Wounded Souls

by R J Nolan

  Logan’s teeth clenched as painful memories stirred with this talk of Christmas and families. She despised the approaching holiday and everything associated with it. All it did was remind her of crushing loss and guilt.

  When Dr. Franklin walked away, Dale turned to her, humor sparkling in her eyes. Her expression sobered.

  Logan cursed herself as she struggled to force a neutral expression. Maybe I should have stayed in the desert.

  Dale stepped closer and lowered her voice. “What’s wrong?”

  Logan ruthlessly shoved down the feelings. “Nothing. I need to get back to work.” She walked away with a carefully measured stride. Although she could feel Dale’s gaze on her, she steadfastly refused to look back.

  CHAPTER 15

  Dale grasped the steering wheel and stretched, yawning wide enough to make her TMJs ache. It had been a long shift, and then she had stopped to check on Gretchen before leaving. She backed out of her parking spot. Just before she reached the exit of the lot, she spotted a tow truck driver working in the rain, preparing a small SUV to be towed. That sucks. As Dale drove past the truck, she spotted the vehicle’s owner and hit the brakes. Logan. She pulled into a spot out of the tow truck driver’s way, tugged up the hood of her rain jacket, and got out of her Jeep.

  “Hey, Logan. What happened?”

  Logan scowled. Without a rain jacket or hat, her wet hair was plastered to her scalp. “Damn thing won’t start.”

  “Can I give you a lift?”

  The tow truck driver held out a clipboard. “All set, Dr. Logan.”

  Logan flipped up the plastic protecting the paper and quickly scrawled her name. She turned back toward Dale. “Thanks anyway. I’ll ride with him to the dealership. Hopefully, it’s something simple, and I can get it back today.”

  The driver shook his head before Dale could respond. “Actually, the service department at the dealership isn’t open on Sunday. All I can do is drop it off. They won’t look at it until tomorrow morning. You can come with me, but you’d still need a ride home. I’m not allowed to take you anywhere else.”

  “Damn it,” Logan muttered.

  “I’ll take you home.” While Dale was trying to be helpful, she also realized that this was a chance to spend some time with Logan away from the hospital. She had thought of her often during the last four weeks.

  Logan looked back and forth between Dale and the driver. Finally, she turned to him. “Thanks. Go ahead and drop it at the Subaru dealer in Van Nuys we discussed. I’ll give them a call tomorrow.”

  “Sure thing, Dr. Logan.” He touched the brim of his baseball cap and walked away.

  They watched in silence until he exited the lot with Logan’s SUV in tow.

  “Come on. My Jeep is right over there.”

  Logan shook her head. “That’s not necessary. I’ll call a rental place and have them drop the car off here. I’ll need a car until I get mine back.”

  “It’s Sunday. And I don’t think they deliver that fast anyway. Last time I used a service like that, they needed a business day’s notice. There’s no reason to stand around in the rain. I’ll take you home. You can deal with it from there.”

  Shoving her sopping hair off her face, Logan frowned. “You don’t have to do that. I can…I can call a cab.”

  Dale was wet, cold, and more than ready to get out of the rain. The cold always made her left side ache, especially her residual limb, which left her short tempered. Why was Logan being so damn stubborn? The more she thought about it, the more she realized it was most likely Logan’s determination to not be obliged to anyone. While Dale could relate, in this case, her patience had worn thin. Logan was being ridiculous. It was just a car ride. “It’s a lift home. Period. No obligation. No strings attached.” She scowled at Logan. “Now can we get out of the damn rain?”

  Logan’s flush was visible despite the rain. A look of chagrin chased across her face.

  The previously slow, steady rain chose that moment to become a deluge.

  They both gasped at the onslaught.

  “Come on.” When Dale sprinted for her vehicle, Logan followed.

  Dale slid into the driver’s seat, pushed back her hood, started the Jeep, and turned on the heat, leaving the blower off until the car warmed up.

  She glanced over at Logan; she was soaked. The lightweight jacket she wore had been no protection against the rain. Her head was bowed, allowing her hair to drip water into her face and down her neck. Dale turned and reached between the seats. Their shoulders brushed as she rummaged in the storage bin behind Logan’s seat. As she straightened up, she found herself eye to eye with Logan. The golden starbursts surrounding her topaz-brown irises captivated Dale, derailing her thought process, and she froze.

  Logan jerked her head sideways and sneezed, breaking the moment.

  What the heck was that? Dale straightened and handed Logan a towel. “Gesundheit.”

  “Thanks.”

  Now that the car had warmed up, Dale cranked the blower of the heater to full, sending a blast of warm air into Logan’s face. She smiled when Logan let out a big sigh. “So where in Van Nuys are we heading?”

  Logan watched her intently as she gave the location.

  So she was still staying at a campground. Careful to keep any indication of curiosity off her face, Dale nodded and pulled out of the lot. The rain continued unabated as she merged onto Interstate10.

  “Where are you going?” Logan asked.

  “Huh? Where you told me.”

  “But this isn’t the way. It’s off the 101.”

  “Let me guess. GPS sent you that way?”

  “Yeah. Is there a better one?”

  That was the downfall of relying on GPS units; the route they used might be the shortest, but it wasn’t always the greatest choice—especially in Los Angeles.

  “On the best of days, the 101 is a hassle with traffic. On a day like today, it will be a nightmare. We’re going to take the 10 to the 405. This way is a little longer distance-wise but will be faster.”

  True to her word, despite the bad weather, the traffic flowed smoothly. The only sounds in the car were the drumming of the rain on the roof and the slap of the windshield wipers. She glanced at Logan several times, but her gaze remained locked out the front windshield. Dale fished for a topic of conversation aside from work.

  As she merged onto the 405, a sea of brake lights lit up in front of them. The traffic quickly slowed to a crawl, then came to a complete stop. Vehicles filled the freeway as far as the eye could see.

  Dale cursed under her breath. She glanced over at Logan and gave her a sheepish look. “Okay, usually this is a better way to go.” She relaxed when Logan chuckled. “Guess it’s just not my day. This is the second time in less than twenty-four hours that I’ve been stuck in traffic. That’s why Harris was covering for me.”

  “You were stuck in traffic for two hours?” Logan asked, sounding a bit alarmed.

  Was she worried they would be forced together for that long? “Actually, it was longer than that. I had already been stuck two hours when I called him. I knew I was never going to make it in time for my shift.”

  “What happened? An accident?”

  Dale shook her head. “No. All this rain caused a mudslide on PCH north of Malibu. I couldn’t get through. Had to go up to Sherman Oaks, then make my way back. With all the traffic being diverted, it was a nightmare.”

  “PCH?”

  “Pacific Coast Highway.”

  “Oh, right. I’ve been on that, going to the beach.”

  “While we need the rain because of the drought, I’m getting tired of it. The desert is looking good about now.”

  Logan snorted. “I’ll take the rain any day.”

  “Not a fan of the desert, huh?” Was that were Logan had been for the last four weeks?

  Logan s
hook her head. For a moment, it appeared as if she wasn’t going to elaborate; then she blew out a breath. “The desert sucked. Big-time. When I was first offered the job, I thought it would be a great change of pace. And I’d never been to the desert.” She raked her hands through her wet hair. “I mean…Southern California, the desert. I’m thinking a Palm Springs kind of place.”

  “Um…there are a lot of other less developed desert areas in California.”

  Logan turned in her seat and mock-glared. “I know that—now.”

  Dale grinned. “So where did you end up?”

  “You probably don’t know it.”

  “Try me.”

  “Ever heard of Brawley?”

  Oh, jeez. Hadn’t Logan Googled the place before taking the job? Dale struggled not to laugh. She lost the battle and guffawed.

  Logan’s glare turned ominous. “I needed the job.”

  Uh, oh. Dale quickly regained her composure. She didn’t want Logan to regret having shared where she’d been. “Sorry. It’s just that I’ve been through Brawley and it’s…” She struggled for the right words.

  The honking of a horn behind her made her realize traffic had started moving again.

  Keeping her gaze on the road, she said, “So that’s why you decided to come back to LA Metro when the job opened up?” She couldn’t help hoping that Logan had wanted to work with her again. Or that she missed you, a small part of her whispered. Dale pushed the thought aside.

  Logan was silent for several moments.

  Dale feared she had offended her after all. Damn it. The first chance she got to spend time with Logan away from work, and she had screwed it up.

  Logan spoke up before Dale could apologize again. “My contract was up there anyway. The rep from Barron’s told me about the opening here and that the hospital had requested me specifically to fill the spot.”

  What? Jess never mentioned asking for Logan. Dale looked away from the slow-moving traffic for a moment and gazed at Logan. “I’m glad you came back.”

  The sound of the rain filled the silence between them.

  When Logan finally spoke, her words were so quiet that Dale had to strain to hear her. “So am I.”

  Hope flared in Dale. Maybe they could have a friendship after all.

  Logan’s gaze was once more locked outside the windshield. But Dale had heard the words and was content to let things progress at Logan’s pace.

  Neither spoke for several minutes.

  “I was sorry to hear about Gretchen. I hope she’ll be okay,” Logan finally said.

  “I checked on her before I left. She’s doing a lot better.”

  The traffic opened up and started to flow. It didn’t take them long to reach Logan’s exit.

  As they left the freeway, Logan crossed her arms over her chest. The closer they got to the campground, the more Dale could sense the tension radiating from her. She reminded herself what a private person Logan was and how big a deal this must be for her to allow someone to see where she lived.

  “That’s it. Up on the left,” Logan said. “You can just drop me at the front entrance.”

  The rain continued to come down in a steady downpour.

  “You just got halfway dry. No sense getting soaked again. Just direct me to your spot.” Dale tried to keep her voice as matter of fact as possible, pretending it was no big deal.

  Logan’s lips compressed into a thin line. “Okay.”

  Dale followed Logan’s direction and ended up in front of a small RV. She knew a little about recreational vehicles from going on family camping trips as a teenager. The van-style, class C motor home wasn’t more than twenty-four feet long. Although it had a slider, for one person, it would be a very small but adequate living space. But she could not imagine living in the cramped space full-time. Why did Logan live in a motor home?

  Surprisingly, Logan didn’t bolt from the Jeep as soon as Dale parked.

  “Thanks for the ride. I appreciate you going out of your way.”

  “I was glad to help. What time should I pick you up tonight?”

  Logan shook her head adamantly. “I’ll get a rental.”

  A yawn caught Dale off guard. She felt her face heat as she covered her mouth. “Sorry.”

  “Get some rest. And thanks again.” Logan reached for the door handle.

  “Wait.” Dale opened the console between their seats and pulled out a pad of paper. She wrote down her personal cell number, then held it out to Logan. “Here. If there is any problem with the rental, call me and I’ll come pick you up.” She held up her hand to stop the protest she saw forming on Logan’s lips. “Like I said, no obligation. No strings attached.”

  Logan frowned but took the paper. She tucked it into her pocket, then opened the door. “Thanks again.”

  “You’re welcome.” Dale watched her walk toward the small RV.

  Logan glanced back as she reached the motor home and hesitated. She turned back and opened the door to the RV partway, stuck her arm inside, then squeezed in through the narrow space.

  As Dale left the campground, she puzzled over what she had seen when Logan opened the door. Had there been someone else inside the motor home? And if so, who? Logan had never mentioned anyone else. Once again, she had more questions about Logan than answers.

  CHAPTER 16

  Dale’s senses went on alert at the sound of footsteps approaching from behind. She glanced over her shoulder and relaxed. “Hey, Logan.”

  “Hi.” Logan held out a tray with two coffee cups and a small bag.

  She narrowed her eyes at Logan, then accepted the items. This was the second night in a row that Logan had shown up with coffee and—Dale peeked in the bag—scones. “You don’t need to keep doing this. It was just a ride home.”

  “And you could just let me give you money for gas,” Logan said. She had already offered several times.

  Touché. While Dale didn’t feel that Logan owed her anything, she wasn’t going to protest too adamantly. Logan bringing a treat for both of them gave her a chance to spend some alone time with her. Yesterday, they had retreated to the conference room instead of the more crowded staff lounge to enjoy the coffee and scones before their shift started. Logan’s latest offering gave them the chance to do that again. Now, if she could just get Logan to have their evening meal together. Logan always left the department and never offered an explanation as to where she went. One thing at a time. Don’t push her. “Come on, before my coffee gets cold.”

  Logan snorted in response but accompanied her.

  Dale led the way to the conference room.

  As she settled into her seat at the head of the table, Dale asked, “Any update on your car?” The scowl that appeared on Logan’s face made Dale immediately regret the question.

  “Turns out the computer module they need is on backorder. I’m going to have to see if I can find a different rental place. I don’t want to be stuck driving that crappy subcompact for the next two weeks. I called today, and they don’t have anything larger available. It was okay when I thought it was just going to be for a day or two, but I hate driving that little thing on the freeway.” Logan glanced away. “Makes me nervous.”

  Dale winced in sympathy. She’d spotted Logan getting out of the dinky car yesterday. She wouldn’t want to drive it on the roads here either. “If you can’t find something local and want me to take you to one of the national places out at the airport, just let me know.”

  “That’s okay. I’ll take care of it. Thanks anyway.”

  Why am I not surprised? Despite Logan allowing Dale to take her home after her car conked out, she had no illusions that Logan was going to change overnight and give up her solitary ways.

  Dale tossed the empty coffee cups and paper bag into the trash before following Logan out of the conference room and toward the staff lounge. She greeted severa
l nurses as they passed.

  Logan pushed open the door when she reached the lounge and came to an abrupt halt.

  Dale grabbed Logan’s hips to keep from plowing into her. Her mind insisted on pointing out the softness of the flesh under her hands before she pulled away. Nice. “What is it?” She peered over Logan’s shoulder but didn’t see anything out of place. Tension radiated from Logan, and she had her jaw clenched tight.

  “Nothing.” Logan strode over to her locker.

  Sure, that’s believable. Dale resisted the urge to call her on the obvious lie. They had just had a pleasant interaction while sharing their coffee and scones, and she hesitated to push Logan. She swept her gaze around the room, trying to spot what had upset Logan.

  Someone on the day shift had been busy. The lounge was decked out with a plethora of holiday decorations. There was even a small Christmas tree on the table in the corner.

  Could that be it? She remembered the look on Logan’s face when she and Harris had been talking about Christmas. Did Logan have something against the holiday?

  Dale opened her own locker and stowed her jacket. “Looks like someone went all out to get everyone into the holiday spirit.”

  Logan muttered something under her breath that Dale didn’t get, but it didn’t sound complimentary.

  “Not a fan of the holidays?”

  “No.” Logan’s tone made it clear the subject was off-limits.

  Donna stuck her head in the doorway. “Oh, good. Just the people I wanted to see.” She fairly bounced across the room.

  Dale smiled at the spunky little blonde. “What’s up?”

  “I’m taking names to participate in our Secret Santa. Everyone else has already signed up.” She held out the clipboard she was carrying. “So how about it?”

  “No thanks.” Logan walked out of the lounge without another word.

  Donna frowned as the door swung shut. “What’s with her?”

  That was a very good question. Dale wished she had an answer. “I guess she doesn’t celebrate Christmas.” But Dale knew it was more than that; Logan’s reaction was far removed from someone who simply chose not to celebrate the holiday. She took the clipboard and looked at the rules. Gift value was limited to twenty dollars, and the giver remained anonymous even after all gifts were opened. While not a big fan of workplace gift giving, she signed her name.