LITMIR.BIZ

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chin with her palm. “Finish your cone, then we’ll find out where we’re sleeping. And you’d better do it quick, ‘coz it’s about to become all cream without the ice part.”

      “You know, Drew,” Chase said in a jocular tone that sounded a little forced, “when you stick your tongue out like that, you look like a lizard. We have big ones around here. Maybe tomorrow we’ll look for one.”

      Drew’s eyes lit and he paused his licking to look up at Chase. “Lizards?”

      “Yep. Maybe we’ll catch one to keep for a day or two. Find bugs to feed it.” Chase moved from the sink with two wet cloths in his hands. His thick shoulder pressed against Dani’s as he efficiently wiped the chocolaty table with one cloth then handed it to Trent, whose expression was a comical combination of amusement and disgust.

      Chase lifted the other cloth to Drew’s mouth, his gaze suddenly riveted on the little boy’s face. Their baby’s face. Still cupping Drew’s chin in her hand, Dani stared at Chase. Every emotion crossed his face that she’d long imagined might be there if he knew about his son. Within the shadowy light she imagined that through all those mixed emotions it wasn’t horror that shone through but joy. Or was that just wishful thinking?

      Her breath caught, remembering how many times in the past two and a half years she’d thought about what this moment might be like. After the miracle of Drew as a newborn and when he’d cried through the night. When he’d first smiled. Crawled. Run.

      Her throat closed and she fought back silly tears that stung the backs of her eyes as Chase lifted his gaze to hers, wonder filling his.

      The sound of Trent clearing his throat broke the strange spell that seemed to have frozen the moment in time.

      “I’m going to head to my room, you three. See you in the a.m.,” Trent said, smiling at Drew.

      Heat filled Dani’s face. “I appreciate you getting him the ice cream. I don’t think there’s much doubt he enjoyed it.”

      “Yeah, thanks, Trent.” Chase and he exchanged a look and a nod before Trent took off, and Dani could see the two of them were good friends. Something that often happened when working in the GPC community, but not always. Occasionally personalities just didn’t mesh and a strictly professional relationship became the best outcome.

      Then there were those rare times that an intimate relationship took over your whole world.

      “I think this one’s done, Lizard-Boy,” Chase said, taking what remained of the soggy cone and tossing it in the trash. He took over the clean-up with an efficiency that implied he’d had dozens of children in his life, wiping Drew’s hands then pulling Dani’s hand from her son’s chin, about to take care of his gooey face, too.

      The frown on Drew’s face as he stared at the stranger washing his face while his mother stood motionless snapped her out of her stupor.

      She tugged the cloth from Chase’s hand and took over. “I’m not sure if you ate the cone, or the cone ate you,” she said lightly. She rinsed it again, along with her own sticky hand, before dabbing at the last spots on Drew’s face.

      “Dat’s enough, Mommy.” Drew yanked his head away as she tried for one last swipe of his chin.

      Spud poked his head into the kitchen. “Everything’s ready, if you are, Dani. Tomorrow Ruth is coming to meet both of you and take care of Drew while we give you the low-down around here.”

      “Great. Thanks.” She lifted Drew onto her hip and turned to Chase, inhaling a fortifying breath. “We’ll see you tomorrow.”

      “Yes.” His gaze lingered on Drew. When he finally looked at Dani, his eyes were hooded and his expression serious. “Tomorrow will be a big day.”

      Dani awoke to a cool draft, and she realized Drew was in the process of yanking off her bed sheet.

      “Hey, you, that’s not nice. I’m sleeping.”

      No way could it be morning already. She pulled the covers back to her chin but Drew tugged harder.

      “Get up. I hungry.”

      She peeled open one eye. From the crack visible between the curtains, it looked like the sun had barely risen above the horizon. “It’s too early to be hungry.”

      “Uh-uh. My tummy monsters are growling.”

      Even through her sleep-dulled senses Dani had to smile. Drew loved the idea of feeding the “monsters” that growled in his stomach. “What color monster’s in there today?”

      “Blue. And green. Wif big teeth.”

      He tugged again. Dani sighed and gave up on the idea of more sleep. Doubtless both their body clocks were off, and no wonder. Sleeping on a plane was something she never managed to do well, but Drew had conked out both on the plane and in the car, and she’d been amazed he’d slept at all once he’d got into bed.

      “All right. Let’s see what there is to eat.”

      She threw on some clothes but left Drew in his Spiderman pajamas. It took a minute to remember which door led to the kitchen, and she hesitated in the hallway. Getting it wrong and ending up in someone’s bedroom was an embarrassment she didn’t need. Cautiously, she cracked open the door, relieved to see a refrigerator instead of a sexy, sleeping Chase Bowen.

      “Let’s see what your monster wants,” she said, pushing the door wide as she nudged Drew inside. To her surprise, Trent was sitting at the table, sipping coffee and reading.

      “When I took this job, no one told me the hours here were dawn to dusk,” Dani joked as she plopped Drew onto the same stool he’d sat on the night before.

      “Spud’s a slave driver, I tell you,” Trent said with an exaggerated sigh. “Actually, I just finished up an emergency surgery. Clinic hours don’t usually start until nine. Coffee?”

      He started to get up, but she waved her hand when she spied the percolator on the counter. “Thanks, I’ll grab it myself.” Last night, the darkness had obscured most of the kitchen, but this morning showed it to be big and functional, if a bit utilitarian.

      “So, do you and Chase share a room?” As soon as the words left her mouth she wondered why in the world she’d asked. She stared into her cup as she poured, heat filling her face at the look of impassive assessment Trent gave her in response.

      “No. The medical workers used to stay with families nearby, but they built the sleeping quarters you’re in a couple years ago, with small rooms for everyone.”

      “Oh. Can you tell me where there’s oatmeal or something for Drew?”

      “Top cupboard on the left. Spud fixes breakfast around eight. Chase runs every morning.” He leaned his back against the table and sipped his coffee. “But you probably know that.”

      She did know. The man was a physical fitness nut. “How long have you worked with Chase?”

      “We’ve worked together in the Philippines and Ghana. Been here a year. Both our commissions are up, but we’re hanging around until there are other surgeons here and we get new assignments.”

      Did that mean Chase might not be here long? A sharp pang of dismay stabbed at her, which was both ridiculous and disturbing. Shouldn’t she feel relief instead? It would be so much better for Drew if Chase moved on before the two got too close.

      “Mommy, I need food,” Drew said, fidgeting on his stool.

      Lord, she had to be sure this whole mess didn’t distract her from the work she’d come to Africa to do. If she couldn’t even get Drew’s breakfast going, she was in serious trouble.

      In a sign that their new, temporary home was practically made for her and Drew, two of his favorite foods sat in the cupboard. Dani microwaved the apple-flavored oatmeal and opened a box of raisins.

      Trent got up and pulled some construction

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