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.”
