Heartstealer (Women of Character3 Read Online Free

have daunted
her, now she lived with a fear of failure. She had convinced Con she could do
it, that she needed to do it. He was right on one score. She just had to prove
it to herself.
    Sloan was now waiting for her. With
an unconcerned smile, she quickened her pace. "I’m right behind you
and I won't land in a heap at your feet."
    "I promise to pick you up if
you do," he drawled.
    She fluffed her hair back.
"It's a deal." She entertained the notion of falling and letting
herself be picked up by Sloan. Tempting.
    They walked along a rutted path
through dense evergreens. Someone had gone to the trouble of placing large
wooden tubs with a profusion of bright colors along the narrow road.
    She drew in a deep breath. "Mmm,
I smell balsam. It’s unexpectedly refreshing. I’ve been admiring
the mountains rising all around me since I arrived. I already love the wild
beauty of the Catskills."
    "You’re beautiful so
you'll fit right in," he said.
    "Well, thank you," she
murmured, taken back, sidetracked by the unguarded expression on his face. It
spoke of attraction. She gulped back a breath. Attraction. God! He felt it,
too, then. She had been aware of it the first moment they had come
body-to-body. She pressed her parachute more tightly against her chest as if
the flimsy material could provide a barrier.
    He grimaced. "That was pretty
dumb blurting that out. No doubt I’ve made you uncomfortable."
    Jacie laughed out loud. "Yup,
that’s my first thought when a good looking guy tells me I’m
beautiful. Uncomfortable as hell. I’ll let you in on a little secret.
I’m the most laid-back person I know. Not much bothers me. Except lately,
I find myself asking for help more than usual. It annoys me."
    "Well, around here we're big
on helping out. So if you need help, make sure you ask."
    "We’ll see." Her
mother called it strong, but maybe there were times when you needed to lean on
someone else. "With four brothers you grow up taking care of
yourself," she said dryly. "Otherwise they take over your live."
    "Well, just to remind you the
whole idea of Timber Falls is relaxation. There's riding, swimming, hiking,
whatever strikes your fancy when you're not giving skydiving lessons."
    "I'll probably just hang
out." She gave him a humorous grin. "You know, kind of balance things
out." This place might offer her a chance to withdraw for a while, perhaps
mend a little inner torment. "Who knows, maybe you’ll be asking me
for skydiving lessons."
    He gave her a narrow-eyed glance.
"Watch your footing, this next area is pretty rough."
    He rattled her, quite simply. She
placed her feet carefully, walking beside the ruts in the road.
    "There’s an activity
schedule in your cabin. If any problems crop up let me know." She found
his slight drawl attractive.
    "Thanks." She steeled
herself against that devastating smile. Surely she wouldn't keep reacting
physically to everything he said, each gesture he made! Sloan reminded her of
Con in a way. She loved her brother dearly, but he was the type of man who
looked out for the women in his life. She did not need Sloan getting the idea
in his head that she couldn't take care of herself.
    Finally, the cabins were in sight.
"Which cabin is mine?" she asked. The deep reddish brown cabins were
small and arranged in a wide circle.
    "The one on the end."
    "I love it." The
structure was set a bit apart from the others, almost hidden from view, but the
setting was pleasing. With the cabin partially shaded by huge maple and oak
trees and a row of red flowering bushes on one side, there was an aura of
privacy.
    "This place is everything your
brochure promised. Everything I hoped it would be. I'm glad Bonnie talked me
into taking this job."
    "Bonnie is a friend, I take
it?"
    "Yes."
    She had almost decided against the
job. Since the accident she had been in a crippling apathy. Although she and
Bonnie hadn’t been friends that long, she’d proven to be a lifeline
during her recuperation. She’d needed the