her back was screaming, and her eyeballs burned. Seriously, Monica couldn’t remember ever feeling so exhausted.
She left a message on Walt’s phone letting him know that she was away from the clinic for at least twelve hours. Ten of which she planned to sleep through.
Monica propped herself beside the building and waited for Trent. She didn’t even have the energy to smile when he pulled up.
“Do you need me to carry you?” he asked when he rounded the front of his car and opened her door.
“I’d even take your helicopter for a ride if it would get me to a shower faster.”
“That’s a serious need.”
He pulled out onto the road, avoided a pothole the size of Nebraska, and kept going. Monica leaned her head back and closed her eyes. “You’ll forgive me if I’m less than a party.”
“I won’t even try talking to you,” Trent said.
She was already fading. “Good, cuz I need more than two brain cells to discuss your reaction to Jack.”
Monica dozed all the way up the hill, and barely realized they were at his place when he helped her out of the car. Only part of her plan kicked into place. The shower was hot but she didn’t even manage to dry her hair before she fell into bed. Food would have to wait.
Sunshine, bright and piercing, pounded on the back of her eyelids, waking her. Monica stretched, felt at least four different muscles she didn’t realize she had, and rolled back over. The soft pillow cushioned her head and left her in a cloud for a little while longer. It felt so damn good to be horizontal, to not have anyone calling out for her help.
She blinked a few times, and remembered where she was. She’d managed to toss a pajama T-shirt over her shoulders, but never dragged on the bottoms. The night before she’d wrapped her hair in a towel and rested her head on the pillow. That was her last memory. The towel sat folded on a chair by the door to her room. She’d fallen asleep on top of the covers, yet there was a light cotton blanket thrown over her. Her legs were bare, and only a thin pair of panties covered her girly parts.
Indebted to Trent for the best night’s sleep she’d had in over a week, Monica didn’t mind that he’d gotten an eyeful when he’d tucked her in.
The noise coming from her stomach reminded her of the time between meals and forced her from bed.
Inside the bathroom, she clicked on the light and miracle of miracles, the power was on. Leaning her ear toward the door, she realized there wasn’t the sound of a noisy generator running.
She emerged from her room a few minutes later, wearing her running shorts and shirt. All her clothes could use a good wash. Maybe if Trent’s power was on she could bug him for yet one more basic need.
He was in his living room with a large big-screen television tuned in to a newscast.
“G’morning,” she said, bringing his attention to her presence.
His face softened and he lifted his strong frame from the couch. “I was starting to wonder if you were going for another twelve hours.”
“Twelve hours?”
“You dropped around eight.” He tapped his watch and said, “It’s almost ten.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Nope.”
Her heart skipped. Fourteen hours. “I’ve got to get back.” She turned around to go change clothes. Smelly awful clothes.
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