by D'Ann Lindun
“What are you saying?” Sarah whispered, not daring to hope.
“I don’t have much to offer right now, but will you marry me after the National Finals when we’re in Vegas?”
With a squeal of joy, Sarah launched herself into his arms. “Yes, yes, yes! I don’t care if all you have is the shirt on your back. I love you and want nothing more than to be your wife.”
“It’s a date,” he said just before he claimed her lips with his.
~The End~
Falling For The Cowboy
Falling for the Cowboy
He craves solitude to forget what a woman did to him. She needs one last chance before her career ends. Can a plane crash in the Canadian Rockies show them what really matters?
DEDICATION
Ryan Hatter~
If I ever go down on a plane in the Canadian Rockies, I want my nephew to be with me!
CHAPTER ONE
What the hell?
He was supposed to be the only client.
A week in the Canadian Rockies hunting moose. No one but him and a guide.
Yet, two deckhands loaded box after box onto the Twin Otter, packing enough crap for ten planes. Would the small six-passenger even lift off the ground with all that weight on board?
Gage Altenburg leaned on his rifle case and studied the small group waiting to board. Four women and a man stood in a tight group a few feet away from him. Although all the ladies were lovely, one in particular stood out from the others—a pretty blonde with her hair pulled back in a tight ponytail that showed off angular cheekbones. She wore a full-length maroon coat that covered her body, but he could tell she was slim with legs as long as a Colorado Pine. Gage felt like he knew her face—maybe from the movies—but he couldn’t place exactly where he’d seen her before. He knew they hadn’t met because she was unforgettable.
Maybe because he’d let his gaze linger on her a little too long, she glanced his way. Midnight blue eyes. Straight nose, full lips.
Their gazes collided; she lifted her chin and looked away.
He hid a grin. She knew she was a looker. Must have men staring at her all the time. Well, he wouldn’t make that mistake again. He hadn’t come to Canada to find a woman. Just the opposite.
A hunting trip in the Canadian Rockies seemed like the perfect excuse to get away and forget his ex-wife’s impending marriage.
He refused to let his mind go down that trail today.
As an avid big-game hunter, this trip had been recommended to him by friends who’d hunted with outfitter Bodie Cunningham, and loved the experience. So far, Gage was pretty happy. An easy flight from Colorado, a good meal and restful sleep in the lodge last night. His only bitch? A plane full of women—at least until they dropped him off at Bodie’s camp.
He idly wondered where the group was headed. They weren’t hunters, not according to their dress anyway. All had on coats, gloves and scarves, but not the cold weather gear Gage wore. He’d hunted in Colorado, Alaska and some of the southern states. and knew what to wear to stay warm when the temperatures dropped below freezing. From the looks of the gray sky, snow would be coming soon.
One of the hands who’d loaded the plane approached him. “Lucky you, getting to travel with the ladies.”
“What’s with the hen party? I’m headed to a hunting camp. Hope they’re not going there?” Gage’s heart sank. Surely Bodie wasn’t going to have a herd of females in camp. That’s not what he’d paid for. He’d expected to be picked up by private plane and flown to a remote location where he’d spend the next week hunting moose. With only Bodie as company.
The crew member laughed. “Not hardly. Don’t you recognize them? The two tall blondes are Teagan York and Brooklyn Moore. They’re shooting for the Sports In Pictures swimsuit edition. The older lady is Brooklyn’s mom and manager, I think. Brooklyn’s only sixteen. Can you believe it?” He shook his head. “Man, she don’t look it in a swimsuit. The guy is their photographer. The rest of the crew flew in yesterday to set up. Damn. I wish I could ride along to watch.”
Suddenly Gage knew where he’d seen the jaw-dropping blonde before. Teagan York, supermodel, was on every magazine cover, award and music show out there. Dated rock stars and movie stars. Guys with more money than brains.
A guy like him, who raised horses for a living, wouldn’t be high on her list of potential dates. Gage did a bit more than raise horses; he managed a multi-million dollar fortune his grandfather had built from gold strikes. But most people weren’t aware of that fact and he had no need to publicize it.
It didn’t matter anyway. He hadn’t come to Canada to find a woman. He had come to forget one.
“You ready to board?” the deckhand asked, drawing Gage’s mind back to present.
“Born ready,” Gage said with a grin.
The group had loaded up while Gage chatted with the guy. He shook the man’s hand. “See ya on the return trip.”
“Sure thing.”
Ducking so his six-two frame would fit inside the cabin, Gage took a moment to find a free seat.
Damn.
The models and their managers, or whatever they were, curled their lips like he had stepped out of the shittiest cow pen on the ranch.
Not today. So what, then?
His rifle.
Although he’d carried it in a locked case, most airports would have him arrested by even carrying a gun inside the place. But this was Canada and he was free to carry a hunting rifle aboard a small, privately owned plane. Especially one he’d chartered for this trip. If anyone ought to be pissed off, it was him.
He looked for an empty seat.
Brooklyn Moore, the teen, sat next to her mom/manager.
The photographer looked especially unfriendly when Gage stepped that way.
An empty seat next to Teagan York.
She wrinkled her nose like he smelled bad when he moved toward her. Tough shit. He had as much right to sit as she did.
“Looks like you got stuck with me today.” With a grin, he folded his long frame into the seat next to her. He settled the rifle between his legs. When his thigh brushed hers, she jumped like a spring colt.
“Can’t you put that thing up somewhere?” she muttered.
“What?” He tapped the case. “This little thing? Why, no ma’am. I have to hold her steady. Wouldn’t want her accidently going off.”
“I-i-t’s loaded?” Her blue eyes grew round as a Colorado moon. “In here?”
He nodded solemnly. “Loaded for bear.”
“There are no bears in the plane.”
“No, but if it goes down I want to be prepared to shoot any grizzly who might want to eat me alive.” He fought not to laugh out loud at her horrified expression. The truth was his bullets were stowed in his carry-on.
She sniffed. “We were assured we’re going into a safe area.”
His teasing tone went dead serious. “Lady, this is Canada, not New York City. You better have something besides a camera to shoot with if one of those bad boys crashes your party.”
“Whatever. We’ll be fine.” She swung her long legs away from him and stared out the window with a bored look he was positive she’d perfected for her photos.
He opened his mouth to go into details of what a grizzly could do to a victim, then thought better of it. Not his problem if this hare-brained bunch hadn’t figured out they were dropping into bear country. No skin off his nose if one of them lost life or limb due to arrogance.
The deckhand boarded and walked toward Gage. He motioned toward the rifle. “Let me stow that in back for you.”
Gage reluctantly let him take the rifle and place it in back with the luggage, although he wished he could hold onto it just to piss off the supermodel with her nose in the air.
~*~
Teagan didn’t know what it was about the tall stranger that rubbed her the wrong way. Maybe his cocky, cowboy attitude, or maybe it was the way he slung a rifle over his shoulder like some modern day Wyatt Earp. Either way, he
annoyed her. When he sat beside her and started talking about bears, she hid her fear with nonchalance.
Truth be told, she was worried about the wildlife. When she’d voiced her fears, her agent blew her off. Afraid of causing waves, she’d shut up, but her trepidation remained. To be picked to appear in the Sports In Pictures swimsuit issue was a huge deal for any model. This would be her third time in the magazine, although she hadn’t made the cover. She hoped desperately this would be her year, likely her last.
For a chance to be Sports In Pictures cover girl, she’d risk bears, cougars and know-it-all cowboys.
She shifted, trying to get comfortable in the tight surroundings, succeeding only in bumping her thigh against the cowboy’s. The rock solid muscles under his jeans made her stomach clench.
The pilot turned and looked over his shoulder. “Buckle up, everybody. We’re ready to fly.”
The engine revved and Teagan braced for takeoff. Although she flew a lot, she didn’t like it, and she especially didn’t enjoy riding in small planes. Her fingers dug into the seat until they went numb. A big hand covered hers.
Startled, she glanced at her seatmate.
“You okay?”
“Fine,” she said through clenched teeth.
The plane raced across the choppy water, then lifted off. For a moment it hung in the air like a bird uncertain of its wings before it grabbed air and soared into the leaden sky. Teagan released a breath she’d been holding, although her fingers continued to curl into the seat with a death grip. The stranger held on even after the plane lined out.
Surprisingly, she liked the comfort he provided.
The plane lurched and she gasped.
“Just a little turbulence,” the man said in a soothing tone.
“I hate flying,” she muttered.
“No kidding?” He sounded amused.
She shot him a sideways glare. “Glad you find this funny.”
“Not at all. I have things in life I don’t like.”
“Such as?”
He hesitated long enough she didn’t think he was going to answer. Finally he said, “That’s a conversation for another day.”
“There won’t be another time,” she said. “We’re getting off this plane in about an hour. As far as I know you’re not unloading with us.”
“No. I’m going on,” he said. “To a hunting camp.”
She stiffened. “To kill some innocent animal?”
“Moose,” he said. “I hear they’re good eating and I want to try moose burgers before I leave Canada. Maybe you’d like to try one?”
Nausea burned up her throat, rendering her unable to speak. As a vegan, she never ate meat. She was an animal rights activist to the point of refusing to ever wear, or even pose in fur. How a person could pay a lot of money for the chance to kill any animal went beyond her comprehension.
Her grateful feelings toward him fled. She pulled her hand from under his. “I’d wish you luck, but I have to side with the poor beast.”
“You’re a tree hugger, huh?” He made the term sound dirty.
“If you’re asking if I love animals and the environment, then yes, I’m a tree hugger.” She glanced out at the pines below. “I hope this land stays like this forever. If I can help keep it that way, I will.”
“We can agree on that,” he said.
She sniffed and pulled her iPod from her pocket. Sticking the buds in her ears, she turned the volume up loud, hoping he’d take the hint and just shut up. She’d heard enough out of the arrogant cowboy to last her the entire trip.
When he stretched out his long legs, turned his head into his right shoulder and began to snore, she resisted the urge to elbow him in the ribs. Instead she closed her eyes and tried to relax. She’d always hated flying and these little planes made her phobia worse. Every bump sent her stomach into a spin and her nerves jumping.
The plane took a sudden drop and she yelped.
When the photographer glanced her way, she grimaced. “Sorry.”
“Just a little turbulence,” Jackson said. “Relax.”
The plane suddenly made a series of little bucks. She dug her fingers into the seat, wishing the cowboy would wake up and put his hand over hers again. “Oh my God.”
Jackson straightened. “Okay, that’s a little scary.”
The pilot came over the intercom. “We’ve hit a rough patch. A bit of weather. Buckle your seatbelts and put anything you’re holding under your seats.”
Teagan glanced out her window. Gray clouds and fog surrounded them like a ball of cotton. The sensation wasn’t pleasant—sort of like being inside a pillow.
The plane lurched sideways and Teagan moaned. She tugged the earbuds from her ears and stuffed the iPod into her coat pocket.
Next to her, the cowboy slept as soundly as if he were in his own bed.
Gah! How could he sleep when the aircraft jumped up and down like it was playing hopscotch? She wanted to scream, but muffled it with her hands. No one else seemed terribly concerned, so she tried to calm herself by taking deep breaths and willing her nerves to settle down.
Just when she’d begun to relax, the plane took a sudden, wild plunge downward.
“Shit!” Teagan grabbed for the nearest thing to hold onto and found the upper arm of her seatmate. She wrapped her fingers around his bicep and held on for dear life.
He woke, scrubbed his face with both hands and glanced at her. “What’s going on?”
“I think we’re going down,” she managed through tight lips.
He raised an eyebrow. “Here?”
“We’re crashing, you idiot!”
The plane plunged and dipped again. Brooklyn screamed. Teagan might have, too. She was too scared to know for sure.
The plane seemed quieter all of a sudden.
Teagan risked a glance out her window and gasped. The propeller on her side no longer worked. The plane faltered. Tipped to its side.
“Dear God, we’re about to crash.” She moaned. “We’re all going to die.”
“Just hold onto me, honey. You’ll be all right.” Her seatmate’s calm tone soothed her a little.
When he held out his big hand, she grabbed on. How could he be so composed when she was terrified out of her mind?
CHAPTER TWO
Cold.
Wet.
Was he lying in a pool of his own vomit?
The way Gage’s head hurt he must’ve partied like a rock star last night.
He fought to remember.
No, not partying.
He’d been on a puddle jumper. A tiny plane. He’d closed his eyes and settled in for the short trip to hunting camp. Not sure how long he’d been asleep, he’d woken to the frantic voice of a terrified woman saying they were going down.
His eyes flew open.
Left cheek pressed against a pebble-strewn beach. Waves lapping nearby. Some kind of water bird crying shrilly. Something at the edge of the lake. A moose, maybe? No, too close to shore, unless it was dead.
He blinked.
Someone struggled to their feet. A woman. She fought the choppy water, trying to stand.
A long maroon coat wrapped around her legs.
A mermaid?
No, that wasn’t right.
He’d been sitting next to someone kind of snotty. Someone famous.
Teagan York. Supermodel.
Now she waded out of a lake like she starred in a commercial.
Hot damn.
He had to have hit his head really hard to have a hallucination this good. Maybe if he closed his eyes, this unbelievable dream would continue. Maybe she’d walk out of the breakers, kneel by his side and kiss him senseless.
A blast of cold air washed over Gage, bringing him fully alert.
Not a dream.
He’d survived a plane crash. Somehow he and Teagan had both made it through.
With a groan, he pushed to his feet. Ignoring his waterlogged jeans and Sorel boots, he staggered across the rocky beach toward the
water.
Teagan York had vanished. She had gone down, under the roiling waves.
Kicking off his boots and ripping off his coat, western shirt and T-shirt, he dove into the shallow, crystal clear water. Cold hit him like a shockwave, momentarily stunning him.
Taking a moment to let his eyes adjust, he scanned all around him, but didn’t see her.
Something bumped his leg and he spun around.
Long blond hair floated in a cloud, obscuring her face. She appeared to be unconscious. Jesus. Had she stopped breathing? He grabbed one of her out-stretched arms and dragged her to the surface. It had been years since he was a lifeguard at his hometown pool, but he remembered how to save a drowning victim. Reaching around her, he placed her on his chest and lay on his back.
She struggled. Coughed. “Let go of me.”
“Are you okay?”
“Let me go.”
“Not until you’re safely on shore. I think you blacked out for a minute,” he told her.
She slowly relaxed against him.
He held tight and kicked hard until he felt a sandbar under his heels. “We’re at the shoreline. I’m going to let go of you.”
“I can stand,” she insisted although she sounded weak.
Reluctantly, Gage let go and stood. He bent and scooped her up before she managed to get to her feet. She was tall, but light. Carrying her wouldn’t ordinarily be hard, but in waterlogged jeans and in knee-deep water, he struggled for shore.
“I can walk,” she said.
“I got you.” He managed to make it to the shore, where he sat with a thud. For a moment she lay in his arms, her eyes wide and unblinking. He studied her face. Perfect. Unmarred except for a superficial scratch on her forehead. As stunning in person as in pictures. “You okay? Any injuries?”
“My fingers.”
He took another look at her left arm. Sure enough, her middle, ring and pinkie fingers lay at an awkward angle. “They’re broken.”