Heartstealer (Women of Character3

by Brannigan, Grace

  James smiled. "You've got to admit this is a great publicity slogan, 'People will try anything to get to Timber Falls.'"

  "The jury's still out on that one," he muttered.

  "So what about Jacie?"

  Sloan carefully moved a crystal paperweight around on the desktop. Abandoning that, he stood and shoved his hands into damp pockets.

  Mildly, James said, "She seems like a nice girl. Look how accommodating she's been, doing that jump and the lessons in exchange for time here."

  "I’m still waiting to see how the lessons will go over."

  "Look at the list." James pushed a paper across the desktop toward him. "We've filled all the slots for the skydiving lessons. I even had to give my spot to someone. I've already gotten positive feedback from the first ground lesson she gave this morning."

  "If this company is in such demand, why is she out here in the middle of what's probably their busiest season? She didn’t even know it was Honeymooner’s month."

  "That was probably just an oversight. She’s here to do a job so why should it matter to her? Maybe she needs a vacation. Why don't you ask her?"

  "Maybe I will."

  James narrowed his eyes. "Is there something more personal going on? You look like you’re pretty worked up."

  In his mind's eye Sloan saw Jacie when he'd pulled her from the pool. He had thought she was hurt or worse. He didn't want to think about what could have happened if she’d been hit on the head.

  "I'm not getting worked up," he said impatiently.

  James laughed. "Okay, whatever. I'll look the other way if you want to date a guest." James gave him a grin. "Sorry, I couldn’t help throwing that in there. You’ve got to admit Jacie's a far cry from the women you usually see. She’s probably a shock to your system."

  "What does that mean?"

  "Come on, you stick to the stay-home types, not that there's anything wrong with that, but Jacie seems like a woman who can put excitement in a man's life. She’s out there. She's like a fresh breeze."

  Sloan released an exasperated breath. "Tornado―more likely. I wonder how Dotty would feel hearing you say that."

  James smiled, unperturbed. "My wife knows me . . . and you're trying to change the subject."

  "Jacie was swimming at the big waterfall."

  "This is a ranch resort, people swim."

  "A piece of ledge came loose and hit her. She’s lucky it glanced off her arm. It could have been really bad if it hit her head," he said bluntly.

  James looked alarmed. "Is she all right?"

  Sloan sat down and rocked the front legs of his chair off the floor. "Yes. I was out looking for those strays. When I rode by the waterfall she was in the water and had gone under. I pulled her out. She's got a scratch and some swelling on her arm. Michelle took her over to First Aid to have it looked at. As I said, she was lucky."

  "So that's why you're wet. We better have Donny check the top of the falls to make sure there’s no more loose stone."

  "Maybe we shouldn't let people swim there."

  "Come on, Sloan, it's a freak thing. We swam there as kids. I don’t ever remember anything like that happening. It's a beautiful falls, you won't be able to keep people away from there."

  "Well, we may have a real problem on our hands. I checked the top of the falls after Jacie left. I might be crazy but it looked like stone had been pried loose."

  "Are you saying someone deliberately tried to hurt her?"

  "I don’t know if it was against Jacie or just general mischief."

  "Come on Sloan, for what purpose?"

  "If I knew that I’d give you an answer. All I’m telling you is it looked like someone dug a stone out."

  "Maybe I should talk to her," James said with concern. "Is she upset?"

  Sloan snorted. "Hell, no. I don't think much rattles her." The kiss they’d shared hadn’t rattled her. He recalled last night at her cabin and what he had inadvertently seen. Long, slim legs, a smooth line of buttock, tantalizing curves. She must know he had seen her though not on purpose. He wasn’t a damned peeping tom. Determinedly, he shook the images from his head. "I've got a load of work to do, I can't be worrying about the guests." He didn't want to be sidetracked.

  "If it makes you feel better, I'll keep an eye on her," James offered.

  Sloan stood, his chair legs dropping sharply to the floor. He slapped his sodden hat against his leg. "You've got enough with your own family and running this place," he said abruptly. "I’ll keep an eye on her to make sure she stays out of mischief." He’d find the time. They couldn’t afford to have anyone get hurt. "I just hope she’s not an accident waiting to happen."

  "Come on, Sloan. It’s got to be a freak thing. I’ll talk to her about being careful when she’s off on her own. I don’t want to scare her away."

  "She’s going to be bored here."

  "You're not giving her a chance."

  With a self-deprecating grimace, Sloan shrugged. "You're right. I have no clue what motivates her." And he wasn't going to find out. "It doesn't matter anyway. She'll be gone in a month."

  He had a feeling it was going to be a long month.

  § Chapter Four §

  After her ground lessons the following morning, Jacie walked toward the stables, thinking of the phone call she had received earlier from Bonnie. It had filled her with concern and then annoyance. Bonnie called her each day. After the accident, they had spent a lot of time together, but she wished Bonnie would stop talking about the accident and Brad. Both were in the past but Bonnie seemed convinced that since she’d first introduced her to Brad, she was in some way responsible for Jacie getting hurt.

  She had taken the job with Brad’s company on her own initiative. It had been bad luck.

  Walking around the white pole barn with its blue trimmed windows, she saw Sloan’s truck with a horse trailer behind it in the driveway.

  Renee, one of the ranch hands, a gangly blond teenager, was backing an incredibly tall horse down the trailer ramp. The horse was a gorgeous sable color, but for every two steps he’d cautiously take back, he’d take a small hop forward.

  Jacie stopped in the middle of the narrow track, not wanting to startle the already nervous animal.

  Renee had him almost backed down the ramp when the horse suddenly swung his hindquarters to the right and his back feet dropped off the ramp. The horse jerked his head with fright, pulling the lead line from Renee’s hand. The animal wheeled around and ran toward a fence where other horses were and then he spun and ran down the narrow track toward Jacie.

  Instinctively, she spread her arms wide. When he reached her he came to a sliding halt and reared. Jacie looked up at him in awe. When he came down she was close enough to grab the lead line. She held onto the line and spoke to him as she gently ran her hand along his shoulder.

  "I’ll take him," Sloan said, coming up behind her.

  Jacie turned toward him and saw the grimness of his face. "He’s okay," she said reassuringly.

  "You could have been hurt!" he snapped, taking the lead line from her.

  "I wasn’t."

  "Don’t ever stand in the path of a frightened horse again." He turned and led the horse back toward the barn, but his fierce eyes and angry expression stayed with her.

  Renee hurried over to her. "Thanks, Jacie. The boss is going to have my head on this one."

  "It’s not your fault the horse was frightened."

  "I was supposed to wait for Sloan, but I decided to get the horse out on my own. The boss doesn’t like anyone taking chances."

  "Well, no one got hurt," she said reassuringly. "Surely that counts for something."

  "I can hope. Now, can I help you with something?" Renee asked.

  "I wanted to go riding. Am I too late?"

  "Nope. I can get a horse saddled."

  "I saw a chestnut out in the corral yesterday when they were evaluating all of us as to riding skill. I think his name is Dandy. Do you think I'd be able to use him?"

 
; Renee twirled the ends of her hair, a look of uncertainty crossing her face. "Gee, I'd have to check with the boss."

  "If you’d rather, I can ask him."

  Renee grimaced. "No, I might as well face the music now. I’ll be right back."

  About ten minutes later Renee reappeared with the chestnut horse she had requested. From what she had seen of this animal, he would be a challenging ride.

  "The boss said you could use him."

  "Oh, great! When I saw him the other day, he looked like he'd be fun to ride."

  "He is. He's quick and smart but too much for a beginner." Renee tightened the saddle girth.

  "So I guess you’re still working here?" she asked the younger girl.

  Renee nodded. "Yeah. Sloan read me the riot act. You can be sure next time I’ll listen up."

  Jacie rubbed the horse's soft muzzle and led him from the barn. "You sound like my type, Dandy, quick and smart."

  "Jacie."

  She looked up and found Sloan walking toward her, leading his horse behind him. "I apologize for snapping at you. I thought the horse was going to hurt you."

  "As I said to Renee, it came out all right."

  "Still, next time don’t take chances. If you'd like some company, we could ride together," he said as he climbed into the saddle.

  She felt a shivery vibration at the back of her neck and slowly nodded her head in agreement. "Sounds like a good idea. It’ll be fun to have a guided tour." She certainly would like to learn more about him.

  They rode to the steel gate fence that led the way to the open pasture. Sloan maneuvered his horse's hindquarters away from the gate, opened it for both of them, then closed and refastened it. His horse moved up against hers. "It’s obvious you've been around horses some," he remarked conversationally. "You're a good rider from what I saw yesterday."

  "Thanks," she said nonchalantly. Indicating her horse, she added, "This guy here looks pretty athletic."

  "He's fast and sometimes unpredictable," he cautioned.

  She lifted a brow. "That's the best part. I look for unpredictability in all my males."

  He let out a laugh, as if she had caught him by surprise. Still smiling, he removed his hat and ran a hand through his hair. "You have an answer for everything, don't you?"

  "I try. So tell me about this horse."

  "We use him sometimes in gymkhana games. He's got stamina, and he can take some rough play."

  Stamina, a word with its own connotations. "All the better," she said huskily. With an inward groan, she wished his words didn't have such an erotic effect on her body. She knew the moment his glance fell to her tight T-shirt with ‘skydivers do it in the air’ written prominently in red across the front. She was very conscious she hadn't worn a bra. She cursed the heat that moved into her cheeks. It was ridiculous. She had worn this shirt countless times without thinking about it.

  He shoved his hat down on his head and looked up the trail. "Not everybody can ride him," he muttered, clearing his throat.

  "I'm honored you're letting me ride him then," she said with surprise.

  "You wouldn't be if I thought you couldn't handle him." He nudged his horse forward and then turned in the saddle to look back at her. "By the way, you haven't seen anyone around other than the other guests, have you?"

  "No, why?"

  "One of the stable hands, Donny, thought he spotted someone this morning hiking on the trails. It's not a problem, but if someone's on our land I like to have them sign in at the office. From time to time hikers have gotten lost. It creates a problem because then we have to go and find them."

  "I haven't seen anyone around. If I do I'll let you know. Where are we going to ride? I have about two hours before my next ground lesson."

  "Follow me," he invited as he urged his horse into a trot. "If you think you're up to it."

  She pressed her heels into her horse's sides and felt his quick leap forward. "That sounds like a challenge. I'm always up for a new adventure." She caught up with him easily as she was sure he intended.

  The glance he gave her was hard to read. "I figured as much," he said. "After seeing you stop that horse, I’ve come to the conclusion you like to leap in with both feet."

  She shrugged, sensing a deeper meaning behind the question. "What have I got to lose? If you don't try new experiences, you get stuck in the same rut, afraid of change." She chewed the inside of her cheek. "Everybody needs change." No matter how scary, but she didn't add that. She gave him a sly glance instead. "Even you might need a change. Think of the new dimensions you could add to your life by learning how to skydive. I could be your personal trainer."

  He kept his horse at a brisk trot, but she had no trouble hearing what he said. "I think James has given you the wrong impression. My refusal to skydive isn't because I'm afraid. I appreciate your offer, but I've no interest in it."

  "James said you jump off horses. I don’t think I’d want to do that."

  "That’s different. Sometimes it’s necessary when you’re rounding up cattle, you have to get off in a hurry. It makes no sense to me to jump out of a plane. There’s no real purpose."

  "I suppose I could take that personally and feel insulted," she came back, amused. "But I'll overlook that little comment since you’re taking me on a ride. Tell me, does everything you do have to make sense?"

  He gave her a surprised glance before turning his attention back to the trail. "Usually."

  "Don’t you ever act on impulse?" she asked incredulously.

  "Nope."

  Jacie thought of the kiss they’d shared yesterday. "Hmm, well then, let me make some sense out of this business for you. Experienced skydivers are sometimes utilized in rescue missions where no one else can get in. Personally, I've been on two such assignments. The first one was scary, I'll admit that right off." She flipped back her hair, keeping her glance trained ahead. "But if my brother and I hadn't gone, a little girl might have died." It had been a touch and go situation, one she hadn’t been asked to repeat. But if called upon again, she knew she would do the same.

  "I appreciate what you're saying, Jacie, and I know there are times when such a profession would be very important, but I'm afraid it isn't going to make a difference. Most of the people here are doing this just for recreation . . . something new and exciting in their lives." As he pulled his horse to a standstill, she saw the tensing of his jaw. "Can you tell me there isn’t some threat of death, no matter how small, involved in each jump?"

  "Of course there’s always that possibility, but that threat can lie anywhere," she came back. "I could get off this horse, fall, and land on my head on that rock over there."

  His look was tolerant. "You’re beating a dead horse if you think you’ll change my mind."

  "Anything’s possible," she said, undaunted. "Why don't you tell me why you're set against skydiving? My family has always made a pretty good living at it. I just moved into it naturally but I’m not going to say I don’t like it."

  "I have nothing against the business."

  "Then why?" she persisted.

  He threw her an exasperated glance and shook his head. "You don't let go, do you?"

  She shook her head. "Never." Silence fell between them, the only sound the metal clink of the horse's shoes on the stone ledge and the sigh of the wind through the trees. Jacie waited.

  "I once knew someone who'd take risks without thinking of the consequences. She needed almost continual change and her needs hurt the people who loved her the most."

  "You said that yesterday." She swallowed hard, feeling a tightening in her chest. "Was she an ex-wife?"

  "No." His face remained expressionless, yet she sensed a deep vibration of emotion emanating from him.

  She drew in her breath and then plunged ahead. "And you got hurt," she said softly, knowing it was the truth. She wasn’t sure she really wanted to know. It was getting very personal, to say the least.

  He looked over at her with a set jaw, dark brows pulled together. "I wa
s too young to really know much about it. My family got hurt . . . my father."

  Her mouth opened in wonder. "Y-your father?"

  "It was my mother." He looked at the trail ahead of them, then his watch. "It's not skydiving in particular, she never attempted that . . . not that I know of, anyway. It's the whole idea of living life looking ahead to the next challenge, laughing at the idea of death."

  "I’ve looked death in the face but I didn’t laugh. Life would get pretty boring if there were no challenges."

  "Maybe." Her answer clearly had not pleased him. "I guess it all depends on the challenges you want. Now, if you're ready, we've got a demanding ride ahead. We're going to have to bushwhack our way through part of the trail."

  She tried to marshal her thoughts but she kept thinking of what he’d said about his mother. Judging by his expression, however, he wasn’t answering any more questions. She fought the temptation to probe, knowing it was time to back off.

  "That sounds interesting," she told him instead. "Lead on, Sloan, I'm ready."

  Sloan wasn't ready to move on. He was mulling over what Jacie had revealed to him about rescue missions. It put a slightly different perspective on the way he saw her. He realized his thinking about her up until now had been abstract and perhaps distorted. He didn't usually make presumptions about people, but in this case he had. Was he allowing his experience with his mother to color his perception of Jacie? She saw no problem risking her life and jumping out of a plane. She didn't see it in the same way he did. Jumping from a height of several thousand feet was crazy, no matter how you sliced it.

  He shook his head with wonder. Despite her somewhat cavalier attitude, he sensed there were deeper currents to her. He still couldn't believe he had brought up the topic of his mother. It wasn't something he had ever talked freely about. At least she’d had the sense not to ask him any more questions. He nudged his horse into a walk. Good. He didn’t need strangers knowing about his life. He should keep his thoughts to himself in the future. She was too quick on the pickup. He’d be giving her his entire life story if he wasn’t careful. She had a way of watching you with an intensity that made you want to spill your guts.