His surprise Christmas promise

Dr. Ellen Cox goes to South America to break the shackles of her confined life. But she never imagined replacing them with bonds of desire for her new hotshot boss—Chance Freeman!

Guarded Chance, although sorely tempted, tries to keep Ellen at a distance—and when the dangers of their jobs are ramped up, he sends her home to safety. Then he realizes his mistake and heads for snowy New York, determined to win Ellen with a very special Christmas proposal!

“You need to get some sleep. We have another day of walking ahead of us.” He put another piece of brush on the fire. He continued to stand as if he wasn’t going to join her on the blanket.

“You aren’t going to sleep?” Ellen asked.

“I think I’ll sit up for a while.”

“Then I’ll keep you company—unless you’ve had enough of me?”

“I don’t think that’s possible,” he said, and then a stricken look covered his features, as if he’d said something he hadn’t meant to.

“We haven’t had that talk yet,” she said, just loud enough that she could be heard over the falls.

“Ellen, I don’t think...”

“You’re right. I don’t want to talk.” She stood. “I’ve spent the last two days worrying about dying.”

“Ellen...”

She stepped around the fire. “There might not be another day, another time, and I want to celebrate being alive. With you.”

Placing her hands on his shoulders, she went up onto her toes and kissed him.

Chance grabbed her around the waist. Pulling her against his chest, he brought her feet off the ground. His mouth devoured hers as if he was hungry and a banquet was being served.

Dear Reader,

I love an adventure. And Ellen and Chance’s story is just that. Take a fish-out-of-water female doctor, a man who has seen too much pain and can’t do enough to help the people he cares deeply about, add a developing country, push the two doctors together, mix in drug traffickers chasing them and the fun begins.

I hope you enjoy Ellen and Chance’s quest for love.

I want to thank Ron and Susie Woodward for sharing their experiences of working during medical mission trips in Central America. Because of their care many people like those I describe in my book now have better lives. You are both an inspiration to me.

I love to hear from my readers. You can reach me at SusanCarlisle.com.

Susan

The Doctor’s Sleigh Bell Proposal

Susan Carlisle

www.millsandboon.co.uk

SUSAN CARLISLE’s love affair with books began in the sixth grade, when she made a bad grade in mathematics. Not allowed to watch TV until she’d brought the grade up, Susan filled her time with books. She turned her love of reading into a passion for writing, and now has over ten medical romances published through Mills & Boon. She writes about hot, sexy docs and the strong women who captivate them. Visit SusanCarlisle.com.

To Carol, I love you for being my sister—if not by birth, of my heart.

Praise for Susan Carlisle

‘Gripping, stirring, and emotionally touching... A perfect medical read!’

—Goodreads on His Best Friend’s Baby

‘This emotional love story kept me riveted. A truly satisfying, emotional read. Susan Carlisle’s work is like that. Check it out, you won’t be disappointed.’

—Goodreads on NYC Angels: The Wallflower’s Secret

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Praise

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

Extract

Copyright

CHAPTER ONE

SCREECHING VEHICLE BRAKES caught Dr. Chance Freeman’s attention. That would be his three new staff members arriving. They should have been here last night but bad weather had delayed them. He’d needed them desperately. His other team had left that morning and today’s clinic had been shorthanded and almost impossible to manage.

Chance glanced up from the baby Honduran boy he was examining and out the entrance of the canvas tent located in a clearing near a village. Beyond the long line of waiting patients, he saw a tall, twentyish woman jump down from the rear of the army surplus truck. She wore a tight green T-shirt, a bright yellow bandana round her neck and tan cargo pants that clung to her curves.

Great. High jungle fashion. He’d seen that before.

Shoulders hunched, he drew his lips into a tight line, stopping a long-suffering sound from escaping. Years ago he’d helped Alissa out of a Jeep. She’d believed in being well dressed in any environment as well. They had been newlyweds at the time. That had only lasted months.

Everything about this new staff member’s regal bearing screamed she didn’t belong in the stifling heat of a rain forest in Central America. He bet she wouldn’t last long. In his years of doing medical aid work he’d learned to recognize those who would stick out the tough conditions and long hours. His guess was that she wasn’t one of them. Everything about her screamed upper crust, big city. Pampered.

When had he become so cynical? He hadn’t even met her yet and he was already putting her in a slot. It wasn’t fair not to give her a chance just because she reminded him of his ex-wife. Still, he didn’t have the time, energy or inclination to coddle anyone, even if he desperately needed the help.

From under her wide-brimmed hat she scanned the area, her gaze coming around to lock with his. She tilted her head, shielding her eyes with a hand against the noonday sun. One of her two companions said something and she turned away.

Shaking off the spell, Chance returned to the child. He’d hardly looked down when there was a commotion outside. People were screaming and running. What was going on?

He didn’t have to wait long to find out. Two men carried another man into the tent. He was bleeding profusely around the face and neck area and down one arm. Quickly handing the baby to his mother, Chance cleared the exam table with his arm.

“Put him here. What happened?”

The men lifted the injured man onto the table. Despite Chance’s excellent Spanish, they were talking so fast he was having to work to understand them. Apparently, the man had been attacked by a jaguar while trying to save one of his goats.

A feminine voice asked from the end of the table, “What can I do to help?”

A fragrant scent floated in the air. He was tempted to lean forward and inhale. There was a marked difference between the feminine whiff and the odor of the sweaty bodies around him. Unfortunately, he would need to warn her not to wear perfume in this part of the world because it attracted unwanted insects.

Chance looked up into clear blue eyes that made him think of the pool of water at the bottom of his favorite waterfall. The woman he’d just seen climbing off the truck waited. She’d removed her hat and now he could clearly see a long blonde braid falling over a shoulder. With her fair coloring she would burn in no time in the hot Honduran sun.

“Start with cutting away the clothing.”

She stepped to the table. The paper on the table was soaked with blood. He glanced up to see her face blanch as she viewed the man who would be disfigured for life from the deep lacerations.

“Don’t faint on me,” Chance said through clenched teeth. “Michael, get over here.” He nodded toward the other table. “Go help there. Michael and I’ll handle this.”

She moved off to see about the case Michael was working on. Chance didn’t have time to ponder why someone in the medical profession couldn’t handle this type of injury.

He and Michael worked to piece the Honduran man back together. It may have been the largest number of stitches he’d ever put into a person. There would be a long recovery time.

“We need some help here,” Michael called as he finished suturing an area.

The woman stepped to the table again.

Chance glared at her. “I thought I told you—”

She gave him a determined and unwavering look. “I’ve got this.” She turned to Michael. “What do you need?”

“Bandage this hand,” he said.

“I’ll take care of it.” The words were full of confidence as fingers tipped in hot pink picked up the saline and four-by-fours sitting on the table and began cleaning around the area.

Chance had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. That manicure wouldn’t last long here and there wouldn’t be another forthcoming either. He moved on to the next laceration. As he looked at the man’s arm Chance kept a watchful eye on the new staff member. With the efficiency of few he’d seen, she’d wrapped and secured the dressing and moved on the next spot.

At least she seemed to have recovered from whatever her earlier issue had been. He was used to temporary help, but he still wanted quality.

Many who came to help with the Traveling Clinic were filled with good intentions and the idealism of saving the world but didn’t have the skills or common sense required to work in such primitive settings. The clinic served the medical issues in the small villages outside of La Ceiba. Making it even more difficult was that the locals were often hesitant about asking for help.

A jaguar attack wasn’t the clinic’s normal kind of injury but they did see a number of severe wounds from accidents. He needed staff that could handle the unexpected and often gruesome. If Chance wasn’t such a sceptic he’d have given the new woman points for her recovery but he’d been doing this type of work for far too long. Had seen staff come and go.

He was familiar with people who left. His mother had done it when he’d been a child. He’d been seven when she’d just not been there. His father was a world-renowned surgeon and had been gone much of the time. With his mother’s absence Chance had starting acting out in an effort to keep his father’s attention, even to the point of stealing. That had got him sent to boarding school. Even in that restrictive environment Chance had pushed back.

In a stern voice the headmaster had said, “It’s time for you to decide if you’re going to amount to anything in your life. Right now I’d be surprised if you do.”

He was the one man in Chance’s life who had taken a real interest in a scared and angry boy. The grizzled and gruff headmaster had believed in him, had taken time to listen. Unlike his father. Chance had wanted to make the headmaster proud and had made a change after that conversation. He’d focused on his studies. Dedicated his life to helping others. But in the area of personal relationships he had failed miserably over and over to the point he had long ago given up. Those, apparently, he wasn’t capable of having.

Why were dark memories invading now? Maybe because the new woman reminded him so much of his ex-wife, Alissa, whose defection always made him think of his mother. Two females who had rejected him. He’d moved past all that long ago. His worry now was how to keep the clinic open. Pondering old history did nothing to help with the present problem.

He watched the new woman as he changed gloves. Her movements were confident now. Marco, a local man who served as clerk, translator, and gofer for the clinic, entered the tent with a distressed look on his face. He hurried to her and said in his heavily accented voice, “I know not where you are. Please not leave again without telling. Much danger here. Not get lost.”

She looked at him. “I’m sorry. I saw the emergency and thought I should come help.”

“It’s okay, Marco. I’ll explain. See to the other two,” Chance said to the short, sturdy man.

“Sí, Dr. Chance.” Marco nodded and hurried out of the clinic.

Chance gave her a pointed look. “Please don’t leave the clinic area until we’ve talked.”

Her chin went down and she nodded. “I understand. By the way, my name is Cox. Dr. Ellen Cox. Like Bond. James Bond.” She flashed him a grin.

She was a cheeky little thing. He wasn’t certain he appreciated that.

* * *

He finished up with the injured man and sent him off in a truck to the hospital in La Ceiba. He would check in on him when they got back to town. Chance cleaned up and moved on to his next patient, who was an older woman with an infected bug bite. It would be necessary to drain it.

Before starting the procedure, he stepped to the table next to his, where a five-year-old girl sat. Digging into his pants pocket, he pulled out a peppermint and handed the piece of candy to her. She removed the clear plastic cover and plopped it into her mouth, giving Chance a wide, toothy grin. He’d given a child a second of happiness. He just wished he could make more of a difference. What he did wasn’t enough.

As Chance returned to his patient, Ellen joined him.

Since she was so enthusiastic he’d let her see to the woman as he watched. “We’re going to need a suture kit, a box of four-by-fours and bandages. Supplies are in the van.” He gestured toward the beat-up vehicle that had been parked partially under the tent so that the back end was protected from the daily afternoon rain and could function as a portable storage room. Chance waited as she hurried after the supplies.

Returning to his side, she placed the kit on the bed and a bottle of saline water as well. “I’ll get a pan.” She was gone again.

Chance spoke to his patient in Spanish, reassuring her that she would be fine and that what he was going to do wouldn’t take too long. A few moments later Ellen was back with the pan and plastic gloves for herself.

He helped the older woman lay back on the table.

Ellen gave the patient a reassuring pat on the shoulder and then turned her attention to opening the suture kit, placing it where he could easily reach the contents. Taking the plastic gloves off the top, he pulled them on. She did the same with hers. Removing the blue sterile paper sheets, she placed them on her patient’s leg around and under the inflamed area.

Chance handed her the scalpel. She took it without question.

Michael called, “Chance, you got a second to look at this?”

“Go ahead. I can handle this,” Ellen said.

Chance hesitated then nodded. He liked to oversee the new staff for a week or so just to make sure they understood the locals and the type of work they were doing but she should be able to handle a simple case.

The patient’s eyes had grown wide when he’d left. Ellen moved to his side of the table and began speaking to her in a mix that was more English than Spanish. As she distracted the woman by having her pay attention to what she was saying instead of what she was doing, the woman calmed down to the point of smiling a few times.

Chance glanced Ellen’s way now and then to see how she was doing. By the time he returned the patient was bandaged and ready to leave. Ellen had done a good job.

Chance moved on to the next person waiting. She assisted him. They were just finishing when Marco returned with the two other new staff members. He introduced the man as Pete Ortiz and the woman as Karen Johnson, both nurses. Ellen moved off across the short aisle of tables to help Chance’s colleague, Michael Lange. Because Pete spoke fluent Spanish, Chance sent him to do triage and Karen stayed to help him.

Working in Honduras on and off for eight years had only made Chance see the needs here grow. There had been a time he’d thought he might really make a difference but the people needed real clinics, brick-and-mortar buildings with dedicated doctors, not just a few coming in and out every few weeks.

He loved this country—the weather, which he much preferred to the cold of the north, the coast. Scuba diving was one of his greatest day-off hobbies. Walking through a rain forest and being surprised by a waterfall was amazing. But most of all he liked the open, generous smiles of the people. In Honduras he had found home.

The Traveling Clinic had been his idea years ago and he’d worked long and hard to gain funding for the idea. The clinic was a successful concept but money was forever a problem. Again tomorrow the clinic would be stopping at a different village and the locals would line up. Some would wait all day for care. The day would start just as this one had. Never enough, and more left to do.

A couple of times during the afternoon hours the sound of laughter reached his ears. Michael and the new doctor seemed to enjoy working together. That was what he’d thought when his wife had spent so much time helping his clinic colleague, Jim. They had gotten along so well she’d returned to the States with him.

The sun was only touching the tops of the trees by the time Chance saw his last patient. Michael was finishing up with his as well. Now all that was left was to break down the clinic, load the trucks, and head for a hot shower. He leaned up against the nearest exam table, finishing a note on his patient’s chart.

“Doctor, if you’ll excuse me, I need to fold this exam table.” Ellen gave him a pointed look as she flipped her hair back, implying he needed to move.

She reminded him of a teenager, looked no older than a fresh-out-of-high-school girl, even though she must be at least twenty-eight to his tired forty-one-year-old eyes. Breaking down the clinic was the job of Marco and the local men he’d hired to help him. As much as Chance was amazed by her zeal, she needed to understand a few things about the culture and dangers here. “Marco and his men will take care of that.”

“I can get—”

He lowered his voice. “I’m sure you can but they take their jobs and positions seriously. I don’t want them to feel insulted.”

“Oh. I didn’t realize.” She stopped what she was doing.

“Now you do. You need to tread more carefully, Dr. Cox. There are cultural and safety issues you should be aware of before you go off willy-nilly. Don’t be reckless. This isn’t Los Angeles, New York or wherever you are from.”

A flash of something in her eyes he couldn’t put a name to came and went before she said, “New York.”

He looked at her a second. “There’re not only animals in the jungle that could hurt you, as you saw today, but there’s a major issue with drug traders. Neither play around or allow second chances. You should never go out alone. Even in the villages or clinic compound, always have someone with you.”

“Are you trying to scare me?”

Did she think this was some exotic vacation spot? “No, I’m trying to keep you out of harm’s way.” He looked straight at her. “If you don’t follow the rules, you don’t stay around here long.”

Her lips tightened as she glanced toward the men working to break down the clinic. “I’m sorry I upset Marco. I saw the number of people waiting and thought I should get to work.”

“You would be no good to them if you get hurt.”

“Your point is taken.”

“Chance,” Michael called.

“Just remember what I said.” He walked away to join Michael beside the supply van.

Half an hour later the tent was down and everything stowed in the vehicles. Now their party was bumping along the narrow dirt road toward the coast. Chance rode in the supply van, with one of the locals driving, while Michael was a passenger in the truck. The others rode in the rear of it. The hour-long trip to the resort might be the toughest part of the day. As the bird flew, the distance wasn’t far; however, the roads were so rough and winding it seemed to take forever to make the return drive. Chance usually tried to sleep.

For some reason his thoughts went to the young doctor traveling in the truck behind him. She’d worked hard, doing her share and some more. There was no way she was napping while sitting on that hard metal bench. If she complained, he would point out that the ride was just part of doing this type of medical work. Anyone who stayed with it learned to accept the hardship.

* * *

Ellen’s head bumped against one of the support frames running around the bed of the truck. Taking a nap was almost impossible. She pulled a jacket out of her duffel bag and folded it up then stuffed it between her head and the unforgiving metal.

Looking out through the slats, she watched the fascinating countryside go by. The vegetation grew rich and huge. Some of the leaves were the size of an umbrella. And so green. It looked impossible to walk through. She’d never seen anything like it. The flowers were such vivid colors. A pink hibiscus always caught her attention.

As the plane had been coming in that morning she’d looked down on the coastline of the county. The pristine white sand against the blue-green of the water had made her want to experience it for herself. It was a beautiful country. She already loved it.

Completely different from New York, the city of buildings and lights. She’d worked at an inner-city clinic that saw pregnant teenagers and babies with colds. It was nothing compared to the type of patients and conditions she’d experienced today. It had been exhilarating. Except for that one moment when she’d looked at that man and all the memories of her mother caught in the car had come flooding back.

The Traveling Clinic cared for people who truly needed it. These people had no other way of getting medical care. They hadn’t made poor life choices like the drug addicts and drunks in the city. Here they had nothing, and the clinic offered them something they desperately needed. And they still had a bright smile to share.

The type of work she’d done today was why she’d become a doctor. As a child, a car accident had killed her mother and had left Ellen in the hospital for weeks. There she’d learned the importance of good medical care. The staff had loved and given special attention to the little girl who had lost so much. Ellen had determined then that she wanted to work in the medical field, do for people what had been done for her.

The only sticking point had been her father. As a Manhattan socialite and the only child of an overprotective father, she’d worked at being taken seriously when she’d announced she was going to medical school. Ellen desired to do more than chair committees and plan fancy fund-raisers. She’d wanted to personally make a difference, get to know the people she was helping.

When Ellen had started practicing at the inner-city clinic her father had pitched a fit, saying it was too risky and he didn’t want her to work there.

“You’re acting like your mother. She went in head first and then thought,” he’d said more than once to her as she’d been growing up.

Ellen had told him he had no choice. A number of times she’d noticed a man hanging around when she’d come and gone from the clinic. Some days later she’d found out he had been hired by her father to watch over her because he’d been concerned about her safety.

A few weeks later she’d heard Dr. Freeman speak with such passion about his work in Honduras that she had been hooked. She wanted to make that kind of difference, offer that kind of care. The next day she’d applied to join his staff. It had taken her six months but she was finally here.

After her decision to come to Honduras, she’d thought of not telling her father but she loved him too much to just disappear. Instead, she’d told him she was going to Honduras but not specifically where she would be, fearing he’d send someone to watch over her. Again he’d accused her of not thinking it through. She’d assured him she had. For once she wanted to do something on her own, free from her father’s influence.

Her head bounced again. The picture of Dr. Freeman’s displeased look when she’d frozen came to mind. Her lips formed a wry smile. Later she had seen a small measure of respect in his eyes.

The wheels squealed to a painful halt. Ellen looked out the end of the truck to see a gorgeously groomed area. Where were they? The others filed off the vehicle and she brought up the rear. With her feet on the ground, she looked around. It appeared as if they were in the back parking lot of a resort.

A couple of Honduran helpers pulled her bag, along with Pete’s and Karen’s, down from the truck. She hadn’t met her fellow staff members until the time had come to board the flight to Honduras. Pete was a nice guy who was looking for a change after a bad marriage and Karen was a middle-aged woman who thought working with the clinic would be a nice way to see a new country. Ellen had liked them both immediately.

Their group was joined by the two doctors. She’d enjoyed working with Michael Lange. He seemed fun and laid back. The same couldn’t be said about Dr. Freeman. From what she could tell, he was an excellent doctor. Everything she’d heard about him had been glowing. But on the Mr. Congeniality scale he was pretty low. He could work on his warm welcomes. He hadn’t even taken the time to offer his name.

After hearing him speak Ellen had expected him to have less of a crusty personality. He acted as if he’d seen too much and couldn’t leave it behind. He was as strikingly handsome as she remembered. With thick, dark, wavy hair with a touch of white at the temples that gave him an air of authority, he was someone who held her attention. Even when she hadn’t been working directly with him she had been conscious of where he’d been in the tent. She generally didn’t have this type of reaction to a man.

“I’ll show Ellen to her hut,” Michael said.

“No, she’s next to me,” Chance said. “You see to, uh, Pete and...” He looked at the other nurse. “It’s Karen, isn’t it?”

“That’s correct.” Karen picked up her bag.

“Okay. Dinner is at seven in the private dining room behind the main one.” Dr. Freeman headed toward a dirt path between two low palmetto plants. There was a small wooden sign there giving arrowed directions to different areas of the resort. “Coming, Dr. Cox? I’ve got a call to make to the States before it gets too late.”

He’d not offered to carry her luggage. If he thought she couldn’t or wouldn’t carry her own bag, he had another thought coming. Grabbing her duffel, she pulled the strap over her shoulder and hurried after him. The man really was egotistical.

She followed him along a curving path through groomed vegetation beneath trees filled with blue and yellow chattering macaws. She lagged behind when she became caught up in her surroundings. The place was jaw-dropping beautiful. Completely different from any place she’d ever seen.

“Dr. Cox.” The exasperation in the doctor’s voice reminded her of a father talking to a distracted child. She didn’t like it.

“It’s Ellen.”

“Come along, Ellen. I still have work to do tonight.” He took long strides forward.

From what she could tell, he had more than put in a day’s worth of work. What could he possibly need to do tonight? “Coming, sir.”

He stopped and glared down his nose at her. “The sir isn’t necessary.”

“I just thought that since you were acting like a general I should speak to you as such.”

“Ellen, you’ll find I’m not known for my sense of humor.” He continued on down the path as if he didn’t care if she followed him or not.

“I’m sure you’re not,” she murmured. Hefting her bag strap more securely over her shoulder, she focused on catching up. They moved farther into the landscape until they came out in a small grassy opening where two huts stood with only a huge banyan tree separating them. Each had a thatched roof and a dark-stained wooden porch with what looked like comfortable chairs with bright floral pillows.

The space was perfect as a romantic getaway. “This is amazing. I expected to live in a tent and have to use a bathhouse.”

“You have a top-of-the-line bath. We work hard and the board believes the least it can do is provide a nice place to stay. The resort gives us a deal.” Dr. Freeman pointed to the structure on the left. “That hut is yours. Follow the signs around to the dining room. If you need something, call zero on the phone.” With that he headed toward the other hut.

Well, she wouldn’t be counting on him to be the perfect neighbor.

Ellen climbed the three steps to the main door. There was a hammock hanging from one post to another. The living arrangements weren’t what she’d expected but she wasn’t going to complain.

She swung the door open and entered. Her eyes widened. She sucked in a breath of pleasure. Talk about going from one extreme to another. As rough as the working conditions were, the living quarters were luxurious. She’d lived well in New York but even by those standards this was a nice living space.

The floor plan consisted of an open room with a sitting area on one side and the bed on the other. The ceiling was high with a slow-moving fan that encouraged a breeze through the slated windows. A gleaming wood floor stretched the length of the room. The only area of it that was covered was in the sitting area, where two chairs and a settee created a cozy group. A large bright rug of red, greens and yellows punctuated the space.

But it was the bedroom side that made the biggest impression. A large square canopy bed made of mahogany with identical twists carved into each of the four posts sat there. If she was going to spend a honeymoon somewhere, this would be her choice.

She’d come close to a wedding a couple of times but it seemed like her father stepped in and changed her mind just as she was getting serious. It was as if he couldn’t trust her to know who and what she wanted. That was one of the reasons she’d come to Honduras. At least here she could make her own decisions.

The open-air shower, shielded from any onlookers by plank walls, was a new experience. At first she found it intimidating but as the warm water hit her shoulders Ellen eased into the enjoyment of the birds in the trees chirping at her. She was officially enchanted.

Half an hour later, Ellen headed down the plant-lined walk in the direction of what she hoped was the dining area. She turned a curve and a crystal-blue swimming pool that resembled a fern-encircled grotto came into view. The resort was truly amazing.

Beside it Dr. Freeman sat on a lounger, talking on the phone. He wore a T-shirt, cargo shorts and leather thong shoes. His legs were crossed at the ankles. He appeared relaxed but the tone of his voice said that was far from the case. She wasn’t surprised. Her impression had been that he didn’t unwind often.

“Look, we need those supplies. We have to raise the money.” He paused. “I can’t be in two places at once. You’ll have to handle it. And about the staff you’re sending me, I’ve got to have people who’ll stay longer than six weeks. No more short term. The people of rural Honduras need a standing clinic.” He glanced in her direction.

Ellen continued toward a tall open-air building, hoping it was where she should go. Footfalls followed her.

“Eavesdropping, Dr. Cox?”

She looked back at him. “I wasn’t. I was just on my way to dinner. And I told you I prefer Ellen. When you say Dr. Cox it sounds so condescending.”

“I’m sorry. Ellen.”

She now wished she hadn’t insisted he call her by her first name. His slight accent gave it an exotic note that sent a shiver up her spine. Not wanting to give that reaction any more analysis, she said, “I’m hungry.”

“The dining room is this way.” He started up the steps to the building and she joined him.

They entered a large open space with a thatched roof supported by huge poles. A wooden desk with a local man standing behind it was located off to one side. He waved in their direction as they crossed the gleaming wooden floor. Ellen followed him around one of three groupings of wicker furniture toward a shuttered doorway that stood open. Inside were tables with white cloths over them and low lighting. Dr. Freeman kept moving then stopped at a single door and opened it.

“Close the door behind you,” he instructed.

Ellen did as he asked. They were now in a small room where a long table was set in the middle and a buffet area along one wall. The other members of their group were already there, talking among themselves. They grew quiet as she and Dr. Freeman joined them.

“I thought you guys would already be eating.”

“Not without you, boss,” Michael said with a grin.

“You know better than that. Well, if no one else is going to start, I am.” Dr. Freeman picked up a plate off the stack on the buffet table. Everyone else followed his lead and lined up. Unsure of the protocol or the seating arrangement, Ellen moved to the back of the line. A minute or two later, with her plate full of chicken and tropical fruit, she considered which chair to take.

“Come and sit beside me,” Michael offered.

With a smile Ellen took the open seat. She glanced at Chance. His eyes narrowed as he looked in their direction.

She and Michael discussed where she was from and what she thought of her hut then he asked, “So, Ellen, what brings you to our little slice of the world?”

She shrugged. “I wanted to work where I could make a difference.”

“You weren’t doing that where you were?” Dr. Freeman asked.

She hadn’t realized he’d been listening to their conversation.

“Yes, but these people really need someone here. I was seeing young mothers and babies. I found my job necessary and rewarding but there was a tug to do something more. Others were there to help those girls but not enough here to help these. I wanted to come here.”

“How did you find out about us?” Michael asked.

“I heard Dr. Freeman speak. I knew this was where I wanted to be.”

“Well, Chance, you made a convert.”

Dr. Freeman shrugged and went back to eating.

“So, what did you think about the work today?” Michael asked.

“It was different, I have to give you that. But I loved it.” She glanced toward the end of the table where Dr. Freeman was sitting.

“You might feel differently after a few days of hot, unending work,” Dr. Freeman drawled.

“Aw, come on, Chance, don’t scare her.” Michael smiled at her. “Don’t worry about him. The great Chance Freeman has seen so many people come and go here he’s a little cynical about all the new ones. Many don’t stay the full six weeks. Some have only lasted days. It’s made him a little jaded.”

“That’s enough, Michael.”

The doctor’s snap didn’t seem to faze Michael. He just grinned. Ellen looked at Dr. Freeman. “I don’t plan to be leaving anytime soon, Dr. Freeman.”

“Dr. Freeman?” Michael chuckled. “We’re a casual bunch around here. First names work just fine. Especially after hours. Isn’t that right, Chance?”

He leaned back in his chair. “Sure.”

After that Michael turned his attention to Pete and Karen, asking them about themselves.

Ellen concentrated on her dinner and was glad to have Dr. Freeman...uh, Chance’s attention off her. When everyone had finished laughing at a story Michael told, Chance tapped on the table with the back of his fork to gain their attention.

“Okay, we need to talk about tomorrow. We’ll be in the Tooca area. Near the river. This is our first time there so let’s be on our toes. We’ll need to be at the trucks at four a.m., ready to roll. Get some sleep and be ready for a really long day.”

Ellen shuffled out of the dining room with the rest of the group. It turned out that Karen was housed not far from her so they walked back toward their huts together. After leaving Karen, Ellen continued along the path lit only by lights in the vegetation. Thankfully the porch lights were on at her and Chance’s huts. One of the staff at the resort must have come by while she’d been at dinner.

Ellen had just crawled under the covers when the light flicked on inside Chance’s hut. His silhouette crossed in front of the window. His passion for what he did was a major factor in why she’d come to Honduras. It was obvious he needed nurses and doctors to help him. So what was his problem with welcoming her?

CHAPTER TWO

THE SUN WAS SLOWLY topping the nearest palm tree when the caravan of three vehicles pulled into a clearing near the River Sico. Chance climbed out of the Jeep that had been leading the caravan and walked over to speak to the local village leader, who was there to greet him. Returning to his staff, who were already beginning to set up the tent, he searched for Ellen. To his surprise she was all smiles and asking what she could do to help. The early hour didn’t seem to bother her. Did nothing faze the woman?

She’d traveled for over ten hours the day before, put in five hours of work, and had had to wake up at four a.m. and ride in the back of an uncomfortable truck, and she was still chipper. He was afraid her fall would be hard. No one could keep up that positive attitude for long.

Still, he was having a hard time not liking her. And she was certainly nice to look at. Too much so.

Marco and his crew had the tent erected in no time and were working on setting up tables as Chance directed the van driver into place.

Ellen came to stand beside him. “Good morning. Michael said I should see you about my duties.”

“Did you sleep well?”

Her brows drew together as if she was unsure of his motive for asking. “Actually, I did. Thanks for asking.”

“You’re going to need that rest because we have a long, full day ahead of us. We all kind of do what’s needed when needed. The lines are blurred between the doctors and nurses here. So you’ll know what supplies we have and where they are stored. Why don’t you supply each station with bandages, suture kits, saline bottles and antiseptic? Any basic working supplies you are familiar with.”

“Will do.”

“Under no circumstances do you open the locked box behind the seat of the van without permission. There’s a prevalent drug problem here and we have to be careful drugs are not stolen. There’s only one key and I have it. If you need something you must see me.”

“I understand.”

“When you’re finished putting out supplies you’ll be needed to work triage. People are already lining up.”

* * *

A steady stream of patients entered the tent over the next four hours. Karen worked with him and she seemed comfortable with all he’d asked her to do. He’d had little time to check on Ellen. When he had, she’d been either leaning over, intently listening to a patient, or in a squatting position, speaking to the mother of a child.

At noon the patients dwindled to nothing. Chance stepped outside the tent, hoping for a breeze. Ellen walked toward him.

“Are we done here?”

Chance let out a dry chuckle and waved his hand to discourage a fly. “Not by a long shot. Everyone stops for lunch. We’ll start over with twice the number in an hour. Marco should have our food ready. Get something to eat and drink then take a moment to rest.”

With the back of her hand Ellen pushed away the strand of hair sticking to her forehead. Some of it remained and Chance was tempted to reach out and help her. He resisted the urge. Getting involved on a personal level even with something as benign as moving her hair wasn’t going to happen.

“You can wash up behind the tent. Remember what I said about not straying from the area.” He turned and walked off toward Michael, who had just exited the clinic. Watching out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ellen headed round the tent.

“The new crew is really working out,” Michael said when Chance reached him.

“Yeah.”

“Ellen seems especially capable.”

“She won’t last long.”

“Why? Because she’s blonde and beautiful?” Michael said drily.

“That has nothing to do with it.”

“Sure it does. They aren’t all Alissa. I have a feeling this one might surprise you.”

Chance huffed. “It won’t matter. She’ll do her six weeks and we’ll have to train someone else. Just see to it you don’t get too attached.”

Michael grinned and raised his brows. “Me? Get attached? But there’s nothing wrong with a little fun.”

“Just don’t let it affect the clinic work.” Michael was a good guy but Chance didn’t need any personal relationship getting in the way of work. He knew first-hand how emotional upheaval could make the working situation difficult. It had been his own issue with his wife and the affair that she had been having with his colleague that had done it last time. He’d lost all the staff and had almost had to give up the clinic altogether. The only way he had survived had been to push forward and devote all his off time to finding new funding for the clinic.

“Have I ever?” Michael said, his grin growing to a smile.

They both knew it had. Michael was known for showing the young female members a good time while they were in Honduras. For some reason Chance didn’t like the idea of him doing so with Ellen. “Let’s get some lunch before patients start lining up again. I noticed they are coming in by the canoe load now. In the future we need to think about setting up near rivers so that more people will have access.”

Michael’s look sobered. “We need to think about where we’re going to get some major support so that we can build a permanent building to work out of.”

“I know. I’m going to have to go to the States soon and start doing some fund-raising.” Chance didn’t like the dog and pony show he seemed to have to put on for all the wealthy potential donors to get money but understood the necessity. Give them a good time and they would give was the motto. Still, it was so little in the face of so much need.

Sympathy filled Michael’s voice. “But you hate the idea.”

“I’m more about the work and less about begging for money.”

“Maybe it’s time to find someone who’ll handle fundraising full time.”

Chance had tried before but nothing had worked out. “I need to check on a couple of things and I’ll get lunch.” Michael headed round the tent and Chance entered the clinic to find Ellen replenishing supplies. “What’re you doing? I thought I told you to get some lunch and rest.”

“Marco didn’t have everything set out yet so I came to check on the supplies and get things ready for this afternoon.”

“I appreciate what you’re doing but I’ve seen people burn out pretty quickly here.”

She looked at him. “Doctor, I can assure you that I am nowhere near being burned out.”

“It sneaks up on you.”

For a moment she gave him a speculative look. “Is that what has happened to you?”

The statement seared him. “What do you mean?”

“You seem to care about these people but at the same time don’t welcome the people who come to help you. You’ve been trying to run me off from the minute I got here.”

Anger rose in him. Was he letting the past boil over that much? “I have not. There’s not enough help as it is. Why would I discourage anyone?”

“I’m wondering the same thing.”

“I want you to know the facts. And you don’t seem the type cut out for this kind of work.”

“And you have decided this by...” she cocked her head “...the clothes I wear, the color of my eyes, my shoes?”

“Your age. Your looks. You attitude. In my experience someone like you only comes to a place like this as a lark, running from something, looking for adventure or to prove something.” She flinched. So he had touched a nerve. What had brought her here?

“Why, Dr. Freeman, I do believe you’re a bigot. And it must be nice to be all-knowing. It doesn’t matter what you think. The real question is have you had any problems with the work I have done so far?”

She had a way of cutting to the point. He hadn’t. In fact, he’d been surprised at her knowledge and efficiency. He said nothing.

“That’s what I thought. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ll get that lunch you think I need so badly.” She stalked out of the tent.

Wow, there might be more to the blonde bombshell than he’d given her credit for. Had he really been that tough on her? Unfair? She had certainly stood up to him. Been a capable doctor. Maybe he should cut her some slack.

By the time Chance had made it to the lunch table Ellen was finished with her meal and headed toward the front of the clinic. “Remember not to go out of sight of the clinic or one of us.”

“I’ll heed your warning, Doctor,” she said in a sarcastic tone as she kept moving, not giving him time to respond.

Despite what she said, it didn’t ease his concern. He felt responsible for all his staff but for some reason Ellen seemed so naive that she required more attention. A couple of times the new people hadn’t taken his warnings seriously and had almost gotten in trouble. He couldn’t let that happen to her.

He returned to the front and took a seat on a stool just inside the tent door. Ellen was sitting on a blanket she’d apparently taken from the supply van. Chance tried not to appear as if he was watching but she claimed his attention. As she sat, a few of the village girls approached. Ellen spoke to them in a soft voice, halting a couple of times as if searching for the correct word. One of the girls tentatively picked up Ellen’s hand and touched her fingernail.

“You like my polish?” Ellen smiled and held her fingers out wide.

The child nodded and the other girls stepped closer, each stroking a nail in wonder.

“Stay here and I’ll be right back.” Gracefully she rose and headed for the transport truck as if on a mission. She climbed onto the back bumper and reached in to pull out a backpack. Looking through a side pocket, she removed a small bottle. After dropping the bag back into the truck, she returned to the girls. Ellen sat and the children gathered around her again. She patted the blanket and invited them to join her, then opened the bottle. Taking one of the girls’ hands, Ellen placed it on her bent knee and applied polish to a nail. There was a unified sound of awe.

What the hell? The woman had brought fingernail polish into the jungle.

Bright smiles formed on dark faces. Small bodies shifted closer in an effort to have a turn. Ellen had their complete attention. Her blonde head contrasted against those around her. The girls giggled and admired their nails, showing them off to their friends before jumping up and running to display them for someone else. As one left another joined Ellen.

Her mirth mingled with the children’s. The sound was unusual in the rain forest yet seemed to belong. Like the sweet song of birds in the trees.

Chance walked toward her. It was time to get started again or patients would go unseen and he couldn’t let that happen. He stood over the little group. “You seem to have created a stir.”

Ellen looked at him with a grin on her face and moved to stand. “Every female likes to do a little something special for herself.”

She wobbled and Chance reached for her elbow, helping her to stand. A shot of awareness he’d not felt in years went through him. It was both exciting and disturbing. To cover his reaction he said, “Even if they can’t have it all the time.”

Ellen glared at him. “Especially then. A moment of pleasure is better than none.”

What would it be like to share pleasure with her? Whoa, had the noon sun gone to his head? That wasn’t something he should be thinking about in regard to any of his staff and certainly not about this too young, too idealistic newcomer. Life had taught him that picking women wasn’t his strong suit.

Chance released her arm as if it had turned into a hot coal. “I’ll see you in the clinic. You’ll be working with Michael this afternoon until I think you know the ropes well enough to handle cases on your own.”

Ellen didn’t know what had gotten into Chance but she was relieved that she didn’t have to assist him. Working with Michael was easy and fun so why did it seem anticlimactic next to helping Chance? There was an intriguing intensity about him that tugged at her.

He had seemed so much larger than life when she’d heard him speak. The passion and compassion he felt for the people of Honduras had vibrated through her with each of his words. She’d been drawn to this place. But she’d fought too long and too hard to make her own decisions and Chance was too bossy for her taste. She didn’t need another man overseeing her life.

One of the girls who’d had her nails done was Chance’s patient at the next table. Despite having her back to them, Ellen overheard him say, “Your nails are so pretty.”

She smiled. Mr. Gruff and Groan might have a heart after all.

During the rest of the afternoon and into the dimming light of evening came the continuing blur of people with open wounds, bug bites, sores, to serious birth defects. Thunder rolled in the distance and the wind whipped the tent as the last of the patients were being seen.

“Get started on putting things away. We need to get on the road before this hits,” Chance called to everyone as he finished cleaning a wound on the calf of his last patient, a middle-aged man.

Ellen began storing the supplies in the van. As she passed by Chance he said, “Ellen, would you get an antibiotic out of the med cabinet for me?” He held up a key attached to a ring.

“Sure.” Her hand brushed his larger one as she took it. A tingle went through her. Why this reaction to him of all people? She wasn’t looking for that. Hadn’t come here expecting it. She hurried toward the van.

Entering the vehicle, she made her way down the small isle to where the med box was located. Constructed of metal and bolted to the floor for security, it was situated behind the bench seat. She went down on her knees in front of it. The light was so poor she fumbled with the key in the lock. Slipping her hand into the side leg pocket of her cargo pants, she pulled out her penlight. She balanced it on a nearby shelf, directing the beam toward the lock.

The screech of the driver’s door opening drew her attention. She glanced over her shoulder. A thin young man held a knife in her direction. Fear made her heart pound. Her hand holding the lock shook. She opened her mouth to scream.

The man leaned over the seat bring the knife to her neck. “Tranquillo.”

Ellen remained quiet as he’d asked. She glanced out the end of the van. What was she going to do? She couldn’t give him the meds and she had to protect the others.

The tip of the knife was pushed against her skin. The man hovered over her. He smelled of sweat and wet clothes.

“What do you want?” she asked.

“The drugs,” the man bit out. “Open the box.”

The urgent demand in his voice told her he meant business. When she didn’t immediately move he pressed the knife against her and growled, “Now.”

Panic welled in her. She couldn’t give him the drugs but the blade at her neck reminded her that she couldn’t put him off long either.

With relief and renewed alarm she heard Chance call, “Ellen?”

“Say no word,” the man whispered, slipping down behind the seat but still holding the knife to her neck.

She had to warn Chance.

* * *

Why hadn’t Ellen returned? Chance headed toward the van.

He had finished applying the bandage around the man’s leg. All he needed to do now was give him the antibiotics and they could get on the road. A commotion outside caught his attention. A young man who looked like he was in his twenties was being helped into the tent by another Honduran about the same age. There was a rag soaked in blood on his arm. Michael and Karen were aiding them. Marco and one of his men had started setting up the exam table they had just folded. They could handle the situation. He wanted to know what Ellen was doing.

He instructed his patient to remain where he was. The rear of the van had been driven under the back of the tent. The area was shadowy because the portable lamps were being used around the exam tables. With the dimming light of the day, compounded by the storm, it was hard to see.

As Chance neared the open doors he saw the small glow of what must be Ellen’s penlight. “Hey, what’s taking you so long?”

She was on her knees on the floor, facing the medicine box. Her head turned slowly toward him. Even in the disappearing light Chance could see the fear in her eyes. She looked as if she was imploring him to leave. There was a slight movement behind her. Ellen shook her head almost imperceptibly.

Chance kept eye contact and nodded. “Hurry up, I need those meds.”

“Yes, sir.”

Sir? She knew he didn’t like being called sir. Something was definitely wrong.

He backed away from the van. The others were still busy with the injured patient. Rushing past them and outside, he started round the tent when he met Marco. In a low voice he told him that Ellen was in trouble and to give him to the count of ten then run inside the clinic, hollering for help. Marco nodded and Chance circled the outside of the tent until he could see the driver’s side van door. It stood open. He could make out the outline of a man in the seat with his back to the door and one leg on the running board. Dread seized him. The man must have a weapon on Ellen.

Giving thanks for the storm brewing, which would cover any noise he made, Chance moved out to the edge of the clearing and followed it around until he was facing the front of the van. When the thunder rolled again Chance ran as fast as he could and slammed his body into the door. The man let out a startled yelp and twisted in the seat, reaching for his leg. Chance grabbed the door and swung it hard again. This time it hit the man in the head and he dropped to the ground, along with a knife.

“Ellen!” Chance barked. “Ellen, are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” She sounded shaken.

Marco joined him. Chance left him to tie the vandal up while he climbed into the van. Looking over the seat, he saw Ellen still sitting on the floor, with her head in her hands. “Are you hurt?”

She said nothing.

He reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Ellen, are you hurt? Did he cut you?”

Slowly she looked up. “No.” She held up his keys. “And I didn’t let him get any drugs. Do I get atta-girl points?”

“Hell, woman, I’d rather he’d had all the drugs than hurt you.”

A stiff smile came to her lips. “Aw, you do care.” She looked away and a loud sniff filled the air.

“What’s going on?” Michael called from the end of the van.

“A guy was trying to steal drugs. Had Ellen at knifepoint,” Chance answered.

Michael climbed in, went to Ellen and gathered her into his arms. She buried her face in his chest. For some reason Chance wished he was the one she had turned to. He left the van and spoke to Marco, who’d already tied the man up, but his thoughts were still with Ellen. The trespasser admitted that he was with the injured man Michael had been caring for. The injury had been a small self-inflicted wound and used as a diversion.

The rest of the staff had to know what had happened in detail before they returned to packing up. Chance gave the short version on what he’d done before Ellen told her side. He was all too aware of Michael’s arm around her shoulders the entire time. Why shouldn’t she seek reassurance and comfort from him?

Marco would see to it that the Honduran authorities picked up the man they had captured and looked for the other two. Little would be done to them because Honduras had larger drug problems than these petty thieves.

Half an hour later it was dark and the trucks were loaded and ready to leave.

“Ellen, come on up here,” Michael called from the cab of the truck. “I think you’re still a little shaken up.”

“I’m okay back here.” She climbed in the rear with Karen and Peter.

She was tough. Chance admired her for that. After those few minutes of emotion with Michael she’d joined in and helped store the supplies, acting as if nothing had happened.

* * *

That evening at dinner Chance watched as Michael stood and tapped his fork against a glass.

“We have a few awards to give out tonight. First, to the great Dr. Freeman, for his heroic use of a van door to apprehend a drug dealer.” Michael grinned. “Well done, Chance.” He placed a second plate of dessert near him.

Chance smiled and nodded. Why did Michael have to make a big deal of what happen?

“And last but not least, to Dr. Ellen Cox, who held herself together under pressure and didn’t give up the key to the drug cabinet.” Michael held up his drink glass. The others joined him. A soft clinking of glass touching glass sounded around the room. “For you a flower.” He bowed as he presented her with a large orange Bird of Paradise.

Ellen smiled but it didn’t quiet reach her eyes. Had she been and was she still more scared than she let on?

“Chance deserves all the accolades. I did nothing.” Ellen looked directly at him with sincerity in her eyes. “Thanks for saving me.”

Examining the terror coursing through him when he’d realized Ellen was being threatened was something he didn’t want to look at too closely. The emotion had been too strong, raw. Still he couldn’t deny the relief that had replaced the terror when he’d known she was okay.

Satisfaction he’d not felt in a long time filled him. His look held hers as he nodded. Why did he suddenly feel like standing and thumping his chest?

* * *

Ellen rolled to the left and minutes later to the right. She’d been trying to sleep for hours. The sound of rain with the steady dripping off the hut roof would normally lull her to sleep but not tonight. At least the adrenalin rush she’d experienced today should have had her in a deep sleep but it didn’t seem to come.

She rubbed the back of her neck. The feel of the man’s breath on her skin and the prick of the tip of the knife remained. Even after a hot shower and neck massage the ache between her shoulders blades remained. Would it ever go away? Could she forget that feeling of helplessness? Fear for the others?

It had been that same feeling she’d had when she’d been trapped in the car with her mother. They had been making a simple trip to buy Ellen a dress. It had been a pretty day but the traffic had been heavy. Her mother had sped up to go through a traffic light that had turned yellow. The next thing Ellen had known they’d been upside down and her mother’s blood had been everywhere.

Her mother had said, “Your father always says I take too many chances.” Then the life had left her.

Slinging the covers away, Ellen slid out and grabbed the thin blanket off the end of the bed, wrapping it around her shoulders. She headed out the front door. Maybe if she watched the rain for a few minutes she could sleep.

She walked to the porch rail. The shower had eased and a full moon was making an appearance every now and then behind the clouds. When it did the soft glow made the raindrops on the ferns surrounding the hut glisten. She stood there, absorbing the peace.

“Can’t sleep?”

She yelped and spun toward Chance’s hut. He climbed out of the hammock wearing nothing but tan cargo shorts that rode low on his hips. She couldn’t help but stare. “Have you been there since I came out?”

“Yep.”

“Why didn’t you say something?” she snapped.

“I thought you needed a few moments to yourself. What happened today can be hard to process.”

He wiped all the times he’d been less than warm away with one compassionate comment. “Yeah, it got to me more than I wanted to admit at dinner.”

He came down the steps and started toward her hut. “You wouldn’t be human if it hadn’t affected you. And you are very human.”

She looked down at him. Her heart fluttered as she watched his half-naked body coming toward her. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

He started up her steps. “That you’re one of the most empathetic and naturally caring doctors I’ve ever worked with. You feel things more strongly than most. There’s no way you wouldn’t be upset about being held at knifepoint.”

“Wouldn’t anyone be?” How did he know so much about her when they’d only known each other such a short time?

He came to stand an arm’s length. “Sure they would, but I have a feeling you were not only worried about yourself but the rest of us. Or what would happen to the local boy if you gave up the drugs. Your heart is too tender for this type of work.”

“I thought caring was what it took to work here.” She continued to watch a small stream of water flow over a large leaf and to the ground.

“Yeah, but it also makes for a great victim.”

Ellen turned to face him, propping a hip against the rail. She was no victim. When her mother had died she’d proved that. “You know, there was a moment there that I thought you might be trying to cheer me up. I should have known better.”

“Look, you did good today. Held it together. I don’t know if anyone could have done better. How was that?”

The corner of her mouth lifted. “Better. But it lacked a ring of sincerity. By the way, I really do appreciate you saving me.”

“That’s what I do, save people.”

Was he embarrassed by the praise? “You make it sound like it’s no big deal but to them it is. And to me it was.”

He bowed. “Then you’re welcome. Let’s just hope I don’t have to do it again.”

This time she had the idea that his words were to cover up his awkwardness at being thought a hero. “It would suit me just fine for it not to happen again as well.”

Chance moved toward the steps. “We have another early morning so you best get to bed.”

“I’m sorry if I woke you.”

He looked up at her from the walk. “Not a problem. The view was well worth it.”

“Uh...”

“A woman in the moonlight dressed in a sexy see-through gown is always worth being woken up for. Get some sleep. You’ll need it tomorrow.”

Yeah, as if she was going to sleep after that statement.

* * *

Two days later Ellen scanned the clinic area. Since the incident with the vandals, she looked over her shoulder any time she was alone. Being held at knifepoint had rattled her more than she wanted to show. She had been paralyzed by fear. No way was she going to let on how much what had happened in the van stayed with her. If she showed weakness around Chance, he would see to it that she was sent home. She was determined to stay and continue her work. Ellen was surprised to find that she’d drifted off to sleep after their conversation on her porch. He’d managed to make her think of something else besides what had happened. She wouldn’t have thought that was possible. Had his last remark been to get the incident off her mind or had he meant what he’d said?

She glanced at him working at the next exam table. He was great with the patients and got along with the others in the group. Was even known to laugh on occasion. It was a wonderful full sound. He didn’t treat her differently in an obvious way but she sensed something...perhaps that he was weary of her for some reason. Her assignments were almost always with Michael. That suited her. At least she didn’t have to deal with Chance’s moods or with her uncontrollable thirst to understand him better.

Chance never sat beside her if there was a choice of another open chair at dinner. They were never alone even if they were going to their huts at the same time. Apparently for him to approach her porch had been completely out of character. It was as if she had the plague and he was highly susceptible. Sometimes she thought about just forcing the issue and asking him what his problem was, but why should it matter? She had come to Honduras to work, not to get caught up in the great Dr. Chance Freeman’s life.

And she was working. Hard. It was invigorating. The days were long but satisfying. It was as if she had been liberated from a cage. She belonged here. Her father may not like it but she wouldn’t be returning to New York to work ever again.

Minutes later Karen was called to assist Michael with a patient while Ellen was still doing a wound cleaning. When she finished Karen and Michael were still involved with the patient so she was left with no choice but to help Chance.

“Ellen, would you mind calling the next patient?”

She did as he asked. A highly deformed man entered the tent with the help of a woman who Ellen guessed was his mother. The man had elephantiasis. His arms and legs were enlarged, as were areas of his head and neck. She couldn’t prevent her intake of breath. The only case she’d ever seen had been in a medical textbook.

“We mustn’t make him feel unwelcome,” Chance said from close enough behind her that she felt the warmth of his body.

He spoke to the man in Spanish and he returned a lopsided smile that appeared sincere.

“Ricardo is one of my regular patients.”

“Hello, Ricardo,” Ellen said, giving him her most genuine smile. “Nice to meet you.”

Ricardo gave her the same smile he’d given Chance.

“We’re going to need to get some blood work today, Ricardo.” Chance said, pulling on gloves.

The man nodded and spoke but it came out as gibberish.

Ellen went to get a blood sample kit. She returned and Chance said, “Ricardo, do you mind if Ellen draws your blood?”

Ricardo nodded his head in agreement. As she pressed to find a good vein Ricardo said, “Pretty.”

“Yes, she is,” Chance answered as he continued to examine Ricardo.

She smiled at Ricardo. “Thank you. You are very sweet.”

Even with his distorted face she could see his discomfort. This man was a gentle giant who’d been given a bad deal in life by contracting elephantiasis.

Chance finished his examination and gave Ricardo a supply of antibiotics before he left. With him gone Chance asked, “You’ve never seen someone with a major case of elephantiasis, have you?”

“No. I had no idea. I’m sorry I reacted poorly.”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s hard not to.”

There was that compassion she rarely saw but which pulled her to him. “What can you really do for him?”

“For right now he’s getting the antibiotic diethylcarbamazine but that only really deals with the symptoms. He has lymphatic filariasis. It’s from worms introduced by mosquitoes. It’s common in the tropics. Ricardo is just one of many. If you stay around long enough you will see more. Ricardo’s case is getting bad enough he’ll need surgery to keep walking.”

“Where will he go to have that?”

“I had hoped we would have a standing hospital built by now but we’re still working on the funding. Right now he’ll have to go to the city or hope a visiting group of orthopedists is able to come here.”

“That’s sad.” Her heart hurt for Ricardo and the others like him. These people needed more help.

Their next patient entered and ended their conversation but the needs in the small tropical country remained on Ellen’s mind. Chance was working hard to do what he could but it wasn’t enough. What would happen if he didn’t get the funding required and the clinic closed?

The rest of the afternoon was one more patient after another. Once again a storm built and seemed primed to dump water over them. As much as Ellen enjoyed rain, every day was a little much. Thirty minutes after the last patient was seen the clinic was dismantled and she, Karen and Peter were running for the truck as the first fat drops of water fell.

“You guys will be drenched. We’re going to have to double up in the cabs,” Michael yelled over the sound of thunder and wind. “Ellen, you go in the van. Karen and Peter, we’ll just have to make do in the truck cab.”

The rain started coming down in sheets. Ellen didn’t hesitate before running to climb into the van. Marco was already in the driver’s spot. Her bottom had hardly hit the seat before she was being pushed across it by Chance. His body leaned heavily against hers as he slammed the door. He moved off her but she was still sandwiched between him and Marco. The gearshift on the floor forced her legs into Chance’s space. She shifted to an upright position but remained in too close contact with him.

“Maybe I should just ride in the back of the truck,” she murmured.

Chance looked out the window shield. “Not in this storm. Scoot over.”

“To where? I’m practically sitting in Marco’s lap now.” She shifted away from him but it made little difference. Her right side was sealed to his left from shoulder to knee.

Marco put the truck into gear and it launched forward. They hadn’t gone far when the truck hit a bump that almost brought her down in Chance’s lap. She squirmed away from him. Gritting her teeth, she did her best not to touch him any more than necessary. Her mind as well as her body were hyperaware of even his breathing. She’d be sore in the morning from her muscles being tense in her effort to put space between them.

The storm continued to rage around them as they traveled over the muddy roads. Finally, they reached the poorly maintained paved road. She was exhausted and the cab was warm and steamy. With the steady swish-swish of the wipers the only sound in the cab, Ellen’s chin soon bobbed toward her chest. Sometime during the ride her head came to rest against a firm cushion.

A hand on her arm shook her. “We’re home.”

Ellen jerked straight. She’d been leaning against Chance’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you.”

He ignored her, reached for the door handle and said a little stiffly, “Since it’s so late we won’t be eating in the dining room tonight. A supper tray will be brought to your hut.”

A light rain fell as she climbed down from the van. “I’m glad. I don’t think I have the energy to walk up to the main building.”

Karen joined them and handed Ellen her backpack. “I’m headed for a hot shower and bed.”

“Me too,” Ellen agreed. “I’ll walk with you. Good night,” she said to the group in general.

“We have another early morning tomorrow. Be here ready to go at six a.m.,” Chance called after them.

Karen mumbled, “Slave driver.”

Ellen giggled. “And a few other things.”

Foliage dripped around them and the moon shone above as they walked along the path toward their huts.

“Chance is something else, isn’t he?” Karen said with admiration in her voice.

“He’s something all right,” Ellen mumbled.

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