Daring the Pilot (Men of Marietta Book 3)

by Jeannie Moon

  Dad still drew all his designs by hand, eventually handing them over to be digitized by someone else. It may have been old fashioned, but her father’s work was the best around. He was booked solid for the next two years. It touched her that he’d found time to customize her office.

  Stepping out on the back stoop, Keely folded her arms across the porch rail and bent forward slightly. It was a gorgeous day to head up into the hills. And that she had such a pleasant companion was a bonus. She wondered if Jonah had heard her sigh.

  For his part, Jonah had eased his way out of the cab of his truck, and pressed his shoulder against the open door, smiling as the morning light flooded the pasture behind him. “Is your horse ready?”

  “Yep. She’s on cross ties in the aisle. I’ll go with you, and grab my saddle.”

  Stepping back in the house, she placed her favorite felt hat on her head, and kissed her father on the cheek. “I’ll see you later, Daddy.”

  “Be careful. I mean it.”

  There wasn’t anything for him to worry about, but she understood. Heading toward the barn, she took three deep breaths of the crystal-clear morning air. It was chilly, barely fifty degrees, but she loved the cool snap of the breeze. And since she was going to be busy, she’d rather it be cool than too warm.

  As she reached the barn door, she heard Jonah’s deep voice cooing and whispering to her horse. The man even charmed a hairy beast. She’d never seen Sunny nuzzle anyone like that. Of course, the little hussy was being plied with apples and carrots.

  “God, some girls are so easy.”

  Jonah laughed. “I’ve heard that.” Raising an eyebrow, his gaze went serious. “Would you like an apple?”

  In his outstretched hand he offered the gold and red flecked piece of fruit. She should’ve been scared to death, because his come on was that strong. But instead, Keely surprised herself, taking the apple and forcing herself not to let him know how much he flustered her. Which was a lot. “Thank you.”

  As she sunk her teeth through the skin and into the crisp flesh, licking the juice off her lips, Jonah swallowed hard.

  “Uh… okay. I mean—shit—you’re welcome.”

  Taking another bite, Keely enjoyed her newly found power. Who’d have thought she could render a guy like Jonah speechless. But there he was, staring and saying nothing as she grabbed her saddle.

  The next few minutes were spent in silence as they loaded the trailer and his truck with her gear. Just as she was about to hop in the cab, she felt his hands circle her waist and he boosted her onto the seat.

  “Oh! You didn’t have to do that.”

  Sliding his hand from her waist, over her hip, and onto her thigh, Jonah grinned. “It was my pleasure.”

  With a pat on her knee, he stepped back and closed the door. She saw him check the horses, and before she knew it they were on their way.

  It was such an odd feeling, being close to him, and knowing they were on the cusp of something that could change everything between them—it was electric and a little dangerous. Intellectually, she knew that there was no way they should move the relationship to something other than what it was, but in her heart…Keely fixed her gaze on a deer she saw in the distance…in her heart, Jonah was all she’d ever wanted.

  He was kind, strong, honest, loyal. He was completely alpha, with his do-the-right-thing and take-charge-without-hesitation attitude, but he also had a heart of gold. Jonah was good to the core, and that’s what made her fall for him so long ago.

  “That’s a nice hat,” he said, breaking the silence.

  Putting her hand on her head, the memory of when she got the hat came back. “It’s my favorite. I got it during a stopover in Australia. I toured part of The Outback with a friend of mine. One of our guides gave it to me.”

  “That must have been cool.”

  “That was a great trip. We spent some time in Japan, stopped in Australia, and then went to Easter Island. What an incredible place. The Moai statues are mind-blowing, it’s like a window back to the past. The ruins are so well preserved.”

  “It sounds it. Is it hard to get there?”

  “We flew from Chile. Not a terrible trip, as island hops go. Our hotel was adequate but there are some beautiful resorts. I’ll go back one day.”

  “Sounds amazing.”

  “You probably saw some beautiful places when you were in the Army. Right?”

  He nodded. “Yeah. I did. I spent a lot of time in the Middle East and South Asia. The Taj Mahal? I have no words.”

  “I can only imagine. I’ve never been there. I also want to go to France. And England.”

  “Italy,” he said. “That’s my next trip. I love ancient history.”

  Keely had been to Italy several times, and it was probably one of her favorite places in the world. She could see Jonah there. Climbing the trails around Vesuvius, taking in the ruins in Rome, or walking along the harbor in Vernazza.

  “I loved it there,” she said quietly.

  “Which volcano?” he wondered as he guided his truck up the mountain road.

  “Funny. Not a volcano, or a mountain, although I could see the Alps from my villa.”

  “Now I’m curious.”

  “Lake Maggiore. I stayed with some friends in an apartment right on the shore. It was the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen. The water was so blue—combined with the architecture and the people, it was just about perfect. I could go back.”

  “It sounds perfect. I’ll have to put it on my list.”

  “Yeah, I always said I wanted to go there on my honeymoon. But I have a feeling I’ll be back there by myself before that happens.”

  Why was she being pitiful? Of all things holy, she couldn’t stop bellyaching for an hour?

  “You never know.” Jonah had pulled into a spot at one of the rest stops on the mountain. He locked eyes with her and squeezed her hand. If there was a spark of sexual tension earlier, it was gone now, replaced with the brotherly affection that was so familiar.

  Nodding, she looked at the view. Marietta was to the east, nestled securely in the valley. He’d picked a good place to park the truck and unload the horses for the ride. Unlike the last time she hiked here, there was no sign of snow.

  They saddled their horses in silence, strapping on the packs loaded with markers and a few sensors. If there was a soft spot where the ground had thawed, she might plant a few. Jonah picked up the last bag—a backpack—and noticed the difference in weight.

  “What’s in here?”

  Keely took it from him and slipped her arms through the straps. “Lunch. We have to eat, right?”

  Coming toward her, she saw that his eyes had gone dark and smoky, different from the deep blue she was used to. He pushed his Stetson back on his head and for a split second, Keely thought Jonah might kiss her. She sucked in a breath, and waited.

  But the kiss never came. Instead, Jonah put out his clasped hands to give her a leg up. It’s what any respectable cowboy would do. Certainly, Jonah wasn’t going to kiss her, that would mean yesterday when things got personal, it wasn’t a fluke.

  Which Keely knew it wasn’t.

  “You want me to carry lunch?”

  “No.” She shook her head. “I can handle it.”

  Not giving her any argument, Jonah mounted his horse, clucked his tongue, and the two of them set off. No more spark, no kiss, just two friends out for a ride.

  How depressing.

  *

  He almost kissed her.

  Keely had been staring up at him, sweet as sugar, looking like every cowgirl fantasy he’d ever had, and he stopped himself.

  Jonah didn’t know if that made him honorable, or stupid.

  Keely had mapped out exactly where she wanted to plant the sensors. She’d brought six of the state of the art wireless marvels that she’d acquired through a very big grant, just in case. She was checking for very mild seismic activity, hotspots, to see how this part of the earth was holding up. Everyone knew about the su
per volcano in Yellowstone; if that ever blew it was all over, but what she was looking for was much subtler.

  Montana and the area around the Absaroka and Gallatin mountains had tiny earthquakes every week. Little shakes that barely clocked in. But if there were little tremors, that meant someday a big earthquake could hit, and Keely’s job was to research how likely that was to happen.

  Jonah listened to her as she talked about her work, and all she hoped to learn from the research. Ultimately, she wanted something that could help Marietta, help the town grow, feel safe, and bring visitors. That’s how towns grew and survived, and even though Keely hopped around the globe, she was still a hometown girl.

  Glancing down an overgrown path, Jonah spotted a familiar formation.

  As he walked past trees, and large boulders that had been settled in the ground for 10 generations, he saw something very familiar. “Keely?”

  “Yeah, what is it?” she asked.

  “Come here.”

  Jonah couldn’t believe it. Of all the places they could’ve run across on the mountain, they came back to a location where they actually had a history.

  “What… oh my God. Is that the cave?”

  “Yeah. It’s gotten so overgrown up here I didn’t recognize the area, but this is right around where I found you.”

  He watched Keely walk around the area and peer into the cave. She turned to face him, and her eyes had brightened. There were a lot of scary memories on this mountain.

  “I still have nightmares, sometimes.” She looked away, and folded her arms protectively. “Silly. I mean it all worked out, right?”

  He couldn’t take it.

  She was trying to be brave, but he could see she was having a hard time being back here. Jonah closed the distance between them in three steps, pulling her into his arms and holding her close. “It’s not silly. And I’ll call you a liar to your face if you ever tell another soul, but I was scared to death I wasn’t going to find you. Then when I did…” He took a deep breath. “I worried I was too late.”

  Keely’s hat had fallen off her head, so when she looked up, he could see her whole face…the flushed cheeks, the soulful eyes, the sweet pink lips. She was vulnerable, and he was probably going to hell for what he was about to do, but Jonah lowered his head and touched his lips to hers.

  It was a brush, just a hint of contact, but right away, everything between them caught fire. He pulled her body close and Keely melted into him, her soft curves fitting against him like she was made to be there. Her hands gripped his shirt, holding on, and Jonah went back for more. He nipped at her lips, and without hesitation she opened for him, just a little, but it was enough that he could slip his tongue inside. She tasted like sweet cream and honey, and her scent, just like the mountains, seeped into him, spurred him on.

  He slid his hands down her back and cupped the cheeks of her ass. She gasped but didn’t pull back as he pulled her close. Jonah wanted her to feel his erection, to know what kind of power she had over him.

  She tensed suddenly, her breath becoming rapid. Pulling his head back, he could see she was panicked about something. Him probably. He went too far.

  “Oh, no. Keely. Shh. Shh.” He pulled her head into his chest and held her close. She wasn’t crying, but she was rigid, scared. That was the last thing he wanted.

  “Please don’t cry.” He could handle just about anything, but crying brought him to his knees.

  “Kiss me again. Please.”

  “Are you sure? You seem spooked.”

  “I’m not. I’m… it’s just not what I expected, that’s all.”

  “I’m going to take that as a compliment.”

  “You should.” She paused and giggled. “I guess that cold shower this morning didn’t work.”

  “Nope.”

  She looked up at him, her lips swollen from the sweet punishment he’d inflicted and her eyes filled with questions. He didn’t say anything, but if she looked carefully enough, she’d see through his bluster and Keely would learn that she had all the power.

  Jonah had fallen right down the rabbit hole, and he had no intention of climbing out any time soon.

  *

  “What the…”

  There was a rustle and a flash of movement as something, or rather, someone darted out of the cave. Keely got only a quick look and Jonah spun around at the sound behind him.

  “I think that was a kid.” Keely couldn’t be sure, but based on the size she was guessing a twelve or thirteen-year-old. Blond. She couldn’t say if it was a girl or a boy.

  “A kid? It’s early for a Saturday hike, especially this far up. Did you see anyone else, any cars or trucks?”

  “I didn’t notice. Yours was the only one at the ranger station, other than the people who work there.”

  Jonah let her go and walked toward the cave entrance; Keely followed close. Clicking the end of a small flashlight attached to his keys, Jonah stepped in and examined the cavern. It was easy to see who ever it was who dashed out had been there for a little while. There were food wrappers, sleeping bags, and a partially deflated air mattress.

  “Oh, my God. You think he was living in here?”

  “We’re just coming out of winter. It’s possible, but I can’t imagine he or she has been up here very long. When we get back to the truck, I’ll let the rangers know. What do you think? Man, or woman?”

  “I think boy or girl is more like it.” There was no way the person she saw was an adult.

  “No way. Whoever’s in here knows how to survive, even if it’s in the most basic way. I doubt that’s a kid.”

  Keely wasn’t so sure. She’d seen kids all over the world do some incredible things in the name of survival. It was amazing what a human being could do, the will a person could have, when pushed to the limit.

  “Jonah, shouldn’t we go look for him, or her?”

  “No, I don’t want to put you at risk. The guy could be dangerous.”

  She didn’t think the runner looked dangerous; Keely thought they looked scared. “I don’t think…”

  “Come on.” Jonah took her hand. “Do you need to check out any spots around here? There’s a hot spring on the other side of this formation.”

  “No. Not here.” She glanced around one last time hoping she’d see… something. “Let’s check out the spring.”

  Something about what just happened wasn’t sitting right, and if Keely had learned anything, it was to trust her instincts.

  She’d be back here at some point, whether Jonah liked it or not.

  Chapter Seven

  Amazing as it seemed, she and Jonah managed to stop kissing long enough to map sensor locations and sink a few into the ground in the area closest to the hot spring. They were walking back to where they’d tied up the horses when Jonah took her hand and laced his fingers with hers.

  When he first pulled her against him, Keely felt the full force of a man like Jonah. He was all alpha, big, strong, decisive. He made no bones about what he wanted, and there was no doubt in Keely’s mind that she wanted it too.

  But her lack of experience was going to be a problem. A man like Jonah wasn’t going to take advantage of her, and Keely had to think of a way to make him see she wasn’t going to do anything she didn’t want to do.

  Once they untied the horses, he continued to lead her toward a clearing. It was the perfect spot to relax and have lunch. If Keely wasn’t mistaken, Jonah was dropping into the daydream almost as much as she was.

  They didn’t say much, eating their sandwiches and picking at the brownies she’d made the night before. Without any warning, he grabbed her wrists and rolled her onto her back.

  Raising himself above her, he examined every inch of her face. “Why did you tense up before?”

  “I don’t know. I guess it was just the moment. You know, it was emotional. Different.”

  “You looked scared, and that’s the last thing I want.”

  “I’m not afraid of you, Jonah. But you are a lot more
man than many women are used to. Especially someone like me.”

  He didn’t say anything for a bit, looking off to the side, as if he was trying to figure out a way to let her down easy. She could hear the words already. It was the heat of the moment. The memories got the better of us. I don’t want to lose you as a friend.

  “I want you to explain something to me,” he said, startling her. “What do you mean, ‘like you’? All I see is a smart, beautiful woman who’s confused the hell out of me.”

  “You aren’t the only one who’s confused.”

  There was no response. He kept his gaze trained on her, waiting for an answer to his question.

  “I haven’t had a lot of relationships. I guess I’m kind of the stereotypical nerd. I’m all about my work. I researched, traveled, studied.”

  “I get that, but…”

  “I don’t have a lot of experience with men, Jonah.”

  Her statement was vague enough not to be mortifying, but she wasn’t sure if he was going to get her meaning. It’s possible the thought would never cross his mind. It wasn’t long before he moved off her, and Keely immediately missed his weight.

  To her surprise, he settled his back against a tree and waved her toward him. He didn’t want to leave? “Come here,” he said quietly.

  “Why?”

  “Just come here. God, you’re stubborn.” Obliging, she sat next to him, and Jonah tugged her into the crook of his arm. “Talk.”

  “I don’t know what you want me to say. I don’t regret it.”

  “God, I hope not. I don’t like to brag, but that was some of my best kissing.”

  She couldn’t help but chuckle. “Well, I’m glad you brought your A-game.”

  “I think it was my partner. She brought out my best.”

  “Jonah…”

  “What are you trying to tell me? Jesus, Keely. We’ve crossed every line here, and I just want to know what’s going on with you.”

  “It’s difficult.” Humiliating too.

  “Just tell me—”