Windy City Romance: Boxed Set: Prequel - Book III

by Barbara Lohr

  About to take another bite, Logan put his sandwich down. “What? You don’t think I’m up to it?”

  “Not at all. It’s just that we need your heart as well as your clinical skills.”

  His flush told her she was only making things worse.

  “Wish you’d give me more credit, McKenna. Are you afraid I won’t measure up?”

  “Logan, that’s not what I ...”

  “Think I’ve eaten enough.” He stowed his sandwich in the baggie.

  Now she’d hurt his feelings. “How about chocolate?”

  “Dessert?” The smile was back. So was the playful glint in his eye.

  “Exactly. We need chocolate.” She pulled out a container and popped the lid. The sun beat down as they sampled red strawberries dipped in dark chocolate.

  “Delicious.” Logan finished his berry in two bites and reached for more.

  “You bet. Lordy, it’s hot.” Shrugging out of her shirt, she grabbed another strawberry.

  His lips slowed, shiny wet and smeared with chocolate. “Sweltering.”

  Her fingers closed over the treat in her hand.

  Logan kept chewing, lips moist and eyes registering her response.

  Her throat closed and the chocolate in her hand became a squished mess. “I like to make it last longer…the pleasure,” she explained, opening her fingers and eyeing the destroyed berry.

  Silence stretched between them. “Always a good goal.” His throat worked. Tossing back the last of his beer, he crunched the can in one hand. “Want another beer?”

  She shook her head. “Think I’ll stay with the strawberries.” Her head swam—either from the heat, the beer or her hormones.

  His wide shoulders lifted and settled. “Guess I should take a pass too.”

  “Lighten up, Logan. Two beers won’t turn you into a drunken sailor.”

  “You think?” A slow smile tilted his lips.

  “Absolutely. “And she slapped her bare thigh for emphasis with the hand that wasn’t chocolate.

  His eyes dropped to that thigh and shifted back to her messy hand. He tossed the can to the bottom of the boat. “I don’t really want another beer.” Wiping the perspiration from his upper lip, he lifted his glinting gray eyes to hers. It was like being stung by a laser.

  Later she never could recall just how she wound up on his lap. Their bodies slid together so naturally. His lips took hers in a slow kiss and her hand closed over the strawberry. When Logan pried open her fingers and began licking the chocolate mess, she nearly lost it.

  Oh, so naughty. And amazing.

  When his lips circled back to her, they tasted like chocolate—the expensive dark stuff with a bitter edge. Forget polite conversation and collegiality. Felt like they’d been waiting for this all day. Their lips explored and teased until she was gasping and her head spun.

  The sun stoked her need. She wanted him so bad.

  But hadn’t he taken someone else out that Saturday night?

  “Stop!” She pressed both hands against his chest. Even if he weren’t playing the field, time and life had made her cautious.

  Getting physical was easy. Getting close? Something else entirely and way more important.

  Logan’s eyes blinked open, and drooped half closed, like a toddler who doesn’t want to wake up from his nap. “Why?” His fingers worked her back.

  “Because. Logan, I’ve been down this road before. I want to be careful.”

  “So do I.” His sweet little boy grin settled into concerned lines. Oh, cripes. She brushed her fingertips over his frown lines and they eased. His sandy eyelashes fluttered and his eyes closed. With a groan, she melted. He nuzzled her throat, his tongue on her pulse. The boat rocked as a speedboat roared past, a cooling spray splattering them in its wake. “Get a room!” some kids called out.

  ~.~

  Shoving back, Logan felt like a total idiot. He’d been so determined to hold it down today. Establish boundaries. The last thing he wanted was for McKenna to feel this was all about the sex. Some docs might operate like that, but he wasn’t one of them.

  Besides—and this made him feel almost silly—but was he ready? Funny but with her he was wondering what it would all mean. Pulling away from her luscious body in that tiny, teasing bikini was torture. McKenna blinked up at him, greenish brown eyes clouding. His stomach plummeted when she sat back and slowly pulled on that damn shirt. “Guess we should get back,” he murmured, half hoping she’d disagree.

  “Suppose it’s time.” In silence McKenna packed the food away in her basket and he rigged the sails. Didn’t take long. The sun was setting. The wind had died, and they weren’t going anywhere. Eventually Logan had to start the motor, which for him was admitting defeat.

  “Want to get something to eat?” he asked when they reached the harbor.

  McKenna wouldn’t meet his eyes. “I have to work on some lesson plans for my natural childbirth class.”

  “Maybe another night.”

  “Sure. Right.”

  On the way back to her apartment, they hardly spoke. Had he blown it? Had he over thought this whole damn thing? That would really piss him off.

  They kissed good night at the door. That pissed him off too.

  McKenna was in countdown mode for the trip to Guatemala. Usually she was energized and ready to go. But this year, every time she thought about that week, her stomach did a slow slide. The day on the boat had been confusing, and they hadn’t gotten anything settled. Would the week in Central America help or just add more tension?

  What if Logan hated a mission that gave her great satisfaction? In many ways the trip might be a turning point and that thought kept her awake more than one night.

  Because Bethany would be the only midwife left in the office, one of the other midwifery practices would provide coverage for that one week. Fortunately only two births were on their calendar, but babies often didn’t arrive on schedule. As she prepared for her class the Wednesday night before their departure, McKenna was preoccupied. At three o’clock, she had to break for a meeting. The Day in the LDRP event was scheduled for August and the planning committee was meeting.

  As she stood in front of the elevators, her mind was a million miles away. A familiar voice made her look up. Amanda and Connor were strolling toward her, hand in hand.

  “McKenna!” Amanda colored.

  Connor looked from one to the other, his face a question mark.

  “Are you coming to visit me?” Drats. Had she missed a message from them? Amanda shook her head, a telling blush deepening. Always a man of few words, Connor was studying his running shoes.

  Giving her husband a let-me-handle-this look, Amanda said, “We just came from seeing Logan again.”

  “Again?”

  Amanda nodded. “We’ve been preparing for, well, in vitro maturation that Logan does in his fertility clinic. And this was our day for a good retrieval. In four days or so, the eggs should be ready.” Her words came fast and jumbled, while McKenna’s brother turned the color of the red exit sign.

  “That’s wonderful.” McKenna threw her arms around Amanda and gave her a quick squeeze. Gosh, how she wanted this for her brother and his wife. But caution dampened her enthusiasm. They’d been disappointed so many times. “Maybe this time.”

  Connor shifted his shoulders. “Yeah, well, we'll see.”

  Amanda gave her husband an admonishing glance. “We’re hopeful. And Dr. Castle… Logan…has been great. Thanks for recommending him.”

  All McKenna could do was beam. “Gotta run. Keep me posted.”

  With a wave, they continued to the parking garage while she took the elevator down to the overpass and hurried to the OB unit.

  Jack Frazier had taken the lead with the committee plan to host a Day in the LDRP. He reported that all the vendors were in line, and their sample products should be there on time. The event was slated for the end of August. The summer was slipping away.

  Priscilla sat taking notes. Logan couldn’t make
the meeting. “But of course I’ll keep him up to speed,” Priscilla said pointedly as the meeting wrapped up.

  McKenna hated the sharp spear of jealousy. Was Priscilla Logan’s Saturday night date?

  “Logan’s so excited about the trip.” Priscilla caught up with her as McKenna left the meeting.

  “Do you mean Guatemala?” McKenna asked. Trip? For her it was more a mission.

  “He’s been telling me all about it.” Did her tone suggest more than a mere conversation?

  “We're so happy that he could join us.” McKenna hardly recognized her prim and proper voice. Priscilla was becoming known as the Blonde Bombshell around the hospital. McKenna detected the faint scent of hair spray when Priscilla waved good bye and bustled in the direction of the OB unit.

  McKenna was going to put this all on hold. Departure day was only days away. She had more important things to take care of, like Sasha’s care, although Vanessa had assured McKenna that her precious cat would be safe with Bo. Her little boy was delighted that they would be cat sitting for that week.

  ~.~

  Early Saturday morning Logan and McKenna stood together in the airport, waiting to board the plane. Overhead they were announcing flights. The scent of Logan’s spicy aftershave hung in the air. The thought that they would be living in close quarters for one week made her suck in a deep breath. How would she handle that? She clutched her boarding pass tighter.

  Logan ploughed one hand through his thick hair. “Wonder if I should get a cup of coffee before we board. You want one?”

  “Not really.” As McKenna watched him gallop toward Starbuck’s, Selena caught her eye and quirked one brow. McKenna just shook her head and made herself relax into the black vinyl seat. Everything would be all right. An important mission lay ahead—one that stayed uppermost in her mind for months after they returned. That should be her focus, not Logan.

  For the past week, she’d helped Selena organize the equipment they planned on taking. Boxes of stethoscopes, broad blood pressure cuffs and baby scales were packed, along with medical supplies and medications donated by pharmaceutical companies. The rural midwives were often left to improvise. Hospitals often weren't adequately stocked in this part of the world, much less the midwives.

  Logan made his way back to the waiting area, checking his phone as he sipped his coffee. The man was totally oblivious to the admiring glances women cast his way. With his blue shirt and jeans, he looked boyish today. When he caught her staring, McKenna felt the warmth of Logan’s grin clear to her toes. He’d tucked a paper under his arm, but he set it aside when he took the seat next to her. He gave her hand a quick squeeze, his palm warm from the cup of coffee. She wanted to curl up in that heat. Feel it expand.

  But not now.

  When their flight was called, it felt good to push forward. Felt good to leave those darn worries behind in the waiting area.

  Right—as if she could do that.

  The first leg of the flight took them to Tampa, Florida, and a three-hour layover that seemed endless. She braided her hair into pigtails and reapplied her coral lipstick while Logan watched, that secret smile playing across his lips. Nerves on edge, some of the group used their iPads. Where they were going, there would be no hookups and many were leaving final messages for loved ones who wouldn’t hear from them for a week. From there, they boarded a smaller plane for Guatemala City.

  “A nap sounds good,” she said, getting settled on the small plane. “This may be the last air conditioning for a while.”

  “Yeah, I figured that.” Logan let his head loll back, lashes feathering across his cheeks. Scrunching down in her seat, she remained way too aware of his muscled thigh next to hers. As she drifted off, she wasn’t sure if the breathing she heard was her own or Logan’s. She slept fitfully.

  When they reached the airport in Guatemala, heat shimmered from the tarmac. All they could see through the small window was the runway and hills rising in the distance behind a small yellow building.

  “Look around. Don’t leave anything on the plane,” Selena warned. They scrambled from their seats, pulling luggage from the overhead bins.

  Grabbing their duffel bags, they inched down the small aisle. Heat blasted them as they deplaned. Eyes gritty and body still working out the knots, McKenna pulled her sunglasses into place. Logan was behind her. She wouldn't have been surprised if he bolted back onto the plane but he fell into step next to her.

  Once inside the small airport, McKenna scanned the waiting area. “There’s Teresa, the midwife who helps organize the trip.”

  Logan grinned as he took in the squat older woman, hands clasped over an ample stomach and face creased into a smile. “Looks like she’s been doing this a while. Does Teresa still deliver babies?”

  “Yep. Many of the midwives, or comadronas, as they’re called, practice until they can’t physically do the job. Hardy women,” she added, closing the gap and giving Teresa a big hug.

  “McKenna, you always come back.” Teresa’s arms encircled her. The woman smelled of sun and earth. She turned to welcome the rest of the group. “Selena, welcome. Terry, Janet.” How amazing that she remembered their names. Then she came to Logan.

  “Teresa, I want you to meet a new member of our group, Dr. Logan Castle,” Selena said.

  Teresa gave Logan an appraising glance. “Un doctor. Bienvenido a Guatemala. Encantado,” she whispered, rising on tiptoe to hug him.

  To McKenna’s amazement, Logan repeated the words to Teresa. Hands reaching up to his shoulders, the old woman accepted him right then. In Guatemala, the relationship between doctors and midwives was rocky. But not for this pair.

  Together they trooped toward the baggage area. “Juan is waiting for us,” Teresa told them as they grabbed their bags. They followed her outside into the blazing sunshine where a wizened older man missing most of his teeth stood outside a battered van, straw hat in hand.

  “Hola, Juan!” The group chorused and his smile widened. After packing their bags into the back of the van, they clambered inside, two crammed onto each bench seat.

  When Logan dug for seat belts, McKenna shrugged. “We just hang on and hope for the best.”

  She was relieved when he gave her a rueful smile and settled back, one arm stretched around her shoulders. Stubble patterned his cheeks and chin, and the heat had already raised a sheen of sweat on his skin. When Juan threw the van into gear with a lurch, Logan braced himself with his long legs. He might turn into her mountain man before this trip was over.

  Only he wasn’t hers, was he?

  “How many times have you been here?” Logan asked as the bus bumped down a rutted highway.

  Dust seared her squinted eyes when McKenna turned to him. “This is my third summer trip.” Pulling her rubber bands from her hair, she attempted to rebraid them. It was hopeless. She might as well accept the frizzies for the next week. Warm humid air bathed their faces but brought no relief from the heat. Logan propped one elbow in the open window. He looked like a teen on his way to summer camp.

  Trepidation coiled in McKenna’s stomach. This sure wasn’t summer camp.

  ~.~

  Logan smiled, looking at McKenna in those pigtails. “When do you take summer vacation?” he asked, bracing himself when the driver took a curve. This bus sure didn’t feel safe, although the older guy seemed to know what he was doing.

  “This is my vacation, Logan. Sounds weird, but you’ll see.”

  She was amazing. Most women preferred a five star hotel with room service rather than a developing country that might not even have a working bathroom.

  In the seats ahead of them, heads bobbed and people napped. The newbies were glued to the windows, and he was one of them. The air was sharp with diesel fuel as the bus skirted the city. The acrid smell reminded him of Europe. Soon they left the clutter of homes and shops behind. On either side lay open fields, occasionally broken by stands of pine that thickened when the road began to climb. After a while, his ears popped and Logan wo
rked his jaw. Evening came and darkness fell, but the heat held. He squirmed against the torn vinyl seat. Felt like he’d been wearing this shirt for a week. Next to him McKenna seemed perfectly content, her body rolling easily as Juan navigated the bumps in the road.

  They climbed higher and higher. “Will you look at that,” he said under his breath when they’d reach a peak. Green hills undulated below. In the distance, a stream meandered through the countryside, foaming white as it fell. God, this was gorgeous. The route took them through small villages. Dogs followed the van, barking at the unexpected intrusion. One arm out the window, Juan waved and called out to people he must know. Women dressed in simple skirts and faded blouses watched from doorways, children clinging to their legs.

  When Juan honked the horn, they all waved.

  “People here don’t have much. The rural areas have the highest poverty rate,” McKenna explained. “Most don’t go to school, even if there is a teacher. They work the fields like their parents, scratching out a living, if they’re lucky.”

  “Some of the children look frail,” Logan said, his gut clenching when they passed clusters of kids. These were the children whose photos had drawn him to this mission. Well, their faces and McKenna’s passion.

  “Undernourished,” McKenna said shortly. “It’s endemic. UNESCO and other international groups have made inroads but there’s still much to be done.”

  This environment was so different from the lakeside high rises of Chicago. McKenna had grabbed a bottle of water in the airport, and now she twisted it open and took a swig. But the water only offered warm wetness. The air blowing through the open window smelled damp and earthy. Bright birds flitted through the rich greenery and the distant chatter of monkeys echoed in the tall trees.

  As the night sky turned darker, Teresa passed around a basket with tortillas filled with cooked beans and corn. “Eat. Soon we will be there.”

  Logan considered the modest supper cupped in his hand. He was starving. The smell of food was irresistible and he wasn’t disappointed when he bit down. Corn and beans had never tasted this good. Even the hot peppers that brought tears to his eyes were welcome.