Touch the Heavens

by Lindsay McKenna

  “Just as long as I don’t come back bowlegged, McCord. And I don’t want a hot horse. Just find me something that will plod along at a nice, quiet gait.”

  “What’s this? My Raven who can outfly me in an F-4 Phantom wants a quiet horse.”

  She grinned. “I can’t outfly you in Double Ugly.”

  “Oh, yes you can,” he said seriously. “You have a great touch with that fighter. Few pilots have taken to the F-4 like you have, Chris. They either love or hate it. We need good people who can handle that touchy bird.”

  She warmed to his praise. That was another wonderful quality about Dan: he was quick to give sincere compliments. He had done more to boost her ego and confidence than anyone else in her life. “I’m looking forward to doing more complicated testing with the Phantom when we get back.”

  “You’ll do fine,” he returned. “Well,” he said, “in another hour we’ll be at Carswell.”

  “I can hardly wait, Dan.”

  “Just remember, Vanessa will probably appear upset. Don’t take it personally.”

  Chris frowned. She noticed Dan didn’t call her “mother,” and that puzzled her greatly. Everyone should be thankful they had parents. If she had had parents, she would have called them mom and dad, not by their first names. “Okay, I’ll remember,” she answered softly.

  It was near eight in the evening when they landed the T-38 at Carswell. After they climbed down the ladders and exchanged a few pleasantries with the ground crew, Dan led her to Operations. The wind was hot, the sun setting low on the western horizon, giving the sky a blood-red cast. She noticed Dan’s step seemed lighter. His smile devastated her as he checked his stride for her sake.

  “You look absolutely beautiful,” he murmured.

  “Quit looking like a wolf ready to pounce.”

  Dan raised an eyebrow. “Is it that obvious?”

  She suppressed a smile, trying to remain serious. “You’d better believe it.”

  “I’m having a hell of a time keeping my hands off you.”

  She glanced up at him, her violet eyes dancing with happiness. “I am, too,” she admitted, meeting his dazzling smile.

  All too soon they were in Ops, traversing the highly polished tiled halls. Chris received several startled looks from those who manned the flight and meteorology desks. Out of some twenty-three-thousand Air Force pilots, only one hundred seventy-five were women. She was always an oddity and novelty wherever she went. But after seven years, she tended to disregard the amazed stares of the passersby.

  “There’s Vanessa,” Dan suddenly warned.

  Chris lifted her chin from her reverie, looking toward the front doors of the Ops building. A tall regal woman with gray hair stopped pacing after consulting her gold watch. Her hair was coiffed in the latest fashion, and a designer dress of pale beige was tastefully draped on her slender body. Vanessa moved like a queen, Chris thought, immediately impressed with the woman’s entire aura of control.

  “Daniel! I thought you’d never arrive,” she chided in exchange for a greeting.

  Chris curbed a smile. She never thought of Dan as “Daniel.”

  “Actually, Vanessa,” he said, coming to a halt and putting his arm around Chris’s waist, “we had a good tail wind and we’re fifteen minutes early. I’d like you to meet Captain Chris Mallory. Chris, this is my mother, Vanessa McCord.”

  Chris smiled warmly, extending her hand. “Mrs. McCord, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  Vanessa eyed her coolly. “My, you are a tall one, aren’t you?” she murmured, taking Chris’s hand and shaking it weakly. Vanessa glanced over at her son. “Well, come along dear. I’ve got to get back to supervise the setting up of the party in your honor tonight.”

  Dan groaned. “Vanessa, I told you, I didn’t want a party.”

  She gave an eloquent shrug of her shoulders, waiting for Dan to open the door. “Daniel, it’s the least I could do for you. I know how bored you get around home, and I thought a party would bring out some of the lovely women who are just waiting for you to drop by.” Vanessa gave Chris an apologetic look. “Sorry, Captain Mallory, we didn’t know you were coming. Daniel is terrible about telling us all the details. He just drops in without warning and then leaves us a few days later.” Vanessa walked primly down the steps toward the awaiting black limousine.

  Chris felt Dan tense beside her as they caught up with Vanessa. “I told you Chris was coming,” he growled, giving his mother a black look.

  With a wave of her elegant, carefully lacquered fingernails, Vanessa glided like a swan into the limo. “All these details! Really, Daniel. You can’t expect me to remember everything, dear. Come, come. We must hurry, or I’ll miss Dee Dee’s transatlantic phone call.” She consulted her watch again. “She’s to call in forty minutes.”

  Chris got in, glad to be sitting next to Dan. She tried not to allow the sense of awe to become apparent on her features as she gazed around the richly appointed car. The limo looked almost two car lengths long and came with a lavishly stocked bar. Dan gripped Chris’s hand, holding it in his lap. “We’ll make it in plenty of time,” he growled, staring across the aisle at his mother.

  Chris withdrew into her shell, fully aware of the tension that eddied and swirled between Dan and his mother. If it weren’t for Dan’s reassuring grip, she would have broken out into a sweat. Vanessa was truly beautiful. If she was in her mid-fifties, it wasn’t obvious. Her dark gray hair did nothing but enhance her aristocratic bearing. Chris glanced discreetly at the number of emeralds, diamonds and rubies that adorned Vanessa’s slender, artistic fingers. Swallowing nervously, Chris tried to appear calm despite her rolling stomach.

  Vanessa looked sharply at Chris, her dark blue eyes penetrating. “So Daniel tells me you’re a woman pilot,” she drawled.

  Chris managed a smile. “There’s a few of us around, Mrs. McCord.”

  Vanessa managed a cutting smile, her eyes skimming over Chris, missing no detail. “Well, in my personal opinion, women don’t belong in the military.”

  Dan’s hand tightened. “You didn’t think I belonged there, either,” he replied coolly. “So it’s a moot point, isn’t it, Vanessa?”

  Chris breathed a sigh of relief, grateful for Dan’s protective presence. She sensed Vanessa’s displeasure that she was with Dan. Why? Had she planned to parade several eligible females in front of Dan at the party to tempt him into marrying and perhaps getting out of the disgusting Air Force? Suddenly Chris understood what Dan had said all along. He belonged in the Air Force doing what he loved best—instructing and flying. She could not picture Dan at the head of any major corporation. His need of freedom and space was stamped all over him, as it was over her. Those thoughts warmed her heart, and Chris looked over at Dan, sharing a tender smile with him.

  “Your father’s health is deteriorating, Daniel. I would think you would give some serious thought to leaving the Air Force and coming home to pick up your duties.”

  Dan scowled. “My home is the Air Force. Has Preston been having more heart pains than usual?”

  Vanessa set her petulant lips. “The fool doesn’t slow down. And the cardiologist has warned him so many times. Maybe you can talk some sense into him, Daniel. Unfortunately he won’t be home tonight. He’s in Europe completing another oil transaction.”

  Dan gave a twisted smile; one that did not reach his eyes. “When has he ever listened to me, Vanessa?

  She clucked her tongue. “Or me, for that matter!”

  “I guess all McCords are hardheaded,” Dan returned, sharing a warmer smile with Chris.

  “Humph! You got a double dose of it, Daniel, if you ask me.”

  “Just because I don’t see life your way, Vanessa, doesn’t mean I’m wrong.”

  Chris breathed a sigh of relief once they arrived at the luxurious home outside of Fort Worth. The home reminded her of a Southern mansion with its six white fluted columns. The lawn and rose gardens surrounding it were stunning. Vanessa waited impatiently unt
il the driver came around to open the door.

  “Daniel, have the maid show Chris to her room. I’ll see you two later.” Vanessa halted, looking directly at Chris. “Captain Mallory, I presume you have something to wear tonight other than a dress military uniform?”

  Chris allowed the stinging comment to pass. “I think so, Mrs. McCord.”

  Semisatisfied, Vanessa fled up the white marble steps like some exotic bird who was fully aware of her royal plumage. Dan lifted out their individual bags. “Come on,” he murmured, grinning. “I’ll show you around myself.”

  Chris followed Dan into the mansion. The maid was courteous, murmuring the proper greetings as they walked into the highly polished foyer of pale-pink marble. Dan grabbed Chris’s hand, pulling her up the long flight of stairs.

  He opened a door halfway down the hall and placed his bag on the beige carpet of the bedroom. Chris entered, looking around. It was a decidedly masculine room with antique mahogany furniture. The balcony doors had been opened, allowing the evening breeze to waft through, carrying the scent of oranges with it.

  “This is fantastic,” Chris whispered, her eyes widening with awe.

  Dan shook his head. “Give me a nice little home with the woman I love and I’ll be happy. Follow me—your room is next door.”

  Chris gave him a hesitant look. “Next door?”

  Dan opened it. “Yeah. Any problem with that?” he asked, smiling.

  Chris carefully stepped across the expanse. “From the leer in your eyes, jet jockey, I’d say there is.”

  “I don’t have a problem with it,” he said, ushering her into the next room.

  “I don’t, either. But your mother might.”

  Dan snorted softly, pulling her to a halt in the center of the feminine bedroom. “The crowd Vanessa runs with wouldn’t bat an eyelash, believe me.”

  A sadness filled Chris as she gazed up at Dan. She moved into his arms, sighing as she pressed her body against him. “It sounds bizarre,” she whispered, closing her eyes, relishing his nearness.

  Dan placed a series of small kisses on her neck, jaw and finally, on her waiting lips. His mouth moved with sureness and tantalizing slowness across her lips, feeling her respond fully. Finally he pulled away, gazing down at her. “I never did hold with that kind of lifestyle,” he murmured. “I was a black sheep from the day I was born into this family. I want to know that the woman I marry loves me and doesn’t want to have a series of other bed partners. I want her to know that she is my whole life, not just an extension of myself like my parents are to each other.” He frowned, caressing her cheek. “I guess I require loyalty from the woman I love.”

  Chris trembled within his arms. The warming silence grew between them, and she felt the heavy, steady beat of his heart against her breast. Reaching up, she touched his face, feeling the roughness of his skin. “I may not have had parents, Dan, but I grew up knowing I wanted the same thing.” She shook her head, mystified. “And here I thought it would be so great just having parents. Maybe I wasn’t so badly off as I thought.”

  Dan claimed her lips in a lingering, exploratory kiss. “The grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the fence, Raven. Believe me.”

  Chris lay down for a short nap and was roused by the maid an hour later. It was dark, the music of crickets floating through the balcony doors.

  “Captain Mallory, Mrs. McCord said to bring this up for you to wear. I’ll just put it in the closet over here for you, ma’am.”

  Chris slowly swung her legs over the bed, groping to wake up. She had changed into a set of jeans and a tank top after taking a welcoming shower. The bed had looked inviting, and she had given in to the urge to sleep. Gathering her scattered thoughts, Chris gave the young Mexican maid a confused look.

  “I didn’t ask for a dress.”

  The maid curtsied shyly. “Mrs. McCord instructed me to bring this up, ma’am.”

  “Okay...thank you.”

  The girl dipped her head. “Yes, ma’am. If you need anything else, just ring this bell.”

  Chris stretched fitfully after the maid had left. She walked over to the closet, fingering the silver lamé dress that looked sinfully skimpy. A slow anger fanned to life within Chris as she stood there. Vanessa couldn’t trust her to come down dressed well enough so as not to embarrass her in front of her rich friends. With a sigh, Chris turned away. Had Vanessa tried to run Dan’s life in the same domineering manner? She thought so, truly beginning to understand why Dan had escaped the oppressive atmosphere of his mother’s controlling hand.

  It was nearly nine-thirty when Chris heard a knock at the inner door. She checked her hair one more time before skipping across the room in her nylon-clad feet. Dan stood there, his eyes lighting up in appreciation as his gaze swept over her. He gave a low whistle of appreciation, stepping into her room.

  “Lady, you’re going to cause a riot down there,” he breathed softly. “God, you look beautiful.”

  She blushed fiercely, giving a nervous laugh. She wore a simple lavender dress to match the color of her violet eyes. The silky material fell in graceful lines over her body, emphasizing her small bust, slender waist and hips. The knee-length gown was held in place by small spaghetti straps that tied in a bow at the back of her neck. With her black hair down, falling softly across her shoulders, she felt incredibly feminine. Dainty earrings of amethyst emphasized her lustrous eyes. She made a nervous gesture, walking over to slip into the elegant high heels of pearl gray that matched her small purse. “I’m nervous enough without you looking at me like that!” she said, laughing.

  Dan shook his head. “Raven, you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. I never realized—”

  “Hey, you know we Air Force jet jockeys clean up pretty well,” she teased, leaning upward to lightly kiss his mouth. Before Dan could trap her against him, she slipped away, laughter in her eyes. “You don’t clean up too badly yourself.”

  Dan shrugged, looking devastating in the brown slacks and pale-pink long-sleeve shirt and light brown corduroy sport coat. The tie at his throat was a dark rust color, matching the color of his hair. “I suppose Vanessa brought you a dress to wear?” he asked, sliding his hand beneath her elbow and leading her out the door.

  “How did you know?”

  Dan grinned. “Because she sent the butler up with a tuxedo for me. I guess she feels we won’t dress correctly for her guests.”

  Music and laughter floated up from below as they traversed the hall, stopping at the top of the stairs. Dan captured her firmly against him, giving her a reassuring kiss on the cheek. “Just remember,” he murmured, “we’ll be gone early tomorrow morning.”

  Chris grimaced. “Frankly, I’d rather be flying with Brodie right now than facing this.”

  Dan laughed as he guided them down the stairs. “You’ll be doing that as soon as you get back, Raven. And don’t worry, this isn’t a firing squad. Just leave the maneuvering to me and be my ‘co’ on this flight.”

  She smiled secretly at his lingo. Co was another word for copilot. She placed her trust in Dan completely, allowing him to guide her through the groups of beautifully sleek guests. It was a night that Chris would not forget. She had never rubbed elbows with the rich or the jet set. And before it was all over, she understood Dan’s desire to escape the cloying atmosphere of the hangers-on, fawners and doting, plastic people who orbited the McCord power structure.

  Vanessa fluttered over, her eyes widening as she looked at Chris, disbelief written in her features. She cooed over both of them and congratulated Chris on her dress. Slipping her hand around Dan’s free arm, she dragged them from one pedigreed, cluster of well-bred guests to another. On several occasions, Chris met beautifully appointed women who made subtle passes at Dan. And each time Dan remained a gentleman, introducing Chris at his side. Each of those women would stare at Chris and then murmur polite words to Dan and glide off, drink in hand. More than once, Dan took her out on the floor, dancing to escape Vanessa’s m
atchmaking efforts.

  They danced as one, the rhythm of the music invading their souls, stirring their hearts and rekindling their passion for each other. Dan held her close, molding her against his lean body, moving her effortlessly in time with the music. To him, it was just another provocative form of making love to her. He had known instinctively that, with her hands and feel for flying, Chris would be a good dancer. Dancing meant subliminally turning the music into form; changing the rhythm into a flow of expression by the human body. She followed him effortlessly, with complete trust in each of his guiding movements, a melding union taking place.

  With Chris’s head nestled against his chest, he inhaled her special female fragrance, feeling his body tighten with desire. She was so special in so many ways. One of a kind. A woman of rarity that would never be found again in his lifetime. Dan pressed a kiss to her brow. “Lady, I’m falling in love with you....” Before Dan realized it, he had uttered the words close to her ear. The need to admit it to her was overpowering and as Chris looked up to meet his eyes, his heart contracted with overflowing happiness. She had heard his softly spoken words; he could see it in her shining violet eyes.

  Her lips parted in response, and Dan held her a little tighter. The music was ending, but neither realized it. They finally slowed to a halt, oblivious to everything surrounding them. Chris gazed up into Dan’s darkened blue eyes, aware of some invisible joy that seemed to reach out and smother her with happiness. “And I love you...” she whispered in response, losing herself in his tender, returning gaze.

  Dan captured her face between his hands, leaning down, sealing those promising words upon her full lips—lips that were warm and giving beneath his mouth. Raising his head, he stared intently into her eyes. “I need you, Raven,” he whispered huskily, “forever.”

  Her heart pounded painfully in her breast as she responded to his highly charged emotional words. “Oh, Dan—” she whispered.

  “Daniel!” Vanessa’s voice cut through the aura that surrounded them. In moments, Vanessa had propelled them off the emptying dance floor, chatting airily about meaningless subjects that interested neither of them.