Heartstealer (Women of Character3 Page 7

  "Isn't that funny, you missed me so much you haven't called in―what―twelve, thirteen months?" She knew exactly how long it was and was instantly mad she’d said that. It made it sound like it mattered to her.

  "I did try to get in touch with you, Jacie. Your family blocked me every time. I've been working and I've really missed you―"

  "How did you find me?" she demanded. She sat up and perched tensely on the edge of the lounger. She willed herself to stay calm. "I’m not letting you twist me up in knots again."

  "I don't blame you for being furious, sweetheart, but give me a chance here. I’m trying to make amends. I got your number from Bonnie, she's worried about you."

  Bonnie! "I'll remind myself to tell her to get lost," she muttered. If that was true she’d tell Bonnie more than that, but Brad could be lying too.

  "Hey, don't say that, she's only got your best interests at heart."

  "What do you want?"

  "I don't want anything. I called to say I miss you. It's like you dropped off the face of the earth. No one has seen you. I heard you weren’t working. I called Con."

  "You called my brother?" she asked in disbelief. Her brother had never made a secret of his dislike of Brad.

  "I was desperate. I couldn't find you, short of hiring a detective."

  "Maybe that should have told you something," she said dryly. "It should have clicked that I didn’t want you to find me."

  "Well, I didn't get anything out of your brother. He was downright hostile, threatened to call the cops if I bothered you. Did anybody even tell you I've called? I tried to reach you because the insurance company needed information. I contacted them on your behalf, you know, to make sure they settled the case for you."

  She stiffened. "You must've really pulled strings to get them to settle so fast."

  "You don't know how responsible I feel. I would never have let you do that jump if I’d known the outcome."

  "I don't have amnesia," she said skeptically. "I remember the time you came to the hospital in Venezuela."

  "I was on sedatives. I was a wreck. I couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep." He sounded convincing. "I still care about you."

  Jacie stiffened. She had never told her family why she and Brad ended their relationship. Emotionally, she had felt humiliated. How do you tell anyone the man you cared about left you high and dry in a foreign country? She had fractured a leg, broken an arm. He couldn’t handle the scars on her body.

  "It’s been a long road for me but I’ve recovered." Despite her intelligence, emotionally she felt scarred. She had miscalculated big time.

  "Nobody was saying anything except Bonnie."

  She exhaled slowly, counting to four. Bonnie again. "So what's the point of this conversation?"

  "Well, how about we get together? I know I hurt you, and I'm sorry. I'm not trying to excuse what happened, it was just the surprise―the shock."

  "For everyone," she said sarcastically. It was her body that had been hurt, not his.

  "Come on, let me make it up to you."

  He had a hide like elephant leather. Rejection meant nothing to him. The word no represented a challenge. How had she ever thought she liked this guy? How could she have been so blind? She couldn’t help but compare him to Sloan.

  She made herself laugh and her throat felt like sandpaper. "I’m seeing someone else, so I don’t want to pick up where we left off. I'm not hurt either. I never was. You see Brad, you have to care to be hurt."

  His voice dropped to that deep timbre she used to find irresistible. "Don't be like this, Jacie, remember how it was. We really had something. You’re on the rebound with this guy. I haven't been able to concentrate, do anything, you're always on my mind."

  "You said you've been working." She said dryly. "I know you wrapped up the Angel Falls movie. It was in the theaters. I presume you've moved on to other lucrative projects?"

  Silence.

  "You had time to get the movie out." Her voice rose. "It was a big box office hit."

  "Come on, please understand. It was business, I was under pressure, you know how badly those sharks wanted their money. I had borrowed too heavily―I had no choice but to get it out there as soon as I could. It killed me to have to do it―I knew you’d be hurting." He paused, as if waiting for her response. "So―can I drop by?" His voice sounded hopeful.

  She took great delight in squashing that hope. "Sorry, I'm working."

  "Working? Bonnie said―"

  She tensed. "What?"

  "Only that you needed a break."

  "It is a break, a self-imposed break, but I'm also working. I'm not in the middle of a nervous breakdown."

  "Do you mean you're skydiving again, doing aerial stunts?"

  She gritted her teeth at the note of incredulity in his voice. "You know what? I have to go. There’s another call coming in." The lied rolled off her tongue like silk unfolding.

  "Jacie." He sounded urgent. "Don't hang up. I really need to see you, at least so I can apologize and get this off my chest―"

  "I don't think that's a good idea." Gently, she touched the end call button, breaking the connection. "Because you see," she muttered, "I’m working on my screwed-up life and it doesn’t include you."

  "Bad timing?" a voice asked behind her.

  Unnerved, she twisted around, half rising from her chair. Sloan was at the edge of her deck. She sank back down. "I-I didn't hear you . . .." She darted him a glance, wondering what he might have heard.

  He stood with one foot resting on the bottom step of the stairs, his hat balanced on one knee. "I can come back later," he offered.

  "No, no, it was just a phone call from a . . . er . . . no one important." There was an awkward silence. She wondered if he believed her, then supposed it didn't really matter.

  "An old boyfriend?"

  She was going to deny that, but ended up nodding. "Yes."

  "You’re giving him the brush off and he doesn’t get it?"

  "Something like that. Is there something I can do for you?" she asked briskly. She felt uncomfortable discussing Brad with this man.

  He held up a blue hair band. "I came to return this. It was caught on the bed of the wagon."

  "Oh, thanks. I've got loads of those."

  "Also, I told James I'd see if you wanted to ride into town tomorrow after your lessons. He's driving some of the other guests to check out local points of interest."

  She gestured vaguely at the mountains behind them. "Sounds like fun, but I thought maybe I'd go for a hike to see North and South Lake in Haines Falls," she replied distractedly. The call had unsettled her, dredging up old wounds best left undisturbed. Brad hadn’t changed. He was still selfish.

  "It's a nice hike," he conceded. "Depending on how you want to do it on foot or horseback. In fact, there's a trail not many people know about . . . you can see both lakes from a vantage point on the ledges."

  She shrugged off-handedly. "I haven't formulated any plans. I have a brochure about the area's history. Sounds like it used to be quite an attraction."

  "It was. There were a lot of famous hotels."

  "Here's the hiking map I was looking at." She leaned forward and pulled it out of the bundle of papers beside her. She handed it to him, pulling her swimming suit strap up as it slid down her arm. "It looks like I can hike to some of the old hotels."

  He tapped the map with a finger. "There's another falls here."

  She gave him an interested look. "I definitely have to see that. I’m a history buff, you know and I love taking pictures. I’ve even had some of them published."

  "Then you’ve come to the right area. Actually, the falls is a double falls. We do overnight trips into the area."

  She stood and pulled on an oversized shirt. Walking to the deck railing, she pulled her hair from beneath the shirt collar, her movements mechanical as she drank in the view. Haze hovered over the river far below, cloaking the valley in shadow. Dropping her chin she deliberately took in the ravine below and gripp
ed the rail tightly. "I’ve never seen fog move in like here. It almost slithers across the ground," she mused.

  "It could be sunny one minute and shrouded in fog the next. We have a saying around here," he said. "If you don’t like the weather, wait a minute.’"

  Sloan studied Jacie as she stood at the rail. He knew he was crazy to have come here. After their kiss he hadn’t been able to get her out of his mind. She possessed uncommon grace, from slender bare feet to shining head, the sun glinting off reddish highlights. She fairly shimmered with life, yet right now a certain untouched quality about her drew him. It hadn't been urgent that he come and see her; in fact, James had been on his way over when he had waylaid him.

  She intrigued him, there was no getting around it. She looked perfect with the river as a backdrop, long silky hair curling on her shoulders. His fingers itched to tangle in those reddish strands, remembering their warm silkiness, the feel of her lips moving beneath his.

  Something inside him tightened, warning of his dangerous preoccupation. Fleetingly, he wondered if he was about to repeat a past mistake. She was a woman who seemed to enjoy what the world offered. Timber Falls, as beautiful as it was, was not the place to keep a woman like her happy. She was used to roaming the world.

  As she turned from the deck rail she raised her face to the sky and smiled. He marveled at her apparent lack of self-consciousness. She suddenly swayed sideways. He stepped forward. "Jacie."

  She blinked at him and her head bobbed.

  He moved in close to her. "Here . . . sit down." Alarmed by her white face, he put an arm around her waist. She just stood there staring at him as if puzzled. He lifted her effortlessly. Surprisingly, she snuggled her head against his shoulder. He couldn't help but inhale her scent. Rose scented shampoo.

  Gently, he set her in the lounge chair and she drew a deep, unsteady breath as she lifted a hand to her head. "Sorry, it's the ravine I guess. I got a bit dizzy."

  "Is there something I can get you? Maybe I should call in a doctor."

  "No. Heights," she murmured, tossing him a smile. "They bother me, seems I have no head for them."

  Puzzled, he went perfectly still.

  Her gaze suddenly sharpened. She gave him a quick glance and grimaced. "Oops . . . forget I said that, okay?"

  "No head for heights? You skydived into Timber Falls. What game are you playing?" he demanded.

  She pulled herself further up in the chair and clutched the shirt around her. "It's my job, my livelihood." Her voice bordered on the defensive.

  "How can you do it if you have a problem with heights?" he asked impatiently. He shook his head. How could he understand this complex woman?

  "Listen, it's related to the accident I had last year. The more I do the jumps the easier it gets. Eventually, it will fade."

  "Is that a doctor's prognosis . . . like Dr. Jacie?" he asked sarcastically. He moved away to sit on the deck rail. "Is this the same accident where you hurt your leg?"

  "Yes, but I really don't want to talk about it."

  Her hands gripped the chair’s armrests. He wanted to know about her accident. Maybe he could understand what was going on. Was it safe for her to continue to skydive? "Take it easy, Jacie, you're as pale as a ghost."

  "I'm fine." She sat forward and hurriedly rushed into speech. "So tell me, have you always lived here?" She fiddled with the chair arm and avoided looking at him.

  He frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. "You’re real good at evading answers when you set your mind to it. Yes, I've lived in these parts most of my life."

  "Most of it?" the question came out quickly, nervously, he thought.

  "I left for a while."

  She looked at him in surprise. "You left? Did you want to explore new horizons?"

  He shrugged. "I was young, just out of college. I thought it was what I wanted." It was what he had wanted at that time in his life.

  "Where did you go?"

  "Here and there. I lived in Philadelphia for a time, then moved to New York City for eight years. I was a sugar broker."

  She made no attempt to contain her amazement. "You were one of those type-A personalities, buying and selling..." she shook her head. "I can't believe it."

  "I wised up."

  "And you came back."

  He looked out over the vastness of the mountains. "I guess I’ve always known this is where I belonged, even though I fought it for a time. There's something about these mountains. It's in your blood. They call you back, sooner or later."

  "I can understand, just being here this short time," she admitted quietly. "Whether you choose to believe it or not," she added.

  "It gets a lot of people. They come to the mountains and never leave."

  "They are exquisite, if I can use such an inadequate word, though it must be wicked when the snow flies."

  "We manage," he told her dryly.

  "I bet you always manage," she quipped, tossing him a grin.

  He couldn't help but smile. This was the Jacie he expected to see. He pushed away from the rail and took a step toward her. "How about you, Jacie? You strike me as a survivor. Tell me about this fear of heights and the accident."

  Before she could reply his brother walked around the corner of the cabin and called, "Hi, Jacie, Sloan." James stepped up on the deck and ran his eyes over Jacie appreciatively, "You look nice and cool. I hope you're enjoying your stay with us."

  She shaded her eyes, looking at him and then his brother. Sloan wondered if she were making comparisons between he and James. James was easygoing, he was not. He moved across the deck and toward the stairs, knowing the answers he wanted would have to wait.

  "I love it here, although I was just telling Sloan I can't imagine these mountains when the snow comes."

  James laughed. "Sometimes we get snowed in but there’s all kinds of possibilities, depending who you get stranded with."

  She gave a husky laugh, and the sound rippled all the way through Sloan. What would it be like to be stranded in a snowstorm with Jacie? Images rose to his mind, entwined limbs and hushed voices. There was no doubt in his mind it would be interesting and thoroughly fulfilling.

  "Actually, Sloan, I need to talk with you." James’ voice snapped Jacie back to full awareness. How could she be daydreaming in broad daylight? She had had the most erotic thoughts about Sloan. What was the matter with her?

  "Mom and Dad will be arriving in a few days," James said. "I want to set up some arrangements and I need your input."

  "I was just heading back to the office," Sloan said. He turned back to her. "Are you going to be okay?"

  "Of course," she told him.

  "Are you ill?" James asked with concern.

  "No, just a momentary dizziness. It’s passed," she reassured him.

  "Let us know if you’re interested in the overnight in two days," Sloan reminded her as he stepped off the deck.

  "Sure." As if she hadn't just had the air knocked out of her, she waved gaily at him and James as they left. From what Sloan had said, she had assumed his mother was dead. James said she and their father were coming for a visit. She would get to meet the woman who had given birth to Sloan, the woman who had hurt him. She felt a strange mix of antipathy and curiosity.

  She picked up her hair band where Sloan had left it on the rail and stared out over the valley. The sun was almost completely down, the day nearly over. A soft sigh escaped her. Life sure took some strange turns. She looked to the heavens, staring at the rose and orange streaks placed there by nature. The sun rose and set, it remained constant. Why weren't people so predictable? Once this job was complete and she proved to herself she was as good as new, she would move on and leave Timber Falls. Leave Sloan, a man she felt more and more attracted to each time they met.

  § Chapter Six §

  Following dinner that evening Jacie sat at the lodge bar and nursed a tumbler of Schnapps. Lifting the glass slowly, she took a small sip, relishing the icy peppermint as it slid past her tongue and burne
d down her throat. She twirled the glass, watching MaryAnn and her husband sway on the small dance floor. Other couples sat at the tables. A slow, romantic song by Willie Nelson played on the jukebox.

  She half-closed her eyes, recalling another night. It had been spring, and she had just met Brad, a client from Bonnie's car rental company.

  She’d let him talk her into a date and then taken him to a honky-tonk bar to give him a taste of her favorite music. She ran a hand through her hair, staring up at the dark beams supporting the ceiling. Brad had not been interested in the slow, easy pace of country. He wanted rock and roll and city sights. In all fairness, she’d been right there beside him, keeping pace.

  "Jacie, can I get you another drink?" Michelle asked from behind the bar.

  Dragging herself out of the past, she glanced at the other girl. "I’m okay for now. By the way, how did you end up bartending?" she asked curiously.

  "I go wherever the boss needs me," Michelle said with a grin. "They were short-handed so I'm filling in. I'm hoping to get into college next year, so I'm saving every penny. Of course, it helps that Sloan and James are first cousins. They give me a lot of overtime."

  "You're a versatile woman, Michelle." The music ended and it became quiet. "This place is too quiet." She dropped her feet to the floor.

  "Leaving so soon?" Michelle asked.

  She gave Michelle a sly grin. "Nope. This place needs to be livened up, and I think I'm the person to do it."

  Michelle's eyes widened. "Go for it, Jacie. I'm right behind you."

  Jacie placed a ten-dollar bill on the bar. "First thing I need is some change for the juke box."

  Armed with quarters, Jacie walked over to the juke box, fed the quarters into the slot and picked out lively country tunes. Even if nobody else decided to dance, she would. Dancing was something she thoroughly enjoyed. Strolling back to her seat she stood with her back to the bar, tilted back her head and closed her eyes to better appreciate the music as she waited for it to begin playing.

  "Mind if I sit down?" Sloan.

  A flutter began in the hollow between her shoulders. She couldn't mistake that sexy-as-all-get-out voice.