Montana Skies (You, Me and the Kids) (Harlequin Superromance, No 1395) (23 page)

“He led us out of the clearing the wrong way, and I was so tired I actually followed him.” She rolled her eyes. “Figures, huh?”

“Why'd he follow you? He try something?”

The tone in his voice had her jerking her head up to stare at him. “Why do you care?”

Marcus leaned a hand on the table beside her hip and stared at her. “Because even with your hair the wrong
color and scratches all over your face, I think most guys would want to kiss you.”

Meaning him?
Whoo-yeah!

“Then again, when they get hit with all that attitude—”

She elbowed him to shut him up, rolling her eyes again.

Marcus laughed softly and captured her arm, held on and tugged her closer. Skylar stared up at him, wishing more than ever she could change things. Wishing she hadn't done something so royally stupid because she couldn't take it back. Couldn't fix it.

“What's wrong? You okay?”

Suddenly fighting tears, she shook her head and closed her eyes.

“Hey, tell me.” He lifted his other hand and wiped a tear from her cheek. “It's okay now, you're here remember?”

“It's not that.”

“Then what? Something's bothering you.”

She sniffled. How could she explain? “It's just…I can't stop thinking about something… Something I need to tell my mom but…when she finds out she's going to lose it. I screwed up so bad.”

“With Brandon?”

She glared at him. “
Forget
Brandon. No, it's— Did you ever do something really stupid—really wrong—and then wish you could take it back, but you can't because it's too late?”

“Yeah. Did he kiss you?”

“Yeah, he did. Can we move on?”

“Did you like it?”

“No. What did you do?”

He nodded once, as if her not liking Brandon's kiss was a good thing. “A long time ago, I was mad at my
parents for going on a trip without me. I was just a kid and it was their anniversary, but I didn't care. When they dropped me off at Granddad's, I wouldn't say goodbye or hug them or anything. It made my mom cry because it was the first time they'd left me anywhere.”

“But you said you were just a kid. Did she stay mad for long?”

Marcus reached over and fingered one of her bandaged hands. “No, she hugged me anyway and said she loved me, but I wouldn't say it back. Then on the way my dad stopped for gas and my mom went in to pay. Some guy decided to hold the place up. When my dad heard the screaming and the shots, he ran in after my mom. They died together…. And I didn't tell them goodbye when I had the chance.”

She couldn't breathe. He'd lost
both
his parents? At once? She and her mom fought a lot but she—she didn't know what she'd have done without her this past year. “I'm sorry.”

He nodded, his expression sad. “What about you? What can't you tell your mom? It can't be that bad.”

She opened her mouth but quickly shut it. Marcus would never look at her the same if she told him. Her hesitation registered because Marcus stiffened.

“Fine, be that—”

“Wait.” Marcus started to stand and she stopped him, her hands on his thigh. “I want to tell you but… Please don't be mad. I just
can't
.” She closed her eyes and hated the stupid tears because she couldn't seem to stop crying now that she'd started in the woods. “Please, Marcus, try to understand. It's…my mom won't understand and neither will you. Nobody will.” She lowered her head. “I don't want either of you to…to hate me.”

“You make it sound bad.”

It took everything in her to raise her head and look him in the eyes. “It is.”

Marcus stared at her a long time, his gaze searching hers until she couldn't stand to look at him anymore because she was afraid he'd be able to tell, to see, the truth.

“Then will you please tell your mom? Or Grace? You've got to tell someone and let them help you.”

He didn't know what he was asking. In the woods she'd decided to tell her mom the truth, but now…

“I think you should. Your mom is cool. She looked down the barrel of my grandfather's rifle and didn't even flinch. That woman can handle anything you throw at her.”

“Seriously?”

He nodded, smiling a little. “She was desperate to find you and nothing was going to stop her. Because she loves you. Skylar, she can handle it.”

“What if you—I mean, what if she…hates me?”

“We couldn't.”

A wave of tears hit her again. Did he mean it?

He leaned closer, his smile fading. “Close your eyes.”

Feeling silly, she did—and felt his lips brush her cheek.

Against her skin, he said, “Lexi says that teardrop you painted right here is symbolic—and so is this.”

She blinked up at him. “Meaning?”

He shrugged. “Maybe if you quit giving your mom a hard time and decide to hang around until you're older…you'll find out.”

 

I
T WAS ALMOST
five o'clock that evening before Rissa flew Mr. Paxton back to the ranch to rest while Brandon slept off his pain meds. Broken in two places, he'd spent an hour and a half in surgery and now sported a thigh-
high cast. Both girls had refused treatment so Rissa had yet to do more than give Skylar a hug at the clearing.

Jonas had also stayed behind, his hands full since the press had picked up the story and surrounded the Second Chance looking for a headline. She set down not far from the cabins and watched his cruiser speed up the drive, but while she wanted to wait on him, she got carried along on the wave of well-wishers and employees into the dining room, a glass was pressed into her hand.

“To our heroine!” Mr. Paxton called, garnering even more cheers from those around her.

“And to everyone who pitched in to find them before I got there,” she added, not wanting the remaining ground searchers mingling with Paxton's people to feel slighted.

The door opened and Rissa saw Jonas enter the dining room. He shook hands with several people before their gazes locked and held. Rissa smiled, hoping he could read her thoughts, feel her love.

“Thanks to you all!” Mr. Paxton raised his glass in a salute. “But most especially to Rissa for her skills today. The doctors said irreparable damage could've occurred if Brandon hadn't made it to the hospital so quickly. And as a much deserved reward, I've made Rissa a very generous offer to be my company's pilot and asked her to come join us in California. I hope you'll all help me convince her to take the job. You can't hide someone's true talent, and she proved that today, did she not?”

Cheers abounded, but Rissa ignored them. She'd wanted to tell Jonas about the offer herself, before he heard it like this. Jonas's expression darkened, and without a word to anyone, he turned around and headed toward the door, tugging Carly behind him.

Rissa set her drink aside and hurried after him, but the
crush of people made it difficult. “Jonas?” She got outside just as Jonas opened the cruiser's door. “Jonas, wait!”

“Dad, why are we leaving?”

“Get in the car.”

“Jonas!” She ran to catch up with him. “Where are you going? We need to talk.”

“Take the job.”

Rissa tripped to a stop.
“What?”

Jonas swung around and cupped her face with his hands, his gaze dark, turbulent. Bleak. “Take the job,” he repeated firmly, staring at her like he'd never seen her before. “I can't compete, Rissa. You're glowing, and not because of us. Because you were
flying
again.” He dropped his hands and turned away with a curse. “Take the job. I can't give you what Mr. California in there can, and I'll never be able to.”

“Have I asked you to?” she demanded, breathless with pain.

“You'll be miserable if you stay here knowing you could be back up in the air!”

“I'll find a job here.”

“When? What if it takes a year?
Five
years? I won't be blamed for causing another woman to grow so embittered and resentful of being here with me that she takes off anyway. I'm giving you your freedom, Rissa.
Take it.
”

“Jonas, I'd never—”

“You wouldn't be able to help it, but I won't be left behind again. Rissa…take the job.” Jonas slid behind the wheel, ignoring the fact she stood there dazed, shocked at how things had changed within a matter of minutes. She couldn't move, couldn't speak. Her heart slammed against her chest, breaking with every beat.

Rissa watched Jonas drive away, Carly's pale face
staring at her from the passenger seat. She watched him pick up speed until the only thing left of their presence was the dust coating the air.

“Where's Jonas going?” Maura asked when she walked up behind her. “Isn't he staying for the cele— Rissa, what happened?”

“Mom?”

A strained laugh betrayed the thread of hysteria she barely kept in check. First the kids, the day, now this?

“Skylar, go get your mom something to drink, okay? Something sugary.”

“He told me to take the job.”

Maura wrapped her arm around Rissa's shoulders and led her away from the dining hall, prodding her clumsy steps on until they reached Seth and Grace's back porch. “Sit down and tell me what happened.”

“I don't know! He—he said he wouldn't be left behind again, but he could give me freedom and— What kind of crap is that?” Tears battled with anger. Fear. He loved her, she knew he did, but—

“Ex-wife crap,” Maura murmured suddenly. “Jake and Jonas are fairly good friends because they attended high school together, and Carly's mom was from here, too. Jake said she blamed Jonas for forcing her to come back here, and that she never stopped talking about leaving and going somewhere bigger and better, even after Carly was born and Jonas became a deputy. Then one day she up and did.”

Oh, poor Jonas. Poor
Carly
. No wonder neither of them liked to talk about her. She'd gotten more information from Marilyn the night of the ballet than she had from either Jonas or Carly. “And now he thinks I'm her?”

“Rissa, you're hurting right now, but open your eyes.
He's
afraid,
” Maura said soothingly. “The thing about not getting left behind should tell you that. He left you before you could leave him. Give Jonas some time to calm down and come to his senses. He'll come back.”

“What if he doesn't?” A choked laugh escaped her. “All I wanted was a job that put me back in the air. But then I figured out it wouldn't be the same if it meant leaving Jonas so I go and tell the man I love him—and he
leaves?
”

Maura lowered herself to sit on a step, but stopped when something crinkled. Her worried expression brightened as she reached into the pocket of her denim jumper, retrieving an envelope from the folds. “Then how about you go after what
you
want and let him know without a doubt that it's him? I have a feeling this might help.” Maura handed her the envelope with a smile. “It came by special courier yesterday evening, but with everything that's happened…”

Rissa stared at the address in the corner. Talk about timing. She slid a shaking finger beneath the sealed edge. Inside was a letter of notification. The life insurance money, all two million dollars worth, had been electronically deposited into her account. “I don't believe it.”

“Is that what I think it is?”

“Yeah.” Only now the joy wasn't there. Every ounce of it had been sucked away.

“Makes that decision about leaving a little easier, doesn't it?”

“I'm
not
leaving!” Skylar declared from a few feet away, her bandaged hands awkwardly holding a soda can and a plastic cup. “Mom?”

Rissa couldn't get her brain to work. All she could do was look at Skylar's beautiful blue eyes, stare at her
beautiful face. Her
clean
face. This was it. This was what she'd waited for, prayed for. Now she could afford to get Skylar back into counseling. Pay off her debts.
Live anywhere they wanted to live.

“Why do you want to leave? I thought we were staying the summer? What about you and Jonas? What about Carly?”

What about them? She wanted to track Jonas down and rail at him for making her fall in love with him. Instead she sat there, numb, overwhelmed, wanting more than anything to go somewhere quiet to curl up and lick her wounds. How dare he order her away?

“You like it here?” Maura asked, giving Rissa a worried glance when she remained silent. “Enough to want to live here permanently?”

“Maybe.” Skylar searched her face. “Mom, if this is about Jonas and me… He's okay. When we were up in the mountains he didn't blame me for what happened or anything, not like the other times. I thought you, I don't know, I thought you liked him?”

“I'll leave you two to talk,” Maura said quietly. “Rissa, come find me if you need me.”

Skylar walked over and sat down, laying the cup and soda beside her on the step. “Are you okay?”

Rissa squared her shoulders. “Yes, I am,” she said with more conviction than she felt. “How are your hands? Grace told me you'd cut them.”

“The stuff she put on them made them stop stinging. Are you sure you're okay? You look…sick.”

She felt it, too. “Sky, I meant what I said. You aren't responsible for taking care of me.”

“Yeah, but…tell me what happened.”

Fresh tears stung her eyes at Skylar's concern and she
determinedly blinked them away. “I…do like Jonas, but he told me to take the job.”

“Oh.”

“But, whether or not I do,” she said, trying to sound okay with it, “is up to us. I don't want you worrying about this. Especially not after the day you've had.”