His voice cut through her thoughts. “Olibasi is quite an ambassador, isn’t she? I’m impressed.”
She was imagining it. His train of thought was heading in an entirely different direction from hers.
Violet tried to keep the sadness from her tone. “She’s fabulous. At another time, in another place she could probably have a whole different career. It’s hard to believe she’s only had four years of formal education—it’s the same for most women her age. Most of what she’s learned has been self-taught.”
“Want to secretly train her to be a doctor or a nurse?”
Violet sighed. “I wish I could. I just think of the opportunities I had back home. All because I had a good education. It just seems so unfair that most young girls don’t have much formal education.” She gestured toward the book. “It’s why this works so well. It’s difficult to judge someone’s level of literacy. And if someone can’t read well there’s no point in giving them leaflets.”
Evan loaded their final supplies into the truck. “From what I’ve heard, radio is the most popular media in Nigeria. It’s ideal for getting the message out to communities, particularly if people are less able to read.”
“I’ve noticed it playing while we’ve been in the villages. It’s like a constant backdrop. Aren’t they doing the national campaign for polio via radio?”
He nodded and opened the front door of the truck. “Life expectancy around here is forty-seven years. Thirty percent below the world average. In the U.S. it’s seventy-eight. Doesn’t it make you feel as if there’s a really good reason to be here? To do the work that we’re doing?” His eyes looked off into the distance for a second then he jumped up into the truck. “Are you ready? We’re picking Olibasi up en route.”
For a second she was mesmerized by the look on his face. Slowly but surely this man was getting under her skin. It didn’t matter what the history was with her brother. It didn’t matter that they’d shared a kiss. Evan Hunter was essentially a good man. And it was something that she occasionally forgot in among all her mixed-up feelings about him. Maybe it was time to just focus on that?
He leaned over as she stood at the side of the truck and flicked the switch on her mobile emitter, which was attached to her waistband. The movement was so quick, so unexpected that his warm fingers touching her flesh made her jump.
“Oops, sorry.” He pulled his hand back. “We need to keep these switched on. The software has been specially designed to track the daily progress of vaccinators, uploading their routes to the server. It generates maps showing which areas have been covered and highlighting areas of risk.”
She slid into the truck next to him, trying to ignore the sensations creeping over her skin. “Like I said, I can’t believe that GPS and smartphones work and the water supplies don’t.”
He started the engine and they set off down the gravel track. “Let’s just try and do the best in the situation that we’re in. We’ll be there in around an hour.”
He had his mirrored sunglasses on and a white shirt with the top few buttons unfastened. She could see several light brown hairs curling through the opening.
Nope. It wasn’t helping. Even in profile he still looked like a movie star. This was going to be a long day.
The “good man” thoughts were being wiped out in her brain.
Work. She had to focus on work. “How did things go yesterday?”
“It was good. There was a volunteer community mobilizer network targeting caregivers who refused vaccination and children who’d been missed. It was a shame really, lots of kids had missed vaccinations just because they’d been in playgrounds, out in the fields or visiting friends the last time the team was there. They visited eighty households yesterday and immunized one hundred and ninety-three children. Essentially all these children need to be vaccinated four times to be fully protected.”
“Wow.” Violet leaned back against the burst upholstery. She gave Evan a sidelong smile. “Think we’ll match that target today?”
“If only...” His voice sounded wistful. “I’ve got to just look at the big picture. They tell us if we can get at least one dose of vaccine into the kids who’ve not been vaccinated, it should give fifty percent of the recipients immunity to the three types of polio. That’s got to be worth the trip.” He pulled over at the side of the road to let Olibasi join them.
“Violet! You wore the clothes!” She smiled as she jumped in next to them.
Violet shifted in her seat and tugged at the bright pink loose clothing. The longer she was here, the more she realized how unsuitable her normal clothing was. All her white T-shirts were covered in dust, as were her khaki trousers and long skirts. She seemed to trail dust wherever she went. Water was a precious commodity and washing machines weren’t exactly available.
Olibasi had arrived with a bag for her the other day containing some more traditional and practical clothing. Buba loose-style shirts and iro wrap-around skirts. She’d hinted that it might be useful if Violet tried some of the more traditional dress while they were visiting the village today. And even though she wasn’t used to the bright colors, already she felt more comfortable.
But the loose clothing still hadn’t stopped Evan from touching the bare skin at her waist when he’d flicked the switch on the transmitter. Maybe she should try wearing one of the NASA-style spacesuits they wore in the infectious disease labs at the DPA? It might be the only thing to stop the sensations currently zipping through her skin.
Evan leaned over and switched on the radio. “Relax, ladies. If the road ahead is clear, we’ll be there in under an hour.”
Evan was trying his best not to stare at Violet’s new clothes. Whilst they were much looser than the clothing she normally wore, the vibrant colors suited her and brightened up her skin tone. In a way it was sexier than her usual khaki trousers and white shirt approach—even though it hid the curve of her hips and breasts.
His hands gripped the wheel tighter. Where had that come from?
Why was it that every time he thought he’d managed to shoehorn Violet back into the “colleague only” category, his brain liked to throw a wrench into the works? It wasn’t as if he didn’t have enough work today. He could spend every waking hour planning and organizing their schedules for vaccinations over the next three months.
But every now and then, with one little random glance at Violet, an errant thought would enter his head and he would find that she was first and foremost in his brain.
It was beyond frustrating. Nothing was happening here.
Because Violet seemed oblivious. Sure, sometimes she reacted to his touch but most of the time it didn’t seem in a good way.
Most of the time she was totally focused on her work—just like he should be.
Except he couldn’t. Not while he was around her.
He still couldn’t get over Violet’s connection to Sawyer. And it smarted that she’d kept it quiet. What other secrets was Violet keeping?
The director had been wrong. They weren’t learning to work together as a team out here. They were learning to tiptoe around each other as if they were in some skillful dance. Trying to avoid being alone together. Trying to avoid an accidental brush of arms or legs.
Trying to avoid the fleeting eye contact that seemed to stop them both dead and make them oblivious to their surroundings.
So, no, nothing was happening here. Not at all.
Evan focused on the road ahead. Two months, three weeks. That’s how much longer he had to last.
No time at all.
* * *
> “Evan, are you okay in there?”
Violet rattled the wooden door to the makeshift toilet. They’d been working in the villages for hours, but on the way back the truck had got a flat. Evan had changed the bigger-than-average tire, but not before the jack had moved, causing the truck to split the skin on his forearm. “Can I do anything to help you?”
She opened the door just an inch, catching sight of his bare flesh and pulling back just a little. But her curiosity got the better of her. His dust-ridden white shirt lay in a heap on the floor, some blood staining the sleeve.
She edged her head back a little, running her eyes over his wide muscular back. Yup. If he was movie-star material in profile, he was definite movie-star material bare-chested. All defined muscle with not an ounce of fat. It automatically made her suck in her stomach. And made her skin tingle when she realized she’d actually shared a bed with this body.
Was Evan a surfer? Because that’s what the defined tone and lines of his body told her. He had a curved scar on his shoulder blade. Flat and well healed. It had obviously been there for years. Where had he got that?
“Seen enough?” The grumpy voice made her jump and she felt her cheeks flush a little at being caught staring.
She straightened her shoulders. “I came to see if I could give you a hand. Do you need stitches? Can I clean your wound for you?” He still hadn’t turned around and she was feeling bolder. “Here, let me have a look.”
He’d spent the past twenty minutes driving with a blood-soaked rag wrapped around his arm. There was no telling how much dust and grit must be in the wound, and she wanted to inspect it.
There was only a faint trickle of water at the sink. Preservation of water was a must in the village, with their only supply coming from a special tank. Violet screwed up her face when she caught sight of the wound. It was longer and deeper than she’d expected. She caught his wrist in her hands as she leaned forward, trying to ignore the fact his bare chest was only inches away from her. Trying to stop herself from looking.