§ chapter Three §
Jacie pulled futilely on the shroud lines of her chute, closing her eyes as the trees rushed up to meet her and branches snapped against her face.
She bolted upright, her heart pounding. A cold sheen of sweat lined her forehead. Disoriented, she heard a door close. In the first hazy moments she wondered why the hospital was so quiet. Memory reasserted itself as her stomach growled a gnawing protest. She was not in the hospital for rehabilitation. She had fallen asleep on the couch in her cozy cabin at Timber Falls. She was here for a month to give skydiving lessons and relax.
Was she a fool to think she could do this? Would the past ever turn her loose? She wished Bonnie hadn’t shown up and told her about Brad. Hearing he wanted to get in touch with her left her terribly unsettled. She wasn’t still in love with him, was she? She had to be over him by now.
Looking at her watch, she groaned. "I missed dinner." She was starving.
A small lamp beside the couch lit the area, yet she didn't recall turning the lamp on earlier. Had someone come in while she slept? That thought disturbed her but as she looked around she found the cabin quiet and empty.
She tugged the Velcro loose on the brace and pulled it off, then cautiously stretched. She felt almost as good as new, but she needed a shower.
After her shower, Jacie admired the blue and cream Log Cabin bed quilt on her bed, the homespun touches throughout the bedroom. Unwinding her bath towel, she rubbed it over her still damp hair and then realized her suitcase was in the outer room.
Dropping the towel, she fastened her hair into a knot and walked back into the living room. She rubbed her arms as a chill touched her bare skin.
She lifted the suitcase onto the couch and froze at the knock on the door. Throwing a quick glance behind her she was relieved to see the lacy curtain was drawn.
Jerkily, she sifted through her clothes. Her hand bumped her bottle of allergy medicine, sending it flying onto the floor, hitting her in the ankle.
"Ouch! Darn." Grabbing the first thing that came to hand, she shoved her arms into the sleeves and belted the short robe around her waist.
She moved closer to the door, fingers nervously pleating the thin material of her robe. It was dark outside and she couldn't see a thing.
"Who is it?" she called.
"Sloan," came the terse reply.
"Damn, damn, damn," she muttered, looking around. She shrugged resignedly. "Oh, what the heck."
Leaning forward, she turned the knob and stepped back. "Come on in, the door's unlatched." She moved back toward the couch.
The door swung inward, admitting Sloan. In his hands he carried a tray with covered dishes. He pushed the door closed with the heel of his boot and walked past her, throwing her a quick glance as he placed the tray on the small kitchen table.
Bemused, she came up behind him and peered around him at the tray. For a moment the tang of horses and outdoors held her close to him. His scent, mingled with the food, made her mouth water. She stepped back quickly when he straightened.
"What's this?" she asked hastily and then laughed. "I mean―I just didn't expect it."
"Policy, ma'am, we don't let our guests go hungry." There was the slightest of grins molding his lips.
She couldn't resist looking under the largest cover. "Mmm, London Broil." Her stomach emitted an annoyingly loud growl. He pulled out a chair and invited her to sit. Self-consciously, she touched the lapel of her robe. "I―I really should get changed, that is, I just got out of the shower."
"Don't change on my account, I'm leaving." Indeed, he was backing toward the door, hat behind him in one hand.
On sudden impulse, she blurted, "Why don't you stay?" She bit her lip as his surprised glance shot up to her. No one was more surprised than her. The words had surely sprung from her lips all by themselves. She shrugged nonchalantly. "There's enough here for three people."
He looked at the plate and then at her. "That depends on your appetite," he said as he continued to study her. She knew what he saw. Her hair, tied in a careless knot, threatened at any moment to free itself, and her feet were bare. She rubbed her neck.
"I don’t blame you. I don’t have any makeup on."
"Thank you, ma'am, but actually I’ve already eaten and I have a couple horses to see to." He hesitated beside the door.
"Please call me Jacie. You did earlier." She sat, her shaking fingers playing with the napkin. "I do appreciate this. I didn't expect it, you know."
He pulled the door open. "Like I said, we don't like our guests missing meals." His lips curved upward and his voice dropped provocatively. "As it is, you look like a strong wind could blow you away."
She forced a mocking smile to her lips. "I'm stronger than I look."
"Good night, Jacie." He pulled the door closed and she stared after him, an unfamiliar yearning tightening the muscles of her throat. He had such a darned sexy voice. It made her want to get to know him. Maybe she could forget about her rotten luck with men. Maybe she needed an affair. A smile curved her lips as she mulled over that thought.
Jacie satisfied her immediate appetite with the delicious dinner. Re-covering the now nearly empty plates, she stood and crossed the room. On impulse, she pulled the front door open. The porch decking felt rough and warm against her bare feet and a slight breeze lifted the hem of her dressing gown.
She leaned against the waist-high porch rail, loving the warm draft of air that swept past her. Her door slammed closed.
"Great. Now all I need is to be nearly naked and locked out," she muttered. To her relief, the doorknob turned easily in her hand, yet she froze. Sucking in her breath, she saw exactly what Sloan must have seen earlier as he stood at her door. The lace curtains were insubstantial, a mere decoration. Anyone standing outside the door with the lights on inside could see directly into the living room.
Where she had stood stark naked.
"You look like a strong wind could blow you away."
She groaned, but then had to laugh. Hopefully Sloan wasn’t under the impression it was on purpose. Trust her to make a great impression.
Early the next morning Jacie slid from her horse’s back and looked up at the waterfall in wonder. Almost hidden in the woods, it fell about a hundred feet, splashing onto ragged bluestone with a small pool at its base. One of the ranch's employees, Michelle, had taken a group of them out on a horseback ride to show them the riding trails their first morning at Timber Falls.
Three of them had elected to come, she and vacationers Leo and his wife, MaryAnn, whom she met at breakfast. They occupied the cabin closest to hers. The other couple, John and Emma, had decided to stay beside the pool.
"He'll ground tie," Michelle called to Jacie now, pointing to her horse. "Just drop the reins."
She allowed the reins of her mount to trail to the ground, then knelt and dipped her hand into the cool water. With a delighted squeal, she cupped her hands and lifted them, letting the cool water run down her face and neck.
"Nice, huh?" Michelle queried with a grin. She had dismounted and now stood beside Jacie. "Boy, is it hot." Michelle pushed her wide-brimmed hat off her head. Sweat dampened her curly, dark hair.
"Any possibility I could stay here awhile?" Jacie asked. "I can’t believe this is out in the middle of nowhere."
Michelle's dark eyes shifted a moment to where Jacie's hand rested on her outstretched leg. She nodded. "Sure, I guess so. We'll be back around this way after a bit. Once everyone's familiar with the layout of the ranch, you can arrange your own rides."
"I'd love that."
Michelle grabbed a handful of water and splashed it on her own face. With water running down her neck and dampening her T-shirt, she grinned at her. "Great idea. That feels much better."
"Is it okay to take a dip?" she asked Michelle.
The other girl gave her a wicked grin. "Sure. If I didn’t have to work I’d join you." She bent close to Jacie. "Be quick about it though. We’ll be back in half an hour." Michelle remounted her horse and led the other riders up the hill.
Jacie sat at the edge of the pool and pulled her boots off. Tentatively, she dipped her hot feet in the water. The coldness was a shock and a bit of heaven. The sun was sweltering today.
When the sound of the horses died away, there remained only the cooing of mourning doves and the nonstop splash and gurgle of the water. A small creature scurried in the underbrush but remained out of sight. She had wakened earlier to the sound of dove’s cooing outside her bedroom window. It had felt so incredible, lying in bed, listening to the unfamiliar sounds. No cars honking or people in the street below her apartment as they made their way to work.
She looked at the top of the falls, marveling at the continuous splash of water over the rock ledges. She could feel the cool spray filming her skin.
Her jeans and T-shirt stuck to her as she stared at the temptation of the water. She checked her watch. Twenty-five minutes left. Never one to hesitate, she shucked her jeans and T-shirt. In her underwear, she stepped into the water. It covered her ankles and then her knees as she stepped further along the firm mud bottom. She ducked down and sucked in her breath when the icy water covered the heated skin of her stomach.
She dog-paddled to the heart of the waterfall. Here, the water was deeper and over her breasts. She lifted her face, enjoying the gentle pummel of the water. It made her feel lighthearted. Her laughter bounced off the rocks and echoed back to her.
Jacie put her back to the falls and looked at her horse. He stood with his ears perked alertly forward, looking toward the hill. She didn't see anyone and at this point didn’t care if they came back early. She lifted her hands and embraced the gentle flow of the water, letting it stream down her body. It felt glorious.
Without warning, something hard glanced off her upper arm and then plopped into the water. With a muffled squeal, she stumbled back, lost her footing on the mud bottom and the water closed over her head.
Surfacing, she felt something brush her right breast. Hard hands gripped her under the armpits and pulled her up. Panicked, she drew in a deep gulp of air mixed with water, trying to find the bottom with her toes. Coughing, she stared in amazement at Sloan. Fully clothed, he stood in front of her, his hands holding her under the armpits.
"What are you doing?" she demanded when she could talk.
"Are you all right?" His features looked strained, his mouth compressed to a white line. He lowered her until her feet touched bottom and released her as she gained her balance. "I saw you go down. I thought you couldn’t get up."
"I’m okay, although I'm not sure what happened." She rubbed her eyes to clear the water away. She coughed again, conscious of a prickling sensation on her arm. Lifting her arm to look at it she was surprised to see a swelling on the skin up near her shoulder. "It’s cut."
Sloan stared at the area that had begun to purple around a jagged cut. "That looks like a fresh cut. Come on out and let me check it." He grabbed her hand and pulled her forcefully toward the rim of the pool.
"Wait a second," she protested, "Something hit me."
He looked at her. "Something hit you?" He looked up toward the top of the falls. "I suppose a rock could have worked its way loose," he said shortly, stepping out of the pool. He turned back to her and tugged her up the bank. She noticed then his horse stood close beside her own.
"I didn’t see you come."
"I didn’t know anyone was in the water until I saw the splash as you went under."
She stared back at him, bemused as water gushed from his clothes. "You're not exactly dressed for a swim," she said, unable to contain a burst of laughter, then she quickly sobered. "Your clothes and boots will get ruined."
He scowled. Standing on one foot he removed a boot, upended it so the water could flow out and did the same for the other. "They've been through worse," he muttered, sitting down on a large rock. He pulled the boots back on then stood and stomped his heels down. "What happened?"
She quickly grabbed her T-shirt and pulled it over her head, aware that her underwear clung to her as if she were naked. "I didn't hear anything. I was under the waterfall."
Sloan looked to the top of the falls. "You wouldn’t hear anything with all the noise the water makes. It’s kind of puzzling considering the creeks are low. I can't imagine how a rock worked its way to the edge."
She pushed her head through the shirt. "One minute I'm enjoying the water and the next thing I know something hits me." The bruising had now turned a deeper purple.
"Come to the lodge and get something on that. Part of it's raw. Does it hurt?" Moving closer, he gently pressed around the cut. "It looks pretty clean."
She pulled her arm away, disturbed by his touch. "It's only a scratch. It'll be fine."
"Scratches can get infected. It should be cleaned with peroxide and ice put on the swelling."
She dropped to a flat rock. "Thanks for pulling me out," she said, working her pants up over her wet legs. "It was a bit scary not being able to get my footing. How did you happen to be here?"
He gave her a quick head-to-toe appraisal. She wondered if he was reassuring himself she didn’t have other injuries or was he just checking her out in her underwear? She discarded the latter notion. Sloan wasn’t the type of guy to sneak a peek.
"I met up with Michelle and the others," he said. "She mentioned you were here so I rode back this way."
She felt the deep-voiced drawl sink to her bones. She noticed now he was dressed in a black T-shirt under an equally dark denim shirt. As she watched he pulled the tails of his shirt from his pants, unbuttoned the shirt and pulled it off. The T-shirt underneath pulled up, exposing the tanned expanse of a flat stomach before he pulled it back down. The wet material molded to each muscle and contour. Her mouth went dry, thinking he’d make a great entry in a wet T-shirt contest.
"What do you need from me?" She cleared her throat and resisted the urge to cross her arms self-consciously over her breasts where her bra had soaked through. "Why did you want to see me anyway?" she asked crisply.
"James needs your skydiving schedule. He wanted me to remind you."
Feeling she needed to get her thoughts and eyes off this man, she stretched along the rock and pulled her socks and boots toward her. "I have it at the cabin. I forgot to drop it at the office this morning."
"It's lucky I came along," he said. "You could really have been hurt."
"I appreciate the help, but I was getting my footing when you pulled me up. I hope you're not mad at Michelle. I asked her to let me stay here."
She sensed those light eyes missed nothing as they swept over her once again. She flicked him an unconcerned glance, telling herself she could handle his scrutiny. "Michelle gave us the general tour."
"It's standard procedure," he acknowledged. "After tomorrow, you're on your own, if that's the way you like it. If not, we can accommodate you."
Her breath came quickly. She wondered why she took everything he said so personally. Accommodate. That word alone she didn't want to think about in relation to this man.
Jerkily, she stood, shaking her legs, trying to get her pant legs straightened out where they clung to her wet skin. "I don't mind being on my own." She ignored the fact that her underpants would soak through her jeans as her bra had her T-shirt. The man never looked away, never batted an eyelash. She had four brothers, for heaven's sakes, surely one man couldn't rile her! But she knew he did. Whatever this attraction between them he had the power to make her nervous.
"Your friend Bonnie left already?" he asked conversationally.
"Yes." Was he interested in Bonnie? Somehow, that didn’t set right with her. Dropping back to the rock, she dipped her head to comb her fingers through her hair.
"I'll be darned," he said, as if making a discovery.
She squinted up at him and then put up a hand to shade her eyes. The sun behind him made a curious halo around his head and shoulders. As if realizing this he moved slightly until his shoulders blocked the sun.
"All that hair, I wondered if it was real."
She saw his smile; cynical, gently taunting. Caught off guard, her toes curled. The feeling lasted but a moment. Genuine amusement came to the forefront. She threw him a mocking grin as she fluffed her fingers through the already drying strands.
"What were you expecting, hair pieces?" Quickly, she plaited her hair. "It's as real as can be."
She heard the creak of leather and half turned toward him. He fastened his denim shirt to his saddle with a latigo strip and turned back to her. A frisson of awareness licked at her nerve endings as he stepped closer.
"It's an unusual color." His voice was low and deliberate, bringing goose bumps to her skin. Several strands of her hair were dark against his fingers as he reached out to touch it. Seeing her hair twined around his fingers increased that shivery sensation at the back of her head, as if that curl were an electrical conductor.
"The color's pretty common in my family." Slowly, she allowed her glance to move up to his face. He had bedroom eyes. Did they still use that description, she wondered breathlessly?
"I'd venture a guess there's nothing common about you, Jacie."
He was so close she could barely breathe. She didn’t want to breathe. She found she wanted him closer. Sloan bent his head toward her. His mouth touched hers and it was everything Jacie wanted and thought it would be, a swirl of heat centering right inside her stomach. She traced his mouth with her tongue, closing her eyes as the erotic sensation of fully alive nerve endings responded quickly to his touch, even while their bodies remained apart.
Sloan pulled back slowly. He frowned. "We’d better get you back."
Breathing evenly, telling herself his dark presence didn't alarm the hell out of her, Jacie moved back. She squatted to lace her boots. Carefully, she said, "Despite what you might think, I don’t usually kiss strangers."
"We’re not strangers anymore." He gave her a half smile. "You’re right though. I don’t either."
She didn’t mention how good he was at it.
"So are you rounding up cattle or horses today?" she said, pulling her laces tight.
He turned his head and scanned the immediate vicinity. "Yeah, we’ve lost a few calves. The cattle are pretty jumpy. I figure a big cat or bear must have passed through last night and the calves got separated from the rest of the herd."
"Do you think they're in danger?"
"There’s always the danger they could get up in the ledges and fall. Then again, if the cows catch a bear or cat's scent they might stampede. James spotted a good size sow yesterday foraging around."
She raised a brow. Fascinated, she watched that dimple appear in his cheek.
"A female bear," he clarified.
Her lips curved. "Of course. How do you know where to look for a little calf?"
"There are tell-tale signs. Around here, you can track just about anything, if you set your mind to it."
"Does that include humans?"
A dark brow lifted in amusement. "In most cases, yes. I figure he went toward the south pasture." He pointed toward the ridge where the other riders had gone, then reached his hand out. She let him tug her upright.
She heard the sound of approaching horses and turned to see riders were making their way down the hillside.
Tossing her hair over her shoulder, she moved toward her horse, pulling herself into the saddle from the right side.
"Wrong side." He kept his voice low. Coming up behind her he guided her boot into the stirrup.
"Easier on the leg," she said airily.
"You're pretty sure of yourself, aren't you?" He stared up at her.
"Does that bother you?" She found herself very interested in the answer.
He pushed his hat back on his head. "It doesn’t hurt to be self-confident."
"But?"
He stared at her hard. "As long as it doesn’t cross the line into foolishness."
"Hi, Boss," Michelle called as they reached the bottom of the hill. A wide grin split her face. "We were just coming back for Jacie."
"Jacie was smart, she cooled off," he drawled with a glint in his eye.
"Looks like you did, too," Michelle said meaningfully, running an eye over him. "Never known you to go swimming in your clothes, Boss."
Abruptly, he moved away from her and grabbed his horse’s reins. "Sometimes circumstances warrant it. Jacie had a bit of trouble. A piece of ledge worked its way loose and hit her."
"It's nothing," Jacie said hurriedly as the others began to express concern. "It's just a scratch."
"We'd better get you back to First Aid and put something on that arm," Michelle said.
"I’m ready." She looked back at Sloan. "Thanks for the help. I’ll be fine."
"See to your arm," he reminded her curtly, climbing back on his horse. As she watched him ride over the hill in the opposite direction Jacie wondered if he thought she was a nuisance. That thought bothered her.
About an hour later Sloan walked into the ranch office in search of his brother.
James leaned back in the desk chair and ran an amused eye over him. "What the hell happened to you? As far as I know it hasn't rained today."
Carefully, Sloan removed his hat and pushed both hands through his still slightly damp hair. "It hasn’t," he said sourly.
"Is something bothering you?"
"No―yeah. It's Jacie."
James smiled. "You've got to admit this is a great publicity slogan, 'People will try anything to get to Timber Falls.'"
"The jury's still out on that one," he muttered.
"So what about Jacie?"
Sloan carefully moved a crystal paperweight around on the desktop. Abandoning that, he stood and shoved his hands into damp pockets.
Mildly, James said, "She seems like a nice girl. Look how accommodating she's been, doing that jump and the lessons in exchange for time here."
"I’m still waiting to see how the lessons will go over."
"Look at the list." James pushed a paper across the desktop toward him. "We've filled all the slots for the skydiving lessons. I even had to give my spot to someone. I've already gotten positive feedback from the first ground lesson she gave this morning."
"If this company is in such demand, why is she out here in the middle of what's probably their busiest season? She didn’t even know it was Honeymooner’s month."
"That was probably just an oversight. She’s here to do a job so why should it matter to her? Maybe she needs a vacation. Why don't you ask her?"
"Maybe I will."
James narrowed his eyes. "Is there something more personal going on? You look like you’re pretty worked up."
In his mind's eye Sloan saw Jacie when he'd pulled her from the pool. He had thought she was hurt or worse. He didn't want to think about what could have happened if she’d been hit on the head.
"I'm not getting worked up," he said impatiently.
James laughed. "Okay, whatever. I'll look the other way if you want to date a guest." James gave him a grin. "Sorry, I couldn’t help throwing that in there. You’ve got to admit Jacie's a far cry from the women you usually see. She’s probably a shock to your system."
"What does that mean?"
"Come on, you stick to the stay-home types, not that there's anything wrong with that, but Jacie seems like a woman who can put excitement in a man's life. She’s out there. She's like a fresh breeze."
Sloan released an exasperated breath. "Tornado―more likely. I wonder how Dotty would feel hearing you say that."
James smiled, unperturbed. "My wife knows me . . . and you're trying to change the subject."
"Jacie was swimming at the big waterfall."
"This is a ranch resort, people swim."
"A piece of ledge came loose and hit her. She’s lucky it glanced off her arm. It could have been really bad if it hit her head," he said bluntly.
James looked alarmed. "Is she all right?"
Sloan sat down and rocked the front legs of his chair off the floor. "Yes. I was out looking for those strays. When I rode by the waterfall she was in the water and had gone under. I pulled her out. She's got a scratch and some swelling on her arm. Michelle took her over to First Aid to have it looked at. As I said, she was lucky."
"So that's why you're wet. We better have Donny check the top of the falls to make sure there’s no more loose stone."
"Maybe we shouldn't let people swim there."
"Come on, Sloan, it's a freak thing. We swam there as kids. I don’t ever remember anything like that happening. It's a beautiful falls, you won't be able to keep people away from there."
"Well, we may have a real problem on our hands. I checked the top of the falls after Jacie left. I might be crazy but it looked like stone had been pried loose."
"Are you saying someone deliberately tried to hurt her?"
"I don’t know if it was against Jacie or just general mischief."
"Come on Sloan, for what purpose?"
"If I knew that I’d give you an answer. All I’m telling you is it looked like someone dug a stone out."
"Maybe I should talk to her," James said with concern. "Is she upset?"
Sloan snorted. "Hell, no. I don't think much rattles her." The kiss they’d shared hadn’t rattled her. He recalled last night at her cabin and what he had inadvertently seen. Long, slim legs, a smooth line of buttock, tantalizing curves. She must know he had seen her though not on purpose. He wasn’t a damned peeping tom. Determinedly, he shook the images from his head. "I've got a load of work to do, I can't be worrying about the guests." He didn't want to be sidetracked.
"If it makes you feel better, I'll keep an eye on her," James offered.
Sloan stood, his chair legs dropping sharply to the floor. He slapped his sodden hat against his leg. "You've got enough with your own family and running this place," he said abruptly. "I’ll keep an eye on her to make sure she stays out of mischief." He’d find the time. They couldn’t afford to have anyone get hurt. "I just hope she’s not an accident waiting to happen."
"Come on, Sloan. It’s got to be a freak thing. I’ll talk to her about being careful when she’s off on her own. I don’t want to scare her away."
"She’s going to be bored here."
"You're not giving her a chance."
With a self-deprecating grimace, Sloan shrugged. "You're right. I have no clue what motivates her." And he wasn't going to find out. "It doesn't matter anyway. She'll be gone in a month."
He had a feeling it was going to be a long month.