Do Opposites Attract? (2 page)

When Brianna drifted away from the ball later that evening, her head wasn’t full of dancing or champagne. Instead she was trying to imagine what a poor area in South America might look like after a tornado, and whether she could possibly be of any help in putting things straight. For the first time in a long while she felt a zip of excitement.

If Mitch had overheard Margaret telling the young socialite how happy he’d be to show her around, he’d have possibly burst into uncontrollable laughter. But that would have been after he’d thumped his fist against something hard and uttered several filthy swear words. Showing a visitor around the crude camp that so many were now calling home was the bloody last thing he had time for. He was far too busy trying to administer medical help under a leaking tent and without half of his much needed supplies. They were apparently still making their way across the flood stricken muddy tracks that passed for roads. And still it rained.

‘Mitch, they’re bringing in another crowd.’

Midway through examining the arm of a five year old boy for fractures, Mitch glanced up to see Tessa, his senior nurse, point towards a bedraggled group of varying ages shuffling into what was laughingly called the waiting room. In reality it was a smaller tent adjoined to the larger treatment tent.

‘Thanks, Tessa.’ Mitch smiled briefly at the head nurse before focussing all his attention back on the child. ‘It looks like you’ve broken your arm, buddy.’ He spoke softly in Spanish to the little boy with the large brown eyes. ‘But we’ll put a cast on it and soon have you as good as new.’ He ruffled the boy’s hair. ‘Have you got any family here with you?’ The boy simply shook his head, the fat tears that trailed down his cheeks telling the story far more eloquently than any words. ‘Did you get separated?’ Mitch continued gently, holding the boy’s hand.

The boy nodded and Mitch sighed. Sometimes he hated his job. ‘Don’t worry. You stay here with us. We’ll look after you until we can find your family. Okay?’

He walked the boy over to Tessa. ‘Can you sort this brave lad out with a cast and a sling?’

Tessa smiled. ‘I’m sure that can be arranged.’ She glanced in the direction of an adjoining tent. ‘Have you checked on the main ward recently? We’re filling up fast.’

Mitch ducked his head through the entrance and went to see for himself. The main ward was a preposterously grand name for what was simply yet another tent, this time filled with rows of temporary beds, most, as Tessa had implied, already occupied. With a heavy heart he ducked back to the treatment tent.

‘Poor sods,’ he muttered to Tessa. ‘And to think they’re the lucky ones.’ At least they’d managed to escape from what was left of the remote villages that had once been their homes. All too many hadn’t.

‘We do what we can. If we weren’t here, even they wouldn’t be lucky.’

She was right. In fact
we do what we can
was a mantra he’d repeated to the team often enough. But not for the first time he wondered how much longer he could continue to work amongst such obvious suffering.

The trouble was, having done a seven-year stint as an army doctor, he’d found it hard to settle into mainstream hospital work. Partly because treating patients who were there through their own fault – too much alcohol, too much food, too little exercise – had bugged the hell out of him, but mostly because he’d missed the thrill of life on the edge. Of never quite knowing what was going to happen next. It was while he’d been slowly going out of his mind with boredom that he’d attended a lunchtime lecture on Medic SOS. The rest, as they say, was history. Three years on and he was now the Chief Medical Officer in charge of an established core of doctors and nurses he could call on as the circumstances dictated.

But much as he loved it, the job was beginning to take its toll. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d let his hair down. Done something frivolous, just for the hell of it. Being surrounded by human tragedy on a regular basis was turning him into a tougher, more serious-minded man than he’d ever intended to be. At some point he needed to have a break, take some time to relax and just enjoy life again.

With a deep sigh he walked back to the treatment room. There he was greeted with rows of traumatised faces, all waiting to be helped. These poor sods had lost their homes, probably somebody they loved, and damn near their own lives. His own life was positively privileged in comparison.
Stop moaning, Mitch. Your holiday can wait.

It was late by the time the queue of waiting survivors had all been attended to. Some had been bandaged up and sent to the temporary camp to search for missing loved ones and find a place to sleep. Others were settled into the ward, too injured to be moved.

Having completed his final round and checked that each patient under their care was stable, he turned to Tessa. ‘Time for a quick team meeting, I think. Can you rally the troops?’

While Tessa disappeared off, Mitch pushed together a few chairs at the back of the treatment tent and waited for his small unit to arrive. To the outside world they probably appeared an odd bunch, but they were united in their desire to provide help to those who needed it most, usually with little concern for their own personal comfort or safety. When discussing their jobs with friends in the bar back home, the life of a medical charity worker probably sounded exciting. Reality was a much bleaker picture. A tough hide was needed to withstand the unrelenting misery of the situations they were thrown into, and the crude conditions they were expected to work and live in. Many who joined in a haze of enthusiasm and desire to do good didn’t last more than one trip. The team on this tour though were a seasoned group, part of his core team. He felt a rare surge of emotion, even affection, towards them as they slowly straggled in towards him.

‘Come on you ugly bunch. I’ve got places to go, people to see.’ His statement was met with the chorus of derisory sniggers he’d expected.

‘Even if you said that back at the office, we’d laugh in disbelief. The only places you go are work and bed.’

‘Thanks, Tessa,’ he remarked dryly as his head nurse took the seat next to him. He knew, because he’d seen her CV, she was in her early forties, but she had a face and body that could have passed for a decade younger. She’d joined Medic SOS following a divorce, determined to start her new single life in a very different environment than her married one.

‘She should know. She’s tried to entice you out often enough.’ That was from Toby, another nurse who came as a pair with his wife, Jane. They’d joined after finding out they weren’t able to have children.

Mitch grunted at Toby’s remark, uncomfortably aware of the truth behind it. When he turned to see Tessa blushing next to him, red enough he could almost feel her heat, his discomfort increased a hundred fold. She was his right hand woman. Someone he trusted, admired and enjoyed working next to. Period. He prayed that was all she felt, too. Not only did he not think of her like that, but women and work didn’t mix. Frankly women and him didn’t mix that well, either. He’d had his fair share of affairs – probably more than his share – but for reasons he couldn’t fathom, women often tried to shift things from casual and easy to permanent and complicated. Something he had no interest in.

‘Thanks, but my personal life isn’t on today’s agenda,’ he told the group gruffly just as Stuart and Roger joined them. Stuart was the other doctor in the team, not long out of medical school. Young and single, what he lacked in experience he made up for in enthusiasm. Roger was a huge, burly, no-nonsense individual who made a surprisingly gentle and caring nurse. He was married, but his wife seemed to tolerate his frequent stints abroad. Some speculated that was what made their marriage work.

‘So will it be on a future agenda then, boss?’ Dan, the last one in the team, grinned as he plonked himself on the remaining chair. Single and in his mid-twenties, he was handsome and he knew it; a total ladies’ man. Officially he was in charge of logistics. Unofficially he was also the unit’s entertainment co-ordinator, which usually meant locating the nearest available bar. A place they could unwind and, for a few hours at least, block out the misery they’d witnessed during the day.

‘My personal life will never be an agenda item. Not as long as I’m still breathing,’ Mitch muttered darkly, and they all laughed.

‘Sure thing, boss. You’re our man of mystery. You’re single, like to run and swim and enjoy an occasional beer. It’s all we need to know.’ Dan grinned again, flashing a set of even white teeth. ‘Speaking of which, I’ve located the nearest watering hole. Any chance of you joining us tonight?’

Mitch shook his head, surprising nobody. They always asked, but he rarely came. Thrust together under circumstances that made for real, lifelong friendships, Mitch remained a man alone. It wasn’t that he was unfriendly. Just that he didn’t allow anyone to get close to him.

‘Right, down to the real agenda,’ Mitch announced abruptly, determinedly steering the topic of conversation back to work. ‘Dan has managed to track down the rest of our supplies and they should be with us tomorrow evening. In the meantime, the stuff we have has been borrowed from the hospital in the next town. Use it wisely.’

His grim expression said all it needed to. They weren’t to waste it on patients who weren’t going to make it.

‘On a lighter note, we have a visitor, Brianna Worthington, joining us tomorrow for a week. As she’s the patron’s daughter, I guess that means we’ll have to be on our best behaviour.’ His wry grin caused his eyes to crinkle and the hearts of the women to flutter. ‘Without the money, we don’t exist.’

‘Better put me in charge of looking after her then,’ Dan interrupted cockily.

Mitch chuckled and his harsh features temporarily relaxed. ‘I can’t think of a man more suited for the job. I was going to say she’ll be in safe hands, but frankly with you, I’m not so sure.’

‘She might prefer the quieter, more sensitive type,’ Stuart interjected, a determined glint in his eye. ‘I think I should be responsible for showing her around.’

Mitch shook his head. ‘Come on, guys. The woman hasn’t even arrived yet and already she’s causing trouble. She might be fat and ugly for all you know.’

‘Yeah, but she’s going to be loaded,’ Dan replied sheepishly. ‘That would sure make up for any disappointment in the looks department.’

Rolling his eyes heavenwards, Mitch sighed. ‘Well someone has to pick her up from the airport tomorrow. Maybe you boys should flip a coin. Meanwhile go and make merry, but for God’s sake behave yourselves. Roger and I will hold the fort.’

Mitch watched them bustle out of the tent, their minds already on a well-deserved night off. Sometimes he wished he could be like that. It must be great to drink, relax and share experiences, but he hadn’t been made that way. He couldn’t do small talk. He couldn’t share confidences. Heck, he couldn’t even relax properly in the company of others, even those he knew well. All of which meant there were very few people in his life he had ever been close to. He had a couple of friends from the army but they were now married and he felt like such a spare part when they all hooked up, it seemed easier not to bother. Besides, he was happy with his own company. Frankly he preferred it to the effort of making conversation with others.

‘Sleep or ward duty?’ he asked Roger, who shrugged his massive shoulders. ‘Okay, toss you for it.’

‘Heads.’

Mitch flipped the coin, took a quick look and then thrust it back into his pocket. ‘Unlucky. You’re on duty.’

‘Hey, wait a minute. I didn’t see that.’

‘Calling me a liar?’

Roger chuckled – a sound quite incongruous with his big, brawny looks. ‘Sly and sneaky, yeah, but a liar? Nah. Heads it is. Enjoy your kip.’

While Roger went to take his turn on ward duty, Mitch made his weary way back to his tent. Luxurious it wasn’t. A camp bed, an oil lantern and a table and chair that doubled up as a desk when he needed to catch up with his paperwork. Something he’d fully intended to do when he’d called tails on a coin that had turned up heads. But the moment he spied the bed, exhaustion crept up on him and instead of sitting at the makeshift desk, he lay down. In this job he’d learnt to sleep whenever he got the opportunity.

Brianna breathed a huge sigh of relief when the small plane finally touched down onto the tiny airstrip. Relief, because she’d finally reached her destination after twenty-four hours of travelling and relief that the churning motion of the little propeller driven plane had finally come to an end. That being said, she climbed down the steep steps with a great degree of trepidation. She’d seen from the air the devastation the recent tornado and subsequent flooding had caused. The affected area was vast and she wasn’t particularly looking forward to seeing the results close up. Hers had been a privileged existence so far. In all her twenty-six years the only hardship she’d witnessed had been on the television. This next week was going to be one heck of a giant step into the unknown, that was for sure.

The heat and the barrenness of the landscape hit her as she reached the cracked tarmac, a sharp warning of the discomfort that lay ahead. Part of her, the part that delighted in luxury, was already starting to regret her rash decision to come here. At this very moment she could be flashing her credit card round the Knightsbridge shops – a world away from where she was now. But that was the whole point, wasn’t it?

Looking up she caught sight of a tall, rangy man walking towards the plane. The long stride, loose-limbed gait and straight back bore the hallmarks of a man who was confident in his own skin. A man who knew where he was heading. Her eyes skimmed over his muddy desert boots, creased khaki shorts and plain white T-shirt. Was that the hint of a black tattoo on his bicep, creeping beneath the shirtsleeve? After acknowledging the pilot with a wave of his tanned arm, the man turned and strode towards her. Dark blond hair, in need of a good cut, surrounded a sun-bronzed, rugged face. It was a face too harsh, too strong to be called handsome. But it made her look, nonetheless.

‘Brianna, I presume?’ He looked directly at her, his eyes cool and assessing, his voice deep and curt. It was a voice used to issuing commands, used to being in control.

Control was something Brianna was also familiar with. As was the fact that men usually came on to her when they were first introduced. That sounded vain, and it wasn’t something she encouraged, just something she lived with. Men seemed to want to flirt with her, whatever their age. Clearly this one was an exception. The fact that he couldn’t even muster a smile for her was intriguing. It didn’t upset her. Just made her determined to make him take notice. ‘You presume correctly,’ she replied, smiling broadly and holding out her hand. ‘Pleased to meet you.’

The man glanced at the offered hand, but ignored it. ‘Have you any bags in the hold?’

She muffled the gasp, but couldn’t prevent a sharp intake of breath. Her world might be very different to his, but surely simple courtesy had a place wherever you were? She couldn’t work out if he was simply as coarse as he appeared, or if he was deliberately trying to rile her. If it was the latter, he was succeeding. Clutching at manners ingrained in her from an early age, Brianna bit her tongue and continued to smile. ‘Thank you, yes. There’s my holdall and two boxes.’

Without a word the man swung round and marched over to the plane where he opened the cargo door and pulled out the items. As she watched, the biceps on his arms bunched and the tattoo became clearer; a black panther. An involuntary tremor ran down her spine and for the first time since she’d embarked on the trip, Brianna thought about her own safety. Here she was, in a foreign country thousands of miles from home and dependent on this man to take her to where she needed to go. A man who wore a bold tattoo and an air of … well, frankly menace. At the very least, he was pretty intimidating. A view that wasn’t altered when he thrust one of the boxes into her hands and strode towards the jeep without a backward glance.

Brianna had no choice but to follow. The alternative was to remain alone in an empty airfield in the middle of nowhere. Wordlessly he dumped the luggage into the back of the truck and went to sit in the driver’s seat. She stared in open-mouthed astonishment, the box she was left carrying nearly slipping from her hands. Whoever the heck this man was, he was certainly no gentleman. With a hiss of irritation she hoisted the darn package into the back and stalked to the passenger side. As she struggled to open the stiff, heavy door and climb up into the battered seat, she realised she’d taken for granted the charm and effortless good manners of the men she usually mixed with. Apparently opening the car door for a lady didn’t come instinctively to every man. Clearly not to the one who sat beside her, his eyes fixed forwards.

Perversely, the ruder he was, the more determined she became to show him the social skills he clearly lacked. ‘It’s kind of you to come and pick me up. How are things at the camp? Are they on top of the situation yet?’

Briefly the man paused in the action of starting the engine to give her a cold look. ‘Villages have been flattened, electricity and water cut off, families torn apart. We’re still pulling people out of destroyed buildings and flooded rivers. No, I don’t think you could say we’re on top of things.’

Bastard, Brianna thought angrily. How dare he talk down to her like that? She hadn’t meant anything by her simple question – just some small talk to ease the journey. ‘Thank you for your assessment,’ she replied frostily, deciding not to pursue any further conversation. She could only thank God she wouldn’t have much to do with this man when they arrived at the camp. He was clearly the driver. Hopefully the medical team would be friendlier.

Mitch watched the temper flare briefly in Brianna’s eyes at his reply and smiled to himself. He had no doubt she wasn’t used to being spoken to like that. She probably had a group of sycophantic friends who followed her around, hung on her every word, told her what they thought she wanted to hear. He guessed that was what it was like in the rich world she lived in. Of course he didn’t know. When he thought of the contrast between his own upbringing and hers … he shook his head in disgust. Even he could see the massive chip that sat firmly on his shoulder. The fact that it was still there and that it only took someone like Brianna to reveal it, annoyed the hell out of him. He’d done well for himself, achieved respectability. Where he’d come from shouldn’t matter. But it did, particularly when he met people like her. Which was why, instead of being polite and civil, things he knew he was quite capable of, the devil inside him made him act just the opposite. He became the rough, ill-mannered man synonymous with his upbringing. He hadn’t missed the look of shock on her face when he’d thrust the parcel at her. Nor had he missed her look of disdain when faced with having to open her own door. Well, this was his turf. While she was here she would have to learn to play by his rules. Which meant not being waited on hand and foot and not being mollycoddled. It also meant doing as she was told.

He smiled grimly to himself. It was going to be interesting to see how she’d cope with all that. He’d promised Margaret he’d show the patron’s daughter round and give her an insight into the work they did and he would. Just not cap in hand. If he had to babysit the woman for a week, she’d have to take him as she found him.

As the jeep bounced over the ruts in the road, he idly glanced over in her direction. One thing was for certain, she was trouble with a capital T. Dan and Steve had already argued so much about who was going to pick her up that in the end Mitch had snatched the keys and driven off himself. And that was before they knew she wasn’t a fat, ugly heiress. Jeez, when they found out she was actually a flaming beautiful one, they were going to be unbearable. With flashing green eyes, shiny brown hair and a curvaceous figure no man could ignore, and believe it, he was trying, she was one sexy lady. Not the type he wanted hanging round an overworked, increasingly stressed camp. Added to which, the flirtatious smile she’d first directed at him told him she was a lady used to enjoying the company of men. Used to wrapping them around her little finger.

It was going to be a very long week.

Their journey to the camp was conducted in an uneasy silence, Mitch very aware of Brianna quietly fuming next to him. He smiled grimly to himself. She could choose to sulk, or choose to listen. It made no odds to him.

‘Mitch!’ As he pulled up by the Medic SOS tents, Jane came hurrying out to meet him.

Brianna turned her head sharply towards him, astonishment written across her perfect features. ‘
You’re
Mitch McBride? Well, it would have been nice if you’d bothered to introduce yourself.’

Before he could reply, Jane interrupted. ‘There’s an emergency, Mitch. You’re needed on the ward.’

As Jane hurried away, Mitch jumped down from the jeep. ‘Sorry, honey. I’ve got more important things to do than smooth your ruffled feathers.’ Midway to the tent, his mind already focused on the emergency, he paused and shot Brianna a brief look over his shoulder. ‘Stay in the jeep. I’ll get someone to come and sort you out.’

Brianna let out a snarl of sheer frustration. How bloody rude. Irritated, she deliberately climbed out. The sight that met her was awful enough to push her petty annoyance into the background. My God, the place looked stark. Row upon row of battered, makeshift tents in a huge muddy field. She shuddered, unable to stop the totally selfish thought that she wasn’t going to be getting a nice hot shower to ease away the discomfort of a day and night travelling. And, to top it all, the man she’d been assured would be happy to help her understand the work of the charity, seemed to be anything but happy. The words surly, rude and arrogant came to the top of her mind.

‘Brianna?’ A handsome young man approached her, a wide grin on his face. ‘Wow, we really hit the jackpot with you. First time we get a visitor and she’s drop dead gorgeous. Well, welcome to hell. I’m Dan and I’m here to look after you. Anything you need, just ask me.’

For the first time since she’d set out on this adventure, Brianna felt her shoulders start to relax. Here at last was an admiring man with a friendly face. ‘Great to meet you, Dan. I suppose a hot shower is out of the question?’ The words blurted embarrassingly from her lips but Dan simply laughed.

‘Well, it’s pretty basic and there might be a problem with hot water, but we can manage something resembling a shower. Come with me.’

‘Really, a shower?’ Right now she didn’t care what it looked like or if the water was freezing. Anything that removed dust and grime was okay with her.

‘Really.’

He plucked her holdall and both boxes out of the truck with an ease that reinforced her earlier impression; Mitch had been out to make a point when he’d made her carry one. Either that or he was a weakling. A clear image of taut, muscular biceps flooded her mind and she stumbled on the uneven ground.

‘Watch your step. Don’t want you banged up with a twisted ankle on day one.’

Dragging in a lungful of air, she focused on the man she was with. ‘What’s your role in the team then, Dan?’ she asked as they skirted the larger marquee-like tents that she guessed substituted for a hospital and made their way towards a cluster of much smaller ones.

‘Logistics,’ he replied, another quick-fire grin lighting up his face. ‘Which basically means I do everything that isn’t connected with the medical care. I sort out supplies, put up the medical tents and equipment, work with the other charities to make sure we get food and shelter for ourselves. Plus I look after any visitors,’ he added with a wink.

Brianna bet Dan knew all about looking after visitors, female ones in particular. He had a natural, easy charm and, together with his obvious good looks, it made him very attractive. But much as she was enjoying his attention, Brianna knew she wasn’t going to be one of his conquests. She preferred the slightly less obvious, the less easy. In truth, although she hated to admit it, Mitch was the one who’d grabbed her interest. Overbearing and ill-mannered he might be, but his surprising deep brown eyes drew a woman in, and his forceful personality made her sit up and take notice. Even though she might not want to.

Dan had moved ahead of her and was now unzipping the entrance to a tatty looking white tent she guessed she’d be calling home.

‘Here you go. It might not be much, but after a day around here, trust me, you’ll be glad to get back to it,’ he remarked as he placed her luggage on the floor. ‘There is a temporary shower just around the corner. The water’s cold, but it will definitely freshen you up. Alternatively, some of us go and bathe in the lake. It’s okay, as long as you watch out for crocodiles.’

Brianna shivered. ‘I think I’ll go for the shower.’

‘Probably a wise choice,’ Dan agreed with a grin. ‘I’ll leave you to sort yourself out. When you feel like some company, come to the main medical tent. There are sure to be a few of us around.’

Left on her own, Brianna sank down on the camp bed. Okay, she didn’t sink. That would imply a degree of give in the brick-like mat that was trying to pass for a mattress. Oh heck, she so wanted to cry, but that would be weak and she was determined not to act like the spoilt brat some probably believed her to be. Mitch for one. Then again, why should his opinion of her matter? He was just a jumped up doctor. If she wanted, she thought with a flash of anger, she could get him fired.

As quickly as it had arrived, the anger vanished and she was left feeling stupid and a tiny bit scared. That was exactly the type of attitude she hated. Sure Mitch had been less than welcoming, but at the end of the day her only real gripes were that he’d given her a box to carry and not opened the truck door for her. Considering what he had on his plate at the moment, they were hardly crimes of the century.

Half an hour and a cold shower later, Brianna was feeling a little more human again.

‘Have you managed to find everything you need?’

In the act of folding her towel over the end of the bed, Brianna looked up with a start, shocked to find Mitch walking unannounced into her tent. ‘Do you always come into a woman’s room uninvited?’

Mitch raised an eyebrow. ‘It depends on the woman.’

‘Well this woman wants you to wait until you’re invited.’ She didn’t want to act like a brat, but she wasn’t going to let him trample all over her, either.