He saw Grace’s sudden frown and wondered where she’d just gone in her mind. „Instead of holding on too tightly, she seemed perfectly content to allow me to follow my heart, no matter where it took me. When I was fourteen I told her I wanted to hike the Appalachian Trail the way my dad had. She offered to come along, but I told her I wanted to do it alone. And I did.“
„But you were only a kid.“
„I grew up fast. I found out a lot about myself that summer. After that, I spent every summer doing the things my father had done. Hiking in Wyoming. Snowboarding in Colorado. Fishing in Montana.“
„So young. Weren’t you afraid and awfully lonely?“
He smiled, remembering. „There were times when I thought I’d taken on a challenge that was bigger than my talent. But I can’t say I was ever afraid. As for feeling lonely…“ He stared into the fire. „I’ve always felt the presence of my dad in my life.“
Again that quick tug at her heart before Grace nodded toward the gloves in his breast pocket. „Your good luck charms.“
„Yeah.“ His grin was quick and easy as he removed them and set them on the table. „These were the only things left. They arrived in a box with a typewritten note saying my father had been wearing them when his plane went down.“
„A plane crash?“ She was so startled, she sat up straighter.
„Didn’t I mention it? He was a soldier in Special Forces.“
Grace went very still, wondering how he could speak of such a thing without emotion.
„You’re quiet.“ He reached over and caught her hand in his. „I’m sorry if I upset you. But if you’re thinking I was trying to emulate him by crashing my plane, you’re wrong.“
She absorbed a jolt, but when she tried to pull away, she found herself held firmly. She stared at their joined hands, then up into his face. „I wonder how your grandmother found the courage to allow you such freedom after dealing with something so violent and unexpected?“
He moved his thumb along her wrist and felt the way her pulse jumped. Was she feeling it, too? The heat? The adrenaline from this simple touch? „Gram told me that whenever we give in to our fears, the bad guys win. It’s become my mantra. Never let fear rule.“
„I like that. Though I never heard it put into words, it’s pretty much my motto, too.“
„Really?“ He looked at her with new interest. „Most people I know prefer to avoid risks and live their lives quietly.“
„It’s what my father wanted for me.“ Grace’s tone grew pensive. „I was always sorry that I couldn’t be what he wanted.“
„We can’t always be what other people want us to be.“ Josh continued holding her hand. It felt good, he realized, to be connected with someone, if only for the moment.
Was that part of the reason for his wanderlust? Was it because he’d never felt as connected to the living as he was to the dead?
Uncomfortable with the silence, Grace withdrew her hand and got to her feet. „I’d better tackle the dishes.“ As she gathered the plates she smiled. „You were right.“
„About what?“
„That was every bit as good as any big city restaurant. Maybe even better. Especially the weeds.“
„Thanks.“ With a grin, Josh drained his cup and leaned his head back, enjoying the warmth of the fire and puzzling over the fact that he wasn’t feeling any stress over this abrupt change in plans.
Seeing his sudden stillness, Grace called, „I’m sorry about your friend.“
He lifted a brow and turned to her.
„Your passenger.“
„Oh. She wasn’t a friend.“
She. For some strange reason, that simple word had Grace’s full attention.
Before she could ask more his tone became brisk. „In fact, I didn’t even know her name.“
Grace struggled to mentally shift gears. One moment she was thinking that his traveling companion had been someone important in his life, and the next he was telling her his passenger was a stranger. „That doesn’t make any sense.“
„It didn’t make sense to me, either. I was busy flying the plane, and the next thing I knew, she was there beside me.“
„A stowaway?“
He nodded. „Apparently. I certainly didn’t invite her along for the flight. Still, I can’t help but feel responsible. How could she vanish without a trace?“
„There was an explosion on impact. If she couldn’t get out of the plane, she would have been incinerated. Maybe when the ashes cool, you’ll find some clue.“
„Maybe.“
She saw the puzzled frown and decided to pursue an-otiier topic. „You say your friends were right behind you?“
„Yeah.“ Josh ran a hand through his hair. „We were in communication until just before I went down. But even after my systems failed, they had to be close enough to see everything.“
„Maybe there were clouds shielding your plane from view.“
He shrugged. „Maybe.“ But he could remember nothing except a clear, cloudless blue sky before all hell broke loose.
„If they saw the crash, they may have decided to fly back to civilization and bring help.“
„That’s what I’m thinking, too.“ He fell silent, mentally willing his friends to be unharmed. He couldn’t stand to think that if their plane went down, too, they may have suffered a very different fate from his.
Her voice interrupted his thoughts. „You have to be exhausted from your ordeal. Would you like to lie down?“
Josh shook his head. „It just occurred to me that for the first time in years I have nowhere to go and nothing to do but wait until my backup crew arrives.“
It had to be the result of the crash. It was the only explanation for this strange euphoria. Ordinarily he’d be pacing like a caged tiger at the thought of all the unanswered questions. But for tonight, for whatever reason, he intended to put aside all the troubling questions and simply enjoy this unplanned freedom from his relentless schedule.
Without a word Josh tore himself from the comforting fire and got to his feet. „I’ll give you a hand.“
„You’ve done enough.“ Grace removed a kettle of water from the fireplace and poured it into a basin. „I think it’s only fair, since you did the cooking, that I wash the dishes.“
„Just to satisfy your sense of fairness…“ He crossed to her. „We’ll do them together.“ He picked up a towel and began to dry. „This way, we’ll have them done in half the time.“
„Don’t you want to tackle the generator tonight?“
„I wish I could.“ He glanced out the window. „But it’s already dark outside.“
„I brought along a battery-operated lantern. Feel free to use it.“
„I appreciate the offer.“ He dried the first plate and set it down before reaching for the next. „But I’d hate to use up all your batteries on something that can be tackled just as easily tomorrow.“
„What about the people who are worried about you?“
„I’m sure they’ll be here by morning.“ He was rewarded with a rare sense of peace. He couldn’t work up any anger at these odd circumstances. He was alive, unharmed, and in the company of a beautiful woman. Life didn’t get much better than this. And in die morning, when Marty and the others got here, he’d have a great tale to tell them.
He set aside the towel and lifted the plates. „Where did you find these?“
Grace gave a nod toward the cupboard above her. Josh reached up and opened the door before stowing them on a shelf. As he did, their bodies brushed. He glanced down at the same instant that Grace’s head came up and he knew, by the look in her eyes, that she was feeling exactly the same quick sexual tug that he’d just experienced.
He lowered his hand to her hair and trailed his fingers through the tangles. „Soft.“ He didn’t even realize he was speaking aloud. „I knew it would be as soft as an angel’s wings.“
„Josh…“ She lifted soapy hands from the basin. Before she could resist he dipped his head and his mouth covered hers.