Here we go. See you, Doc, Ned said as he stepped up to the security post, deposited his bag on the conveyor belt for screening. He stepped through the metal detector and went to collect his bag. Craig and Joyce followed Ned. They cleared security and headed for the gate.
Bye, Doc, Joyce said with a wave. See you in two weeks.
Gwen stood by, allowing others to go through, as Derek hugged his parents. Derek hefted his big black satchel over his shoulder and slipped under the rope. Coming, Gwen?
Dr. Harper waved off his son. You go ahead. I need a word with her first.
Okay. To Gwen, he said, See you on the other side.
Gwen, I need a huge favor, Dr. Harper said as soon as his son was through the metal detector and fading into the crowd.
Anything.
There were very few people in her life she respected or trusted as much as her boss. Under his tutelage she was learning about medicine as well as life. He was a man who lived his faith.
I needwe need He paused and took his wifes hand. We need you to show Derek what the true purpose of Hands of Healing isthat we heal more than just bodies on these trips. Through Jesuss love, we heal hearts, as well.
Wishing she could sit down, Gwen shifted her feet as the weight of Dr. Harpers request pressed on her shoulders. Wow. Thats a big order, Doc.
I know and Im sorry for that. His lined face showed his concern. This isnt the way I envisioned Dereks first trip.
Sometimes Gods plan is better, Sally stated softly.
A sinking feeling descended in Gwens stomach. Looked as if she was going to be spending a lot more time with Derek than shed first thought. I can only promise that Ill try.
Dr. Harper squeezed her hand. Thats all we can ask.
With a wan smile, she said goodbye and went to join her team.
Derek Harper stood and stretched his legs, thankful hed paid to upgrade his coach ticket to first class. He couldnt imagine cramming his six-foot-two-inch frame in a coach seat for an eight-hour transatlantic flight.
Walking down the aisle into the coach section, he noted that the others didnt seem to mind the less comfortable accommodations of coach. Whatever.
Craig was reclined against the bulkhead with headphones on and his lips moving to the music of his portable CD player. Joyce was farther back on an aisle seat with her nose buried in the book hed seen her reading earlier. And Ned sat in the far back and looked to be flirting with the flight attendant who was busy getting the refreshments ready.
He thought it curious they didnt sit by each other. But then again, knowing theyd all be living closely together for the next two weeks, a little space on the flight probably was a good idea.
Not that he would be staying at the camp for the full two weeks. He had a marathon to win.
He was disappointed his father wouldnt be there to greet him at the finish line as theyd talked about. Part of his fathers argument for Derek coming on this mission trip was that Derek could enter the elite African marathon scheduled for next week and his dad would be there to see it. Having his father watching and cheering him on always boosted his drive to win.
Without his fathers presence in the camp, though, hed be able to slip away to train more often than hed anticipated, which could increase his odds of winning.
Providing the redhead his father had put in charge didnt have a problem with Derek taking off, that is. Though he doubted she would. He was only going to be in the way, considering he had no idea what to expect or how hed be able to help. He was a businessman, not a doctor, after all. This was supposed to be an opportunity to stand back and observelearn what hed be administrating.
But playing along and doing what he could would go a long way to cementing the bond with his father.
Derek stopped at the aisle where Gwen reclined against the window, her head resting on a bright yellow pillow and her long red braid dangling over her shoulder. Her pale, freckled face was relaxed and her dark lashes rested alluringly against her cheek.
He wasnt sure what to make of the woman. The few times hed encountered her at the clinic shed been all business.
Suddenly she opened her eyes and focused her unblinking amber gaze on him. He had the feeling she didnt let down her guard even in sleep. He smiled. She didnt.
Time to retreat, because he didnt want to upset the balance of things just yet. He had a strong suspicion that his plans for finagling extra training time were going to take all his charm to keep the boss lady from interfering.
Gwen disembarked from the plane at Heathrow Airport in England with the other weary passengers. As accommodating as the airline was, she welcomed the relief of standing and walking. Her mouth felt as if shed swallowed cotton. Long flights always depleted the moisture from her body. The flight, thankfully, had been uneventful and surprisingly restful. Shed managed to sleep for part of the way.
The only unsettling event had been when shed found Derek standing in the aisle watching her sleep. Hed just smiled before returning to his own seat in first class. She didnt know what to think about him or his strange behavior.
Shed been a bit miffed at first when hed stated he didnt do coach. But after thinking the situation through she realized the coach seating would be uncomfortable for someone so tall.
Plus she knew from various overheard snatches of conversations of the staffhard to not overhear in such a small, contained atmospherethat Derek was a successful world-class runner.
She shuffled out of the Jetway and spotted her team waiting by a large pillar.
Her team. She liked the sound of that.
She didnt feel shed proven herself to Dr. Harper well enough yet, but he must have some confidence that she could handle the mission, which really felt good.
As she approached the group she heard Joyce say, Im so glad we have this layover. Usually, we have to rush from one flight to another.
Hey, Gwen, where are we staying tonight? asked Craig. He looked rumpled and in need of a shave.
Were booked at The Lodge hostel near Paddington Station. Its a short Tube ride.
Oh, goody. The tube, Ned said dryly.
Gwen knew the surgeon wasnt fond of the London subway any more than he was of the New York one. Hed grown up in a borough of New York City but had moved to the Pacific Northwest to get away from the urban life.
Derek frowned. You mean were staying at a hotel, right?
Gwen adjusted the strap on her shoulder. No. A hostel.
He arched a brow. Arent hostels like boarding houses?
Yes, Gwen replied as she started walking down the concourse. The others fell into step with her.
Believe me, the hostel were staying at is a palace compared to the accommodations well have in Moswani, Joyce commented.
Gwen noticed the brief hesitation in Dereks eyes.
Where do we stay? he asked.
If youd made the meetings youd know were staying in an abandoned hospital, Gwen said over her shoulder.
Point taken.
She slowed and glanced at him to see if her censure had offended him.
He shrugged, clearly not offended. This will be an adventure Im sure to remember.
He shrugged, clearly not offended. This will be an adventure Im sure to remember.
For some reason his dismissive attitude grated on Gwens nerves. She reminded herself of his fathers wish for Derek to see the part of their mission that went beyond just the obvious. This isnt a vacation. Well be doing a great deal of good for the people of Moswani. They are the ones to remember.
Derek gave her a whats your problem look. Good to know.
Dont mind her. Shes all work and no play, Joyce said with a teasing lilt to her voice.
A good dose of irritation shot through Gwens veins. Just because she took life seriously didnt mean she didnt know how to relax and have fun. Shed enjoyed swimming in the ocean the few times she had gone to the coast along the Oregon and Washington border.
She liked to go to concerts and hear jazz or Christian artists. Shed gone to every one of her friend Tylers basketball games. Though she had to have the game explained to her. But still, shed had fun.
Only, looking into Dereks amused eyes, she realized their concept of relaxing fun would be vastly different. Hed be off running himself to the max. Or out partying. Shed heard from the nurses that he did the nightclub scene in Seattle.
So what did it matter if they didnt share mutual downtime pursuits? What mattered was the work theyd be doing in Africa. Not filling his adventure scrapbook.
One more hurdle to cross to fulfilling her promise.
Chapter Two
Gwen picked up her pace, wanting a breather from her companions. The concourse seemed a mile long and lined with more shops that any airport shed ever been in. The typical tourist-type stores with hats and T-shirts blazing with the red, white and blue flag of Britain. Stores selling designer clothes, which no doubt cost more than Gwen made in a year.
Coming into the main terminal, she headed for the Tube station, since their baggage was checked all the way through to Uganda and would be there when they arrived. Unlike the subway of New York, the station was shiny silver with the longest escalator shed ever seen.
They boarded the Tube. The eclectic assortment of passengers showed little interest in the Americans boarding.
Joyce, Craig and Ned took a row of seats beside a sullen teenage boy dressed in black. Gwen chose to stand and Derek halted next to her, his big hand wrapping around the overhead bar just millimeters from her own.
The Tube shot forward. Gwen braced her feet apart to keep her balance. Outside the window the dimly lit walls of the tunnels whooshed by in a blur. Gwen turned her gaze away because shed learned the last time she rode on the Tube that watching out the window made her motion sickness kick in.
Derek captured her gaze and smiled. So is that true?
What? Gwen tried not to let his nearness and the killer smile have an effect on her. She told herself it was the excitement of the trip that sent her pulse pounding.
That youre all work and no play?
She lifted a corner of her mouth in a self-effacing smile. Now that shed calmed down after Joyces announcement, she decided shed rather be a hard worker than a flake. I suppose.
What do you like to do for fun? he asked, his green eyes alight with interest.
She shrugged. Stuff.
Like what?
She thought about the question for a moment. I like to walk on the beach. I read. I bike. Normal stuff.
Thats good. Are you a road bike or mountain bike person?
She thought of the shiny blue metallic bike that Claire and Nick had given her when shed moved to Seattle. I have a road bike. To be honest, I havent ridden in a long time. I tried to bike to work but it didnt work out. You know Seattle. Too many hills.
Very true. What kind of books?
For fun?
He nodded.
Im fascinated with historical fiction.
Im an action-adventure reader myself.
She laughed. Why am I not surprised?
The Tube slowed. A voice over the loudspeaker announced their arrival at Paddington Station.
This is us, Gwen said.
Craig, Ned and Joyce rose from the bench and crowded toward the door. Gwen turned her back to Derek just as the car came to a jerking stop. The force of the trains abrupt halt caused several people to stumble. Someone bumped into Gwen, knocking her off balance. Dereks arm coiled around her, steadying her.
Her already parched mouth went impossibly drier at the contact. She gathered her bearings and stepped away from him with a slight shiver. Thank you, again.
He grinned and winked. Anytime.
The doors opened and they stepped out into the brisk evening air. The tree-lined streets bustled with activity. There were black cabs, double-decker red buses and cars going by with nobody in the drivers seat.
The facades of the buildings retained their time-gone-by feel that made Gwen smile. She loved the grand feel of London and the history represented in the architecture. The arched doorways and colorful doors of the tall slim houses that were built together as if sharing the walls, called to her. Someday shed like to live in London.
Their hostel was two blocks down on the right. The two-story yellow brick building sat in the middle of the block. An archway over a red door welcomed them. Arched windows with wrought iron balconies gave the building charm.
The proprietor, who introduced himself as Damon, greeted them warmly and showed them to their accommodations. They passed a room with comfy-looking couches that served as the common area, then up a narrow staircase with an ornately carved banister.
The wood floors of the hallway were covered with worn blue runners. Gwen was thankful they each had separate rooms with a single bathroom just down the hall.
The rooms werent fancy, but they were clean and functional with a single bed, scratched-up dresser and small closet with empty hangers. Gwens room shared a wall with Joyces while the mens rooms were across the way.
Derek and the others were making plans for a late dinner. Gwen listened for a moment before stepping into her room and closing the door. Her plan was to relax and prepare for the rest of the journey; the long flight in the morning from the UK to Africa, then the drive from Entebbe Airport to the Moswani province.
To that end, she grabbed a few toiletries and stepped back into the hall which was thankfully empty. She wasnt big on small talk.
Between the long flight and the eight-hour time difference, she felt ready to grab a bite to eat at the little pub next door and then sleep. Refreshed, she opened the bathroom door and found Derek leaning against the wall.
She blinked. Uh, its all yours.
Is there any hot water left? he asked.
She bit her lip. I think so. I wasnt in there that long.
His mouth quirked. Im teasing.
Oh. She didnt know him well enough to recognize when he was teasing or not. I hope youre not too uncomfortable with the accommodations here.
He waved off her concern. I lived in a dorm in college.
Well, Joyce wasnt kidding when she said this is luxurious compared to where well be staying next.
He lightly tweaked her braid. Dont worry about me. Im adaptable.
She stepped away from him. Thats good. Ill see you in the morning.