Read Online Touch the Heavens by Lindsay McKenna - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lindsay McKenna
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Why?” What made him run, Chris wondered. Dan always appeared buoyant and devil-may-care. But anyone who would take the cantankerous Phantom down to the treetop level where it could be hit by ground fire and missiles was either very foolish or very confident of his skills. And she didn’t see Dan as being a fool about anything.
Dan stood up, and walked to the end of the room, his features composed and thoughtful. “I guess I’m like you, Chris. I don’t like seeing the underdog get beaten down. If I can do something about it, I will.” He shrugged. “It got so that certain marine companies would call in air support and ask for me by name. They knew if they went into a tight spot, I’d be there to help them.”
A memory stirred in the back of Chris’s mind. What had Jim said one time? Her fiancé had spent two tours in Vietnam with F-4s. She gave Dan a keen look. “What was your name?”
“Cowboy. The marines dubbed me with it because I’d ride the F-4 down during any kind of situation or weather condition. Brodie hated going low level.”
Chris’s mouth went dry and her heart pounded at the base of her throat. Cowboy...Cowboy...Jim had known an F-4 pilot by that name! Her eyes widened. Was the world that small? Had Dan known Jim? The next thought paralyzed her: What if Dan knew about the crash? She swallowed hard, unable to think coherently for a moment. Jim had talked fondly of a pilot by the name of Cowboy, having nothing but admiration and praise for his flying ability. She looked guardedly up at Dan. She couldn’t forget the conversations she and Jim had shared. How many times had he laughingly told her about Cowboy? Her world felt as if it were collapsing around her. Above everything, no one must know of the crash! Not her colleagues at TPS. And especially not Dan.
If word got around about the crash claiming Jim’s life, her reputation at TPS would be destroyed. Chris frowned, getting to her feet. And what would Dan think? How close had Jim been to Dan before he had died? Had Jim ever told him of his engagement to her? A voice told her it was unlikely. Still, the way Jim had talked of Cowboy, Chris felt it was almost a brotherly relationship that had existed between the two pilots.
“The guys on the ground were worth that risk, though,” Chris murmured.
Dan pursed his lips. “I thought so. Brodie didn’t, but that was inconsequential to me.” Reluctantly Dan glanced down at his watch. “As much as I’ve enjoyed coming over and talking with you, I’d better get going.”
Where had the time gone? Chris looked at her watch to confirm it. A sense of disappointment washed over her. Their personal time together was rare, and she hungrily looked forward to those small, placid moments when they could meet on equal ground and discover new facets about each other.
“Tomorrow is going to be a tough day,” he reminded her.
“Test day,” Chris agreed, walking to the door and opening it. Tomorrow she would be given the final flight test in the F-4 that would qualify her to take up another student engineer, navigator or fellow pilot. But the test held less fear for her than the fact that Dan might have known Jim. If Jim had told him—Chris stopped thinking as Dan drew close. Regardless of her spinning, tumultuous thoughts, she responded to his lean maleness. Raising her chin, Chris met his warm blue gaze, and felt his tender caress as he smoothed a stray tendril from her cheek.
“You know,” he murmured, his voice becoming husky, “it’s too bad you can’t wear your hair down all the time. You look pretty this way.”
Chris momentarily closed her eyes, her heart racing. She could still see his strong, chiseled mouth in her mind’s eye. Memory of the branding kiss he had placed on her lips sent an ache of need throughout her. “Thank you,” Chris whispered, meaning it. His eyes had darkened to a thundercloud intensity, sending a warming shiver down her spine. All he had to do was reach out,
Dan stood up, and walked to the end of the room, his features composed and thoughtful. “I guess I’m like you, Chris. I don’t like seeing the underdog get beaten down. If I can do something about it, I will.” He shrugged. “It got so that certain marine companies would call in air support and ask for me by name. They knew if they went into a tight spot, I’d be there to help them.”
A memory stirred in the back of Chris’s mind. What had Jim said one time? Her fiancé had spent two tours in Vietnam with F-4s. She gave Dan a keen look. “What was your name?”
“Cowboy. The marines dubbed me with it because I’d ride the F-4 down during any kind of situation or weather condition. Brodie hated going low level.”
Chris’s mouth went dry and her heart pounded at the base of her throat. Cowboy...Cowboy...Jim had known an F-4 pilot by that name! Her eyes widened. Was the world that small? Had Dan known Jim? The next thought paralyzed her: What if Dan knew about the crash? She swallowed hard, unable to think coherently for a moment. Jim had talked fondly of a pilot by the name of Cowboy, having nothing but admiration and praise for his flying ability. She looked guardedly up at Dan. She couldn’t forget the conversations she and Jim had shared. How many times had he laughingly told her about Cowboy? Her world felt as if it were collapsing around her. Above everything, no one must know of the crash! Not her colleagues at TPS. And especially not Dan.
If word got around about the crash claiming Jim’s life, her reputation at TPS would be destroyed. Chris frowned, getting to her feet. And what would Dan think? How close had Jim been to Dan before he had died? Had Jim ever told him of his engagement to her? A voice told her it was unlikely. Still, the way Jim had talked of Cowboy, Chris felt it was almost a brotherly relationship that had existed between the two pilots.
“The guys on the ground were worth that risk, though,” Chris murmured.
Dan pursed his lips. “I thought so. Brodie didn’t, but that was inconsequential to me.” Reluctantly Dan glanced down at his watch. “As much as I’ve enjoyed coming over and talking with you, I’d better get going.”
Where had the time gone? Chris looked at her watch to confirm it. A sense of disappointment washed over her. Their personal time together was rare, and she hungrily looked forward to those small, placid moments when they could meet on equal ground and discover new facets about each other.
“Tomorrow is going to be a tough day,” he reminded her.
“Test day,” Chris agreed, walking to the door and opening it. Tomorrow she would be given the final flight test in the F-4 that would qualify her to take up another student engineer, navigator or fellow pilot. But the test held less fear for her than the fact that Dan might have known Jim. If Jim had told him—Chris stopped thinking as Dan drew close. Regardless of her spinning, tumultuous thoughts, she responded to his lean maleness. Raising her chin, Chris met his warm blue gaze, and felt his tender caress as he smoothed a stray tendril from her cheek.
“You know,” he murmured, his voice becoming husky, “it’s too bad you can’t wear your hair down all the time. You look pretty this way.”
Chris momentarily closed her eyes, her heart racing. She could still see his strong, chiseled mouth in her mind’s eye. Memory of the branding kiss he had placed on her lips sent an ache of need throughout her. “Thank you,” Chris whispered, meaning it. His eyes had darkened to a thundercloud intensity, sending a warming shiver down her spine. All he had to do was reach out,
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