by Jill Sanders
There, in a photo, was a large group of kids, no older than sixteen, all lined up next to smaller kids with special needs. Tom pointed to a woman who looked like a younger version of Abby, then moved over and pointed to himself. “It was love at first sight. Course, I had to clean up my act before her folks would let us date.”
Lane smiled. “How old were you?”
Tom laughed and shook his head. “Too young to remember. But that was the best day of my life.”
All throughout dinner, Lane thought about what Tom had said. The best day of his life. He could easily describe the day he had met Abby as such. He already counted their date as the best night.
Over dinner, he started to relax around the family when he realized the loudness was just their way of trying to deal with the situation at hand. There was laughing, joking, and even a few tears as stories passed around.
Abby filled everyone in on how Jenna felt about Rod. Lane was shocked when the entire family agreed that she had to come to a decision about her life by herself. If it was his younger sister laying in a hospital bed because some jerk didn’t know not to get behind the wheel after a few drinks, he would have done everything in his power to make sure she never saw the guy again.
He was about to voice his opinion, but Abby’s hand reached for his under the table. When he looked over at her, she winked at him.
“Jenna won’t be told. She never has been and never will. She needs to be nudged and then given the space to decide herself.” She smiled.
“I remember when you girls were ten,” Graham said, breaking into his thoughts. “She had it in her mind to join the cheer-leading team.” Abby chuckled beside him. “Even though she was already in band and on the volleyball team and the basketball team, she decided she would have enough time to join up. So, we had her borrow a friend’s uniform for a week before we plunked down the several hundred dollars per outfit.” He shook his head. “Less than two practices later, she quit.”
“She hated cheerleaders. I’m still not sure why she wanted to be one.” Abby shrugged her shoulders.
“I know,” Carolyn piped in with a smile. “It was to show up Laura Smith.” She giggled.
Abby smiled. “She hated Laura Smith even more than cheerleaders.”
Everyone around the table laughed.
After dinner, Abby took Lane’s hand and he followed her up to her old bedroom.
“We aren’t going to stay here?” He glanced around with a frown. First off, the bed was too small for even just her anymore. Second, her parents were most likely just down the hallway and he doubted they would be cool with him sleeping naked next to their daughter.
“No,” she chuckled. “We’ll stay in the guest house above the garage. I just wanted to grab some clothes I keep here.” She pulled open a drawer and pulled out a bag. “I’m sure my dad has some sweats that would fit you.”
He smiled and pulled her close. “I wasn’t planning on us wearing anything to bed.”
Chapter Fourteen
Abby’s heart rate went up a notch as Lane’s hands pulled her closer to him.
“Maybe we should finish this in our own room?” she said, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.
He smiled and leaned in for a quick kiss. “Lead the way.”
She felt every nerve in her body shooting at the same time. Her heat level spiked and she felt her knees go a little weak as they made their way down the stairs. He followed her out the back door, towards the stairs that led to the apartment above her parents’ garage.
“My dad built this shortly after I moved out.” She glanced at him as they made their way up the outside stairs.
“Abby.” He stopped her at the top, before she could open the door. “Are you nervous?”
She chuckled a little and nodded. “I don’t know why.”
He smiled. “It does funny things to a man’s libido when a woman admits that she’s nervous for him.”
“What about you?” She stepped closer and wrapped her arms around him.
He smiled. “I’m always nervous when I touch you.” His smile fell away a little. “I’m anxious about getting my hands on you.” His voice was soft and she felt his breath on her skin. “I want to watch your green eyes turn to crystals when I pleasure you.”
She moaned, actually moaned when her mind raced forward to the images he painted.
“Lane?” She pushed him against the door as she fumbled for the handle.
“Easy,” he chuckled as his back hit the door.
“No.” She shook her head. “We have all night to go slow. This time, I want you now.”
She pushed him in the doorway and had his jacket off his shoulders. The room was dark, too dark for her to see even with the moonlight streaming in the large windows, but she knew the large bed was near the back wall. She continued to push him, as her mouth played over his, backwards until he tripped and they went flying together.
Laughing, she sat up and looked down at him. “I guess I was a little too eager.”
He smiled and ran his hands over her hair. “Fire.” He whispered it. “It’s like fire in the moonlight.”
She sighed as she straddled him on the soft rug in the middle of the floor. “You make it impossible for me.” She leaned down, her hair pooling around them as she laid her lips on his gently.
“I like to go slow.” He smiled against her lips and held her hips next to his. She could feel the hardness of him and felt her body respond instantly with the promise his body made.
“Lane.” She moaned when his mouth moved lower along with his hands as he pulled her shirt over her head.
“You’re a goddess that’s mine for the taking.” He ran the back of his finger over her exposed skin.
Her work heels were kicked off. She pushed her feet flat on the floor, so she could look down at him. Her hands moved to his, pulling them up over his head along with his T-shirt.
Her eyes had adjusted to the soft moonlight so she could enjoy watching her fingers run slowly over every dip, every cord of his exposed chest.
“Now you’re killing me,” he growled as his hands moved down to her hips again. When he tugged her skirt up, exposing her ass to the night air, she sighed as he touched her.
“Please,” she begged, moving farther down to the latch of his jeans.
“I wanted to…” Her mouth covered his in a passionate kiss, touching her soul.
“Me too,” she gasped between heated kisses.
“Now,” he groaned as he pulled her panties aside and plunged two fingers deep into her.
She enjoyed the way he caused her body to respond to his but needed more. With shaky fingers, she reached for his jeans and released him.
When her fingers wrapped around his length, he groaned her name.
“Abby, I didn’t…” He shook his head. “There wasn’t time.”
She blinked a few times and then chuckled. “My purse.” She glanced around, but it was too dark to find where she’d tossed the thing when they had come in.
Standing up, she moved towards the door slowly until she found the light switch.
“Jesus!” he cried out and covered his eyes as the bright lights flooded the room.
“Sorry.” She chuckled and flipped them off again after spotting her purse near the sofa. “Found it.” She reached in and pulled out a condom. “Now, where were we?”
She moved back to where he was but tripped over his leg and landed next to him with a groan.
His hands caught her and pulled her close. “Are you okay?”
She chuckled and smiled. “Nothing bruised but my ego.”
She heard him chuckle. The rich sound caused her desire to surface again.
“No one ever claimed I was smooth.” She smiled as she found his lips with hers. His hands ran over her hips, her legs, her stomach.
“I would have to disagree. From where I’m sitting, you feel pretty smooth to me.”
She smiled and felt something shift deep inside her. Something she
didn’t want to think about at the moment. Not when he was tugging off his jeans and kissing her like there was no tomorrow.
***
Lane couldn’t go slow anymore. He’d tried. Really, he had. He had wanted to show her how much he cared for her. But in the end, they had ended up on the floor like two animals, covered in a light sheen of sweat as they groped in the dark for one another. Not that it had been bad. Hell, it topped the list of best sexual experiences of his life.
But when their breathing slowed and their heated bodies cooled, his guilt surfaced. Deciding there was still time in the night to fix everything, he gently picked her up and carried her to the bed. The moonlight had grown stronger and his eyes had finally adjusted from the quick blinding she’d given him when she’d flipped on the bright lights.
As he laid her on the soft mattress, she moaned and reached out for him. His eyes moved to where she’d tossed her purse.
“Ugh, got any more party favors?”
She giggled and nodded, then held up a package for him.
“Perfect.” He moved down next to her.
She smiled and pulled him closer. “I can’t believe I almost forgot my purse.”
“Tragic.” He smiled as he slowly slid into her again.
“Yes.” She gasped as he ran his mouth over her neck and shoulders slowly.
He’d never really appreciated making love to a woman in the moonlight before. Not until her. Her skin and hair glowed as he spent his time touching every inch, every curve of her sexy body.
Only when they were both spent did he pull the covers over them and snuggle next to her as their breathing settled together.
In the morning, when the sun was streaming in the windows, he woke her gently. He couldn’t seem to get enough of her, not even when they showered together and used up all the hot water.
By the time they drove down to the hospital, he was beginning to wonder how he could convince her to move in with him once they returned to Pride.
He sat and listened to her talk to Jenna for most of the day and then excused himself and went to buy them lunch, which he brought back up to the room so Abby wouldn’t have to leave her cousin’s side.
Rod, Jenna’s boyfriend, showed up a little before visiting hours were over, just as Lane was coming back into her room from using the bathroom.
He spotted the guy standing outside the door. The man had a few cuts on his face, which was the only clue as to who he might be.
“Can I help you?” Lane asked, moving quickly before the man could open the door.
Rod turned around and ran his eyes up and down him. “Who are you?”
“I’m the man standing between you and the door,” he said after he made sure to gain the position.
To his credit, the smaller man took a step backwards.
“I’m Jenna’s boyfriend.” He watched as the man tried to puff his chest out a little.
Not impressed, Lane shook his head slowly. “Correction, from where I’m standing, you look like the man who almost killed a woman—and yourself.”
Rod’s eyes moved to the floor. “I shouldn’t have driven. I just want to talk to her. Apologize. I know she’ll…”
“Did you stop to think about what her family might have to say about all this?” Lane knew her family had talked about letting Jenna make the decision, but something told him that she wasn’t in a position to deny the guy anything at the moment.
Rod’s eyes moved up to his. “Jenna has never given a shit about what her family thinks.”
He moved closer but kept his mouth shut. His eyes burned into the other man’s until finally Rod’s eyes started moving around, everywhere except back to his. Finally, he sighed. “Tell Jenna I stopped by. Okay?”
Lane didn’t make a move. Then he watched the other man turn and rush towards the elevator.
Chapter Fifteen
Saying goodbye to her cousin was so much harder this time. She didn’t know when she would be able to make it back into Portland to see her. Not to mention Jenna was still propped up on her parents’ sofa, her leg in a newly autographed purple cast. The cuts and bruises on her face had turned purple and yellow. She hated leaving, knowing that her cousin would be stuck there until she was able to get up and around on her own.
She did, however, convince Jenna to visit Pride when she got her cast removed in a few months. Her plan was to convince her to stay for good. Maybe she could convince Jenna that the town needed a new hair stylist. Her cousin had been working as one for the past two years and didn’t seem bored with the job like she had with her last job as a dispatcher.
As the small plane climbed into the early night sky, she and Lane sat back and talked about her family. He was convinced that Jenna had seen the last of Rod, but wouldn’t go into further details. Abby frowned at him and crossed her arms over her chest, until finally he caved and told her about what had happened between them in the hallway.
“You’re not mad at me?” he asked, taking her hand in his.
She chuckled. “No. If I had been there…” She took a deep breath. “Let’s just say I doubt Rod would have been walking straight as he left.”
Lane chuckled, just as the small plane started to take a nosedive. Lane frantically unbuckled his seat belt and rushed to the front and hunched over Katie’s father. Abby’s nails dug into the soft leather as she watched in horror.
“I think he’s had a heart attack,” he called back to her as he climbed into the copilot spot. Abby unglued herself from the seat and rushed forward. With shaky fingers, she felt for a pulse in the older man’s neck.
“He has a weak pulse,” she said as Lane glanced over at her. “Tell me you know how to fly this thing,” she asked.
Lane nodded his head a little. “If I can get it out of this nose dive.” He pulled back on the wheel, and when the plane was evened out, he took the radio in his hands and called in a mayday. Before he could give them their position, Abby screamed when she saw the shape of trees in the darkened windshield quickly coming closer to them.
“Seat belt!” he yelled towards her as he pulled his own on. Abby rushed towards the back, but before she could strap in, she was thrown forward as the bottom of the plane clipped the top of the trees.
Pain shot through her shoulders as she hit the back of the front cabin. She landed on her shoulder and the wind was knocked from her lungs, then she realized they were still in the air and climbed towards the seats in one more attempt to get strapped in.
She had just made it into the seat when they clipped the second row of trees. She held onto the seat as her legs flew into the air. She was finally able to grab the seat belt, and felt a moment of relief. But then she heard Lane scream, “Hang on!” just before everything went dark.
***
Lane held on with every ounce of muscle he had. After hitting the second row of treetops, he was able to gain a little more control, but that was before all of the buzzing started and the lights began flashing on the dash. He had no clue how close they were to Pride but when he saw a clearing, he prayed it was a field as he pointed the nose of the plane in that direction. He kept calling back to Abby, but she hadn’t responded and he didn’t chance glancing over his shoulder to see if she was strapped in and okay.
Just before the plane set down, he heard Abby moan and he glanced over his shoulder. She was passed out but strapped in her seat. A wave of relief washed over him. Then he turned his head back and saw that the clearing wasn’t as big as he’d hoped.
The plane bounced a few times on impact, skidding in the small trees and dirt as it veered towards a cluster of bigger pines. He pulled back on the steering wheel with everything he had.
“C’mon! Stop! Stop! Stop!”
The plane skidded into the tree line. Lane felt the impact. And then nothing.
When he woke up, smoke filled his lungs.
Shaking his head clear, he noticed the blood dripping down into his eyes and swiped it away. Glancing over, he closed his eyes quickly to the h
orrible vision of Katie’s father—pale, eyes open, unmoving.
He was by Abby’s side in a heartbeat. Her pulse was strong, so he quickly glanced around and assessed the situation. When he noticed the glow out the windows, he opened the door and looked around.
The back of the plane was on fire, along with the dry grass in the field and several of the trees he’d come really close to hitting.
It was time to go, and fast.
***
“Abby!” She heard her name being screamed over and over again. “Wake up, honey.”
Abby slowly opened her eyes to see Lane standing over her with blood running down his forehead from a cut on the side of his head.
“Can you move?” he asked, running his hands gently over her. Abby tried her hands and feet and then nodded. “Good, we’ve got to get out of here. The fuel has started a fire and since we’ve been having a drought, everything is burning up really quickly.” He nodded to the open door of the plane and Abby could see the glow.
“Can we put it out?” she asked, reaching over with shaky hands to unhook her seat belt.
“No, it’s spreading too fast. We must have been out for a while.” Lane reached up and touched the side of his head, shaking it a little.
“What about Katie’s dad?” She nodded to where the man was still sat strapped into his seat. “Is he…?” She didn’t want to ask.
Lane looked over at her and shook his head from side to side. Instantly, Abby felt pain for her friend Katie. Lane rushed around the small airplane, tossing items into a bag. “Here, take this.” He handed her the bag.
When Abby stood up, she felt the small cabin spin a little.
“Abby!” Lane’s voice was loud right next to her, causing her to focus her eyes.. “I need you here!” Abby focused on his face and nodded when she felt everything stop spinning.