Corpsman and the Nerd (18 page)

Max and Ryan

He sent the message and then
unwillingly, moved his attention to the business he was supposed to
be running. The tiredness crept back as he concentrated on the work
at hand. Eventually, Max fetched his fourth cup of
coffee.

Chapter 22

KC took a moment to download email
before she crawled to the showers. Fatigue didn’t ensue exactly but
instead her tiredness stemmed from boredom and a restlessness she
couldn’t identify. She watched for a moment to make certain the
mail would transmit then turned to gather her shower
things.

At least a shower was something to do.
It was too early for bed, but too late for supper. Which she ate an
hour ago. She wasn’t hungry, just bored.

KC wanted to do something
constructive, but who knew what that would be? She whiled away most
of the day in the on-site laboratory, and that helped, but she’d
finished all the work there. (The first time since she’d come
nearly two months ago.) She made her rounds, several times.
Grateful no one was getting hurt in battle at the moment, KC could
breathe a great sigh of relief. But the inactivity pressed until
the place began closing in on her. KC realized she needed something
to do, but
what
was the million dollar question.

She showered, feeling apathetic, not
like herself at all. By the time she returned to the sleeping tent,
she noticed no one about. Tonight was movie night, so most of the
residents would be there. But the movie wasn’t one that would hold
her attention and she couldn’t see wasting time watching a movie
she had no interest in.

Like she’d found a good
substitute
. Frustrated, KC rolled her eyes
and flopped down on the cot. She bounced up again however, when she
noticed the laptop. Maybe her email had downloaded.

She saw a message from Max and plopped
into the chair with the first bit of genuine interest she had
experienced all day. Reading through his message made her smile,
laugh, and feel that familiar weight of homesickness.

Mitch had explained all this to her.
But he also had been gone for whole months on end. His work was
nearly constant. From what she gathered, he had spent the majority
of his time in the field, and the precious few days he lived on
base had been passed catching up with email and paperwork and
DVDs.

KC never expected to have
days with barely anything to do. Yesterday, they couldn’t keep up.
Now today –
nothing
. She clicked on the attachment and soon lost herself in the
contract. Grateful to have something productive to do.

Max needed this, and she had some
civilian business to pass the time between now and bedtime. And,
with the concentration she needed for the terms of the contract,
she should be tired enough to actually sleep.

When Janine and the others wandered in
from the movie, KC waved a hand, but kept her attention on the
laptop screen. Max’s concerns had been correct, as usual. She
tapped out instructions on how to change the wording.

To:
[email protected]

From:
[email protected]

Subject: The needles
contract

Attachment

Hello Max,

Thanks for sending me this
contract. I definitely have the time to look over this type of
document, and am quite happy to do so. I’ve been feeling extra
bored and restless today, so this work was welcome. Please send
whatever you can like such.

My thoughts on this
contract are in the body. Your suspicions were not only valid, but
excellent, as well. If the potential supplier does not agree to
your terms, walk away. There are many other suppliers out there who
will comply. And these terms are ridiculous. They’re trying to pull
a fast one. I’m already leery of such a company. If they willingly
change the terms, then we can stick (no pun intended) with them.
Otherwise, look for someone better.

I’m glad you fellows will
take part in the Annual Morrison Leaf-Raking Day. I wish I could be
there. But am grateful I’ll have a representative or two. Eat some
soup and a barbeque sandwich (yum) for me! I’m sure you’ll have
lots of fun. (I’m happy Mitch and Lainy are planning to keep
Bentley penned in. I remember Rocky not being a problem, but
Bentley was awful!)

I’m pleased to hear Ryan is
tolerant of at least one girl. And you may remind him that
I’m
a girl, and he better
like me!

Or bad
things will come that boy’s way! Of course, most boys like their
mothers, so I’m thinking he just overlooked the fact I’m a
female.

I haven’t had much
experience with pregnant women, either. Basically all I’ve learned
is from your family and med school. So, you probably know as much
as I do. Sounds like Lainy is having a fairly decent time with
hers. I also can’t imagine her any more serene, but I wonder if
Mitch means she’s at peace? Because she’s probably feeling pretty
feminine now. And she’s in that condition because she loves and is
loved. I imagine she feels like she’s doing exactly what nature
intended for her to do.

I wish I could be there to
check her out. I love delivering babies! Helping a mother bring her
child into the world is one of the best experiences ever. Very
satisfying. I’ll probably still be here, though.

Tell Lainy to go to Dr.
Vanessa Bryant. She’s exceptional, and will ease Lainy and Mitch’s
minds. And she’s not family!

Dr. Bryant has an excellent bedside manner and
she’s very calm. I’ve never seen her excited or
flustered.

That’s the type of doctor
a woman needs. I did my clinical rotations with her, and even
before she announced she planned to go into ob/gyn, I knew. She was
such a natural. And then she settled in the Hershey area. I can see
her and Lainy getting along very well.

Okay, now I’m finally
yawning and it’s time for bed, so I’ll call it a night. I thought
this day would never end!

Miss you,

Love,

KC

KC read through her corrections one
more time before saving and zipping them, before she attached the
file. She pressed the send key and watched as the note disappeared.
She sincerely hoped Max would send more documents like that one.
Keeping her hand in the business was a way to alleviate boredom and
kept her active in her “civilian” job at the same time. That way
she wouldn’t feel completely lost when she returned
home.

Being lost wasn’t how she intended to
return. She needed to somehow change Max’s mind, if in fact her
feelings were true and not something her mind had created to help
lighten her fears and worries. Would he ever view her as a romantic
interest? Could he? She didn’t know, but as she turned off the
computer, she wondered how to go about figuring out if she was in
love with him, then if so, making Max Morrison fall in love with
her.

It might be easier wrestling with the
Grim Reaper.

Chapter 23

“
Hello?” Max said absently
into the phone after he downed his fourth cup of coffee and
considered a fifth. Why couldn’t he wake up this
morning?

“
Max? It’s
Lainy.”

“
Hello, Lainy. What can I do
for you?” He set aside the papers he’d been reviewing and leaned
back in his chair.

“
Well, I was wondering if
you’d like to have supper with Mitch and me tonight?”

“
Me and the kid?”

“
Of course you and the kid.
You can’t leave him at home.”

“
Oh, right,” Max answered,
playing with her.

“
You’re a pain.” Her sigh
was long-suffering.

“
I know. While Ryan and I
would love to dine with you, we’ve already been invited elsewhere
for the evening meal.” He tapped his pen on the blotter. KC had
given him the fountain pen for Christmas last year.

“
Where are you going?” Lainy
sounded confused.

“
Contrary to popular belief,
Ryan and I are quite popular these days.”

“
Wow, you used the word
popular twice in the same sentence, imagine that.” Lainy, of
course, was excellent at pushing buttons. Except he didn’t care if
she succeeded today because all he really wanted was to return to
his nice, comfy bed. Instead he switched his attention back to the
phone conversation, since she was still speaking. “Who invited you
first? Why would someone want to eat with you?”

“
Mom.” He took satisfaction
in saying that one little name.

“
Oh, well she has to like
you.”

“
I think pregnancy has made
you sassy. I’m not sure I like this.”

“
My condition is a little
too late to change now.” There was an abundance of love and
satisfaction in that statement.

“
True.” And he wouldn’t
change her being pregnant for even twenty minutes alone with
KC.

Lainy sighed. “Well, I guess I’ll have
to schedule you for another night. Do you have any nights free
since you’ve become so popular?”

“
Nope, Ryan and I are busy
men. We’ve got people to see, cookies to eat, dogs to chase, games
to play. The list goes on and on.”

“
Obviously. Ah, the energy
of youth. But at least I can reassure KC you’re eating properly.
She was worried about that.”

He sighed this time. “I know. And I’ve
told her too.”

“
Like you don’t love how she
worries!”

Max’s lips kicked up at the corners.
“True. It is nice to know someone cares,” he said sadly.

“
Get off my phone,
troublemaker.” He liked the affection in her voice.

“
Yeah, yeah. You probably
haven’t spoken to your husband in what, an hour?”

“
Thirty minutes, but he’s in
a meeting now, and I’ve got work to do. Maybe I’ll call Mom and
invite us to dinner.”

“
I think she mentioned she
planned to invite the two of you.”

“
I’d better check messages.
She could have called and I missed it. Bentley and I were outside
romping a bit.”

Max frowned. “Is that safe, in your
condition?”

“
Look Mr. Mother Hen, I’ve
already got one of those by the way, and I’m married to another, I
don’t need a third.” Lainy sounded stern and Max started
laughing.

“
Mom and Mitch driving you
crazy?”

“
Yes! Mom’s been through
this,
eight
times,
so she knows exercise is good for me! I can give Mitch some credit,
as he’s never been through a pregnancy, but Mom should know better.
And you can worry about your own kid; you don’t have to worry about
mine.”

“
Okay. Maybe I’ll go play
with him now. I think KC and I are going to have more trouble
adjusting to Ryan going to school than he will.” Max shook his
head, knowing what he said was true. KC would be a basket case. He
grinned as he thought of all the fun he would have comforting
her.

“
I’m sure. KC is protective
and a bit of a mother hen, isn’t she?” Max heard the grin in his
sister’s voice, which upped his.

“
Oh, yeah. She’s probably at
the top of the list. Not that she stifles him or smothers
him—”

“
No, she comes to you, and
falls apart,” Lainy finished.

“
Right. And I don’t mind in
the least.”

“
Of course you don’t, since
you’re usually feeling the same way,” Lainy retorted, her sisterly
wisdom evident yet again.

“
We manage – and all without
causing him neuroses. Which are hereditary, by the way. Remember
his birth parent and grandparents.”

“
Yes. I do wonder about his
birth mother sometimes.”

“
So do the rest of us, since
she didn’t leave much in the way of family. KC managed to track
down an aunt who was willing to talk, so she has some maternal
medical family history for Ryan. That’s a sad story.” Max thought
about the woman who had labored to bring Ryan into the world, but
died before she met her son.

“
It is sad. But KC’s an
excellent mom, so he’s made out fine.”

“
Yes. He’s happy and
well-adjusted.”

“
He is. Well, I’ve got to
go. I do have a project I need to finish and I’ll call Mom and
invite myself and Mitch to supper.”

“
See you tonight then.” Max
hung up the phone.

Talking to Lainy made him think about
pregnant women, which then led him to wonder about KC. She was a
mother, with all the responsibilities that entailed, but she had
never been pregnant.

Before he could halt the image, a
picture of KC round and ripe with his child popped into his head.
Max nearly groaned. He wanted to see her pregnant with his child –
and had for a long time.

She had a son he loved, and Ryan would
always be their first, but he wanted to see him with a sibling.
Even if that individual was a girl. At least one. Max would love a
large family, just as had been his privilege, but he didn’t know
how KC felt about families. Hers left a lot to be desired, but he
hoped she enjoyed his enough to consider a big family.