Having the Cowboy's Baby

“Yeah, yesterday at the café. Why?”

Skyler shook her head. “Never mind.” She glanced back in time to see her friends smiling ear to ear. “I am going to kill them.” She didn’t realize she’d said the words loud enough for anyone to hear until her diving partner laughed.

“Killing’s over too quickly,” he said. “Payback’s better.”

“You know, you’re right. And I can be very creative.”

His mouth quirked up at one edge. “That right?”

The innuendo caused her skin to tingle all over, and that only made her more determined to find the perfect payback for her friends. But first she evidently had to throw common sense to the wind and take a literal leap of faith.

The next few minutes went by in a blur as they boarded the plane, the pilot took off and they geared up for the dive. As they approached the designated point for the jump, Skyler felt as though she might throw up.

“It’s okay. Once you’re out there flying, you’ll forget all about the nerves.” He sounded so casual and relaxed, as if hurling one’s self from an airplane was no big deal.

“Somehow I doubt that.”

“Trust me.”

“Trust you? I don’t even know your name.”

“Tell me yours and I’ll tell you mine,” he said, mischief in his voice.

“You have a line for everything, don’t you?”

“Yep.”

“Well, at least your honesty is refreshing.” She glanced toward where another guy slid the side door open to reveal nothing but sky. She swallowed hard as cowboy dude moved up behind her and did whatever it was he had to do to connect their gear together.

“Logan Bradshaw,” he said, his voice rumbling in her ear.

“What?”

“My name, Logan Bradshaw.”

“Oh. Skyler Harrington.”

Her heart leaped into her throat as he urged her toward the open doorway.

“Ten seconds,” the other guy said.

Oh, Lord.

“Well, Skyler Harrington, you and I are going to go out after this is over,” Logan said.

And then he pushed her out the door, and she greeted her birthday with a scream.

Chapter Two

At some point Skyler stopped screaming and realized that the sight before her was nothing short of awe-inspiring. All her fear wasn’t gone, maybe just on hold as she scanned the world spread out below her.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Logan said over the sound of the wind rushing past her ears.

All she could do was nod as she picked out familiar landmarks, the cluster of buildings that made up Blue Falls, the water tower painted with bluebonnets and the words Blue Falls, Wildflower Capital of Texas.

Despite her fear, an incredible sense of freedom washed over her. As her eyes took in the distant hills, the spots of green vegetation the drought hadn’t yet battered into submission and the glittering surface of the lake, she was stunned by a world she took for granted every day. Up here there was no responsibility, no pressure, no expectations. Hopefully Logan had all of those under control. It was a bit like an out-of-body experience, an away-from-earth experience that was nothing like being in an airplane.

“I’m going to pull the parachute,” Logan said, reminding her that she was, in fact, plummeting toward earth.

She cried out when the parachute deployed, jerking against her.

“It’s okay. Look up.”

After she managed to get her heart rate to slow a fraction, she looked up and saw the width of the white parachute catching air and slowing their descent. That’s when she remembered what Logan said right before he pushed her out of the plane. He probably thought he was cute, that she would melt at his interest. Well, all she was interested in from Logan Bradshaw was him getting her safely to the ground.

Gradually, the world below grew in size until it no longer resembled a collection of miniatures. Logan guided their parachute toward an area devoid of trees and other obstacles. Their speed seemed to increase the closer they got to the ground, and Skyler tensed.

“Relax,” he said.

“Easy for you to say.”

“This isn’t my first time.”

Now, why did she immediately imagine him in bed when he said that? Good grief, she didn’t even like him. She’d never been one to go for guys who were so full of themselves that there was no room for anyone else.

Maybe if he got a personality transplant...

She spotted India, Elissa and Verona in the distance, and she hated the idea of having to admit that she’d liked the dive despite the pulse-racing fear of a deadly altercation with gravity.

“Here we go,” Logan said as the ground raced up to meet them.

Before she could take another breath, her feet touched terra firma.

“See, all in one piece,” Logan said, laughter in his way too sexy voice.

“Wonders never cease.” She should really thank him. He had, after all, kept her safe while giving her an experience like none she’d ever imagined. But he was just so cocky about it. And damned if a little sliver of her didn’t find that attractive. She had to get away from him as soon as possible.

“How was it?” Elissa asked as she and the others hurried toward where Logan was unhooking Skyler from her gear.

“It was okay.”

Logan snorted.

Skyler looked at him, not even trying to hide her annoyance. “What was that for?”

He met her gaze and refused to look away. “You enjoyed it.”

“How do you know that? You couldn’t even see my face.”