Chasing Air

by DeLaine Roberts

  The hand-written note said:

  Treasure hunt: The piece that’s missing is hidden for now, but I think you’ll find it in due time.

  Ah, it was a coconut cream pie, with one very large piece missing. Perfect timing. A smile must’ve crept up on her face, one that piqued the interest of David and Veronica who happened to be approaching the control desk.

  “Lover boy’s at it again, I see,” Veronica nudged.

  Makenzie secretly slipped the card in the pocket of her lab coat. “His mom makes the most wonderful pies. But I have to break it off with her, she’s making me gain weight.”

  “Really, where?”

  “You don’t see all my junk in the trunk?” Makenzie quipped.

  “No, I don’t. I see a beautiful woman with just the right curves in just the right places. Guys don’t like those bone-thin women. They need something to hang on to!” She patted her rear in demonstration.

  That was more than David could handle. “Not a conversation for me, I’ll find something to do,” he declared, and he walked away.

  “Okay, spill. I know when something’s wrong.” She gave Makenzie that inquiring-minds-want-to-know look.

  “I got a lecture dumped on me at the last minute. I only have a few weeks to prepare.” She tried to deflect the conversation.

  “Really? You could put together a solid lecture in three hours. What’s really wrong? And I’m guessing that it has to do with a sexy detective.” She put her hands on her hips and pushed her chest out with that half-cocked smirk she always gave Makenzie when she was disagreeing with her.

  “Okay, fine. There’s this other guy.”

  “The one that sent the flowers?” she asked. “You got two guys on the string?” She gave a big howling laugh.

  “Uhm, hmm. I went from none to two. How’s that possible all at the same time? Same freakin’ week.” Makenzie shook her head.

  “Okay, Ryler I know about, so spill on the other one first, then we’ll get back to the sexy detective, because he’s your man, honey.”

  Makenzie filled Veronica in on Jonathan; their meeting and their date, down to the kiss outside the ER. “I can still taste that kiss on my lips.” She must’ve, because she licked them again.

  “Girl, what are we gonna do with you?” she touted. “Tall, dark, handsome. Sexy and rich, what else could you ask for? Oh wait, I know, chemistry. But sounds like you have a little of that too. How do you feel about step-kids and ex-wives?”

  “Look, Veronica, I know what you’re up to. It’s not going to work.”

  “All I’m stating is the obvious. Don’t overlook all the obstacles with the one you think might be Mr. Right, because he’s packing a life-long amount of baggage with the ex, not to mention that his daddy is on the board of this hospital.” She wrinkled her nose in that bite-me look.

  “Nah, seriously? Oh my god, I didn’t know that.” Makenzie took a moment to doodle on the pad in front of her, “Why he didn’t mention it, I wonder?” She let out a breath in exasperation. “Geez.”

  The conversation was interrupted by a patient with a snakebite being carried in through the doors and what appeared to be the younger brother, carrying the live snake in a glass jar.

  “Heaven help us,” Veronica uttered.

  “And that would be a copperhead. Somebody please ask security to get that thing out of here and dispose of it,” Makenzie loudly requested while she escorted the man carrying the little girl who now had a leg swollen to five times the size of the other one.

  After a night of badgering from Veronica and an internal demolition of her nerves, Makenzie was beat.

  Finally home after her rough shift, she put on soft music, got a hot shower, and set the alarm, praying for a few hours of solid sleep. Two big things were waiting for her later in the day: breaking it off with Ryler and speaking with Agent Bernard, neither one a conversation she looked forward to.

  ***

  The time for the call to Agent Bernard was perfectly planned just before the Trippe’s ballgame.

  “I have a couple of options for you. First, can you do the lecture in disguise?” Bernard asked.

  “Nope, that’s not possible.” She spoke softly. It was a great idea if only she could pull it off.

  “Okay then, we’re left with incognito.” He didn’t sound thrilled.

  “What’s incognito like?” She was curious, but not convinced. Didn’t disguise and incognito mean the same thing?

  “Your flights and hotel reservations will be made under another fictitious name. What I need you to do is get a normal headshot for the brochure, which he’ll trim up, then you’ll get another with a ton of makeup on, a fake nose and lip piercing, etc. I’ll get someone to help you with that. When you get it, send it to me. I’ll have the documents made for you that you’ll travel under and they’ll be hand delivered by a local agent. Book your hotel and flights under that name. Do you need anything else?” He sounded worried.

  “The one for the brochure. How do I pull that off?”

  “Call me in twenty-four hours and I’ll set that up. And one more thing, Mak, I’m sending you a concealed handgun license. I want you packin’ a piece. I know I’m going against my normal routine, but I want you to carry it. If you haven’t been in a while, get in some practice at a gun range. It won’t be fun at the airport, they’ll give you grief, they’ll make you check it and all that, but as soon as you claim your bag, you know the drill.”

  That confirmed her fears. He wasn’t just worried, he sounded terrified. That fact made Makenzie wonder if she was being set up. She looked at the locks on the doors, the windows, and double checked her gun. She wasn’t ready to move again. This time she wanted to stay and fight for her life. Drew Donati could bring it, she was going to be ready.

  ***

  The tasks that Agent Bernard requested were taken care of. Who knew you could buy fake piercings that were very convincing? She took the photos and sent them to him. She had to wait until she received her documents from him before making her reservations. The image for the brochure was altered enough that it would work. She emailed it over to Dr. Trynn.

  She met up with Rachel and introduced her to Ryler and his partner before they gathered with the rest of the team.

  The afternoon flew by and game was a lot of fun. She and Rachel both seemed to enjoy themselves. Makenzie noticed that Rachel was spending quite a bit of time with one of the police officers named Brody. Dark hair, great body, round face with large dimples and dark eyes. Mak did a double take at Brody. He was a hunky Italian and looked like he hit the gym a couple of times a day. If that wasn’t incentive to keep working out on the mat, she didn’t know what would be.

  Afterwards, they all gathered at Ryler’s digs for a party and time outside by the grill and the pool. Makenzie was inside with Ryler gathering all of the vegetables and condiments when she eyeballed the pie in the fridge all wrapped up. There was a note on the top:

  No touching, this is for me and my girl later in private.

  Makenzie smiled privately to herself. She didn’t have to be curious that the note was her benefit, she knew it was. Ryler was making a declaration to her about how he felt. Even more so, if his friends saw it, they would know as well. His feelings for her were unabashed. Either way, telling him what she had planned to later when they were alone wouldn’t be any easier.

  “You found the treasure so quickly, I see,” he teased. She was caught off guard and jumped back, hitting her head on the freezer door handle.

  “Well, it wasn’t like it was hidden or anything. But I’m a bit curious about that note,” she said, not that she really needed an explanation.

  Ryler took the tray Makenzie was holding and set it on the bar. He grabbed her in his arms and kissed her tenderly. He stopped for a moment and captured the gaze in her eyes, the look of permission. He possessed her mouth again, but this time he put both hands in her hair and kissed her passionately before pulling away abruptly, leaving her standing there filled w
ith want.

  “My girl,” he muttered under his breath as he walked away while whistling a tune.

  Makenzie stood in the kitchen pondering her next move. She couldn’t go outside and play the happy girlfriend, that wasn’t fair to him and that wasn’t what she was, although his declaration clearly defined how he felt about her. Things weren’t going the way she had hoped, and she clearly didn’t want to hurt him.

  Ryler threw her a curve ball she wasn’t expecting. When she went outside, he was being awfully chummy with Rachel and a couple of the other wives, but he wasn’t really flirty with her. They sat around the pool and enjoyed burgers and dogs and she felt like one of the gang, but only as a friend. There was no show of affection from him to her. She caught his gaze on her several times and when their eyes met, he just smiled. The man barely acknowledged her on purpose and she knew it.

  The evening finally started winding down. Makenzie was outside helping clean up when she realized everyone had left except for her. She was now going to be alone with Ryler and had to pick her words carefully. She was gathering the last bit of trash when she sensed his body close behind her. He was quiet, but she could physically feel the heat, the chemistry igniting between them. She wanted to turn and run, but she couldn’t. Her legs were temporarily paralyzed, holding her in place. Her heartbeat quickened. She wanted to feel him touch her. She wanted to know what it felt like to be with him and she couldn’t stop her thoughts.

  Time stood still and teased all of her senses. Her skin prickled at the temptation of his touch.

  Finally, he brushed up against her and grabbed the bag of trash from her, and said, “I’ll take that.” And away he went, leaving her standing there by herself, tumbling in the pit of desire, alone.

  Makenzie realized that she needed to get out of there before she did something stupid. She also needed to put space between the two of them, but he wasn’t making it easy to walk away. She went back into the house and gathered her bag when he came back into the kitchen from the garage.

  “Hey, you forgot something.” He winked as he teased her.

  “I did?” She looked down at the bag in her hands, taking inventory to see what she could’ve possibly forgotten. When she looked up, he was removing the pie from the refrigerator.

  “Share this with me before you go,” he grinned. He was always one step ahead of her.

  She couldn’t resist him or the pie any longer and she skipped back to the bar and took the seat beside him. When she reached for a fork he tapped her hand. “Nope, I got this,” he said, and shook his head. The look he gave her was stern and convincing but also dark and intense, formulated with a yearning that penetrated deep into her soul. He had dropped the bait, she had bitten the hook, and was on the line. Ryler was waiting with drawn breath to reel her in.

  He started towards her mouth with the first bite, but as expected, diverted it to himself and gobbled it down while almost choking on a laugh.

  “Hey mister, that was mine!” She toyed with him.

  “I had to test it to make sure it was good enough for you,” he mumbled through his cough.

  They continued to share bites and Ryler was persistent with his mounting pie seduction, while Makenzie melted like whipped cream.

  “Hmm, that is so freakin’ good.” She was enjoying herself way too much and treading in dangerous territory. She held up her hands in defeat. “Can’t do it. No more,” she laughed, rubbing her full belly.

  Ryler leaned in, touched Makenzie’s cheek then rubbed her lips with the pad of his thumb. “You’re so beautiful, Makenzie. Such sweet lips, but your eyes, they get me every time I look into them. I want to know what’s behind them, what they see in the world?”

  He kissed her softly until she melted into him. She wrapped her hands behind his neck, tangling her fingers into his hair. Her body was so close to his that thin paper wouldn’t fit between them. She could feel his heart beating, prickling her skin, and sensed his breath quicken.

  He pulled back at just the right time to once again leave her panting in want. He pushed away from the bar and put away their last dishes.

  Makenzie felt the dismissal. “I need to get some sleep. I have a long day tomorrow with a lecture to put together before I start my shift. Today was so much fun, thank you for including Rachel.” She grabbed her things and headed for the door, Ryler on her heels.

  “Next game is in two weeks, but I want to see you again, before then. A real date, just us. Have dinner with me Makenzie?”

  He wanted her to commit to him. He needed her to give him a sign that she really wanted to be with him. But he couldn’t deny how she made him feel, how his heart fluttered just at the thought of her. How the sight or touch of her made him go hard in an instant. He thought about her every waking minute and couldn’t get her out his mind. It was driving him crazy.

  “I can’t. I should go.” She left and she didn’t look back. She couldn’t, the feelings she had were too strong and she tried to convince herself that he was the wrong man for her.

  She cried all the way back home, angry at herself for letting her guard down and getting wrapped up in something that hurt someone else.

  Ryler Buchanan was gorgeous, manly, caring, and so darn sexy that any woman breathing would turn her head to him. What was the problem? What was HER problem, she questioned. She wanted to reach out to him, wanted to call him and say she was sorry, but she couldn’t. It was better that he stay angry with her, a better chance that he would stay out of her life. The risk of him digging into her background would be deadly for both of them. The other risk would be that he would never forgive her for being dishonest, for being another man’s wife.

  But what she didn’t know was that he already had.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Jonathan: Meet us at the Commons Ballpark at 5:30 can’t wait

  Makenzie: So excited, love watching kids play ball

  Makenzie gathered her hair into a ponytail and fed it through her ball cap. She grabbed her sunglasses and put the address into her GPS. After she started her drive, she realized that she might need a fold-up chair, so she made a pit stop to pick one up. Back on the road, it dawned on her that not only was she meeting Trippe, she could imagine meeting Liza as well. She hadn’t had a relationship with a divorced man, but she had dealt with ex-girlfriends. Could it possibly be any worse? Was Veronica right about ex-wives and all that baggage?

  “Hey, you made it.” She heard Jonathan’s voice behind her.

  She turned to find him approaching her car with a bag on his shoulder and a couple of folding chairs in his hands.

  “You didn’t need to bring a chair, I have one for you.” He was grinning from ear to ear, his bright white smile shining. She couldn’t see his eyes for his sunglasses, but she could feel them on her, like he was undressing her and enjoying a private moment in

  public. Her skin bristled.

  “Thought I should be prepared.”

  “Hey Dad, can you help me with my gear?” Trippe was dragging his bag across the parking lot.

  “Trippe, I’d like you to meet Dr. Makenzie, she’s a friend of mine. Can you say hello?”

  “Hi Dr. Makenzie, are you going to watch me play?”

  Makenzie knelt down and removed her sunglasses so that she could meet the handsome young man. “I am. I’m going to watch you win. Please call me Mak.”

  “Okay,” he said before running off, leaving his gear for his dad to carry.

  Makenzie laughed, “Here, let me grab that, your hands are full.” She grasped the gear bag and followed Jonathan to their team’s sitting area.

  “I’m glad you came, Makenzie. This is a new experience for me, I’ve never introduced anyone else to Trippe. This will be a new experience for him, too.”

  “He’s a handsome young man, I know you’re proud. Hey, aren’t you supposed to be coaching?” She didn’t want him dissing his responsibilities to be with her.

  “We rotate, it’s not my night. Well, not for coaching anywa
y, but I’m hoping that we don’t have any car wrecks on the way home tonight.” He laughed out loud.

  She grinned back at him. “Let’s hope not.”

  Their chairs were close together, but his comment made the hair prickle on the back of Makenzie’s neck. He fully intended to keep the evening going after the game, but surely he wasn’t planning that kind of seduction with Trippe around.

  It wasn’t long before a beautiful blonde woman showed up with an older-looking man, none other than Liza, the ex-wife, and her companion.

  “Jonathan?” The blond woman asked while taking inventory of Makenzie from head to toe.

  “Liza, this is Dr. Makenzie Holder. Makenzie, this is Trippe’s mom, Liza, and her husband, Dave Henderson.”

  “Hello, pleasure to meet you both.” Makenzie tried to shake hands, but the woman would have none of it. They took their seats to the other side of the family area, but sat at an angle so that they could keep Makenzie and Jonathan in their view.

  “Is she always that way to your friends?”

  “I wouldn’t know, you’re the first I’ve ever introduced her to. I suppose she is a little taken aback by this. She wasn’t expecting it. She likes to be in total control of everything. If you don’t believe me, just ask her.” He smirked.

  They enjoyed the game and afterwards, snow cones with their little winners. Trippe had his first homerun and both parents were ecstatic. Of course, with Jonathan capturing it on video, she was sure it would be played a hundred times over.

  “I had fun, thank you for inviting me. Trippe is a trip for sure.” She laughed at her comment before opening the door of her car.

  “You getting rid of me already? The night’s not over, I still had some cards up my sleeve to play. If you want, you can follow me to my place. Up to you.” His hands were on his hips, just above where his shorts were hanging. She marveled at his gorgeous physique. He was waiting on her answer and hoping for the right one.