“I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.” She shook off his hand and strode toward the skiff, irritation fueling her steps.

  “You’re old enough to make your own decisions, but that doesn’t stop us from caring about what happens to you,” Mac called out after her.

  Natalie checked what had been stowed in the boat. They’d need more supplies on this trip because they were close to a decent-sized town. Trujillo had a small but clean hospital with a dedicated staff of one surgeon and a doctor and half a dozen nurses who worked the day and night shifts.

  The team from the Nightingale would augment the hospital staff and help them in any way possible without trying to take over. For the community to have faith in their own infrastructure was important.

  From their reconnaissance mission earlier that year, they learned they would be set up in the hospital clinic, helping with vaccinations with supplies they’d brought for just that purpose. Additional medications to help stock the hospital’s meager stores would be distributed.

  Satisfied they had what they needed, Natalie settled into the skiff and waited for a sullen Mac to shove off. This time, the entire team would be on hand to lend assistance. The little boat full of supplies and people left the Nightingale in the middle of Trujillo Bay and motored across to the tiny port town. Jack provided an escort, riding close, but not close enough for Natalie to see the expression on his face.

  She would have liked to talk with him that morning to gauge his reaction to what they had shared the night before. But based on his distance and the fact he hadn’t been interested enough to face her that morning, he was probably having second thoughts.

  Natalie couldn’t deny her disappointment, but she reminded herself she’d accepted the conditions. He wasn’t planning on staying forever and she knew life didn’t come with guarantees. So, why was she so depressed?

  Hell. She’d just have to get over it and focus once again on what she did well.

  As they neared the dock, Mac cut the engine and they drifted the rest of the way.

  A group of children helped tie off the skiff, and Dr. Jimenez greeted them, extending a hand to help Natalie out of the boat onto the weathered wooden planking. “Dr. Rhoades, welcome.”

  Natalie greeted the man with a smile and a hug. “How are you, Dr. Jimenez?” She would have liked to be less formal, but the good doctor insisted on formality as part of the culture of his little town. Natalie understood the importance of culture and norms and tried to instill the same values and lessons in her team. People, no matter how poor or wealthy, deserved to be treated with respect for whom they are, along with their beliefs and lifestyles.

  Jack didn’t tie off his jet ski until Natalie and her crew were halfway across the dock. Once again, she would have liked to speak with him before she went to work that day. But then, maybe they’d done all their talking the night before.

  Walking through the streets of Trujillo, Natalie smiled at the inhabitants, decorating the outsides of their houses with crepe paper. Colorful, fringed streamers stretched overhead between buildings, fluttering in the breeze. The festival was in honor of the town’s patron saint and the locals and tourists enjoyed the festivities for days.

  Dr. Jimenez led them through the front door of the Trujillo Hospital and set them up in the tiny clinic and one of the hospital wards. The clinic would see patients needing vaccinations and minor wound care. The hospital ward would be for more extensive wound care and sicknesses. All treatment was advertised as free and, with the festival in town, they expected a large turnout.

  The day passed quickly with so many patients the team and the entire hospital staff were constantly busy. By lunch, they’d seen over fifty sick or injured patients and administered hundreds of vaccinations.

  Natalie didn’t spot Jack until she took a brief break at lunchtime. She stood in the doorway of the hospital, taking a few deep breaths before plunging back into the work. A line of patients sat in the shade, sharing what little food they had.

  Jack had commandeered a bucket of water from the hospital and paper cups the team had brought along. He was busy handing out cups of water to those still waiting to be seen. He smiled at the ladies and they smiled back. When they spoke in Spanish, he was quick to chuckle and reply in their language. The children especially loved him, helping him by holding the cups while he poured water into them and laughing when he spilled it on them purposely.

  By the time Jack made it back to the door, Natalie was smiling, too.

  “I’d say good morning, but it’s lunchtime.” Jack winked. “Did you sleep well?”

  Natalie nodded. “I did. And you?” Her cheeks warmed, and not because of the sun shining down on her. She was surprised at how giddy she felt standing next to him, like a teenager after her first date with the sexy football player. Wanting to press her cool hands against her hot cheeks, she shoved them into her pockets and tried to act as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened, when in her heart she knew her life had actually changed by making love to this man.

  “You’re blushing,” Jack said. “I hope you’re not embarrassed by last night, because it was nothing to be embarrassed about. Being together was pure magic.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek.

  The children around him all giggled and hid their eyes behind their hands.

  “Shouldn’t you be looking for guerillas or something?” Mac said from behind Natalie.

  She sucked in a breath and let it out slowly to keep from turning and glaring at Mac. When she did turn, she smiled. “Let’s get back to work.”

  Mac scowled at Jack.

  Jack just smiled at him. “Have you two had lunch?”

  Natalie shook her head. “I rarely eat lunch while working with the locals.”

  Jack dug into a pocket in his cargo pants and pulled out several foil-wrapped protein bars. “I thought so. Take these for an energy boost.”

  Natalie gave him a wry grin. “Now, who’s giving health advice?”

  “Simple mechanics. Your body is like an engine. It can’t run without fuel.” He performed and about-face then hurried down the street and around a corner.

  “Something just doesn’t jive with that man. He seems to know a lot, but he isn’t sharing,” Mac said.

  Natalie handed him a nutrition bar. “He shared his lunch.” She patted Mac’s shoulder and entered the hospital to go back to work, ripping into the package. She found herself counting the hours until the day was done and she could see Jack again.

  Jack remained in relatively close vicinity to the hospital in Trujillo, afraid to venture too far and not be on hand should the guerillas attempt another attack on the medical staff. He’d checked in with his team aboard the Pegasus that morning once he’d gotten far enough away from the Nightingale that he wouldn’t be seen doing what would appear like talking to himself.

  The team was restless. Gator had been ready to recall him and look in other locations to find the guerilla hideout.

  Jack convinced them to give it one more night. After the boy’s report the day before and the creepy feeling of being watched, Jack was convinced it was only a matter of time before the Castillo Commandos made their move on the team of medical personnel. He felt positive the Black Hawk support had chased them back into the jungle and their next move would be more covert.

  “Fish.” A voice called out to him from a shadowy corner between two stucco buildings.

  Jack spun to face Gator, the six-foot tall, Louisiana Cajun who’d just gotten himself engaged to a NCIS agent a couple months back. He swore he wasn’t quitting the team, but Jack guessed it could happen someday. Marriage and family sometimes made SEALs think twice before committing to the next potentially deadly mission.

  Having never met a woman who could hold up under the pressure of being a Navy SEAL wife and one he could see himself spending the rest of what was left of his life with, Jack hadn’t understood the desire to marry.

  Until he’d met Natalie. Though he’d only known her a very short time, he could see himself coming home to her every night. She was gentle but tough enough to withstand the worry and uncertainty that went hand-in-hand with being a Navy SEAL wife.

  “Where’s the rest of the team?” Jack asked, shaking himself out of dreams he had no business dreaming.

  “Most are gearing up for tonight’s festival,” Gator said. “I have Dustman and Irish with me on opposites ends of Trujillo, watching the traffic going in and out of town. How are things with the doctor?”

  “What do you mean?” Jack shot a look at Gator. Had he guessed?

  Gator’s brows rose. “I asked a simple question. What should I mean?” He crossed his arms. “Spill. What’s going on between you and the pretty doctor lady?”

  When an answer didn’t come immediately, Gator shook his head. “Please don’t tell me you’re fucking the bait.”

  Anger flared and Jack shoved Gator, his superior, up against the wall. “Shut the fuck up about Natalie—Dr. Rhoades. She’s classy and she’s not like that.”

  “But you did her? Holy shit, Fish. I send you out to perform a mission of getting in good with the doctor team, not getting into the doctor.”

  “I said, shut the fuck up.” Jack shoved a hand through his hair and spun away.

  “Sorry, man. It’s just that I’m stunned. Two nights on the boat and you’re already in her panties. That has to be a record for you.”

  Jack didn’t respond, his focus destroyed. Falling in bed with someone when he was on a mission wasn’t like him. He saved that for when he had downtime and needed to let off a little steam. Natalie wasn’t stress relief. She was different. “She’s amazing,” he said on a sigh.

  “And when we’re done here?”

  “I’ll still be a SEAL stationed out of Virginia, and she’ll still be running a floating doctor boat in some of the poorest countries along the coast of middle and South America.”

  “Exactly. You’re only here for a couple days. Don’t get too wrapped around the axels with the good doctor. It will only set you both up for long lonely nights ahead.”

  Gator was right. Damn him. But he’d taken the plunge and committed to one woman. “How did you know Mitchell was the one for you? Did it take long? Hours? Days? Weeks?”

  Gator laughed, his gaze shifting to a wall in front of him as though he was watching a movie screen playing all his old, favorite memories. “I knew the moment I saw her deck a marine who’d gotten a little too fresh at the bar.”

  “But you didn’t get together that quickly.”

  “No, Brewsky asked her out first. I was too much of a dumbass to do it. He asked her to marry him before I had a chance and…well, you know the code.” He shook his head. “You don’t steal your buddy’s girl.”

  “Brewsky’s girl.” Jack nodded. Brewsky died during one of their missions. Jack was on that one, and watched his friend take the hit.

  “So, you’re telling me you have feelings for the doctor lady?” Gator’s lips thinned. “Are you getting too close to be objective? Do I need to pull you off and put another man inside the medical team?”

  “No!” Jack added, “No. I’ll be okay. I know whatever this is will go nowhere. We’d never be in the same place again.”

  “Not unless one or the other of you gives up your day jobs.” Gator’s brows dipped. “You’re not thinking about quitting the Navy, are you?”

  “No, I’m a frogman through and through.” He sighed again. “It’s just that she’s…”

  “Amazing?” Gator laughed. “I get it. Just know that your brothers will be there to pick up the pieces when you fall apart. Do us a favor, though. Don’t fall apart when the Castillo Commandos come callin’.”

  “Right.” He had to maintain focus on his real reason for being there. Stop the guerillas from kidnapping rich yacht owners and holding them for ransom, and to recover the ones they already had. “What’s the plan for tonight?”

  “Twelve members of the team will be positioned surrounding the perimeter and intermingled in the crowd as tourists. The rest will be manning jet skis and motorboats in the bay, in case the guerillas show up in their gunboat again.”

  “Good. I want to tell the medical staff to stay on board the Nightingale, but if I do that, I have to tell them why.”

  “And that includes owning up to lying about your real job.” Gator patted his back. “I bet your lady doctor wouldn’t be too happy about being lied to.”

  “Probably not.” Hell, she’d be furious. “However, if the guerillas make their move tonight, the entire medical team could be in danger of being kidnapped or killed.”

  “And if they don’t make their move tonight, I will recall you, and we have to come up with a different plan to find our target.”

  Jack nodded. “Understood.” His time with Natalie was coming to an end, one way or another. Being together wasn’t meant to last to begin with. “I’d better get back to the hospital, they should be closing up shop soon.”

  “Jack.” Gator caught his arm. “We’re Navy SEALs, and we’re also people with the same needs and desires as others. If both parties are willing and passionate about being together, they’ll find a way.”

  “Thanks, man. Even I can recognize a lose-lose situation when it hits me in the gut.” Jack left Gator in the shadows and hurried back to the hospital.

  The line of patients had dwindled to two and they were being led in as he arrived.

  A few minutes later, they exited with smiles on their faces, thanking Dr. Rhoades and Dr. Biacowski who followed them to the door.

  Dr. Jimenez joined them, drying his hands on a towel. “It was a good day. Thank you.” He flipped the towel up on his shoulder and held out his hand to Dr. Biacowski and then Dr. Rhoades. “And thank you for the supplies. We rarely have all that we need or when we get it, the medications have already exceeded their expiry dates. Gracias, amigos.”

  The team packed up their cases that were much lighter than when they’d arrived. Members of the hospital staff helped carry them down to the dock.

  Jack fell in beside Natalie, who brought up the rear of the tired crew. “I believe you had some happy patients.”

  “Some more so than others.” She smiled. “Now to get out to the boat, clean up and come back for the festivities.” Natalie groaned. “All I want is a shower and bed.” Her gaze flicked to the side then straight ahead. “Oh, and a sandwich. By the way, thank you for the protein bar. I would not have made it without its calories today.”

  “You always come prepared for the patients, but not for yourself. Your health is as important, if not more important than the patients you see. If you let yourself get run down, you will be of no use to the people who rely on you.” He waved a hand as he spoke. “Add the fact that a run-down body is more susceptible to disease in a disease-ridden jungle, and you have a dangerous combination.”

  “Why, Dr. Jack, I don’t know why I bothered to get a medical license.”

  “Sorry, it’s all the advice you give your patients. But I’ve noticed that doctors are their own worst patients.”

  “You have a point.” She dropped her bag in the boat. Dr. Biacowski, Hallie and Steve had already climbed aboard. Mac tapped his foot on the dock.

  Jack glanced at his jet ski. “Want to ride with me?”

  Natalie glanced from the boat full of her team to the jet ski.

  For a moment, Jack thought she would decline his offer. Then she surprised him by saying, “Yes.”

  Mac glared at Jack. “She needs to ride with the team, and you need to be free to provide security or whatever it is you do.”

  Jack’s gaze didn’t leave Natalie’s face. “Your choice, Dr. Rhoades.”

  Natalie’s gaze moved from Mac to Jack and back to Mac. “You can transport the team back to the Nightingale without me. I’ll ride with Jack.”

  Jack fought hard to contain his grin. Once his back was turned to the others, he let it loose. Natalie was riding with him. He dropped down onto the jet ski and then held onto her hand as she settled onto the back of the seat. While the skiff turned and headed back to the boat, Jack followed at a slow pace behind it.

  “Is this as good as it gets?” Natalie yelled over the roar of the engine.

  Jack grinned, goosed the throttle and made a wide arc around the skiff. Keeping a careful watch on the bay, searching for guerilla gunboats, he blasted across the water, making sharp turns that had Natalie holding tightly around his middle and laughing out loud. He liked the feel of her arms around him and her laughter brightened his day.

  By the time they returned to the Nightingale, the others had unloaded the skiff and were headed toward the galley. After Dr. Biacowski’s stomach issues, none of them wanted to risk eating on the economy and coming down with an illness or a parasite.

  Jack helped Natalie off the jet ski and secured the line.

  She waited until he straightened before taking his hand. “Thank you.” Then she leaned up on her toes and kissed his lips, barely brushing them with hers.

  That simple touch wasn’t nearly enough. Jack clamped an arm around her waist and pulled her against him in a breath-stealing, heart-throbbing kiss that would set him back a long way on getting over the beautiful Dr. Rhoades. When he let her go, he whispered, “Save a dance for me.”

  Chapter Six

  ‡

  Natalie ran the brush through her hair one last time, pulled a big swath of it up on the left side and clipped it behind her ear, letting the other side fall down in silken waves over her shoulder. Laying the brush on the counter, she stared at herself in the little mirror over her sink. She’d applied mascara, a smoky blue eye shadow Hallie had let her borrow and shiny rose-petal pink lip gloss.

  She wore a white peasant blouse with the neckline pulled down on her arms, exposing all of her shoulders the way the woman at the Costa Rican market had showed her. And the flouncy bright red skirt that swung way out when she twirled complemented the blouse, her waist and the festival perfectly. And to top it off her cheeks glowed, not because of rouge or sunburn but because Jack was coming along.

 

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