by Robin Gianna
“Thanks. Appreciate that.”
An awkward silence fell between them, and he gave her what he hoped was a relaxed smile before moving to the bridge to get the information he needed from John. He wished he had eyes in the back of his head to see if she was watching him go. Because he sure as hell knew if she’d been the one walking off, his attention would have been riveted until she was out of sight.
Jordan Flynn was a beauty, no doubt about it. But he hadn’t had any kind of real relationship since he’d broken it off with his last girlfriend after the worst week of his life, and didn’t plan to go there ever again.
John gave him the go-ahead, and he went below to the cargo area to search for the boxes of dive equipment and everything else he needed. Being one of the first to get his gear on the shuttle meant it wouldn’t have to follow him during the next round of supplies-toting when the shuttle got full, and he began stacking everything onto several carts.
A cardboard sign caught his eye as he moved his first cart to the huge exit doors so he’d be at the front of the pack. Large letters printed in orange noted the multiple boxes that held medical equipment for the clinic and hospital.
He hesitated. Should he help Jordan out by stacking it on some of the empty carts and getting it ready so her stuff would be on the first shuttles out, too? Being a newbie on these expeditions, she wouldn’t know that it could be another full day before the medical gear got delivered to the station if it didn’t go out on the first round.
He shook his head at himself. Being helpful when someone needed it was all well and good, but at what point did it border on being a busybody, or even a creep? No, his own stuff was plenty to deal with right now. The crew was there to help Jordan. If he ran into her while they were both still on the ship, he’d give her the heads-up about how things worked around here. Otherwise, he’d mind his own business, and concentrate on work, like he always did.
* * *
With the ship nearing shore, Jordan hurried to the bow with dozens of others wanting to admire the scenery before they disembarked, so excited to get her first glimpses of the place she’d be calling home for the next six months. She’d seen so many photographs of the shoreline, and the icebergs and sea creatures that could be sighted, and each one had seemed more incredible than the last. She nearly had to pinch herself that she was about to experience it for real.
Standing on the open deck with the cold wind on her face thankfully much less ferocious than the day before, Jordan grasped the handrail and wondered if Zeke Edwards was somewhere within the crowd, too. Though why she couldn’t get her mind off the man, she had no idea. Whether she wanted to or not, though, she’d be lying to herself if she didn’t admit she wished he was standing there next to her, talking to her in that beautiful bass voice and charming American accent of his about this amazing world she was about to enter.
She stared out at one of the incredible white mountains of ice in the water, one side gleaming with a blue so deeply iridescent it took her breath away. It seemed fairly close to the ship, but she suspected that was an illusion, that it was actually much farther away than it appeared. Other flat icebergs floated nearby with groups of seals lounging on them. She knew Antarctica was home to dozens of species, but had no idea what kind these were. Wouldn’t it be helpful if a certain marine biologist with warm eyes and an all-too-appealing smile was there to educate her about some of the wildlife she was seeing?
“Pretty, isn’t it?”
Her heart jolted, then sped up. As though she’d conjured him with her thoughts, Zeke Edwards stood next to her, his face tipped down toward hers, his mouth relaxed into a small smile. The cold air stung her lungs as she breathed in and smiled back, and suddenly the incredible images in front of her seemed even more staggeringly beautiful.
“Pretty? It’s incredible.”
“The icebergs are truly wonders. Some are so big, hundreds and even thousands of feet thick and miles wide, that they’re given names and tracked. Captain Stewart is giving this one a wide berth because sonar doesn’t show if there might be a lot of ice reaching horizontally under the water. Don’t want to end up like the Titanic.”
“An even bigger accident than my small one last night is not the way I want to go. Thrown into freezing water, fingers and toes quickly numbing from hypothermia. Then convulsions, mental disorientation, organ failure. Finally, death. I hope to get to see more of Antarctica before that would happen.”
A laugh rumbled from his chest as his amused eyes met hers. “Showing off your medical knowledge, Dr. Flynn?”
“Always do, whenever the opportunity arises.”
The way they were smiling at one another, taking her back to that intimate feeling last night, sent her heart into a silly pit-a-pat.
“Glad to hear that. Upping my education on all things medical is something I enjoy.” A strand of her hair insisted on flying into her eyes, and his finger reached to tuck it back inside her hat. “Good news is I think you’re safe from hypothermia at the moment. Ship has neoprene immersion suits on board, and lifeboats. We’re close enough to shore that we’d make it before the death phase.”
“Thank heavens I can stop worrying now.” Again, that chuckle rumbled from his chest, warming hers. “I’ve lived in a lot of places around the world, but usually in hot locations. Freezing to death is something I hope to avoid.”
“Why have you lived lots of places around the world?”
“My parents are both doctors who work for an international organization that took us all over. It was an interesting way to grow up, but I’m glad to be done with it. Never had the comfort of living in one place, having the same friends for years and being close to grandparents and extended family. So I’m happy to finally be putting down roots somewhere.”
Oddly, he didn’t respond after getting her answer, his expression strangely serious.
“So.” The awkward silence had her wanting to fill it with more chitchat. “Do you travel a lot for your work?”
“Yes. Various places, but for a marine biologist and climatologist, Antarctica holds the most interesting discoveries. I’ve been here thirteen times.”
“Thirteen times?” Wow, the man was nearly as rootless as her parents. “You come more than once a year?”
“Sometimes. What we’re learning here about the climate changes in the world is invaluable.”
“I’m embarrassed to admit I don’t know exactly what a marine biologist does. Other than study the ocean.”
“We study the ocean floor and gather samples. Collect data on how warming and acidification of the polar waters is affecting all kinds of life, from the smallest plankton to penguins.”
“And climatology?”
“Interconnected, but that involves gathering ice cores aboveground, among other things. I usually focus on either land or sea on each trip. The goal is to gather enough data to make private companies and governments see that significant changes need to happen to slow down the warming of our planet.”
The passion in his eyes was intense, and she wondered how he’d decided to do that kind of research. She opened her mouth to ask more questions when a young man came to stand behind her, and she turned to look at him.
“Excuse me, are you Dr. Flynn?”
“Yes.”
“Captain Stewart told me to load your equipment onto transport carts. Help you get it off the ship and onto the shuttle. It’s ready to go down in the cargo hold as soon as we land.”
She’d hoped there might be a few crew members in the cargo space that would be able to help her pull all the bulky equipment together, but hadn’t counted on it. To hear it was already loaded up was a big, but pleasant, surprise.
“Well, thank you. Should I meet you down there?”
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll be at cargo door three.”
The young man left and she turned back to Zeke. “Wow, that’s a nic
e surprise. I wasn’t sure how much help I’d have, and there’s a lot of stuff to take. The amount of equipment and supplies they gave me to open up the medical center is crazy. I’ll have to thank Captain Stewart for thinking about it.”
“He’d appreciate that.”
Something about the expression in his eyes and the way he rocked back on his heels with his hands in his pockets struck her as slightly odd, and suddenly she knew why.
“It was you, wasn’t it? You’re the one who asked him to help me!”
“No. I asked Captain Stewart to see who might be able to give you a hand.”
“I don’t want to be treated differently from other people just because I’m a woman. It’s my job to—”
“Jordan. There are times to be independent, and times to let people help. And it has nothing to do with you being a woman.” His dark eyes met hers. “I already told you how many times I’ve been down here. If you don’t get your stuff off the boat on the first round, you’ll be waiting for it for another day or two. And since you wouldn’t know that, and you’ll be wanting to get the clinic and hospital set up as soon as possible, I figured I’d grease the wheels a bit so you’ll be ready in case of a medical emergency.”
A confusing mix of frustration and gratitude filled her chest. She did need to get everything set up as soon as possible, both because she had to begin doing baseline physicals on everyone who’d arrived in this first round, and also in case there was an emergency, as he’d said. But it sure seemed like the man was a little controlling.
She drew a deep breath. “I appreciate that, and admit I’ll be glad to have everything at the station. But I would have liked for you to have given me the heads-up so I could be the one asking the crew for help. As the station’s doctor, people need to know I’m fully capable of dealing with whatever I have to deal with here.”
“My apologies for not talking to you first.” He reached out to shake her hand, and even through her glove she could swear she felt the warmth of his hand clear down to her toes. “Good luck with your clinic setup—that’s going to be a big job. Don’t let that independent streak of yours keep you from asking me or someone else for help, okay? See you around.”
She held her now-empty hand in her other one and watched his long legs jog down the metal stairs of the boat, probably going below to the cargo area to get his own things ready.
What was it about the man that had her feeling all wound up? Slightly irritated and ridiculously attracted?
She blew out a breath. There was zero point in being attracted to him. He lived the kind of life she’d left behind. This trip was about caring for patients and testing her parents’ device, right? When the time came that she wanted to become interested in a man, it was going to happen back home in London. Period.
CHAPTER THREE
SATISFIED THAT ALL the scuba gear and other diving equipment had been scrutinized, confirmed to be in good working order and organized, Zeke moved on to get the new aquarium room built and everything installed that he and the other marine biologists would need for their samples. He’d never had to do this in Antarctica before. Usually, all the science stations had everything set up already, needing only some adjusting and tweaking.
But Fletcher Station was brand-new, and while starting from scratch would be a lot of work, it gave him a chance to create something better than what someone else had built. He got to work, and hours passed as he carefully set the rock work in place, then got the salt water prepared. Assembled the various hoses, filters and everything else the aquarium needed to support the marine life he’d be bringing here to study. He paused to stretch, pleased to be making good progress on this big job.
“Glad to see you’re halfway done here, so you can’t drag me into doing your work, and mine, too.”
Zeke looked toward the door. Bob Shamansky, who worked for the same Southern California university he did, stood there holding a cardboard box in his arms.
“I’m pretty sure it’s usually the other way around,” Zeke said. “You asking me to bring up who knows what from the seafloor for you to study instead of learning how to dive so you can do it yourself?”
“Why should I learn to dive when I have people like you to do it for me?” Bob grinned as he set the box on one of the long tables lining the outer wall. “Besides, you don’t fool me. Diving is your favorite part of the job.”
“One of my favorites, I admit. You don’t know what you’re missing.”
“I’ll stay in the lab and you macho types can go dive into dark ice-cold water—thanks, anyway.”
“Hey, I read about your latest breakthrough with a medicine you created through halogens in seawater. Treats neurological disorders, doesn’t it? Congratulations.”
“Thanks. Happy about it. Took me about five years from creation through the clinical trials to finally get it approved. Your samples helped make it happen, so congrats to you, too.”
Another reminder of why the work they all did here was so important, and Zeke’s fatigue slipped away as he turned back to the aquarium tasks. “What’s on your list of things for me to collect this time?”
“I’ll tell you about it after we get set up. This study is something totally new, and I’m pretty pumped about it.”
“Which I know means you’re giving me some tough jobs.” Zeke grinned. “You need help carrying anything in?”
“I’ve got a crew guy giving me a hand down in the storage hangar, then he’s going to help bring it here after the Ski-Doo training. Which I think I saw is in about an hour. Want to race?”
“We’d get in trouble with the station head for being a bad influence on the newbies.”
“Well, dang it. Since we’ll be at twenty-four hours of daylight in no time we won’t be able to race in the dark, so he can’t see us. Risking falling in a crevasse is such a thrill.”
“Says the man who won’t even go diving. You’re all talk, Shamansky.”
“True. I’m about as risk averse as they come.” He clapped Zeke on the back. “Going to grab my cart and bring it up. See you at the training.”
“You’ll be easy to spot, if you still wear that blue top hat over a balaclava.”
“I traded it in for an orange one this year. And something else, but you’ll have to come to the practice to find out what it is.”
Zeke shook his head and chuckled as Bob left the room, turning back to his work. Digging in the plastic containers he’d brought up here, he realized he didn’t have some of the tubing and filters he needed. A lot of his gear was still in the storage hangar, but several of the boxes were crammed beneath his bed.
He glanced at his watch. Since his cabin was about halfway between here and where they’d be conducting the Ski-Doo practice, he might as well see if what he needed was there to save time on his way back. He made his way through a covered, aboveground bridge that connected this building to Pod B where he’d be bunking. He moved down a hallway past rows of doors until he found his small cabin. With one single bed, a small table he used as a desk and built-in closet for clothes, it was comfortable enough. Good thing, since he’d be calling this place home for the next six months.
Home. He tried not to think about the home where he’d grown up. That it didn’t exist anymore, and neither did his parents. Or the other two people he’d loved and who’d raised him after his parents died. Home was San Diego now, or at least as much of a home as he ever wanted to have again.
But there was no point in going over all that again. He’d learned what he’d had to about himself from that horrible experience, and would never forget.
He rolled up the shade covering the small window so he could look out over the ice fields beyond. In the summer months of endless sun, the light-blocking shades were essential to a good night’s sleep, which he had trouble achieving even when it was dark. The shades took his mind back to Jordan Flynn and her eye mask, and he had
to smile, thinking about her spunk and her shiny hair and deep blue eyes the color of the Pacific.
He turned and grabbed the things he needed from one of the boxes, put on the standard-issue red snowsuit the station had given everyone, then headed for the Ski-Doo practice. Pointless that it was, he couldn’t seem to help the sudden spring in his step, knowing he’d see Jordan there.
* * *
Jordan stood near the big snow machines, deciding they looked a lot like motorcycles, and if that was the case, she’d be okay riding one. Living in so many unusual situations and places, she was probably more experienced driving all kinds of vehicles than most people, and hopefully this wouldn’t be anything particularly new or different.
With her peripheral vision, she noted a tall form approaching. Despite wearing the same red snowsuit as everyone else out there, she knew without even looking that it was Ezekiel Edwards, and frowned at the way her heart beat a little faster. Couldn’t help feeling that, when his gaze met hers, a small smile on his lips, it all somehow seemed to warm the freezing air.
“Ready for the Ski-Doo instruction?” he asked. “Have you ridden one before?”
“Not exactly. Motorcycles and scooters and such, yes. I told you my life experiences have been mostly in hot places, except for England. I’m guessing they’re a lot like a Jet Ski?”
“Except without waves to hit and maneuver over. Here, you just have to make sure you don’t drive over a crevasse and disappear deep inside, or get too close to the edge of an ice shelf and have it crack off so you end up in frigid water. Experiencing that hypothermia and death you talked about.”
“You’re making that up.”
“Why do you think they have practice? There’s a lot involved in knowing the safest ways to get around the area, especially if you’re going out in the field.”
“Well, that makes me glad they’re doing this, to train newbies like me.”
