Chasing Air Read online

  “Well, since you put it that way, yes. You don’t approve?” he asked with a perky smile.

  “Boys and their toys. Can you tell me where we’re going now?” Makenzie was beside herself with curiosity.

  “Well, since you’re impatient, we’re going up to McKinney to eat at Rick’s Chop House. It’s my favorite place for a steak, and the atmosphere is fantastic. Afterwards, we’re going to this cozy little jazz club for some dancing if you’re up to it, but that will be your call. I know you worked this morning and I don’t want to stretch you thin.” He took Makenzie’s hand and held on to it until he had to shift gears.

  They enjoyed great wine, a delicious meal, and Makenzie agreed the food at Rick’s Chop House was fabulous and the ambience was romantic. They had the wine room all to themselves. While they chatted over dinner, Makenzie asked Jonathan question after question.

  “Makenzie, is this an inquisition or are you just trying to keep us from discussing you?”

  “Well, what part of barium enemas do you want to talk about?” She had him, she watched him swallow quickly.

  “Hmm, next topic?” He laughed. “I would like to know how it is that you ended up here with no family or friends.”

  “It’s a fair question. Although enemas can be interesting too.” she laughed. “We can talk about me, but there’s not a lot to tell. I’m from New York, but always hated the extended cold weather. I enjoy working trauma and found the opportunity and climate here to be just what I’d been looking for. Now that I’ve been here for a while, I would never move back to New York. How close to the lofts do you live, since I know you aren’t a resident?” She quickly got him on a more neutral topic.

  “Just north by a few minutes, in Plano. Would you like to see my place sometime?” He raised his eyebrow at her. She knew “sometime” could be sooner rather than later if she just pulled the trigger and said yes.

  “Sure, I’d love that sometime. So where is this jazz club?” she asked as they waited for the valet to bring the car.

  “Harwood609, it’s in Dallas.” He grinned.

  “You drove from Addison to McKinney for dinner, now we’re going back to Dallas for dancing?” She gave him a puzzled look on her face.

  “It’s the only time I drive my car, plus I like having you next to me as we fly down the highway while I hold your hand.” His smile was convincing.

  They enjoyed the drive, which was quick in the Ferrari. Jonathan kept his fingers entwined with hers as he managed to shift the gears. They talked about his little boy Trippe, and the meaning of his name. “He’s actually got a third generation name, so it was a fun nickname, but not my idea. In fact, I refused at first.”

  “Does he look like you?” Makenzie wondered how strong his gorgeous gene pool would run. She tried to imagine having beautiful kids with him.

  “Nope, he looks just like his mom, except with dark hair. Has her blue eyes, smile, round face, everything. Sometimes I wonder if I was even his father, but he has my hair for sure. Everyone says that he looks like her, that’s not just my opinion.”

  “Is he in to the sports stuff yet?”

  “Yes he is. He’s all boy, loves to play rough. I know his mom doesn’t like it, but she’s great about not trying to talk him out of it.”

  “We see a lot of kids his age in the ER with minor sports injuries. Parents don’t know how to react the first time and usually overreact, but by the second time, they’re practically dismissing the injuries and almost don’t bring them in. It could be the making of a reality TV show for sure. I know I’ve heard ‘man-up’ a million times.” She laughed and shook her head.

  “I’ll try to remember that. We haven’t been down that road yet, but I’m sure it’s coming. We’ve had several kids on his team with ankle and elbow injuries. One broken arm so far. This is his first year to play baseball. Last year he played soccer, but didn’t take to it. Now with baseball, he’s already addicted. I would love it if you came to watch a game sometime.” He kissed her hand before getting out of the car at the valet.

  The evening was delightful. They enjoyed wine and dancing with the smooth sounds of the house band. Jonathan was a really charming dancer and his arms were strong as he held her tightly to him. Several times, he placed soft kisses on her temple.

  It felt good to be held by him, but she found herself thinking about Ryler. She felt like she was cheating. How could that be? She wasn’t in a committed relationship. She wasn’t in a relationship with him period. In fact, a relationship with him would be impossible. She had to let go and move on and that meant even cancelling the softball game on Sunday.

  “Is that okay with you?” he asked.

  Oh shit, he was talking to her, but she wasn’t listening. She was thinking about Ryler.

  “Sounds fine.”

  “You weren’t really listening were you?” He threw his head back with a laugh.

  “Hmm, you caught me. I’m sorry, my thoughts drifted for a moment. All that talk about kids and injuries, you know how it is. What did you say? Really, I want to know.” She made an apologetic face.

  “I knew you weren’t listening when you stopped responding, so I teased and said, ‘How about I take you to my place and strip us out of our clothes?’” He gave a quick laugh, but his eyes were serious.

  “No, you did not.” She just looked at him.

  “You’re right, I didn’t, but I was thinking it.” He quickly left cash on their table and led her to the valet. While they were waiting, he put his hand in her hair and pulled her face close to his. “Come home with me. I promise when we’re alone, you’ll be thinking of nothing else.”

  He didn’t wait for her answer, but kissed her with passion and didn’t care who saw him. He pulled back slightly, just enough to look into her eyes and winked. A soft cough reminded him they were in public and the valet was waiting beside them with the car. He helped her into the seat and quickly tipped the guys before blazing out of the parking lot.

  “You didn’t answer me, Makenzie. I can’t deny my urge to be with you. What’s it going to be, your place or...”

  He didn’t get to finish that sentence. A fiery crash on the toll way in front of them stopped everything.

  “Find a safe place to pull over, Jonathan.” Makenzie took out her phone and dialed 911. Jonathan had to help her tell the operator their location. She told them she was a physician and handed the phone over to Jonathan before jumping out of the car to attend the victims.

  She worked with the car wreck victims while Jonathan assisted under her guidance. Once the paramedics arrived, she worked with the most critical victim in the back of the ambulance. The paramedics told Jonathan which hospital to pick her up at since they needed her to ride with them in the back of the ambulance.

  On his drive to the hospital, he realized the extent of her job and what a miraculous woman she was. The accident gave him a quick view of her everyday life and the type of adrenaline she performed under. He was hooked harder than he ever thought possible. He never felt this way about Liza. Watching Makenzie treat those patients, the care and concern radiated from her. She didn’t care if she got dirty or that she ripped her blouse trying to free one of the trapped victims. He was amazed at how she remained so calm and focused.

  As people began to stop and gather, she put them to work directing traffic until first responders and police arrived.

  He waited patiently outside the ER until she was finished giving the police her statement of the accident and provided the hospital with her information. She had also cleaned herself up and had her hair in a borrowed ponytail holder, compliments of one of the nurses.

  Jonathan thought she never looked sexier than when she walked out of the hospital. He heard one of the paramedics holler out, “Thanks, Makenzie, you can ride with us anytime,” from the ambulance window. She waved back to him.

  “I’m sorry, Jonathan, I know that wasn’t the fireworks you were expecting from our evening,” she teased him.

  “Th
e night isn’t over and the offer is still on the table, but something tells me that you need some sleep.” It was still more of a question, though he hoped she would say no.

  “Right. Sleep. Rain check on the rest?” She grinned back at him.

  He didn’t answer her with words. He wrapped her ponytail around his hand and pulled her in close to him, holding her tightly to his chest for a few tender moments. When he pulled back, he saw the look of want in her eyes. He pleasured her mouth right there in front of the emergency room.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  The next day, Jonathan talked with his mom, Olivia, about his evening with Makenzie.

  “I haven’t felt that kind of chemistry or adrenaline in forever. Makenzie’s amazing, Mom, I can’t wait for you to meet her” His eyes lit up just at the mention of her name.

  “She moved here with no family and is all by herself? How sad.” She questioned Makenzie’s background. She seemed uneasy and he noticed.

  “It’s not like that, Mom, not like she ran away. She said she committed to the job, but they decided not to come.” He tried to be convincing.

  “Okay, that’s all well and good, but has she gone back for a visit or does she talk with them often?” Something didn’t feel right, but she didn’t want to stifle her son’s first attempt at love since his divorce.

  “One thing at a time, Mom. I don’t have all the answers after just two dates, but I will.” He gave his mother a mischievous grin. She recognized that look, she knew he was hooked. She hoped Makenzie lived up to the hype. She hated to see him get hurt again.

  Sitting in his car in his mom’s driveway, he sent Makenzie a text.

  Jonathan: Hope ur havin a great day. Thinking of you

  Makenzie: Last nite rocked, still thinkin about it and u

  Jonathan: When can I see u?

  Makenzie: Off on Monday?

  Jonathan: I’m out of town. Next option?

  Makenzie: Off on Thursday?:)

  Jonathan: Have my son’s game. Wanna come?

  Makenzie: Are u sure? If so, would love to.

  Jonathan: Absolutely. It’s a date, I’ll call u

  ***

  Makenzie kept her promise to Rachel and joined her for another Krav Maga class. Rachel showed improvement and she kept a strong, determined expression on her face. Whatever internal demons she was struggling with, she was winning the war.

  After the class, Makenzie asked her to lunch. They went over to Astoria’s to grab a quick bite. Makenzie quickly realized that she and Rachel shared more in common than she originally thought.

  As Rachel began to open up, Makenzie recognized that Rachel was involved in a dangerous, abusive relationship with her boyfriend. She wanted to ask plenty of questions, but she needed to gain Rachel’s trust first. She did manage to find out where she lived and got her phone number, which was a good start for building trust.

  Rachel was working as a server at a local restaurant that focused on cute, sexily clad female servers. She had heard men refer to them as “Breastaraunts” before, the kind where only girls serve, and wearing skimpy costumes for lots of tips. Makenzie wondered if the friend of Rachel’s who was injured had worked there also. She would have to wait until Rachel mentioned her again to ask. She had learned to deal with victims of personal violence while working in the ER, especially victims of sexual assault and domestic violence.

  There was so much she wanted to know about Rachel, but her shift was scheduled to start soon. She had to save the questions for another time.

  “Hey I was thinking, do you like to play co-ed softball by any chance?” she asked Rachel. What better way to protect her than introduce her to a team of cops?

  “I haven’t played in several years, but yeah, I do. Why, are you getting up a team?” Her face showed excitement.

  “I was asked to join some guys on Sunday afternoon, but I only know a couple of them. I thought you might want to be my ‘wing-woman’ if you’re not working?” She gave Rachel a twisted grin, encouraging her to say yes. Little did Rachel know, but Makenzie had a hidden agenda for asking her to join them. Makenzie wanted someone there to run interference with Ryler, but she also wanted Rachel to make friends with guys on the force.

  “Sure, I’d love to join. I’ll see if I can switch to the early shift and let you know.”

  They parted ways and Makenzie felt better about going to the game. She didn’t ask permission from Ryler to have another person, but she would sit out if the headcount was an issue.

  Makenzie: Is it okay if I invite a girl friend to play ball this weekend

  Ryler: u bet. Looking forward to seeing you

  Makenzie: thx, her name is Rachel she could use some new friends

  Ryler: not a problem

  That night, the ER was slow. Slow meant she had some time to work in her office. She picked up the files on her desk and threw out the dying flowers from her admirers. Her heart was split but one thing was clear in her head, a relationship with Ryler Buchanan couldn’t happen.

  Deep in her reports, she was startled by a knock on the door.

  “Come in,” she shouted out.

  Dr. Trynn opened the door. “Hey Makenzie, you have a second to chat about a conference?” His head was through her door, but his body was still in the hallway.

  “Sure, your whole body is welcome to come in,” she laughed at him.

  He came in and sat down on her sofa. “There’s a conference that your predecessor was planning to deliver a lecture at. I just realized it today and needed to give you a heads up. We have someone to cover your shifts, but you’ll need to prepare your lecture and make plans to attend.”

  “That’s not a problem, Phillip, where’s the conference?” she was taking notes.

  “New York.”

  Makenzie froze. The room started spinning. Anxiety immediately begin to daze her. She tried to hide it, but Dr. Trynn must have seen the color drain from her face.

  “Makenzie, you okay? Are you nervous about giving a lecture? I’d be happy to help you.”

  “No, I’m fine, really. I just remembered my last flight to New York was a brutal one and I had a flashback of being on that flight. You know how it is.” She tried to pass it off and he seemed to buy it.

  “I’ll email you the specifics, I just wanted to apologize in person for dumping this on you so last minute. When I got the reminder email this morning, I felt bad for having forgotten it.” He stood to let himself out. “By the way, regarding the headshot of you, the industry is actually phasing OUT the photos of the hospital staff on websites after that doctor in Ohio lost the patient on the table and was attacked by the patient’s father. Ours will be updated by the end of the month, so I’m told.”

  Mak let out a breath of relief.

  “Thank you for letting me know. I look forward to getting the specifics and I’ll start work on the lecture this weekend.”

  Thank god no one would see her picture. Agent Bernard would have a stroke if he found her on the internet, She thought.

  Charts were stacked on her desk and she started tackling them one by one. She came to Serena’s chart and she started reading all of the paramedic’s call sheets when a knock came at the door.

  “Please come in,” she asked.

  Dr. Trynn stuck his head back in. “Mak, I just got a message that they need your headshot for the conference brochure ASAP. Thanks, gotta run. Send that over to me when you can.”

  Makenzie went straight into the panic zone. She immediately started Googling for conferences in New York. Sure enough, there was a Trauma Conference in three weeks. The lecture wasn’t going to be the problem, her visibility was.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  “Terry Bernard, please?” she asked the operator.

  “Who may I say is calling?” the operator asked.

  “Makenzie, no last name.” Her voice showed how nervous she was.

  “Hold a moment please, ma’am, don’t hang up.”

  “Hi.” He paused. “Problem?” His v
oice low, almost a whisper.

  “I’m okay.” Makenzie uttered.

  “You know the drill. Exactly ninety minutes from now.”

  Makenzie watched her watch down to the minute. She left the payphone and drove back towards her loft. Overcome with anxiety, she knew that Agent Bernard was going to say, “I told you so.” In exactly ninety minutes, she called his safe line with a disposable phone.

  “What happened?”

  “Nothing yet. I have to give a lecture in NYC and I can’t get out of it, short of dying. There will be publicity and photos. I need help organizing this so I don’t have a problem. I need your help.” Makenzie’s voice was low and full of frustration. She had a hard time speaking. It had been almost a year since she had last seen Agent Bernard.

  “How much time do we have?”

  “Three weeks.”

  “Can you call me in exactly twenty-four hours?”

  “Yes.” She hung up and smashed the phone into pieces.

  Never in a million years did she think that she would keep a supply of disposable phones, just to keep herself safe. Nor did she ever think she would keep a bag packed and cash stowed, but it was a life she chose on the run. The FBI had trained her well. Therapy sessions with Rosalyn were helpful and kept her off meds. Maybe she needed to find someone local that she could trust. Bernard would have to arrange it and even then, it came with risks.

  Makenzie was terrified. She paced her office back and forth before finally grabbing the pills from her purse. She needed to spend her time preparing her lecture, not worrying about what she couldn’t control until she spoke with Agent Bernard. It was going to be a long twenty-fours.

  She spent the day working on her lecture research in her office until it was time to start her shift. She felt safer in the little cocoon she had created. When she stepped out to the ER control desk, she found a box with a card that had her name on it. She knew who left it and what it was before she even opened it.