Montana Skies (You, Me and the Kids) (Harlequin Superromance, No 1395) (21 page)

The good news was that the bath had calmed her and freed her thoughts. She forced herself to imagine leaving North Star, leaving Jonas and Carly behind. Multiple scenarios played out in her head, but in each and every one of them, the end was the same. She wanted more because she wanted what Maura had—balance. Balance and a life with Jonas.

A car drove up and pulled to a stop outside. More nervous than ever, Rissa smoothed her sweaty hands over the simple black sheath dress she wore. Sleeveless, it came to her ankles and had a slit up to her thigh.
For easy access.

Rissa blushed at the errant thought. Yeah, well, there was that, too. If things went well, if Jonas liked what she had to say… She couldn't go there yet. Not when her willingness to stay in North Star could very well send Jonas running for the hills. Who knew what his reaction would be?

It took everything Rissa had in her not to rush to the door and lock it tight. What if he only wanted temporary? What if he was
counting
on it being temporary? Her nerves faded a bit when she swung the door wide and his eyes revealed his appreciation of her appearance. A slow grin spread across Jonas's features. One she could get used to.

“You like?”

He whistled. “I like. What's the occasion?”

She stepped aside so he could come in. “Maura made us dinner and I—I thought we could eat and…talk.” She wished she didn't sound so anxious.

“I see. And the candles?”

“Do they bother you? I can blow them out.” She shut the door and moved to do that when Jonas caught her arm and pulled her gently toward him, his intent clear. Tilting her head, she parted her lips and wasn't disappointed when his mouth covered hers in a light, but heady kiss.

A combination of heat and dizziness swept through her. “Come on.” Her voice sounded throaty and not at all like her own. The last thing she wanted to do was push him away, but there were things that had to be said first. Important things.

“Where are we going?”

“First let's eat and then…we need to talk.”

T
HINGS HADN'T EXACTLY
gone as planned. Half an hour later the remnants of Maura's feast remained on the table and Rissa was in his arms. They swayed back and forth with the music and it was one of those moments when she wanted time to stand still. The feel of Jonas holding her, the strength and breadth of his shoulders and chest.

“Time for that talk yet?”

Unable to avoid it any longer, she reluctantly lifted her head from his shoulder.

“You've been nervous all night.” A muscle worked in his jaw, spasming because he had it clenched so tight. “Did you find a job somewhere? Did you do all this to tell me you're leaving?”

They stopped dancing. Rissa smoothed her hand up to his face and rubbed the lightly stubbled skin with her thumb. “No.” Was he relieved?

“Then what is it? Something has you tied up in knots.”

Apt description, she thought, swallowing again. “Actually, I—I've decided that maybe North Star isn't the end of the earth like I first believed.” She figured it was better to get it out before she chickened out. “Skylar has come a long way and is doing well and—and I have family here. I thought—I'm thinking,” she corrected, gasping for air when it seemed to be in short supply, “of
s-staying. But,” she said, holding up her hands when he opened his mouth to respond, “my doing so is no pressure on you at all.”

She turned away from him. “Really, Jonas, all I'm saying is it's a—a possibility and I'd like to know what you think. Get an opinion. B-but I want to make it clear I don't expect anything from you since we agreed to be friends.”

He swung her back around so fast it made her head spin. “What if I do?”

Her mind went blank. For a pilot who had to make snap decisions, she didn't seem to be all that capable at the moment. Not where he was concerned. “Huh?”

“What if I expect more from you? Want more?”

She blinked up at him, only then remembering she hadn't put on her sandals, which would have given her a bit more height and enabled her to look into his eyes without putting a crick in her neck. “Like what? If we're talking going public with a relationship, you'd—you'd have to get used to people commenting on Skylar's appearance. The psychologists said to let her come out of it on her own.”

“I've come to terms with that. I'll do my best to get along, Rissa. You'll just have to trust me on that.”

“You have? Oh.” Rissa bit her lips, afraid to hope. She pulled away and started pacing. “Okay, well, there's also Marilyn—”

“I think after last night we've both got a handle on her. You'd have no worries there, and I'd support you completely.”

“We'd also have to think about Carly. She's wonderful, but she might not like—”

“My daughter loves you and Skylar both,” he said
firmly, moving into her path so that she had to stop or run into him.

“Then there's Skylar.” She shook her head, unable to fathom her daughter's anger and dislike of Jonas. “I told her we wouldn't stay in North Star long, and it won't be easy trying to talk her into it.”

“Maybe if we came up with a good approach? A compromise? I don't know what—something.”

Rissa laughed softly at his inability to come up with anything that might appeal to Skylar. She hadn't had any luck, either. Relegating that to another time, Rissa resisted the urge to blurt out what she really wanted to say. “Well, then I guess that's…that's it.”

“Not by a long shot.”

His tone of voice forced her to lift her head and meet his gaze. Dread spiraled through her. “It's not?”

He shook his head. “What about flying? A job? Can you find one in Helena?”

“Maybe eventually, but not right now. I checked before moving out here, and they have my resume on file, but…there aren't openings or anything.”

“So until something changes, you're willingly grounding yourself?”

Did he look relieved again?

“I'm not giving it up completely, Jonas. Ever. I can't. Flying is in me, it's in my blood. Could you stop being a cop?”

He shook his head. “I'll just always worry—”

“That I might have an accident on the job?” she asked pointedly. “That worry goes both ways and is justifiable, but it doesn't change who we are at heart. While I've been here I've played the role of traditional woman with the jobs I've worked to make ends meet, but that's
not really me. You need to know that. If I can get back in the air, I will. The question is whether you can handle that on top of Skylar and everything else.”

“Everything else?”

She wet her lips. “If we stay… What I'm trying so hard to say right now is that…Jonas, if I stay, you have to know I'm staying because I love—”

“You.”

Rissa froze, afraid her mind played tricks on her.
Please, God, don't let it have been my imagination.
“What?”

Jonas closed the distance between them and pulled her into his arms. “I said, I love you.” He smiled down at her. “And I knew you weren't a traditional woman the moment I saw you crawl out from under your car.”

She didn't know what to do. Laugh, cry, scream? This was what she needed from him. These words, the look in his eyes. The one that told her she hadn't imagined anything.

Rissa surged up onto her tiptoes and kissed him, a no-holds-barred, you-can't-take-it-back kiss that left her breathless. Last night had been nice, but this, oh, this was what she'd dreamed of, what she'd needed to know before taking that final step. Skylar—she'd break the news to her somehow. Make her understand that things would be changing, but they were good changes.

The kiss went on. Their lips meshed, tongues entwined. Happiness and joy gave way to a hunger only Jonas could appease. “Mmmm, oh, no,” she mumbled against his lips.

“What?”

“The—the bed,” she said dazedly, knowing exactly how the night was going to end.

“What about it?” Jonas reluctantly pulled away to look around the impossibly small cabin. “Where
is
it?”

“I sleep on the couch—it folds out.” She smiled ruefully, breathless. “We needed to talk and—I didn't know if things would work out, or if you'd make a run for it when you heard we might stay and… I couldn't have you thinking I only wanted you for your body.”

His arms tightened around her, one hand drifting over her hip to grip the material of her long dress and pull it upward. Jonas held her gaze the entire time, watched her reaction with an all-male expression.

“Do you?”

When he had the material bunched at her waist, he pulled the dress over her head and dropped it to the floor.

“Yes.” She tugged him to her again, her lips nibbling at his. “I want your body. Your heart…your love. I want to be with you.”

He made quick work of her bra and panties, and stood there staring at her with such heat and love she knew no matter what the future brought with their daughters—with Skylar—they'd work it out.

“I'm, ah, feeling a little underdressed here.”

Smiling, he raised his hands in supplication, and Rissa set to work on his clothes, stripping him with fumbles and ten thumbs, and kisses she felt compelled to give. When his clothes were gone, Jonas lowered her down onto the couch, but before she could pull him closer, he stopped her with a murmur.

“You're sure, Rissa?” He raised a hand to her face, his thumb sliding gently over her lips. “Honey, I love you, but you have to be sure.”

He wasn't questioning their lovemaking, or her love for him. No, he questioned the sacrifices she and Skylar
would both have to make if they stayed here in the little Montana town.

Removing his hand from her face, she laced their fingers and nodded, raising their hands above her head to stretch full-length beneath him. “Until I can fly again…you'll just have to take me flying another way.”

Smiling, Jonas caught her mouth with his, his tongue sweeping inside. Careful to keep his full weight off her and ignoring her husky murmurs to join them, he stroked her. Her breasts and waist, the inner flesh of her thighs. He touched her, brought her need to a feverish level before he entered her in a long, smooth stroke.

“That's it. Sweetheart—”

Forehead to forehead, his body moving steadily in hers, the tension built, taking her higher and higher until—

“Jonas.”

“I love you, Rissa. That's it, honey—fly with me.”

 

S
KYLAR DIDN'T KNOW
he was there until he was almost right behind her. She jumped and turned, almost falling into the wide stream. “Are you following me?”

Brandon Paxton grinned. “I needed to stretch my legs. Besides, we haven't had any time alone at the ranch.”

“For what?” she asked bluntly.

Brandon stepped closer, his green eyes roaming over her jeans and black T-shirt. It was too hot to wear her concealing trench and she'd taken it off, but now she wished she had its bulk when his eyes fastened on her boobs and stayed.

“I like the tough-girl image.”

She rolled her eyes. “Get real. I'm not interested.”

“Sure about that?”

Before she knew what was happening, Brandon
swooped down and planted a big one right on her mouth. Skylar couldn't believe his balls and shoved him away, as hard as she could.

Time stood still for a moment. Brandon swung his arms like a windmill, slow motion, before he landed on his butt in the stream. Water soaked him up to his waist and gave him a good, cold shower, his expression priceless.

She laughed loud and hard, the sound echoing across the water. Seconds ticked by, and Brandon continued to look up at her, anger giving way to surprised disbelief and then…what kind of look was that?

“All you had to do was say no.”

That was all the warning she got before he slapped his hands against the water and sent it spraying all over her. Her clothes, her face, her hair.

Then he was the one laughing. “What's the matter? You one of those girls who can dish it out, but can't take it?”

Her mouth dropped at the challenge. “I wouldn't talk considering
you're
the one on his butt. Maybe you shouldn't consider yourself God's gift to females and give us lowly humans a chance to actually get the word out!”

They stared at each other and a split second later both hurled water toward the other like human water cannons.

“Skylar? Hey!
Hey!
What's going on?”

Skylar paused when Brandon did, both of them breathing heavily from a combination of laughter and exertion. Brandon raised an eyebrow in question, a grin creasing the dimple at the side of his mouth. Exchanging a smile, they turned at the same time and doused Carly.

The battle raged on a long time, and it wasn't until later that the three of them collapsed on the bank, soaking wet and tired.

Skylar groaned. “I can't believe you've never had a water fight before.”

“I can't believe you two ganged up on me.” Brandon rolled onto his side and propped his head on his hand, a blade of grass between his lips. “So what
do
you do here?”

“Nothing,” Skylar and Carly said together.

“Jinx.”

Skylar smiled, but didn't comment. After staying up late last night, watching the kids all morning, riding almost three hours and then the water fight, she was beat. She closed her eyes, glad they weren't stinging anymore. She'd lost her contacts in the stream, but it was time for her weekly change so it wasn't a big loss.

She settled herself more comfortably in the fading sunlight and sighed, aware of Brandon's presence since he'd come on so strong, but confident she'd gotten her point across. What an ass.

Seconds later she felt someone staring at her and blinked her eyes open, squinting a bit. “What?” she asked, meeting Carly's gaze as she pushed herself into a sitting position. Brandon sat up as well, and Skylar quickly glanced behind her to make sure they weren't about to get eaten by a bear or something. “What is it?” Everything was blurry.

“Skylar?”

“What?”

“Why do you wear the goop?” Brandon demanded suddenly. “When you're prettier without it?”

He gazed at her face, searching. Up close she could sort of see.

“And
blond?
” he continued, looking at her eyebrows. “Why do you dye your hair?”

Skylar quickly raised her hand to her face to shield
it and shoved herself to her feet with the other. Carly caught her arm before she could stand, and off balance, she fell on her butt. “Hey!”

Carly scooted closer, still holding on to her, and stared at her like she'd never seen her before.

“A friend of mine in L.A. did the Goth thing. She was really cute, too.”

“Why do you say it like that?” Carly asked suspiciously.

“Everybody thought she did it to be cool because it was in, but then she had a nervous breakdown and told people her stepdad and his brother had been raping her. She'd done it to get them not to like her.”

Skylar pulled her arm away from Carly and glared before turning her attention to Brandon. “Get real. You think I'd go down without a fight if somebody tried that? I took care of you, didn't I?”

Carly gasped. “You mean you tried to—”

“No way! I kissed her, that's all. And believe me, I won't try it again. Not unless she wants me to.”

Skylar snorted. “Do me a favor and hold your breath while you wait on that to happen, okay?”

“Why do you wear it?” Carly asked, insistent. “
Did
someone try something with you?”

“No! What's with all the questions? You wear makeup now and the whole reason why you wanted it was so you could—” She broke off just in time.

Carly's mouth dropped open in horror of what she'd almost said, but snapped shut after a leery glance at Brandon.