Finished with eating, they all pushed their chairs back and began telling stories that made them more than coworkers. Their jobs were difficult and their living conditions were little above primitive but they knew how to appreciate downtime. They were a family and for once in his life he knew what it felt like to be a member, not an outsider. It was nice.
Watching Maggie toss her head back and laugh made a shot of unadulterated pleasure flow through him like warm caramel over a fresh-baked cake. Pure heaven. Her laugh reminded him of a girl giggling but with the maturity of a woman who knew herself and her place in the world. The combination intrigued him.
After an hour or so Dr. Roberts cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s attention. “I hate to break up the party but I have to check on a patient in the ward. Before I go, Doctors…” he looked at Court and John “…we need to decide who’s going to handle the clinics in the villages with Maggie and Bee. Court, would you mind going?”
“There are a large number of children due for check-ups. Maybe Court would rather not have to do so much child care,” Maggie suggested, looking at him as if challenging him to refuse to go.
Court felt a spasm of unease at the thought of handling the child care by himself but he refused to let that show. He took a deep breath and said, “I’d like to see a village.” Maggie’s crestfallen look gave him some satisfaction, even if it didn’t ease his apprehension. Surely there would be no cases worse in the village than the kind of thing he’d already seen in the past few days. “It would give me a better understanding of the kind of work the hospital is doing with the outlying clinics.”
“But—”
“Then it’s settled,” Dr. Roberts said, cutting off what Court knew would be Maggie’s objection. Court had fully expected Maggie to start building barriers after their heated kiss but he’d not thought she would be so obviously against working with him. “Great. Sounds like a plan.
“When do we leave?”
“Five a.m.,” Maggie stated.
“O-kay. I’ll be ready.”
“Court, I’ll leave you in Maggie’s and Bee’s capable hands,” Dr. Roberts said. “Maggie, check in with me before you leave in case I have any last-minute instructions.”
“Will do,” Maggie said, and started stacking dishes.
“And by the way, great meal. Thanks,” Dr. Roberts announced, and everyone agreed.
“Don’t worry about the washing-up,” Jill said. “You probably need to get stuff together. You cooked, we’ll clean.” She looked pointedly at the others around the table.
“Great. Thanks, everyone.” Maggie waved over her head before heading toward the door.
“Wait a minute, would you? I need to talk to you,” Court called, hurrying after her. At the grumbles behind him, he called over his shoulder, “Hey, I helped cook.”
Maggie had made it out the door before he reached her side. “Maggie, wait up. I need to know what supplies I should see about or if there’s anything else I need to do before tomorrow morning.”
“Nothing special. The supplies are already boxed and ready to load. The boys will have them in the truck and tied down for us before it’s time to leave. Have your personal med bag well stocked, get some rest and be prepared to work long hours.”
“How long will we be gone?”
“Four to five days.” She said the words matter-of-factly but her voice vibrated with a hint of excitement.
“You’re looking forward to this trip, aren’t you?”
“Yes. This is my favorite village. Neetie’s from there. He’ll be going with us. If you don’t mind, I’ll answer all your other questions tomorrow. Take my word for it—we’ll have plenty of time to talk. It’s a long drive.” She turned and headed toward the hospital building.
Court couldn’t remember being so prettily dismissed in quite some time.
* * *
The stars were still bright in the night sky when Maggie came round the corner of the motor-pool building. The soft silence and dim light from the security light surrounded her. She expected to see the drab green military surplus truck loaded and ready to go but surprise filled her when she saw the tall, lanky form of Court leaning against it.
He wore an outfit that reminded her of Indiana Jones, right up to the hat tipped rakishly on his handsome head. Maggie’s heart leaped. An unexpected desire to knock his hat off and kiss him good-morning washed over her. Ho, she shouldn’t have those kinds of thoughts. She was stuck with the high-handed, arrogant man for the next few days and this wasn’t some African vacation for the wealthy.
“Mornin’, Maggie.”
She almost groaned at the sound of his deep voice passing through those lips, the thoughts of which had kept her awake much of the night.
Taking a deep fortifying breath, she said, “Let me check with Dr. Roberts, find Bee and Neetie, and we’ll be off.”
“Neetie’s asleep in the back. Roberts said to tell you he had to go into surgery and Bee won’t be going. One of the other nurses is sick, and Roberts said he can’t spare her. So it’s just you and me,” he teased. “And Neetie, of course. I’ll drive.”
She debated with him about driving because he didn’t know the way to the village but he said, “I can take directions. I’m a quick learner.”
She hated to admit it, but he did catch on quickly. He had a good ear for language and had picked up enough Mamprusi to carry on a pleasant conversation with the locals. On top of that, she’d not heard him complain about working under time pressure or the constraints of the hospital’s limited abilities. Grudgingly, she acknowledged Court had adjusted well to living in Ghana. She made a face under the cover of darkness. “Take the road north out of town.”
They left the buildings of the compound behind and Maggie rested her head against the truck door, taking advantage of the unexpected opportunity to get some sleep. Closing her eyes, she couldn’t prevent the memory of Court’s lips on hers from slipping in.
Was he having as much trouble recovering from their kiss as she was?
CHAPTER FOUR
MAGGIE woke with a start. The bump and shudder of the truck after the tire hit an extra-deep rut in the dry road bed knocked her head against the window.
She glanced at Court. The dawning light put his profile in sharp relief. She allowed herself a few seconds to appreciate the way his hair fell over his forehead, the set of his generous mouth and the jut of his firm jaw. She would have spent more time admiring his classically handsome good looks but she refused to let her interest show.
The sun was creeping into the sky. Court had been driving for hours. She shouldn’t feel sorry for him; it had been his choice and at his insistence. He’d climbed into the cab, leaving her no alternative but to go round to the passenger side. She didn’t mind being driven but she did mind the high-handed way he gone about it.
Court turned his head and his pale blue gaze met hers for a flicker of a second before her lids dropped.
“I know you’re awake,” he said just above a
whisper, “because I’ve been listening to those delicate little sounds you make for the past few hours.”
Maggie twisted in her seat and glared. “Are you implying I snore?”
“Oh, no. These are more like little noises of pleasure. As if you were dreaming of something delightful.”
Unaccustomed heat crept into her face. Oh, man, she’d been thinking of his kiss as she’d gone to sleep. A change of subject was needed. She looked through the dusty windshield to the expanse of monochromatic land before them. One lone tree stood off in the distance. “You’ve made good time.”
“I thought so but it’s hard to tell in this environment. It all looks the same.”
“It does until you’ve been here for a while. Then each area takes on its own personality. Even though it changes often, some things never change. Like that tree out there. It has become a marker, a guide to all who travel along this way.”
“What happens when it dies?”
“Then another marker will be chosen.” She pointed off to the left. “The small rocky rise will always be there. We’ll need to stay to the right of it.”
“You love this place, don’t you?”
“I do. These people need me.”
Court let the statement sink in. She had no idea she’d told him something significant about herself. Strong, independent Maggie needed to be needed. That was something he could understand. Having felt on the outside, with an invisible barrier between him and the rest of his family, he knew the desire well.
“Do you see yourself always living here?”
“Yes.”
He glanced at her, brow raised. “You don’t want to marry? Have kids?” She looked away, as if she didn’t want him to see her face. He couldn’t image Maggie not wanting children. They seemed to gravitate to her during clinics. More than once he had been envious of her ease with them. Something he had lost and didn’t know if he would ever get back.
“No, the kids like Neetie are my children. In fact, I plan to ask the chief if I may adopt Neetie on this trip. Anyway, the majority of the men I meet have no interest in living here. This is my home now.”