§ chapter Four §
After her ground lessons the following morning, Jacie walked toward the stables, thinking of the phone call she had received earlier from Bonnie. It had filled her with concern and then annoyance. Bonnie called her each day. After the accident, they had spent a lot of time together, but she wished Bonnie would stop talking about the accident and Brad. Both were in the past but Bonnie seemed convinced that since she’d first introduced her to Brad, she was in some way responsible for Jacie getting hurt.
She had taken the job with Brad’s company on her own initiative. It had been bad luck.
Walking around the white pole barn with its blue trimmed windows, she saw Sloan’s truck with a horse trailer behind it in the driveway.
Renee, one of the ranch hands, a gangly blond teenager, was backing an incredibly tall horse down the trailer ramp. The horse was a gorgeous sable color, but for every two steps he’d cautiously take back, he’d take a small hop forward.
Jacie stopped in the middle of the narrow track, not wanting to startle the already nervous animal.
Renee had him almost backed down the ramp when the horse suddenly swung his hindquarters to the right and his back feet dropped off the ramp. The horse jerked his head with fright, pulling the lead line from Renee’s hand. The animal wheeled around and ran toward a fence where other horses were and then he spun and ran down the narrow track toward Jacie.
Instinctively, she spread her arms wide. When he reached her he came to a sliding halt and reared. Jacie looked up at him in awe. When he came down she was close enough to grab the lead line. She held onto the line and spoke to him as she gently ran her hand along his shoulder.
"I’ll take him," Sloan said, coming up behind her.
Jacie turned toward him and saw the grimness of his face. "He’s okay," she said reassuringly.
"You could have been hurt!" he snapped, taking the lead line from her.
"I wasn’t."
"Don’t ever stand in the path of a frightened horse again." He turned and led the horse back toward the barn, but his fierce eyes and angry expression stayed with her.
Renee hurried over to her. "Thanks, Jacie. The boss is going to have my head on this one."
"It’s not your fault the horse was frightened."
"I was supposed to wait for Sloan, but I decided to get the horse out on my own. The boss doesn’t like anyone taking chances."
"Well, no one got hurt," she said reassuringly. "Surely that counts for something."
"I can hope. Now, can I help you with something?" Renee asked.
"I wanted to go riding. Am I too late?"
"Nope. I can get a horse saddled."
"I saw a chestnut out in the corral yesterday when they were evaluating all of us as to riding skill. I think his name is Dandy. Do you think I'd be able to use him?"
Renee twirled the ends of her hair, a look of uncertainty crossing her face. "Gee, I'd have to check with the boss."
"If you’d rather, I can ask him."
Renee grimaced. "No, I might as well face the music now. I’ll be right back."
About ten minutes later Renee reappeared with the chestnut horse she had requested. From what she had seen of this animal, he would be a challenging ride.
"The boss said you could use him."
"Oh, great! When I saw him the other day, he looked like he'd be fun to ride."
"He is. He's quick and smart but too much for a beginner." Renee tightened the saddle girth.
"So I guess you’re still working here?" she asked the younger girl.
Renee nodded. "Yeah. Sloan read me the riot act. You can be sure next time I’ll listen up."
Jacie rubbed the horse's soft muzzle and led him from the barn. "You sound like my type, Dandy, quick and smart."
"Jacie."
She looked up and found Sloan walking toward her, leading his horse behind him. "I apologize for snapping at you. I thought the horse was going to hurt you."
"As I said to Renee, it came out all right."
"Still, next time don’t take chances. If you'd like some company, we could ride together," he said as he climbed into the saddle.
She felt a shivery vibration at the back of her neck and slowly nodded her head in agreement. "Sounds like a good idea. It’ll be fun to have a guided tour." She certainly would like to learn more about him.
They rode to the steel gate fence that led the way to the open pasture. Sloan maneuvered his horse's hindquarters away from the gate, opened it for both of them, then closed and refastened it. His horse moved up against hers. "It’s obvious you've been around horses some," he remarked conversationally. "You're a good rider from what I saw yesterday."
"Thanks," she said nonchalantly. Indicating her horse, she added, "This guy here looks pretty athletic."
"He's fast and sometimes unpredictable," he cautioned.
She lifted a brow. "That's the best part. I look for unpredictability in all my males."
He let out a laugh, as if she had caught him by surprise. Still smiling, he removed his hat and ran a hand through his hair. "You have an answer for everything, don't you?"
"I try. So tell me about this horse."
"We use him sometimes in gymkhana games. He's got stamina, and he can take some rough play."
Stamina, a word with its own connotations. "All the better," she said huskily. With an inward groan, she wished his words didn't have such an erotic effect on her body. She knew the moment his glance fell to her tight T-shirt with ‘skydivers do it in the air’ written prominently in red across the front. She was very conscious she hadn't worn a bra. She cursed the heat that moved into her cheeks. It was ridiculous. She had worn this shirt countless times without thinking about it.
He shoved his hat down on his head and looked up the trail. "Not everybody can ride him," he muttered, clearing his throat.
"I'm honored you're letting me ride him then," she said with surprise.
"You wouldn't be if I thought you couldn't handle him." He nudged his horse forward and then turned in the saddle to look back at her. "By the way, you haven't seen anyone around other than the other guests, have you?"
"No, why?"
"One of the stable hands, Donny, thought he spotted someone this morning hiking on the trails. It's not a problem, but if someone's on our land I like to have them sign in at the office. From time to time hikers have gotten lost. It creates a problem because then we have to go and find them."
"I haven't seen anyone around. If I do I'll let you know. Where are we going to ride? I have about two hours before my next ground lesson."
"Follow me," he invited as he urged his horse into a trot. "If you think you're up to it."
She pressed her heels into her horse's sides and felt his quick leap forward. "That sounds like a challenge. I'm always up for a new adventure." She caught up with him easily as she was sure he intended.
The glance he gave her was hard to read. "I figured as much," he said. "After seeing you stop that horse, I’ve come to the conclusion you like to leap in with both feet."
She shrugged, sensing a deeper meaning behind the question. "What have I got to lose? If you don't try new experiences, you get stuck in the same rut, afraid of change." She chewed the inside of her cheek. "Everybody needs change." No matter how scary, but she didn't add that. She gave him a sly glance instead. "Even you might need a change. Think of the new dimensions you could add to your life by learning how to skydive. I could be your personal trainer."
He kept his horse at a brisk trot, but she had no trouble hearing what he said. "I think James has given you the wrong impression. My refusal to skydive isn't because I'm afraid. I appreciate your offer, but I've no interest in it."
"James said you jump off horses. I don’t think I’d want to do that."
"That’s different. Sometimes it’s necessary when you’re rounding up cattle, you have to get off in a hurry. It makes no sense to me to jump out of a plane. There’s no real purpose."
"I suppose I could take that personally and feel insulted," she came back, amused. "But I'll overlook that little comment since you’re taking me on a ride. Tell me, does everything you do have to make sense?"
He gave her a surprised glance before turning his attention back to the trail. "Usually."
"Don’t you ever act on impulse?" she asked incredulously.
"Nope."
Jacie thought of the kiss they’d shared yesterday. "Hmm, well then, let me make some sense out of this business for you. Experienced skydivers are sometimes utilized in rescue missions where no one else can get in. Personally, I've been on two such assignments. The first one was scary, I'll admit that right off." She flipped back her hair, keeping her glance trained ahead. "But if my brother and I hadn't gone, a little girl might have died." It had been a touch and go situation, one she hadn’t been asked to repeat. But if called upon again, she knew she would do the same.
"I appreciate what you're saying, Jacie, and I know there are times when such a profession would be very important, but I'm afraid it isn't going to make a difference. Most of the people here are doing this just for recreation . . . something new and exciting in their lives." As he pulled his horse to a standstill, she saw the tensing of his jaw. "Can you tell me there isn’t some threat of death, no matter how small, involved in each jump?"
"Of course there’s always that possibility, but that threat can lie anywhere," she came back. "I could get off this horse, fall, and land on my head on that rock over there."
His look was tolerant. "You’re beating a dead horse if you think you’ll change my mind."
"Anything’s possible," she said, undaunted. "Why don't you tell me why you're set against skydiving? My family has always made a pretty good living at it. I just moved into it naturally but I’m not going to say I don’t like it."
"I have nothing against the business."
"Then why?" she persisted.
He threw her an exasperated glance and shook his head. "You don't let go, do you?"
She shook her head. "Never." Silence fell between them, the only sound the metal clink of the horse's shoes on the stone ledge and the sigh of the wind through the trees. Jacie waited.
"I once knew someone who'd take risks without thinking of the consequences. She needed almost continual change and her needs hurt the people who loved her the most."
"You said that yesterday." She swallowed hard, feeling a tightening in her chest. "Was she an ex-wife?"
"No." His face remained expressionless, yet she sensed a deep vibration of emotion emanating from him.
She drew in her breath and then plunged ahead. "And you got hurt," she said softly, knowing it was the truth. She wasn’t sure she really wanted to know. It was getting very personal, to say the least.
He looked over at her with a set jaw, dark brows pulled together. "I was too young to really know much about it. My family got hurt . . . my father."
Her mouth opened in wonder. "Y-your father?"
"It was my mother." He looked at the trail ahead of them, then his watch. "It's not skydiving in particular, she never attempted that . . . not that I know of, anyway. It's the whole idea of living life looking ahead to the next challenge, laughing at the idea of death."
"I’ve looked death in the face but I didn’t laugh. Life would get pretty boring if there were no challenges."
"Maybe." Her answer clearly had not pleased him. "I guess it all depends on the challenges you want. Now, if you're ready, we've got a demanding ride ahead. We're going to have to bushwhack our way through part of the trail."
She tried to marshal her thoughts but she kept thinking of what he’d said about his mother. Judging by his expression, however, he wasn’t answering any more questions. She fought the temptation to probe, knowing it was time to back off.
"That sounds interesting," she told him instead. "Lead on, Sloan, I'm ready."
Sloan wasn't ready to move on. He was mulling over what Jacie had revealed to him about rescue missions. It put a slightly different perspective on the way he saw her. He realized his thinking about her up until now had been abstract and perhaps distorted. He didn't usually make presumptions about people, but in this case he had. Was he allowing his experience with his mother to color his perception of Jacie? She saw no problem risking her life and jumping out of a plane. She didn't see it in the same way he did. Jumping from a height of several thousand feet was crazy, no matter how you sliced it.
He shook his head with wonder. Despite her somewhat cavalier attitude, he sensed there were deeper currents to her. He still couldn't believe he had brought up the topic of his mother. It wasn't something he had ever talked freely about. At least she’d had the sense not to ask him any more questions. He nudged his horse into a walk. Good. He didn’t need strangers knowing about his life. He should keep his thoughts to himself in the future. She was too quick on the pickup. He’d be giving her his entire life story if he wasn’t careful. She had a way of watching you with an intensity that made you want to spill your guts.
"You know these trails pretty well." Her voice floated over to him. They were only about ten feet apart, but because of the rock over their heads, her voice sounded slightly disembodied.
He twisted in the saddle. "James and I explored these hills as teenagers, but we don't ride here that often anymore, the trail has pretty well disappeared."
"Some of it looks pretty hairy," she said, leaning over in her saddle to look at a vertical drop of about two hundred feet.
To Sloan's way of thinking Jacie looked natural in the saddle, her hair tossed by the wind with pieces of twig caught here and there, her cheeks pink.
"How did you feel about those narrow ledges we crossed?" he asked curiously. "Did they frighten you? I wouldn't have taken you down here unless I knew it was safe."
She gave him a broad smile as they reached a level area. Dropping her horse's reins, she spread her arms wide and lifted her face to the dappling of sun through the trees. "Heck, no, it was exciting. I’ve taken rides on ledges more frightening than these down in South America. We used donkeys then. Of course," she added dryly, "I was more worried about the snakes and crawly things in the jungle."
"Come over here and let me show you something." He dismounted and waited for her to join him on a narrow outcropping of rock. He turned to the open expanse stretched out in front of them. "This area is loaded with maple, oak, ash and an occasional beech tree." Treetops with their deeply changing hues of green lay just below them.
He took a deep breath into his lungs as he looked at the valley below. "The view never ceases to amaze me. There’s no air like up here." He reached out and gently turned her toward the distant horizon. "Do you see that ribbon of water down there? That’s the Hudson River. The theory is that some of the ledge we’re standing on matches ledge found way down there in the valley."
"That’s amazing. I guess it must have sheared off a long time ago."
"Probably."
"It’s beautiful up here, so real and simple, the view uncluttered. I can’t thank you enough for showing this to me. It’s so different from what I’m used to. Sometimes you forget about the wonders that can be seen just by looking around you."
"By the end of the month, you won’t even notice it," he said with cynicism.
She turned to him indignantly. "I resent that. I’ve always appreciated beauty such as this. It should never be taken for granted."
He lifted a brow.
"Is this your overall opinion of women, or is it just me?" she demanded.
He swore he saw sparks shoot from her eyes. "Hang on, hang on. I guess I’m just cynical when I hear how beautiful it is, then someone throws away their food wrappers."
She held her hands up in front of his face and moved her fingers back and forth. "Look, no wrappers, nothing hidden."
Up close, he was reminded of just how tempting Jacie could be.
With one hand on her hip, she challenged him, "I promise you I’m like no woman you’ve ever known before."
"That’s a given," he said immediately, allowing himself a chuckle. She was a ball of fire with a ready answer and a quick wit.
"We’re even then," she fired back. "I know I’ve never met anyone like you." She spun away from him. "I do love the view," she said defiantly. "I would love to just keep riding. I’ve always enjoyed camping out. It would be magnificent to wake in the morning with a canopy of trees over your head."
"Well, your lesson starts in twenty minutes so we’d better get moving." Reluctantly, he walked back toward the horses and grabbed the reins. He made himself mount and then waited for her to do the same. She was right on one score, he’d never met anyone like her. He wondered fleetingly what depths might be revealed once you got to know Jacie.
"I appreciate you taking the time to show me some of this area. Riding along the edge of the mountain and seeing first-hand the valley below is exhilarating. I didn't even see a trail."
He pointed ahead. "We’re coming up behind the barns now." Some of the excitement left her face. He wondered if she was sorry, as he was, that they were back already. The ride felt as if it had ended too soon. Before he knew he was going to voice the words, he heard himself say, "Maybe we could do this again."
Her reply came swiftly. "I'd love to."
She rode ahead. He stared after her, wondering what impulse had taken hold of him. Why was he setting himself up like this, spending time with Jacie? He shouldn’t have opened his mouth and offered to take her out again, but the urge to do so had been too tempting.
He nudged his horse with his knee and headed in the opposite direction. She’d better not expect a tour every day, he thought grimly, or he’d be so far behind in chores he’d never catch up. For a minute, he wondered if that would be so bad.
Later the following afternoon, Jacie gathered her training material and equipment together. James had set up all her necessary equipment for the training sessions in a small field, and today was the last ground session before the actual jumps.
"Jacie, I have to tell you Leo and I are really looking forward to this jump," MaryAnn stated. "It's a great idea too that you’re taking pictures. None of our friends would believe it otherwise."
"It'll be fun," Jacie told them, glancing around at the group of six. "I want everyone to relax. If you have any last minute questions I'm in cabin three, so feel free to come and see me. Tomorrow morning the list will be posted in the lodge for the jump times. We’ll be doing two jumps tomorrow." The participants overall seemed eager but she knew from past experience that some would decline to jump. She had laid the groundwork for a safe and enjoyable experience, but when it came down to stepping out of the plane it was ultimately a personal choice. She wondered what they would think if they knew of her own pre-jump jitters.
"Do you need any help carrying this equipment?" Emma asked. Emma was a slim woman somewhere in her mid-to-late thirties.
"Thanks, Emma, but someone should be coming by any minute with a truck to cart this equipment back." She watched the couples disperse toward the lodge, which wasn't far away. Emma waved and then she and her husband walked along the dirt road, trailing behind the group.
Jacie would be jumping with some of the newcomers, offering assistance and calming fears. She had planned six to eight jumps this week, which was more than her leg had had to contend with since her accident. She recalled how difficult it had been the first few times she had jumped after recuperating from her accident. She constantly battled the fear that something would go wrong. If she gave in to the fear, she might stop jumping altogether. She had jumped eleven years without any major incidents, but her accident last year had almost crushed her confidence.
Hearing a motor, she looked across the small field. A tractor with a low wagon behind it was making its way toward her. As it drew closer, she recognized Sloan in the driver’s seat. Leaving the machine idling, he jumped down and walked over to her.
"Hello, Jacie. James asked me to pick up your equipment."
"Oh, okay. I thought James would be by. I hope everything’s okay."
"His eight-year old had a bike accident. My nephew's okay, but he's going to be taking it easy for a while. I'll bring your gear back to the lodge, but I'm kind of running behind so I have to get hay while I’m out here."
She had already begun to load her equipment on the low wagon near the front. "It's no problem, I'll walk back and help you unload this when you're through."
He picked up the last nylon bag and slid it across the wooden planks of the wagon. "I can take care of this. If you want a ride the hay won't take long." His glance settled on her knee and the brace. "Is your leg bothering you?" He asked bluntly. "You're wearing that brace again."
"No, but maybe I will ride along." She sat on the wagon, stretching her legs out. "We've been simulating jumps today, so I use the brace for support." Nonchalantly, as if his presence didn't send little jags of excitement through her, she removed her hair band and pushed her fingers through her hair.
Shifting so she could watch him remount the tractor, curiosity got the better of her. "You know, Sloan, I get the feeling you might be even more stubborn than me."
Without pausing he dropped into the wide tractor seat. He twisted around in the seat to face her, a half smile stretching his mouth. "It might be real interesting to find out."
Since he had spoken of his mother she hadn’t been able to get it out of her thoughts. Looking at him now there was nothing in the least vulnerable about him. Was it just the attraction that made her want to dig deeper or the man himself? "You’re always working, do you ever take time for fun?"
Sloan looked back at her in surprise. "Of course."
"What do you do?" she asked impulsively.
He had a guarded look on his face now. "This and that," he said. "I have been known to go away on vacation."
"Do you head for hotspots or something totally different?"
"Something a little different. I like camping out but I’ve also taken my mother to Ireland."
"Very interesting."
"What about you?"
"I’ll confess I have been to Cancun and the Bahamas a few times. But," she added as he nodded like it was the answer he expected, "I’ve also taken trips by myself to Montana and the Rockies."
"Beautiful spaces," he said. "Hang on now, I’m going to move ahead."
As the wagon lurched forward, he raised his voice above the noise of the tractor. "This path used to be an old logging road so it’s a bit rough."
She braced her hands against the wooden bed. The dirt lane wound through a grove of tall silver maples. "Why don't you use the truck to get hay?"
"This wagon is lower to the ground and it's easier to load. You'll see, we're almost there."
The track curved down to an open pasture lot with mountains on three sides. The late afternoon sun was heated, yet along the mountaintops there hovered a faint blue haze.
As they drew closer to a row of large round hay bales she saw another gray and red tractor. He stopped beside the hay and climbed down from the tractor.
"How will you get the hay on the wagon?" Curious, she looked at the five-foot high hay bales.
He walked around to her side of the wagon, indicating the other tractor. "That has a special prong to pick up the bales."
She took the hand he held out and jumped off the wagon. He landed beside him, his breath warm on her cheek. She stared at him curiously, those light eyes, very conscious of her breath coming fast and her palms getting damp. She had the crazy urge to kiss him again. It had been so nice the first time.
He gave a low groan and reached forward with one hand to trace a fingertip down her nose. She took a half step closer or maybe she just leaned forward. When her breasts touched his chest, desire bit at her and she willingly abandoned herself to sense of touch and smell.
His hand gently cupped the back of her neck and he drew her close enough so she could see tiny flecks of dark blue in his eyes. His features blurred as his lips touched the corner of her mouth, then moved to pull at her lips. The contact was shocking, wonderful. She allowed her tongue to reach out and touch the outline of his mouth. Pure sensation rocked her. Her palms came to rest against his chest and all she could do was feel as he pulled her closer. There was no time for rational thinking. Being this close to him was an incredible sensory experience.
His drew back, his fingers splayed along her upper arms. She could step away but she didn’t. Drawing a shaky breath, she kept her glance locked with his. Her legs shook and how the adrenaline raced!
His cool blue eyes seemed to see through her, yet a tiny vein throbbed in his temple and she knew he wasn’t as calm as he appeared.
"Talk about chemistry and opposites attracting!" she blurted, unable to contain her tongue.
"That's probably all it is," he said in a hard voice. "Opposites attracting. It happens. God knows we're totally different."
She nodded quickly in agreement. "A fluke. You're a good-looking guy, Sloan, a great kisser, it's only natural we'd be attracted to each other. It doesn't mean anything more than that."
He looked for a moment like he was going to argue the point. Abruptly, he pulled her into him and dropped his mouth to hers. It was over in five seconds or less, too quickly for Jacie.
Sloan stepped back and moved quickly toward the other tractor. "Stand back from the wagon while I load the hay," he said brusquely. "These bales weigh about eight hundred pounds."
She shivered as clouds scuttled across the sky, stealing the sun. She was really at a loss. She pulled her sweat-dampened shirt away from her skin, yet his scent lingered in her nostrils. She saw again his face coming close, felt the touch of those lips. They had tasted slightly of licorice. She touched her lips and smiled. Licorice of all things.
She sobered, thinking she was a fool for being attracted to him, a fool to let him kiss her, no matter how good it felt. She stiffened her shoulders, reminding herself of one important fact. Her track record with men stunk. Hadn't she learned anything? In the past she had always been optimistic, thinking maybe this time it would work out; but it never had. Brad had stung her in the worst way. Could she risk going through that kind of rejection again?
While she wrestled with her thoughts, Sloan started the other tractor and moved forward to push the prong into a bale. She stepped well away from the wagon. As he drew abreast of her he looked at her for a brief, moment, and his blue eyes seared her with heat.
He tipped the bucket and the bale dropped. The wagon's wheels squatted under the weight. He prodded at the hay with the tractor bucket and the hay rolled over on its flat side. When he cut the engine it suddenly seemed very quiet in the field.
She moved to sit on the flatbed.
"You'd better move up here." He indicated a small seat behind him on the tractor.
She stared at the small space. "It's a short ride. I'll ride back here."
"It's not safe, the bale could shift." His voice brooked no refusal.
Surprised by his sudden sharpness, she moved to the front of the wagon.
"Sit behind me. I don’t want to take a chance. If the bale should move that heavy metal bar will protect you," he said, his voice once more a normal, even tone.
Between her and the heat of his back there was nothing. She wasn't sure which was more dangerous. Deriding her own naiveté, she knew touching him was definitely more dangerous. "Will it move?" she asked.
"It shouldn’t. Hang on." The tractor lurched forward, bringing her shoulder into close contact with his. She studied the back of his head. His hair was fine with a slight wave, the dark strands against his collar. The trace of gold from the sun was a natural look many women paid money to achieve. The back of his head narrowed smoothly to a strong neck, then the width of his shoulders blocked her view.
Absorbed in her sensory contemplation of Sloan, she didn't realize the tractor had stopped until his head turned. They were a hair's breadth apart. She could feel his heat, see the tiny fan of lines beside his eyes. She swallowed with difficulty, her mouth dry as she felt again their kiss, recalled his scent. What did he expect of her? What did she expect of him?
"Are you riding all the way with me?" he asked huskily.
Yes! Watching the slight curve of his lips, her mind screamed the answer.
"I'm going to the barn," he explained patiently. "Are you riding that far?"
She looked around and her eyes widened. They were outside her cabin. Quickly, she stood up. "I'll help you unload my things at the lodge."
"I'll have Donny take care of that, if you don't mind him handling the gear."
"Oh―that would be okay."
She put her feet over the side of the tractor. "Will I see you later?"
"Sure. I'll be around."
As her feet touched the graveled path, he said, "I guess I was right about you and Dandy."
"How so?" Surprised, she hesitated.
"You're a good match. He's half wild, too, sometimes unpredictable."
"Is that how you see me? I jump out of planes but I also grew up with a loving, stable family. Does letting you kiss me make me reckless and unpredictable?"
"If it does, I’m not complaining."
Sloan created excitement in her and she liked that rush of adrenaline that came with new relationships. She had never been attracted to a man like him before... someone rock solid and dependable. As he had said, they were truly opposites. She wondered how far it would take her and if she dared go down that road again.