Windy City Romance: Boxed Set: Prequel - Book III

by Barbara Lohr

  She took off down the hall, shoe laces slapping the tile floor. Worry tied a knot in McKenna’s stomach as she watched her go.

  That night when she went to bed, McKenna wasn't thinking about Logan. Angie Dowd occupied her thoughts. Curled up at her feet on the green and orange quilt, Sasha regarded her with wise blue eyes.

  “Some women are fools when it comes to men,” she told her cat. Sasha blinked as if she totally agreed.

  Chapter 8

  The next day, Amanda called, an excited lilt in her voice. “McKenna, I've got an appointment with Dr. Castle. Thanks so much for your help.”

  “Don’t mention it. There are probably a lot of factors involved.” McKenna chose her words carefully. Her sister-in-law had already been through so much, and she didn’t want to dangle false hopes. “Logan’s not a miracle worker. But he is a darn good physician, and he’s kind. You'll be in good hands.”

  “I'm just saying I feel hopeful, McKenna. That’s all,” Amanda said quietly.

  McKenna wanted to kick herself. “Don’t mean to dampen your hopes. Let me know how it goes.”

  “Absolutely.”

  As McKenna stood in the hall of the Medical Office Building, tapping her phone against her palm, Logan appeared at the end of the corridor. No mistaking that posture. He carried himself well, lab coat shining like fine table linen. Walking with him, Priscilla had two darling little girls in tow. In matching blue dresses with bows at the waistline, they were clones of their mother—a striking family. As they walked toward her, the children were laughing over something Logan said. The four of them looked perfect together.

  “McKenna, so glad we ran into you!” Face glowing, Priscilla nudged the girls in front of her. “I want you to meet my daughters.”

  “We’re giving the girls a tour.” Logan seemed fascinated.

  “Meredith is seven, and Ashley’s five. Girls, I'd like you to meet McKenna Kirkpatrick. She's a nurse…” Priscilla stressed that last word. “…who helps women have babies.”

  “Like you, Mom?” Ashley piped up.

  Priscilla gave her head a little shake. Of course her hair stayed in place. “Not exactly, but pretty close.”

  Surprise left McKenna breathless. Was that a smack down, especially after their helpful girl-to-girl chat yesterday? Priscilla was putting her in her place…and apparently enjoying it.

  Still considering Priscilla’s girls with barely concealed wonder, Logan didn’t seem to notice the slight.

  “McKenna, do you mind showing the girls your office? We’re packed with patients this afternoon and have to get back.” Priscilla glanced over at Logan for confirmation.

  Okay, then. Now I’m a baby-sitter. “Not a problem. I’ll be happy to have your daughters tag along. I'm finished with my patients for the day, but I can show them around.” McKenna kept her voice bright. If she was irritated with anyone, it was herself.

  “Are you sure you have time? We can find someone else…” Logan began.

  McKenna waved his concerns away. “Trust me, we’ll have fun. Dorothy, our receptionist, keeps special lollipops in her desk drawer.” She smiled at the girls, but only Ashley returned the favor. Meredith glared.

  “Oh, we don't eat sugar before dinner,” Priscilla said in a Disneyland voice.

  At that, Meredith groaned. “Not the point, Mom. A lollipop? You think we’re going to eat those?” All of seven and she was kicking her mother to the curb.

  Obviously Priscilla was used to it. “Children. Just wait.” She lifted her brows at McKenna.

  Right. A direct stab to the heart. McKenna pulled her lab coat closer around her.

  Priscilla consulted her Rolex watch. “Grandpa will pick you up in thirty minutes at the front of the Outpatient Rotunda. McKenna, You don’t mind, do you?” She didn’t even bother to look up.

  “Not at all.” By that point, McKenna was feeling sorry for these kids. Something told her they got shuffled around a lot.

  “Thank you, McKenna,” Logan said. “And it was great meeting you, ladies.” With a parting smile, he turned to leave, Priscilla trotting after him in peep-toe patent leather heels. McKenna’s feet hurt just looking at them.

  “Bye, Dr. Castle,” Ashley called after him.

  Logan turned, looking startled and pleased, like she’d just called him Daddy. “Bye, Ashley. See you soon, honey. Meredith.” He gave the older girl a brisk nod, Meredith wasn’t buying it. No smile. Just daggers for her mother.

  “Come on, girls. Time for a tour.” McKenna herded them toward the For Women office.

  “What do we have here?” Dorothy asked when they pushed open the glass-paneled door into the waiting room.

  “I'd like you to meet Dr. Preston's daughters.” McKenna introduced them.

  “Well, well. And aren't you just the cutest things?” Gray hair bobbing, Dorothy reached into her top drawer.

  Meredith snorted. “Cute?”

  Dorothy’s eyes widened, hand still in the candy drawer.

  “These girls are so smart. They never eat sugar before dinner,” she said for Dorothy’s benefit. Meredith glowered while her younger sister looked crestfallen.

  McKenna squeezed Ashley’s shoulder. “But we’ll pick up something later in the Gift Shop for after dinner. Are Bethany and Selena in with patients?”

  “Actually Bethany's got a delivery,” Dorothy told her. “Got the call right after you left.” Selena's with the patient in room five, and Lucy is straightening up the education room.”

  Two very pregnant patients were flipping through magazines in the waiting room. They smiled at Ashley and Meredith with the blissful hope of expectant mothers.

  By that time, the Wall of Fame had caught the children’s attention. The two of them spent at least five minutes scrutinizing the baby pictures. “This is what my mom does too,” Meredith said with obvious pride. “She delivers babies, just like McKenna.”

  Suddenly McKenna had come up in Meredith’s eyes.

  The rest of the tour didn’t take long. When they reached McKenna’s office, Meredith criticized everything from the brown carpet—her mother’s office always had an Oriental rug—to the messy desk. Never had thirty minutes seemed so long. By the time McKenna walked them down to the rotunda, she was in bad need of a sugar fix. After introducing the girls to Phyllis, who ran the Gift Shop, McKenna picked out three bars of dark chocolate with caramel inside, handing one to each girl. Broad smiles indicated she’d hit the jackpot.

  “Do you have your own little girl?” Ashley asked, blue eyes wide.

  “Nope. Not yet.” Leading them outside, they took a seat on one of the metal benches, munching and waiting for their grandfather. The summer sun beat down and McKenna was wishing she’d brought sunglasses when a silver-haired man pulled up in a black Lincoln. She immediately pegged him as Priscilla's father. Dressed in a green polo, he looked as if he’d just come from the golf course as he circled the front of the car.

  “How are my girls?” When he opened his arms, Ashley bounded toward him with Meredith trailing behind.

  McKenna stepped up to shake his hand. “Mr. Preston, I'm McKenna Kirkpatrick, a midwife at the hospital. I, ah, work with Priscilla. Just had a delightful thirty minutes with your granddaughters.”

  “Oh, thank you. But my goodness, I'm sure you have better things to do.”

  In a heartbeat McKenna knew Mr. Preston realized the kids had been dumped on her. Probably happened a lot, from the expression on his face.

  “Girls, thank McKenna for taking time out of her busy day.” He waited while the girls thanked her. With a set smile, he took both girls by the hand and walked them to the car.

  Watching the black car circle the drive and leave, McKenna felt sad for the whole family. This certainly wasn’t the happily-ever-after life any of them had pictured.

  Once inside the air-conditioned lobby, McKenna shifted her thoughts to the Board Meeting. Was she about to go head-to-head with Logan for donor dollars?

  ~.~

 
Wasn’t like her to feel this nervous. McKenna’s black and white spectators clicked on the brown laminate floor as she made her way to the Board Room, presentation materials under one arm. Felt weird to wear heels in the hospital instead of her trusty clogs, but tonight she was pulling out all the big guns. She’d even swept her hair into a sleek knot and wore the pearl earrings her parents had given her when she earned her nursing practitioner certification.

  What a relief that this project had been pulled together so quickly. Jack Frazier had given her the architectural drawings and Logan would bring the OR presentation. She'd made a quick run home to change into a white linen summer suit with a peach silk blouse. Palms damp, she pushed open the door.

  “Good to see you, McKenna.” Always warm and welcoming, Warren greeted her. “Logan tells me you have some great ideas to present tonight.”

  Hmm. And had Logan favored one idea over the other? “Sure do.”

  “Want me to put these boards someplace for you?”

  “Thanks, Warren.” Although she glanced around, Logan wasn’t here yet.

  Warren beckoned to his assistant Melanie, who took the sketches up to the front of the room.

  The door opened behind them.

  “Logan,” Warren greeted him.

  Oh, my. Logan was looking very Jay Gatsby in a navy pinstriped suit. The man was heart-stoppingly handsome. She could almost feel the silk blouse flutter over her heart.

  “McKenna.” Nodding, Logan brushed one hand over his red and white tie.

  “Logan.” She could barely get his name out.

  Warren steered them toward the front of the room. Board members clustered around a table where a white-coated waiter dispensed drinks. McKenna took something icy that looked like fruit punch but definitely had a kick. Bring it on. Tonight she might need it.

  “Glad to hear you have another physician on board,” Warren commented, nodding at Logan. “Priscilla, is it?”

  McKenna took another slug of her drink.

  “Right, Priscilla Preston. Gary and I are relieved. Good thing for our practice,” Logan said with his characteristic certainty.

  Warren turned to her. “Will it be helpful to have a female doctor working with your group, McKenna?”

  Time to play the team player card. “Probably won’t make much difference,” she said carefully, not wanting to offend Logan. “But it might help to have a woman’s perspective.”

  Warren introduced her to the board members. Dennis Heckman was CEO of one of the larger banks and she’d seen his picture in the Chicago Tribune. Mark Winston chaired the Health Care Services Department at the University of Chicago. The introductions and the names kept coming. Everyone seemed to know Logan and some asked polite questions about his grandmother. Among the group of ten select members, Fay Shriver was the only woman. A well-known attorney, she often championed women's rights.

  “Delighted to meet you, Fay.” McKenna offered her hand.

  Fay’s eyes lit up. “Warren was telling me you travel to Guatemala every summer to teach.”

  “Right. I'm part of Midwives in Action, a group that works with villages that have little access to care. We train other women to step into the midwife role. They also help families with general health issues.”

  “Impressive.” Fay nodded her well-coiffed silver hair.

  Standing near them with Warren, Logan seemed to be listening but said nothing, just sipped his drink. Selena might have some convincing to do to persuade Hot Doc to join them on their trip south.

  Although the board room was impressive with its mahogany wainscoting and rich brown and black striped wallpaper, her attention was drawn to the pictures of former chairmen of the board. A portrait of Logan’s grandfather also hung in a place of honor. Just looking at the stately gentleman with the kind smile, McKenna knew what Logan would look like in his old age.

  He might have to work on those laugh lines.

  “What is it?” Logan asked when he caught her staring.

  “Just admiring your grandfather. You look like him.”

  “My grandmother misses him.” Sadness echoed in his voice.

  “I would imagine so.” Although she wanted to ask more questions about his family, two servers had pushed carts into the room, trailing delightful aromas. The board members took their seats at the large oval table. Warren sat near Logan and beckoned to her to sit between them. Dinner was served. Seemed like chicken had become a staple in every meeting, this time with wild rice and fresh green beans. The cucumber salad smelled of summer, sprinkled with dill and some kind of creamy dressing.

  As she nibbled, McKenna keyed into a conversation across the table. Fay was talking about a new women's shelter that helped abused women. “The volunteers prepare women to reenter the workforce with clothes suitable for the office. The closet is always open for donations.”

  “What a terrific effort.” McKenna had some suits she hardly ever wore.

  On Logan’s left sat Mark Winston and they chatted while she updated Warren on the LDRP committee meetings. At one point, she looked up and Logan was staring at her plate, a grin tilting one corner of his lips.

  Startled, she glanced down. “What, you want my beans?”

  Logan shook his head. “Just thinking about our conversation at the Purple Frog,” he murmured with a naughty tweak of one eyebrow.

  That provocative conversation seemed like eons ago.

  Her cheeks warmed. “Sometimes words can come back to haunt you.”

  “Really? I kind of enjoyed that meeting,” he whispered in a voice meant for only her ears.

  “You have a little bit of dressing in the corner of your mouth.”

  He didn’t blink. When his tongue darted out to remedy the problem, she almost lost it. Cripes, she was mangling the napkin in her lap. Just when she had relegated Logan Castle to “buddy” and had pushed Priscilla into his path, McKenna’s body roared to life and betrayed her.

  Grabbing her ice water, she drained the glass.

  By the time the strawberry cheesecake was served, a hunger for more than food had carved a hollow in McKenna’s body. She twitched at the first slight pressure of Logan’s thigh against hers. Must be accidental. He was talking to Mark.

  The second time? Two could play at this game, and she aligned her thigh with his, a gentle but persistent pressure. Logan’s muscles felt firm and powerful.

  Was he flexing them? She was toast.

  “Enjoying the evening?” When Logan finally turned from Mark, mischief danced in his eyes. My, he could be such a surprise, her Hot Doc.

  “Absolutely.” Savoring her final bite, she swallowed and then slowly licked the spoon of strawberry gel, hoping to heck no one was watching. Her hunger for sugar had been insatiable lately.

  “Too damn hot in here,” Logan muttered, tugging on his collar.

  “If you can’t take the heat...”

  His eyes pinned her. “Oh, I can take it. Trust me.”

  Grabbing the program she began to fan herself.

  And he wasn’t finished. Those delicious lips were serving up more. “I understand from Priscilla that you two had an interesting conversation yesterday.”

  Although McKenna didn’t think it possible, her stomach plunged as the heat rose. “We did?” she managed to squeak out.

  His eyes bored holes into hers. “Something about you suggesting me as a tour guide.”

  “I, ah, just thought...”

  “I’m capable of filling my own time, McKenna. You may have missed that, but I know my own mind. And right now, my mind is...”

  Good Lord, she was actually leaning toward Hot Doc to catch that last word when Mark asked him a question. Logan turned away. Butterflies were doing a mating dance in her stomach. Why was she pushing him in Priscilla’s direction? Every assertive cell in her body stood up to be counted.

  But memories seared her, burning away that fluttery feeling. When she first met Nick, he’d been fun. Sometimes it took time for the real person to be revealed. McKe
nna passed on coffee when the waiter circled the table. She had enough acid in her stomach to last all night.

  Finally, Dennis Heckman took the floor, and the meeting began. While staff from Food Services cleared the table and served more coffee, Dennis began introductions. “With us tonight are obstetrician Dr. Logan Castle and midwife McKenna Kirkpatrick to present, from what Warren’s told me, some exciting ideas for the future of the Obstetrics Department.”

  Logan stood and took command of the room. The board members gave him their full attention. After all, his grandfather had founded this hospital. “We have two projects for you to consider tonight,” he began. “The one I’m most familiar with is an opportunity to optimize the operating suites by adding radiology equipment for on-the-spot diagnosis to handle emergencies that can crop up.”

  Melanie, the board secretary, began to distribute Logan’s packets. When he’d finished walking them through the proposed updates, he fielded some questions. The room became warm and perspiration prickled around her hairline. McKenna slipped off her jacket, just as Logan introduced her. “And now McKenna will take you through an equally exciting project to renovate the unit itself.”

  Taking a deep breath, she pushed up from her chair and walked to the front of the table where the sketches were displayed. As she explained the all-in-one room concept, excitement kicked up in the room. Montclair was known for cutting edge service delivery, and the Board’s interest was clear. Her spirits rose.

  “Water birthing suites?” Fay Shriver’s face was a question mark. This was only her second board meeting.

  Quickly McKenna filled her in. “We hope to familiarize more women with the benefits of giving birth in warm water. The Jacuzzis can also be used to soothe labor during a traditional delivery.”

  “And of course we follow proper sanitation protocols,” Logan interjected.

  This time, Logan’s obvious caution didn't annoy her. She thought back to what Gary had told her. Tragedy could make a man cautious. How could she help Logan through this?

  After twenty minutes of discussion, Dennis said, “And what do you need from us?” He winked at Warren.