watched for a moment then got into the Land Rover. He noticed Maria saw the exchange as well. As they drove out of the parking lot, Isabella had walked away from him.
Mick and Juan were just eating lunch when they returned.
“What’s the verdict? Brain surgery?” Mick asked, taking a long drink of water.
Sean laughed and explained, then gave a questioning glance to Maria who shrugged, then kissed Juan.
“What’s up?” Mick asked, looking back and forth between them.
Sean took a deep breath and then explained the exchange between Isabella and the man at the hospital.
“Really?” Mick asked lightly. Sean saw the slightly crestfallen look. “Well, hell Sean, why not? Good grief the woman is gorgeous. You should have gone for her while you had the chance,” she said chuckling. “I wonder why she was with Rita and the other women though.” She shrugged and looked at her brother who was smiling slightly. “Sean, get that puppy dog look off your homely face. When did you think I had a chance with the doctor? Before or after she slugged me?”
Both thought about it for a moment. Then, remembering the fateful night, they both burst into laughter. Sean leaned over and kissed her cheek. “I love ya, sis. We’ll go back to Panama City in a few weeks and paint the town,” he said with a wink.
“The Brennans are back, me boyo!” his sister declared in her Irish brogue.
Chapter 8
“Señorita Mick, Sean is getting up,” Zeke, the spy, whispered in her ear.
Mick was sweating, the hammer poised over her head. The other workers, laughed to themselves. Mick thought she heard one mutter ‘mother hen’ but chose to ignore them. She needed all the workers she could get. She looked up to see Sean holding his side as he walked out of his tent.
“What are you doing?” she asked loudly.
Sean looked up and glared at both of them. He slowly made his way to them. “I have to take a piss. Is that all right?” he growled angrily.
Mick grinned and nodded. “Need any help?” she offered and batted her eyes. Zeke giggled and put a hand to his mouth.
“Traitor,” Sean mumbled to the little boy and walked away.
“My man, get me another bucket of nails, will you?” Mick asked.
Zeke ran to his task. Mick grinned. She really liked this little kid. She ought to meet his grandmother, just to let her know where he was all the time.
The little boy came back, grunting. He set it down and knelt next to his friend.
“Thanks,” she said absently and continued nailing the boards in place. She was aware that he was watching her intently. She sat back on her heels and wiped the sweat off her face. Zeke ran to get her a bottle of water. Then knelt next to her eying her tool belt. Mick smiled inwardly as she drank the water. “I haven’t done this much work in years,” she said tiredly. Most of the men were taking a break, sitting under the trees and eating.
“That is because you are a woman, not a man like me,” he said proudly.
Mick raised an eyebrow then chuckled quietly. “That must be it, my man,” she said. She then handed him the hammer. Zeke’s eyes widened as he looked from the hammer to this friend and back again.
“Go ahead, I’ll show you what to do.”
In a few minutes, Zeke was hammering the nails as Mick instructed.
*******
Isabella pulled down the now paved narrow road. She was shocked to see how far along they had come. The foundation had been poured and set. The frame of her little clinic was being prepared.
Tears welled in her eyes as she got out of her jeep. Maria smiled as she walked up to her, hugging her in an affectionate embrace.
“I am amazed, Maria,” she said through her tears.
Maria nodded. “Mick is a miracle worker. In all my life, I have never seen her this driven. Juan is amazed as well. We have gone through so many workers we never thought we would get this far. She works night and day. Sean is impatient to get back to work but Mick watches him like a
Mick and Juan were just eating lunch when they returned.
“What’s the verdict? Brain surgery?” Mick asked, taking a long drink of water.
Sean laughed and explained, then gave a questioning glance to Maria who shrugged, then kissed Juan.
“What’s up?” Mick asked, looking back and forth between them.
Sean took a deep breath and then explained the exchange between Isabella and the man at the hospital.
“Really?” Mick asked lightly. Sean saw the slightly crestfallen look. “Well, hell Sean, why not? Good grief the woman is gorgeous. You should have gone for her while you had the chance,” she said chuckling. “I wonder why she was with Rita and the other women though.” She shrugged and looked at her brother who was smiling slightly. “Sean, get that puppy dog look off your homely face. When did you think I had a chance with the doctor? Before or after she slugged me?”
Both thought about it for a moment. Then, remembering the fateful night, they both burst into laughter. Sean leaned over and kissed her cheek. “I love ya, sis. We’ll go back to Panama City in a few weeks and paint the town,” he said with a wink.
“The Brennans are back, me boyo!” his sister declared in her Irish brogue.
Chapter 8
“Señorita Mick, Sean is getting up,” Zeke, the spy, whispered in her ear.
Mick was sweating, the hammer poised over her head. The other workers, laughed to themselves. Mick thought she heard one mutter ‘mother hen’ but chose to ignore them. She needed all the workers she could get. She looked up to see Sean holding his side as he walked out of his tent.
“What are you doing?” she asked loudly.
Sean looked up and glared at both of them. He slowly made his way to them. “I have to take a piss. Is that all right?” he growled angrily.
Mick grinned and nodded. “Need any help?” she offered and batted her eyes. Zeke giggled and put a hand to his mouth.
“Traitor,” Sean mumbled to the little boy and walked away.
“My man, get me another bucket of nails, will you?” Mick asked.
Zeke ran to his task. Mick grinned. She really liked this little kid. She ought to meet his grandmother, just to let her know where he was all the time.
The little boy came back, grunting. He set it down and knelt next to his friend.
“Thanks,” she said absently and continued nailing the boards in place. She was aware that he was watching her intently. She sat back on her heels and wiped the sweat off her face. Zeke ran to get her a bottle of water. Then knelt next to her eying her tool belt. Mick smiled inwardly as she drank the water. “I haven’t done this much work in years,” she said tiredly. Most of the men were taking a break, sitting under the trees and eating.
“That is because you are a woman, not a man like me,” he said proudly.
Mick raised an eyebrow then chuckled quietly. “That must be it, my man,” she said. She then handed him the hammer. Zeke’s eyes widened as he looked from the hammer to this friend and back again.
“Go ahead, I’ll show you what to do.”
In a few minutes, Zeke was hammering the nails as Mick instructed.
*******
Isabella pulled down the now paved narrow road. She was shocked to see how far along they had come. The foundation had been poured and set. The frame of her little clinic was being prepared.
Tears welled in her eyes as she got out of her jeep. Maria smiled as she walked up to her, hugging her in an affectionate embrace.
“I am amazed, Maria,” she said through her tears.
Maria nodded. “Mick is a miracle worker. In all my life, I have never seen her this driven. Juan is amazed as well. We have gone through so many workers we never thought we would get this far. She works night and day. Sean is impatient to get back to work but Mick watches him like a
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