The Marine's Return

by Rula Sinara

  He closed his eyes and exhaled. She wasn’t like everyone else. Something about her unsettled him. Perplexed him. But he knew one thing with certainty—the more time he spent around Lexi Galen, the more chance he’d end up dragging her through hell with him.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  LEXI PARKED, got out and stormed over to the clinic tent without waiting on Chad to exit the jeep. Of all the aggravating people she’d ever met, Chad Corallis topped the list. She couldn’t even begin to comprehend why Tony had called the man a friend. The two were nothing alike.

  She understood Chad was suffering and recovering. But how could he accuse her of being a bad mother when she was so determined to be a good one...when she was making every decision with her baby in mind...when failing at motherhood was her greatest fear.

  But did he have a point? Was she being selfish, like her parents had been? Putting their interests ahead of hers to the point of risking it all, ending up in jail and losing everything, including her? No. No, she couldn’t be. She wasn’t like them. She’d proved she could care for others throughout her years in foster care and even beyond that. She was proving it now by being here, wasn’t she?

  Lexi inhaled deeply then exhaled as she approached the clinic tent. She didn’t want anyone reading the anguish on her face or asking her what was wrong.

  “Coming in,” she called out to avoid startling them inside. She opened the tent flap and slipped in. Their patient lay there, pale and limp, but her chest was rising and falling rhythmically.

  “She started bleeding again, but it’s under control now. She’ll be okay, thanks to you all taking her in earlier,” Hope said, nodding at Taj and Lexi. “She needs a lot of rest and monitoring, though.”

  Lexi almost missed Jacey’s chin quivering. The second their eyes met, Jacey tightened her lips and lifted her chin slightly to keep it still.

  “If you don’t need anything else, I’ll go boil up a supply of sterile water,” Jacey said, leaving before she got an answer. Taj’s brow furrowed as he watched her disappear, but he didn’t say anything.

  “Hope. Can we talk? Outside.” Lexi said, not wanting to discuss things in the tent. There was no telling how much English Akinyi actually understood. She hadn’t spoken a word of it, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t understand it.

  “Of course.”

  Hope disposed of her gloves and slathered her hands with disinfectant. They only had running water in the bathroom connected to their living space, so they were all in the habit of using disinfectant gel in the clinic until they could go to the main house and wash up properly. Hope stepped past Lexi into the sunshine.

  Lexi gave Taj a silent head jerk to let him know she wanted him to come hear what was going on. He gave a brief nod to indicate he’d be right out.

  “Where’s Chad?” Hope asked, scanning the clinic camp.

  “We just returned. I’m sure he’s around somewhere.”

  “Is something wrong? You look concerned.”

  “I’m fine but I’m worried about the clinic. I’m not sure Chad is the best person to judge whether the place is safe.”

  Hope closed her eyes briefly then splayed her hands.

  “Look, I know you’re worried about the clinic, but Chad has a lot of training for situations like this.”

  “I appreciate that, but I don’t think he’s going to be impartial.”

  “Why not?” Hope asked.

  Lexi glanced behind her as Taj exited the tent. It didn’t feel right to complain about Chad to his mother, but this was Hope’s clinic. She had a right to hear that Chad might have his own reasons for shutting it down. Taj narrowed his eyes at Lexi questioningly. Okay. She had to say something, but it was hard to phrase it without it sounding like she mattered to Chad. That would just be wrong.

  “Just say whatever is bothering you, Lexi,” Taj said.

  She scratched the side of her belly then rested her hands on her lower back.

  “I don’t think he likes that I’m here. Actually, he pretty much flat-out said this isn’t the place to be pregnant or raise a child. Which, by the way, is a bit chauvinistic and hypocritical considering his sister and cousins and aunt, from what you’ve told me, have all done it.”

  “I see.” Hope smiled and her shoulders relaxed. Taj chuckled. That was exactly the speculative tone Lexi had wanted to avoid.

  “There’s nothing to see. But the fact that he believes I shouldn’t be working here because I’m pregnant makes him biased.”

  “Lexi, dear. I assure you, Chad is far from being a chauvinist. Yes, he can be blunt and harsh in how he puts things, but it comes from his time in the marines. Trust me, I’ve gotten used to the same manner from his father. They make up for it in spades, though, in how much they care. Sometimes too much. Chad’s simply being protective.”

  “I don’t need protecting.” Man, that irked her. “I need to do my work without interference.”

  “Cut the man a break,” Taj said. “I can understand being protective. I have to respect him for that.”

  “You’re a good guy, Taj, but you never push me or Jacey around like that.”

  “Oh, I care and I worry. And I don’t like leaving you two here by yourselves. However, I’ve quickly learned not to say any of those things to you,” he confessed.

  Lexi rolled her eyes.

  “At least you know us. He doesn’t.”

  “Don’t forget he was Tony’s best friend,” Hope said softly.

  Lexi swallowed back a lump in her throat. She had no rebuttal. Chad would always have a connection to her because of that. He’d also always be around the clinic because of his mother. They knew the same people. He’d be the closest thing to an uncle that her child would have, and if she wanted to honor Tony, she couldn’t get in the way of that—if Chad ever wanted to see the baby. He didn’t seem like the type to play with kids. But uncle or not, there were boundaries. No one could dictate where or how she should raise her child.

  “Okay. I’ll let it go for now. But keep what I said in mind when he announces that we all need to move to Nairobi. I’ll pitch a tent.”

  “It’s not going to reach that point,” Taj said. He jerked his thumb at the exam tent behind him where the patient lay inside. “What would happen to her or others going through similar emergencies? I mean, I realize I have to head back to Nairobi every week, but Lexi here is as good as any doctor, and that patient needs her. Lexi and Jacey have always had things covered. The only issue is security, but there has to be a way to address that and still keep the clinic open.”

  “Exactly. We can’t shut down, Hope. You know that. We’ve all been trained to use a rifle and tranquilizer gun in emergencies, and even if those weapons were meant for dangerous wildlife, Jacey has military training.” She pushed her hair back with both hands. This was exasperating. There has to be a better way. “Why can’t you just find someone to post out here as security until things settle down? I mean, they’ll find this poacher sooner or later, right? Why not bring someone here instead of making us leave?”

  “Trust me, I’m on your side. This clinic and what we do out here is my life. But I also don’t want to put you in danger. Plus, I fund this place from what I make out of the main office. And money’s tight right now. I’m not sure I can afford to hire security. If anyone would even come out here, especially on pay equivalent to volunteering.

  “Taj, you know I couldn’t afford you if you weren’t doing this as externship experience. Besides, Ben simply asked Chad to look around to gauge if he felt things seemed safe enough. Chad’s not shutting anything down. He and his father might be headstrong, but I’m the boss here,” Hope said.

  “He told me to start packing.”

  Hope covered her face then set her hands on her waist.

  “I’ll talk to him. Speaking of which, we should find him. Mothers worry a lot, too. I worry extra
, given what he’s been through.” Hope gave Lexi’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze and went to the bungalow.

  “I don’t feel good about this, Taj.”

  “Don’t let this raise your blood pressure or you won’t have a choice but to be put on bed rest.”

  “He’s not in here,” Hope said as she hurried outside. “Now I am worried.”

  “He’s probably walking the perimeter or maybe he’s with Jacey,” Lexi suggested. She started for the back of the bungalow.

  Taj went around the other side of the clinic and Hope double-checked the tent. Chad wasn’t around.

  “I took him up the hill but he didn’t say anything about what he wanted to see next.”

  “I’ll go out in the jeep to look for him. He can’t be far,” Taj noted.

  “Thank you, Taj,” Hope said.

  “No problem. Don’t worry. I’ll have him back here in no time,” Taj told them, heading for the clinic jeep parked under the shade of an acacia tree.

  Lexi wasn’t fooled by Taj’s nonchalance. He was concerned. Despite her annoyance with Chad, she was, too. She’d noticed he walked stiffly and, of course, he had the loss of a limb to contend with.

  But as a marine, he had survival skills, right? Surely he was all right out there...on foot...unarmed. Or maybe he was armed and she didn’t know it. He was probably busy digging up reasons to prove the place wasn’t safe enough, completely oblivious to the fact that he was making everyone anxious—in more ways than one.

  She had to think positively. She’d survived hurdles in her life. This was just one more blip on her timeline. This was all going to pass. The clinic would be okay. He would be okay.

  She put her palm against the small of her back and started for the clinic bungalow...just as a loud pop snapped through the air.

  * * *

  CHAD HEARD THE engine approaching long before the jeep appeared from around a mass of trees. He watched it cross the dry creek and come to a swerving stop in a cloud of dust. He knew the loud pop was just a blown tire, yet he still found himself backed up against a boulder, adrenaline rushing through his veins.

  Get yourself together, man. A blown tire. A freaking blown tire. This isn’t Afghanistan.

  He swallowed hard, pushing off the boulder. Taj, the doctor he’d only met briefly, climbed out of the jeep and kicked the side.

  “Got a spare?” Chad asked, limping toward the other man. The crusty red earth was mottled with small rocks and divots that jarred the muscles in his hip when he stepped on one.

  Taj looked up and his shoulders sank with relief. “Always.”

  “Let me guess. They sent you looking for me.”

  “You guessed right,” Taj said as he went around to the back of the jeep. He dug around and returned with a jack just as a call came through on his radio. He grabbed it as Chad reached the jeep.

  “A blowout. We’re fine. Over.” Taj set the radio down and picked up the jack again. “It sounded like a gunshot,” he explained.

  No kidding. That would have definitely given his mother a scare.

  “Need help?” Chad asked, tucking his fingers into the pocket of his jeans.

  Taj crouched down on one knee to set things up.

  “There’s a toolbox in the back. You can start unbolting the spare. And let me know if anything with four legs or no legs comes up behind me—I’m not fond of snakes.”

  Chad found himself glancing over his own shoulder with suspicion. He’d take on a four-legged predator any day over the legless slithery kind himself.

  He rounded the back of the jeep, opened the toolbox latch with his left hand and paused.

  It suddenly struck him that Taj hadn’t hesitated to send Chad for the wrench. He hadn’t questioned whether Chad could handle the task or not. He’d acted as if the two of them were no different than your average couple of guys working on a car in their garage over a couple of beers.

  Chad held the wrench and adjusted it with his thumb, then fitted it over the bolt that held the spare against the back of the old jeep. He held the tire in place with his knee as he worked the partly rusted bolt. He jammed his palm against the handle, trying to loosen it. It resisted.

  He spotted Taj cranking the front left end of the car up with buttery ease.

  Irritation pricked at him. Anger—at himself—burned the back of his neck. He hated being weak. Physical therapy had helped him build up some strength in his left arm but he still wasn’t anywhere close to where he’d been prior to the bombing.

  He pressed harder and the bolt loosened. He turned it as fast as he could and set it aside. Then he grabbed the tire with his left arm, nudged it off its hook with his knee, and let it bounce down to the ground. Two bounces and he had his hand on it to keep it from rolling away or falling to its side.

  “Perfect. Thanks,” Taj said, holding his hands out. Chad gave the tire a shove toward Taj, who leaned it near the front end then undid the bolts on the old one. He glanced over at Chad as he worked. “So, did you find what you were looking for out here?”

  “I was only minutes ahead of you.”

  “I’m not fooled that easily. You marines have a reputation.”

  Chad grinned and scratched the stubble along his jaw.

  “You’re obviously pretty sharp yourself. Okay, yes. There’s a cluster of three boulders over there I wanted to check out. There are enough natural formations—like these boulders and outcroppings, trees and shrubs—to give anyone an opportunity to hide or sneak up on the clinic. You guys have virtually nothing protecting you out here. I’m not sure what my dad was thinking, letting my mother set this place up to begin with.”

  The trumpeting of elephants vibrated the air and was met by the deeper rumble of lions. This place was as wild and off the grid as a clinic could get.

  “You underestimate you mother.”

  “I know she’s as wise and determined as they come, but my dad would give his life to keep her safe. That, I guarantee. She means everything to him.”

  “Like father, like son, I take it?”

  “Meaning?”

  He caught Taj’s glance at the knot in his right sleeve. Chad still had his life, but he hadn’t known that would be the case when he’d thrown himself in the way of that bomb-rigged wagon. It had been instinct. Or had it been something more...love for his brothers, his country and his fellow man? At least Jaxon and the others had made it out okay. That’s all that mattered.

  He thought of his parents and the way they looked at each other, or the tender way they held hands. Ben’s earlier threat regarding Chad never making his mother cry again echoed in his ears. What had made Chad so willing to sacrifice himself had been a completely different kind of love. He’d never experienced the kind his parents shared and likely never would. He didn’t expect it. He didn’t want it. That kind of love made a person vulnerable. It set a person up for failure, loss and emotional pain.

  Lexi’s soulful eyes flashed in his mind. She’d loved and lost on his account.

  “This was about duty,” Chad said, tipping his chin toward his knotted right sleeve.

  Taj put what was left of the blown tire in the back of the jeep and slammed the door to get it to latch shut. Monkeys screeched in a nearby tree and rattled the branches as they scampered to a safe distance from the intruders. Even they knew to keep their guard up.

  “I understand duty. Doctors and nurses have a duty, too—to save lives and heal. That goes for most of us here. But we feel compassion for people, too,” Taj said. “I think Ben understands that, which is why he supports Hope in all she does out here. But he also trained her in self-defense and taught her how to shoot. You didn’t expect less of him, did you? As for the rest of us, I believe that’s why he sent you out here. Not to jump the gun—so to speak—and shut down the place, but to give your expertise on keeping it safe. He knows that you care about people
or you wouldn’t have given your right arm for them. There are always options.”

  “There’s also a pregnant woman back there. Some risks aren’t worth taking,” Chad said. He realized he wasn’t being half as honest as Taj when it came to his motivation, but he was justified, wasn’t he?

  “Would you abandon a fellow human in need? I guarantee she won’t.”

  The answer was no, of course. He wouldn’t. He picked up a small, rough stone and chucked it a good seven meters into a mass of elephant grass. Something snorted and scurried off, detectable only by the grass dancing in its wake.

  “What about that other woman at the clinic? The one with long black hair.”

  “Jacey?” Something shifted in Taj’s face and he shrugged. “She’s as independent as they come. She can take care of herself.”

  Chad had never specialized in interrogations, but he knew enough about body language and expressions to note that he’d hit a nerve. Taj was holding back where Jacey was concerned.

  “So, when you’re not here, it doesn’t bother you that Jacey and Lexi are alone?” Chad asked.

  Taj grimaced and got behind the wheel.

  “It does, but I’d never say that to them. Jacey would have my neck. Tough as nails and doesn’t want anyone looking out for her. She came out to Kenya to join Ben’s program for vets when she couldn’t find employment after her service was done. Why do you think he got her to work out here? Besides, and keep this to yourself, I’ve had a word with some of the Masai around here to keep an eye on the clinic, too. I treat their children and they keep an eye out.”

  Interesting. Chad liked the guy more every minute.

  “Let’s go before the women think we’ve been eaten by lions.” He started the ignition and waited for Chad to climb in.

  “I’d like to go check out those rocks first. That smaller kopje with the three main boulders. There’s something about them I can’t shrug off.”