"It's a job offer," she said, beaming.
Not surprised, Cole watched as she read the letter, happiness building in her smile.
"Your turn," she said, handing it to him. "I'd like your opinion."
He read it. A standard letter, fair salary, but not great. "You could ask for another ten grand a year. They'd pay it."
The joy in her eyes dimmed, making him immediately sorry he'd said anything. But Web was so darn tight-fisted, and this time the resident had asked Cole's opinion. He wasn't going to lie.
She shoved the letter back into the envelope and crammed it into her backpack. "Web said it was a great offer."
"Medicine's a tough business these days. Web is concerned with keeping costs down and building the new pediatric wing. A lot of residents would be lucky to get that offer. But you're a good doctor from what I hear..." His face heated as he realized he'd given away the fact he'd being asking around about her.
She leaned forward, a pleased smile tugging at her lips, the warmth back in her eyes.
"I, uh, asked a friend about you," he stammered. Everything had been going so well and now his words were choking him. His gaze slid to the window and beyond, searching the distant pines and glimmering blue water of Lake Tahoe for something clever to say. Nothing.
He focused on her again. "Would you like to go out to dinner? A movie? No, how about going to see the hot air balloons in Reno tomorrow? They're spectacular." Like you, he almost added.
Her full lips flattened into a reluctant line. "Can't. I work the next seven nights.”
He wanted to throttle the person who made up the work schedule.
“I have next Sunday off though," she offered, her tone hopeful.
"I'm taking Kayla to the National Air Races that day.” Frustration sliced through him, leaving pieces of him wondering how he'd make it through the week without seeing her, other pieces trying to figure a way to see her before then. “Why don't you come with us?"
"With you and...Kayla?"
"My daughter. She's six going on sixteen, and terrific."
"Are you sure I won't be intruding?"
He thought of Kayla and her Ouija board. A smile pulled at his lips. "I think she'll be thrilled to meet you."
Destiny raised a doubtful eyebrow and his heart twisted with anxiety. He almost missed her next question.
"What time should I be ready?"
Chapter Three
Destiny frowned into the mirror. She'd tried on everything twice, nothing appealed, and she wanted to look just right for Cole and this first meeting with his daughter.
Finally, she settled on her favorite blue jeans, a beaded belt that had belonged to her mother, and a sleeveless purple top. Made of raw silk, with a fringed V-yoke front and back, it had been an unexpected birthday present from her wildman brother, Jake. He'd hand-delivered it a month late, caught her up on his nomadic life and then driven off in his old beat-up truck for parts unknown. She was glad he seemed so content, yet saddened by his leaving.
A tap on the door snapped her out of her reverie. "Coming!" She grabbed an armful of clothes and stuffed them in the closet, then ran a hand across the twin bed, smoothing the cover. "Ms. Neatnik, I'm not," she muttered without apology as she dashed to the door and pulled it open.
Her gaze flew from Cole to his daughter. They have the same hair, she thought. The color of sun-lit brass.
"Just need to grab my jacket," she said, then realizing with dismay she'd shoved it in the closet along with that armload of clothes. Darn you, Old Man Coyote! Laughing again, no doubt.
"Actually," she gave an embarrassed smile, "I probably won't need a coat. Let's go."
She picked up her fanny pack, clipped it around her waist and ushered them out the door, stifling the urge to chatter about anything and everything. She hadn't been this nervous since her first high school dance--where she'd been a head taller than every boy there. She'd kicked off her shoes, revved up her courage and asked the nearest boy to dance, had a great time.
"Daddy says you're a doctor, too." Kayla's bubbling voice made Destiny grin.
"Sure am," she answered easily, not missing the deep glimmer of love in Cole's eyes as he watched his daughter, the pride in his smile. At that moment, if it were possible to admire him more, she did.
Such a beautiful little girl. Although tall for six, she looked surprisingly small next to Cole as they trooped down the stairs. Her skin, the color of sun-kissed walnut, contrasted to Cole's light golden tan. Curiosity about the child's mother flared. Was Cole divorced? Not a question to be casually asked. Maybe she'd question her friend, Fran, a gynecologist at the hospital who knew everyone and everything.
Cole opened her door for her, his fingers brushing lightly over her arm, gentle, warm, chasing away any speculations about an ex-wife, and making Destiny wonder what it would feel like to have him touch her more intimately. Just the thought played havoc with her pulse rate.
Kayla's excited chatter claimed her attention. "This is going to be so much fun!" The child climbed into the back seat, and then bounced up and down as they headed up Highway 395 toward Reno.
Letting her gaze wander over the sagebrush covered terrain, Destiny willed herself to calm down. Clumps of cottonwoods speckled Washoe Valley, leading to mountains and more mountains. No snow up there yet, but in a few months they'd don their winter coats. Her hand drifted to a soft, supple leather jacket on the seat beside her as she entertained a sudden fantasy of renting a cabin and snuggling with the good doctor on a bearskin rug next to a roaring fire. Cut the word snuggle, she thought, how about attack?
Very much aware of the little girl in the back seat, her cheeks warmed at her wayward thoughts. She turned to talk to Kayla and caught Cole watching her.
His gaze shifted to the road. "You look great," he said quietly.
She chuckled.
He threw her an inquisitive look. “That amuses you?”
Her gaze drank in the deep set eyes, the flaring nostrils, the rugged line of his jaw, all set off by a blue-green western shirt. "No, it’s just that you took the words out of my mouth." Without thinking, she traced the smooth silver and turquoise bolo at his collar. "It's lovely."
He caught her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, flicking another appreciative glance in her direction. "Ditto."
Her heart fluttered. She dropped her gaze to his silver belt buckle, but the firm line of muscular thighs encased in blue denim drew her admiration. More dangerous ground.
Time to rein in her rampaging heart rate. Concentrating on breathing, she studied the cows in the pastures, counting horses, noting like a tourist the billboards touting local attractions: the casinos, of course, Harrah's, El Dorado, Silver Legacy; the annual camel races in Virginia City; the Great Reno Balloon Race which Cole had invited her to the previous weekend. Her disappointment over having to decline still lingered.
She sighed. She loved medicine, but a resident's grueling schedule did crimp one's social life, and now she felt it keenly.
It was still early, not yet 8:00 a.m., when the changing Reno skyline came into view. Tower cranes hovered like predatory birds atop several structures both downtown and further out as Cole drove through the city, continuing north to Stead. Once a player of some importance in the senseless game of war, the semi-abandoned air field normally presented a ghostly appearance. Today though, it vibrated with colorful activity. Wherever Destiny looked there were planes, everything from biplanes to the latest military jets.
"Look, Daddy, a P-38," squealed Kayla as they pulled into one of the few remaining parking spots.
"Wow, I'm impressed," murmured Destiny. She smiled at the precocious child. "You must be a real airplane expert, Kayla."
Given the twin-tail design of that particular aircraft, it was pretty recognizable to a World War II veteran or to someone like Destiny who had a flight-happy brother, but not to a child born a half-century after the P-38's heyday.
Kayla was beaming as they climbed out of the car.
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Destiny cast a flirtatious glance at Cole. "You sure your daughter isn't Jimmy Doolittle or Chuck Yeager in disguise?"
His answering laugh, a heart-stopping rumble, was cut short by Kayla's unexpected announcement, "I'm gonna be a fighter pilot and go to Top Gun school at Fallon!"
Destiny crouched down, putting herself at eye-level with the child. "I'm sure you’ll be a fine pilot."
"What in the heck are you talking about, Kayla?" Cole swung the child into his arms. "You're not made to be a pilot."
The disapproval in his tone surprised Destiny. She knew she should stay out of it, let them work things out on their own, but she couldn't stop herself. "Why not, Cole?" she asked, as Kayla pushed away, wiggling so that he had to set her down. Her bottom lip was sticking out about a mile and a half.
He cocked a sun-lightened eyebrow. "Because– "
An awkward silence ensued, but his look of chagrin redeemed him. He bent down. "Is this something else the Ouija board told you? Am I looking at the best future fighter pilot in America?"
The glimmer of tears vanished from Kayla's dark eyes and she flung her arms around her father. "Daddy."
"Hey, Sugar Plum." He hugged her close and Destiny wondered how it would feel to have a child love you like that, no reservations, total trust. The responsibility would be staggering – especially in a one-parent household.
Her thoughts jumped to Cole's first wife. Had Kayla's mother been a traditional stay-at-home spouse? Is that what Cole wanted in a wife? If so, he was dancing in front of the wrong wickiup.
Whoa girl, slow them prairie dogs down! It was a long jump from a casual date to marriage, her head must be lost in clouds.
Moments later they were threading through the crowd, the excitement too thick for them to remain still. A gust of cool morning air whipped her hair back from her face and pierced her thin silk top. Darn, she should have swallowed her pride and dug her jacket out of that disaster of a closet.
Kayla shrieked with delight as a tight formation of nine sleek jets suddenly screamed out of the heavens, streaking through the air, and taking Destiny's breath away with the sheer beauty of speed and flight. "It's the Snowbirds!" Kayla screamed, spouting additional data as a second fly-by left spectators gasping.
Another gust of crisp morning air struck. In an instant, Cole had his jacket around her shoulders. His unique scent rose from the leather, filling her nostrils as she slipped her hands into the sleeves and pulled the jacket closed. Still warm from his body, it prompted wayward yearnings to be in his arms, nothing between them, skin to skin. Her heart rate zoomed to Mach four.
She slipped her hand into Cole’s and a thrill of electricity raced up her arm. He let go only to put his arm around her shoulder and draw her closer. Looking up, expecting his gaze to be on the air show, she met instead a dark blue sea of stormy emotion.
He lowered his head and brushed his lips across hers. A feathery touch, nothing more. With his gaze still held by hers as he pulled away, he nearly tripped over Kayla. "Whoa there, Pumpkin, I didn't see you."
Kayla giggled, the sound refreshingly light, easing the hunger that ripped through Destiny. Another roar overhead vied with the roar of her blood. She tried to focus on the planes' finely choreographed maneuvers, but her heart was doing some fancy dancesteps of its own.
*****
Cole blinked against the wind, listening with only one part of his mind to Kayla's chatter about the various events. They'd arrived just in time to watch the opening spectacle, biplanes circling, trailing tinted smoke while a skydiver carrying the American flag floated toward the desert floor. All while the Star Spangled Banner blared over umpteen loudspeakers.
Next came an aerobatic performance. To both Destiny’s and Kayla's delight, it turned out to be a woman pilot guiding the tiny plane through precise patterns of loops and rolls. Next, came a wing-walker. And later, when the races themselves got underway, Rare Bear, a local plane racing in the Unlimiteds, brought a pout from Kayla by beating out a sleek red, white, and blue beauty named Miss America.
Throughout the morning's exhibition, Cole fantasized about Destiny. She'd trembled when he'd kissed her – if you could call it a kiss. He called it torture. The look in her eyes signaled wanton passion. No embarrassment or shyness there. At least she wore his jacket now, covering the sheer silk top the wind kept plastering to her body. Provocative as hell, the sight tempted him to thoughts that had no place on a first date.
He kept reminding himself of that fact, but it didn't dispel his growing need. Every roar from the planes or gasp of the crowd snapped him back to reality like a cold slap. Why hadn't he taken her out to dinner or a movie, some place where they could be alone? Images taunted him. Destiny in his arms, in his bed. Oh boy, was he jumping the gun. But it didn’t stop his brain from tempting him with more blood-heating thoughts.
As though sensing something, she squeezed his hand and smiled at him. Holy Magnolias, he hadn’t been looked at like that in a long, long time.
“Daddy?” Kayla pulled on his shirtsleeve, drawing his attention to her elfin face. Even in his most tired, ragged moments, he never regretted Kayla. Even now, when his thoughts were throwing him into critical meltdown.
She gave another tug. "Daddy?"
Reluctantly, he released his hold on Destiny and stooped so he could hear Kayla over the whine of engines. "Yes?"
"She's terrific!"
"Who, the lady pilot or Destiny?" he teased.
"Destiny!" A flash of a smile, then a frown. He knew a serious question was coming when she leaned close to his ear. "Are you going to ask her to marry you?"
Cole blinked in surprise, although why he should be surprised was a mystery. After all, the Ouija board had spoken, and when he'd told Kayla about this date, she'd insisted Destiny was the one. How did one fight a magic Ouija board and the wishes of a six-year-old?
"I don't know, Pumpkin." He ruffled her hair, glad for the overwhelming noise that masked their conversation. "Why don't we wait and see?"
She smiled, accepting his non-answer. Relieved, he stood up, slipping an arm around Destiny's shoulder. He caught Kayla's hand at his other side, marveling at how right the three of them felt together. He didn't want the feeling to end.
By noon the wind had died down and the sun blazed like a furnace. "Have you had enough noise and airplane thrills for one day?" he murmured, leaning close to absorb more of Destiny's intoxicating aura.
Her quick nod and saucy glance said she was ready for a more intimate kind of excitement. Had she experienced the same sweet torture he'd felt this entire morning? They'd been so close, yet kept apart by the presence of the crowd – plus his own beloved daughter – who was way too bright and too observant for her own good.
Unswayed by Kayla's insistence that she wanted to see the whole thing, including closing ceremonies, they left the hot, dusty airfield and sought shelter in a shady park along the Truckee River. Cole retrieved an insulated cooler and well-worn blanket from the car. On his return, he smiled at the animated conversation between Destiny and Kayla. Destiny's dark eyes mirrored Kayla's, her expression thoughtful, her mouth curved upward as Kayla's words flowed in an unstoppable stream.
"...and Cindy's my best, best friend. Her mom, Sylvia, takes me to school a lot when Daddy's at work."
Destiny's mouth tightened the tiniest bit, making Cole wonder why as he spread the blanket. He'd ask later. "Okay, gang, let's eat!" A shimmer of pleasure filled Destiny’s eyes as he dropped down beside her.
He told himself to slow down. The scent of her perfume, or maybe it was just her, was downright dizzying. He began pulling things out of the cooler while thinking of that one tantalizing brush of his lips across hers.
Kayla sat across from him, organizing the pile of food he'd extracted. She looked at Destiny, adoration in her expression. "You want a banana or an apple?"
Destiny giggled. "A banana, thank you."
Cole caught her eye as she took the banana and began to peel i
t. "What's so funny?"
Her cheeks flamed, yet she laughed. "You figure it out!"
Eyeing the banana, Cole laughed too. Good God, they were acting like adolescents. Had he and Lanni ever acted this way? If they had, he couldn’t remember. It felt great to be foolish again, to laugh like this with Destiny. He hungered for that next kiss.
"Here's an apple, Daddy," Kayla said, tossing him a big golden delicious. Not quite what he wanted at the moment.
Destiny was smiling at him, a satisfied cat kind of smile. The apple slipped from his grasp and rolled to an interesting location beneath her denim-clad knee. Dry-mouthed, he silently acknowledged his taste for more than an apple, more than a simple kiss.
She cocked an eyebrow as she picked up the gleaming temptation, blew off the dirt and handed it back. "Another health nut, I see."
"Don't sound so surprised. I– "
Lost in her eyes, Cole forgot what he was going to say next. Only a short distance away, her full, sensual lips looked all-too-kissable. She swayed slightly forward.
"Daddy,” Kayla's voice iced the fever, “do you want a turkey sandwich or tuna?"
He shook himself. "Why don't we ask our guest first?"
Destiny hesitated. "Uh, turkey, thanks." She unwrapped the sandwich, took a bite and raised her eyebrows in approval. "You make a mean sandwich, Dr. Jackson."
A smile pulling at his lips, Cole gestured toward Kayla. "She's the master chef." Pride in his offspring, and remembrance of the fun they'd had making the sandwiches warmed him with parental love. Sometimes he just wanted to hug Kayla and hold on, keep everything the way it was at that instant, just the two of them. But then when he looked at Destiny...
As though sensing his mood shift from playful to serious, Destiny finished her lunch in silence, then lay back, gazing up at the clear blue sky, inhaling deeply, her chest rising and falling, peacefulness and relaxation reflected in her posture.
"Hey, Kayla, toss me another sandwich," he said, wishing it were a camera so he could take pictures, capture the drowsy, sultry look in Destiny's eyes so he could keep it forever. He wanted pictures of Kayla, too, smug and well-fed and gleeful. And of the three of them together.
Dance With Destiny Page 3