Chris managed an embarrassed laugh. “Okay, Aesop, cool the fables. I get the hint. I don’t give myself enough credit for what I’ve accomplished.”
Dan gave her an appraising look, guiding her up the path once again. “Very good. Hey, you know you’re pretty smart, lady. I think I might keep you around for a while.”
She gave him a jab in the ribs. “That’s because I’m the only one that can keep up with that steel-trap mind of yours,” she said, laughing.
Dan hugged her fiercely. “That’s true,” he whispered. “You enthrall me, you make me want to explore every facet you own.” He looked gravely into her wide eyes. “You fascinate me, Raven, like no woman ever has.”
If she had not trained herself to hear the slightest change in sound vibration, she would have missed the tremble conveyed in his tone. As it was, Chris responded to that admission. “How have you escaped marriage, Dan McCord? That’s what I’d like to know.”
They resumed walking, moving up a small trail to the right that led them back toward a small stream. Dan shrugged. “Just never quite found the right lady,” he admitted.
“But your attributes,” she said, shaking her head, mystified. “You have everything any woman could want.” She flashed him a grin. “The Air Force must have kept you at some pretty isolated bases where women couldn’t get to you, then.”
He laughed in return, savoring her closeness and companionship. “That’s true enough. I spent the first six years at Northern Tier bases in North Dakota and Michigan flying Buffs. That’s enough to make you a confirmed hermit.”
“From what I understand, you could become almost celibate up there,” she returned, smiling. It was true: at isolated B-52 bases placed in the northern U.S., the population was small or almost nonexistent. That kind of environment didn’t encourage single pilots to be assigned there.
“Well, I was single and it was hell, believe me,” he answered fervently.
“Somehow,” Chris drawled, “I think you managed to survive.”
His smile deepened. “I did.”
“And you still never found a woman you wanted to marry?”
Dan shook his head, becoming more serious. “You know when you get out of the Academy and go into flight school, there are always women around that want to marry a career military officer. Let’s face it, Raven, I’m set for the next twenty or thirty years of my life. A woman looking to marry for security reasons would see me as a pretty good catch.”
Chris wrinkled her nose. “God, those are all the wrong reasons to get married!”
“Roger that. So I escaped the first wave of women who came after me and successfully graduated from flight school still single.”
“And then?”
“Then my past caught up with me.”
“Your father’s money?”
“Yes. I had plenty of women who wanted to marry the rich son of....”
Chris felt sorry for him. “That must be terrible, Dan,” she confided. “To wonder if a woman is with you because of yourself or your money.”
He pressed her closer to him. “Yeah, and I nearly got married to a woman who almost fooled me.”
“How did you know what her ulterior motives were?”
An impish smile crossed his handsome features. “The final test was when I told her that my father had disowned me and I didn’t have a penny to my name except what I earned from my Air Force salary.”
Chris stared at him. “You had to do that in order to find out where her motives really were?”
He stopped her, embracing her tightly, laughing.
“You are so naive in some ways,” he murmured against her hair. “Being streetwise, I would think you’d come up with some similar type of ploy to find out someone’s true feelings and colors.”
Chris felt the heat of a blush rushing upward to her face, unable to meet his warming blue gaze. “I’m streetwise only in the sense I survived, Dan. I never had the kind of problems you had with women. Most of the guys were too threatened by that chip I used to carry around on my shoulder.” She felt his grip on her become firmer.
“There’s a vast difference between a boy and a man, Raven,” he began gently. He forced her chin up so he could stare into her lovely violet eyes. “A boy would definitely be threatened by a woman of your intelligence, confidence and leadership qualities.” He caressed her cheek lovingly.
“And a man?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, her heart pounding.
A knowing smile played around his mouth. “A man would be completely captivated by you, Raven. A man who’s confident in his masculinity wouldn’t be frightened by you. Rather,” he continued, leaning down and brushing her parted lips tenderly, “he would drink you into him like some fine rare wine.” He tasted her lips. “You do taste like sweet wine,” he murmured against her. “You’re rich, filled with the wonder of life, honey. So much of you is woman, child and a wonderful combination of magic mixed with mystery.” His azure eyes deepened in color as they swept across her. “Your womanliness is like a spell to me, Raven. I’m fascinated with how you think, what you feel and the way you express yourself when we love each other.” He cupped her face between his hands. “You’ve cast a spell over me, my magical lady. And somehow, we’re going to see more of each other regardless of our heavy responsibilities.” He brushed her lips, feeling her returning ardor, the skipping of her heart as she pressed herself against his body. “I’ve just found you, and I’m damned if I’m going to allow you to escape.”
She melted into his arms, reveling in his strength of conviction. “Oh, Dan,” she murmured, burying her head on his shoulder, “do you always say the right thing?”
He laughed, whirling her around several times before setting her back on the ground. His eyes sparkled with unabashed joy as he touched her chin. “I don’t know. Do I?”
Chris joined his laughter. “You know you do! You’re such an arrogant jet jock, McCord.” She broke free, running several feet and halted, sweeping up a handful of snow. “Take this!” she taunted, hurling the snowball at him. The snow splattered against his chest. His eyes widened in surprise and then they narrowed with hunterlike intensity.
“Why, you little—” he growled, springing after her.
Chris shrieked, trying to escape. But she was no match for Dan’s sureness in snow. Running down the small incline, Chris suddenly realized that the oath dipped to the left and across a small stream. She heard his footfalls coming up fast and laughed, slipping in the slushy snow. In a blinding instant he had tackled her from behind and then Chris screamed, throwing up her arms to protect her head as the ground raced up to meet them.
She couldn’t stop laughing as Dan padded her fall, pulling her on top of him at the last moment. They landed heavily in the snow together, their laughter melting into the quiet of the forest around them. Chris struggled free, grabbing handfuls of snow and throwing them into Dan’s face.
“No you don’t!” he growled, and threw her on the ground beneath him, pinning her mercilessly. Their breath came out in white, wispy jets, their laughter nonstop as they stared at each other. Dan tightened his grip on her arms. “I ought to stuff snow down your blouse.”
She giggled helplessly. “You look funny!” She had managed to place snow down inside his jacket and shirt. Dan grinned good-naturedly. “You’re going to pay for this, Raven,” he threatened, leaning closer. His breath was moist and warm against her flushed cheeks.
“Whatever the stakes, it was worth it,” she gasped, trying to struggle free. She choked on her laughter, trying to talk. “I’d say I did pretty well for somebody who wasn’t raised around snow.”
Dan nodded, mesmerized by her uninhibited joy. Suddenly she was a child. A child who had never been able to be one before in her life. He reveled in the fact that she was sharing this side with him. “Yes, you did too well. And now, you’re going to pay.”
Chris closed her eyes, leaning up to meet his descending mouth. She moaned as the pressure of his kiss
tore at her senses, calling a fiery cauldron of desire to life within her once again. She felt him release her hands, his arms sliding around her body, bringing her against him. Her heart pounded from the high, thin air and from the masterful touch of his mouth upon her own. Finally he released her, only their hard, rough breathing mixing with the silence around them. Dan idly picked up bits of snow from her hair, a tender smile lingering on his mouth as he gazed down at her. “Come on,” he urged, “we can’t leave here today without making snow angels.”
Chris took his hand and he pulled her to her feet. It was as if the rest of her life had ceased to exist except for this moment in time with Dan. The love blossoming fully in her heart would not be stilled. She longed to reach out and whisper those words to him. A part of her still was not ready for that commitment and she balked. They had time to grow to know each other better over the next few months. And wasn’t something good worth cultivating and working toward? She stole a look over at Dan, loving his ruddy features, dancing blue eyes and effortless smile that always seemed so much a part of him. He had made her laugh. He had shown her a way to free her emotions. Grasping his hand, Chris threw herself into his arms, giving him a long embrace.
“What’s this for?” he asked, returning the embrace.
“Because,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “Just because, Dan McCord.”
9
CHRIS WEARILY DROPPED the armload of books on the kitchen table. Her brain felt as if someone had taken a bottle brush to it and wiped it clean. The testing was becoming much more demanding, extracting every ounce of her knowledge about aerodynamics until she thought her mind was going to blow a fuse. Every morning was spent flying in a series of demanding tests. She had just completed the spin and recovery tests in the A-37 Dragonfly. The stress of Gs was monumental. If it hadn’t been for wearing the G-suit, from the waist down to her ankles, she could have blacked out. The bridge of her nose ached where the oxygen mask had been situated. During particularly heavy G-loads, the mask was pulled downward by the force of gravity, bruising the bone and flesh. Going through the motions of making herself a cup of coffee, Chris enjoyed the quiet of the Friday afternoon. It was late May. The temperature of the Mojave desert was beginning to reach the high nineties during the day, and the lake beds were drying beneath the sun’s blinding rays.
She sat down in the living room, released her hair from the chignon and unlaced her flight boots, nudging them off her feet. Tiredly she leaned back, closing her eyes. A soft knock at the door roused her.
“It’s unlocked,” she called.
Her eyes widened as Dan slipped inside. Instantly, a pulse leaped at the base of her slender throat.
“Figured I’d catch you over here,” he said. He shut the door and shared a smile with her.
“There’s fresh coffee,” she murmured, gazing up into his strong, loving face. “I’m too tired to move.”
He sauntered over, sitting next to her. “I’m coffeed out.” He ran his hand down her thigh. “I have a surprise for you.”
Chris groaned. “Not another damn test!”
“No,” he said, smiling, “another chance to get away. You realize this is Memorial Day weekend and we get four days off school?”
She warmed to his touch. Their time together had been limited at best. “I look at it as downtime,” she offered. “Why? What’s the surprise?”
His blue eyes grew warm. “Well, all you need to do is pack a small overnight bag, get into your flight gear and we’ll take off.”
She groaned again. “Oh, come on, Dan! I’ve flown so much this last month I ought to be sprouting permanent wings here at my shoulders.”
He laughed, taking Chris into his arms, cradling her against his body. Inhaling the apricot scent of her hair, Dan rested his head against hers. “I’ve got a T-38 being fueled right now, and we’re going to take off for Carswell Air Force Base.”
She stole a look up at him. “But that’s in Fort Worth, Texas.”
He pursed his lips, mesmerized by her deep violet eyes, reveling in the expression in their depths. “Yes, ma’am. I want to take you home and let you see where I grew up.”
Chris felt her heart contract in fear. An old insecurity surfaced, and she fought against that feeling. His family was rich, affluent, and from the right side of the tracks. She had been dirt poor, struggling for every penny she ever earned. Stop it, she told herself. She knew it was ridiculous to have those feelings, but her emotions were still adolescent about that tender, raw episode of her life. She felt Dan’s arms tighten around her.
“Well?” he prompted.
“I—yes,” she whispered, gazing up at him. “I’d love to see your home.”
Dan leaned over, brushing her lips tenderly. Her mouth was always warm, responsive, sending a fiery torch of desire throbbing through his body for her alone. Reluctantly he pulled away from her enticing lips. “I love your courage,” he said simply, meaning it. “I know you probably feel uncomfortable about meeting my parents. But the real reason I wanted you to come, Chris, is to meet my Uncle Howard. He practically raised me. I’ve talked to Vanessa, my mother, and she’s reluctantly agreed to pick us up at Carswell. Once we spend the obligatory night at their home, we’ll fly out to my uncle’s ranch, which lies north of Fort Worth.” His eyes lightened, his voice taking on an edge of underlying excitement. “We’ll spend two days at the ranch. I’ll take you riding and show you all my old haunts.”
She slid her arm around his neck, nuzzling close to him. “You make it sound like we’ll have to endure one night for two wonderful days at your uncle’s ranch.”
“Perhaps,” Dan said evasively. “Then you’ll go?”
Her violet eyes became warm. “More than anything, Dan, I’d love to meet the people who mean so much to you. No matter what you say, you’re still lucky to have a family.” She stopped, her voice betraying the feelings behind her words.
“Well,” he murmured against her ear, “my uncle and his wife, Melvina, are going to love you. They’re excited about meeting you.” He smiled, kissing her cheek. “So come on, my raven-haired beauty. Let’s go get suited up, and we’ll take off to the sky where everything is always all right.”
In no time they were airborne, the white skin of the needle-nosed Talon T-38 dancing with the brilliance of sunlight off it’s delta-shaped wings. Chris was content to sit in the second cockpit behind Dan and be the navigator for the flight. They climbed rapidly to thirty-nine thousand feet, and Dan pointed the bird in a southwesterly direction. Chris gazed around, pushing up her dark visor momentarily to drink in the deep blue of the sky that surrounded them.
“I love it up here,” she confided in a hushed voice.
She saw Dan nod his helmeted head. “Next to making love with you, this is the second greatest pleasure on earth,” he returned.
Chris smiled, although the oxygen mask strapped tightly to her face hid the fact. “Roger that,” she teased, remembering the few times that they had shared together since the trip to the sequoia region. She reached up, pushing the dark visor down to protect her eyes from the harsh sunlight. All pilots wore a helmet equipped with a visor to screen the sun’s rays. Her entire face was then protected in case she ever had to eject. Chris tried to push the ugly memory aside, unwillingly recalling the last time she had had to punch out. The force of the wind had slammed against her tightly strapped-in body, ripping the visor off her helmet and subjecting her eyes to over six hundred knots of wind blast during the initial seconds. She had sustained lacerations from the plastic visor snapping and flying back into her face. I was lucky, she thought. I could have lost my eyesight. It wasn’t uncommon to have that all-important, protective visor ripped away during ejection. She sighed trying to shake the memory away.
“Uncle Howard is going to fall in love with you,” Dan said, breaking into her morbid thoughts.
She rallied. “It’s either feast or famine, isn’t it?”
“Don’t kid yourself, Raven. There’s more
than a couple of guys in that class that have their eye on you.”
“Jealous?”
“You’d better believe it,” he confirmed.
Chris smiled, knowing that he was teasing her. Rondo had approached her on more than one occasion to ask her to go over to the O’Club for drinks and dinner. She had gracefully declined the invitation. Julio Mendez idolized the ground she walked on. Despite the damage she had thought Brodie might wreak, Chris had been pleasantly surprised by the attitude of most of the pilots. They had been professional, refusing to accept Brodie’s gossip. A few of them had approached and queried her about the accident. Leaving out the personal part, Chris had told them the story. They seemed satisfied, trading stories with her of their own accounts of being forced to punch out. And always, there was Dan’s silent support. He had already qualified her in three different types of combat aircraft and helped her summon forth the ability to doggedly meet the severe demands of the school. Everyone needed someone going through TPS, she admitted. The husbands had their wives to support them. And with all the test-pilot-student families living on Sharon Street, it became a tight-knit, supportive community while the men labored under the demands of the harsh rigors.
Even Karen and Mark Hoffman. She smiled, pleased at their budding relationship. As much as Karen unmercifully teased her about Dan, Chris knew her best friend was in love with Hoffman. They were fortunate, though. They didn’t have to hide their feelings.
“You ever ride a horse?” Dan wanted to know.
“A couple of times.”
“Good. Ever been around a working ranch?”
“No. Will I have to work?”
Dan laughed. “Not unless you want to. I’m going to ride some fence, feel a good horse under me and share that time with you. You’ll probably be on a horse more than on the ground,” he promised.
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