Big Sky Baby

Stories of family and romance beneath the Big Sky!

“All right, Jilly.

That kiss scared the hell out of me.”

She stepped away from the table and crossed her arms, eyes tempting him like two Hershey’s kisses. “No one knows you like I do, Jeff. I understand your love of flying, your need for freedom. And even if I were crazy in love with you, I wouldn’t expect anything from you, other than friendship.”

That was good, wasn’t it?

Before he could respond, she added, “I hope you won’t allow that kiss—as hot as it was—to ruin what we have. I’d like to keep you in my life.”

“I’ve forgotten it already,” he lied. Then he gave her a hug to prove he wasn’t going to let the kiss affect him.

Trouble was, it already had.

Far more than he was willing to admit.

JUDY DUARTE

always knew there was a book inside her, but since English was her least-favorite subject in school, she never considered herself a writer. An avid reader who enjoys a happy ending, Judy couldn’t shake the dream of creating a book of her own.

Her dream became a reality in March of 2002, when Silhouette Special Edition released her first book, Cowboy Courage. Since then, she has published more than twenty novels. Her stories have touched the hearts of readers around the world. And in July of 2005, Judy won the prestigious Readers’ Choice Award for The Rich Man’s Son.

Judy makes her home near the beach in Southern California. When she’s not cooped up in her writing cave, she’s spending time with her somewhat enormous but delightfully close family.

To Don Ham and Duke Dunn, my pilot connections. You have no idea how much I appreciate the time you spent with me, answering questions, offering technical advice and looking over scenes.

And to Joe Trapp, whose wife, Jessica, thrust a phone in his hand and said, “Honey, talk to my friend.” Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

This book is for you.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter One

Jeff Forsythe was back in town.

All right, Jilly Davis thought, maybe temporarily, but he was home just the same. And it was a darn good thing, because she could really use a friend in the flesh right now, not to mention a hug.

When Jeff left to join the forestry service five years ago, Jilly had felt somewhat abandoned. But unlike every other male she’d known, he’d called her every week, insisting on maintaining their friendship.

Jilly scanned the green, woodsy interior of the florist shop Jeff had loaned her the money to buy. She hoped he liked what she’d done to the place, especially the window display that changed every couple of days.

She’d gotten a deal on Gerber daisies this week, and using pots of the pastel-hued flowers and a quaint cast-iron bench, she’d created a parklike setting to catch the eyes of the locals who passed by.

Jeff had always said she was artistic, and apparently he’d been right. Jilly’s Lilies was a blooming success.

Imagine that. The scruffy little Davis girl from the wrong side of the tracks was now a genuine member of the Rumor Chamber of Commerce—and a homeowner to boot. That was quite a feat for someone like her to accomplish, especially at the ripe old age of twenty-three.

Who would have guessed?

No one but Jeff Forsythe, that’s for sure.

What made their mismatched friendship even more surprising was the fact that he’d been born with the proverbial silver spoon in his mouth.

Jeff often referred to himself as a shirttail relative of the MonMart Kingsleys, but the shirttail had been made of the finest imported silk.

His socialite mother had been Carolyn Kingsley’s younger sister, and when she died in a fiery car accident, six-year-old Jeff was sent to live with his aunt and uncle on the Kingsley ranch.

Jeff was a very wealthy man by virtue of his mother’s money alone. The Kingsley riches only added to his considerable worth. But you’d never know it by looking at him. Jeff was one of the most unassuming guys Jilly had ever met.

More times than she could count, Jeff had ventured over to her run-down, trashy side of the tracks, something that had caused his wealthy, straitlaced Aunt Carolyn a great deal of worry. Still, the social icon of Rumor hadn’t been able to discourage their friendship. Nor had the passing of time.

Jilly hadn’t seen Jeff in five years, but she doubted he’d changed much. Tall, lanky. Dark hair, nice, but serious smile. He was the one constant force in her life.

And her very best friend.

She’d missed him something fierce when he left town, but their friendship continued to flourish over the telephone and through a jillion e-mails.

Who needed Dear Abby when a girl had her very own Jeff Forsythe to keep her in line, to listen to her problems, to encourage her hopes and dreams?

Jilly had a penchant for getting herself into one jam or another, and Jeff’s friendship had proven to be an invaluable asset. She had a feeling he actually liked coming to her rescue, although he probably wouldn’t admit it. Either way, the years had only deepened their relationship.

Each time the bell on the florist shop door rang, she glanced up from her work, hoping to see her old friend. At a quarter to five the bell chimed again, and this time her glance was rewarded.

Only it wasn’t the gangly kid she remembered who stood in the doorway of her shop. It was a tall, dark-haired god of epic proportions—a sight worthy of a gasp, a second glance or an all-out gaping stare.

Lanky Jeff Forsythe had filled out, grown up and aged to perfection. When he removed his aviator glasses, eyes the color of the Montana sky locked on hers, piercing her heart and sending a swarm of bewildered butterflies to her tummy.

If Jeff hadn’t grown used to feminine appreciation, he’d better.

His smile broadened, revealing a set of dashing dimples. “Hey, good-lookin’. Where can I find the owner of this establishment?”

“You found her, flyboy.” Jilly hoped he hadn’t seen or sensed her reaction to the sight of him.

Sheesh. Talk about buff and good-looking. If he weren’t her best friend, she might find herself gawking at him. Heck, she was gawking at him.

Get a grip, Jilly told herself. It’s only Jeff.

“I hope you stopped by to give me a hug,” she said, trying desperately to thwart a runaway sexual attraction to her friend.

That’s right. Her friend.

“It’s good to see you, Jilly.” His deep voice settled around her, cloaking her in crushed velvet and causing her heart to slip a gear before jetting into overdrive.

She dropped a sprig of greenery on the table and dashed into his arms, eager to feel his familiar embrace.

He lifted her from the floor as though she were merely a rag doll, and a musky, woodsy scent accosted her. She struggled to act nonchalant, unaffected by his touch.

Who was this gorgeous guy? And what had he done with her best friend?

“I missed you,” she said, although she hadn’t realized how much until he’d walked in the door. “Maybe I should hang on tight so you can’t get away.”

Jeff held Jilly close, savoring the earthy scent of flowers and spice. It had been too damn long since he’d seen the little brown-haired girl with the chipped-tooth smile.

He’d missed her, too.

When he left Rumor five years ago, he had no intention of coming back, other than for visits. It wasn’t that he didn’t care about his family and friends, but he’d been born with a case of wanderlust and an intrinsic love of flying. By the time he was sixteen, when he’d taken control of his very first plane, a yellow Piper Cub, his course had been set.

“It’s good to have you home,” she said.

“I’m not home. Not really.”

They both knew it was the fire that began near Rumor and continued to rage in the Custer National Forest that had called him back to town indefinitely.

As part of the Modular Airborne Firefighting System, or MAFFS, Jeff had been ordered to report to the fire command center before dawn tomorrow, but he made time for a quick detour by Jilly’s Lilies to see his old friend.

God, he’d missed her. Missed her smile, her happy laugh. Missed the tales of her adventures or—more often than not—her misadventures.

Looking out for her had been a job he’d accepted a long time ago, and after five years of hearing her voice and reading her e-mails, he enjoyed holding her close.

In fact, he was enjoying it way too much.

Before she pummeled his back with her fist, begged to be put down and asked if he’d gone stark-raving nuts, Jeff released his hold and set her feet upon the floor.

He hoped she didn’t suspect he’d found the hug far more stimulating than was appropriate, but for some reason she felt good in his arms. Damn good.

As Jilly stood before him, wearing a plain white T-shirt and jeans—nothing fancy—he couldn’t help but stare. She wasn’t the same skinny kid he’d remembered. She’d grown up and filled out in an alluring, womanly way.

Her brown eyes glimmered like a pool of melted chocolate, drawing him deep into her gaze. He seemed to flounder there for a while.

“What’s the matter?” she asked.

Hell, he didn’t really know. Or maybe he did and wasn’t ready to face the truth. “You’ve changed.”

“So have you.” Her mouth quirked into a silly grin, but he couldn’t seem to find any humor in the bodily reaction that stirred his hormones and heated his blood.

The girl he remembered was gone, replaced by a woman with an earthy sex appeal he’d never noticed. No wonder Cain Kincaid—the horn dog of the fire department—had chased after her, nose sniffing and tail wagging.

Jilly batted his arm. “What’s the matter?”

“Nothing.” It wasn’t exactly a lie. Something was the matter, but he wasn’t sure what.

Had her breasts always been that…full? Or maybe it was just the form-fitting shirt she wore. His gaze traveled down to the jeans that hugged her hips, then he caught himself.

For cripe’s sake, Jilly was his best friend, not some woman he was trying to hit on.

She brushed a hand across her cheek, pushing aside a silky strand of honey-brown hair, and smiled at him in a shy sort of way.

He supposed she was feeling a bit awkward, like he was, which was odd. They’d always been comfortable with each other, like a brother and sister who enjoyed being together, in spite of occasional squabbles.

“Are you hungry?”

Chocolate-brown eyes. Honey-colored hair. His appetite had been stirred, that was for sure, but she was talking about food. “I hadn’t thought about it, but I suppose so. What do you have in mind?”

“I put a roast in the Crock-Pot at home. If you give me a minute to lock up, we can go to my place and catch up on things.”

His aunt and uncle would probably shoot him if they found out he’d stopped by Jilly’s before going out to the ranch. Of course, they’d given up on lecturing him ages ago, after that visit to the shrink in Billings.

Jeff couldn’t remember the good doctor’s name, but the guy had told his aunt to ease up on him. And she had, especially where Jilly was concerned.

“A home-cooked meal sounds good,” Jeff said. “Besides, I’d like to see your house.”

“I thought you would.” Jilly offered him a smile, then grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze, sending a burst of heat pulsing through his blood. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”

Yeah. Let’s.

They took separate cars, since Jeff couldn’t stay long. But he was looking forward to seeing the little house on Lost Lane he’d encouraged her to buy. It was a fixer-upper in the better part of town, and Jeff had known it would increase in value with a little paint, some elbow grease and Jilly’s artistic knack.

Jilly arrived first, opened the door, then dashed inside, while Jeff lagged behind.

The faint scent of ash and smoke laced the air, reminding him of the destruction the fire had ravished on the forestlands outside of town, the job he had to do tomorrow. He’d often flown out with MAFFS, fighting a number of devastating blazes, but he had a personal stake in this one, since it was so close to Rumor.

He’d no more than stepped into a spacious living room that needed more furniture, when a bark sounded and a scruffy blur raced into view like a miniature tornado.

“Look, Posey. We’ve got company.” Jilly stooped to pick up the small, scruffy dog. Well, it sounded like a dog, but it looked more like an automated dust mop minus the stick.

Jeff laughed. “Where did you find that thing?”

“That thing?” She lifted a brow and frowned. “You’ll hurt her feelings. This is Posey, the best friend I’ve got. Other than you, of course.”

The ugly little dust mop wiggled in her arms, licking her face.

She always did like strays—dogs, cats, a guy like Cain Kincaid, whose sole purpose in life was to jump the bones of every woman in the county.

“What do you think?” she asked.

About what? The fact she’d finally listened to his repeated advice and dumped Cain a couple of months ago?

“I’ve still got a lot to do, but the house is coming together.”

Jeff scanned the mint-green living room, noting the faint smell of fresh paint. She’d decorated the windows with lacy curtains he suspected were handmade.

A floral sofa and a beige easy chair completed the sparse furnishings, but he figured she could pick up additional furniture later, one piece at a time.

He shot her an appreciative smile. “It looks good, Jilly.”

Having a real home had always been a dream of hers, and he was glad he’d had a small hand in helping her buy her own place. “Now all you need is the porch swing and that little picket fence you’ve always talked about.”

“Thanks.” She put the squirmy dust mop on the floor, then offered him that chipped-tooth smile he found so endearing. It was, after all, her badge of courage.

On Jeff’s first day at Rumor Elementary, Cain Kincaid had taunted him for being the new kid in their first-grade class. Things might not have escalated, had the school bully, along with a third-grade crony, joined in, cornering Jeff behind the handball court.

Only six years old, and clearly outnumbered, Jeff had doubled up his fists, ready to defend himself to the death. But from out of the blue, a scrawny, brown-haired girl came to his rescue, butting the bully from the side and sending them all flying toward the concrete backboard. Thank goodness a teacher intervened, but not before Jilly earned her battle scar—a chipped front tooth. From then on, each time she smiled, Jeff was reminded of her bravery.

They became friends that day, and their friendship had endured through the years.

“It’s good to have you back,” she said.

“Yeah, well, under the circumstances, I’m not really back. Once that fire is contained, I’ll be gone.”

“You’re here now.” She flashed him a smile. “Let’s enjoy our time together.”

He intended to, even though things had grown a bit weird between them.

Since they’d been apart and since she’d revealed a few details about her relationship with Cain, Jeff had started to feel something, although he wasn’t sure what.

At times it seemed a lot like jealousy. He shrugged it off, though, determined not to consider the possibility of romance—temporary or otherwise. Jilly needed someone who would make a home with her in Rumor, someone who wasn’t a freedom-loving pilot married to his job.

Besides, Jeff lived in Colorado, close to his MAFFS outfit. He thrived on being on call, on taking off at a moment’s notice. And he loved the excitement, the danger.

There couldn’t possibly be a fate worse than being grounded in Rumor for good, pushing a lawn mower and living vicariously by television on Saturday nights.

Jeff was a free spirit. And he had no intention of having his wings clipped—by anyone.

An hour later Jilly and Jeff sat at the scarred oak dining room table she’d picked up at the thrift store in Whitehorn. A vase of yesterday’s tulips and white tapered candles in brass candlesticks graced the worn but clean linen tablecloth.

She would have offered him a glass of wine, but knew he was a real stickler for flight regulations and safety. So she didn’t bother to ask and gave him iced tea instead.

They dined on roast beef, red potatoes and baby carrots. All the while, Posey sat near the table, waiting patiently for someone to have pity and toss her a treat. Strange as it may sound, Jilly understood how the little mutt felt.

As a kid, she’d often waited for a scrap of affection, a kind word, a warm smile.

Of course, things had changed once her mother died and Jilly moved out of the run-down house she’d grown up in.

“Aren’t you going to put that dog outside?” Jeff asked.

“Nope.” She tossed her two-legged friend a crooked smile. “Posey lives indoors.”

Jeff merely shook his head and went back to eating. When he wasn’t looking, she slipped her furry pal a chunk of meat.

Both her friends seemed pleased with the taste of her culinary efforts and chomped away. She wished she could take more credit for the meal, but she’d merely dumped everything in a Crock-Pot this morning and let the handy-dandy appliance do the rest.

Jilly picked at her food. Although hungry, she was struggling with a diet that wasn’t working. She’d gained weight lately.

As Jeff buttered a piece of bread, she discreetly unsnapped her jeans to give her waistline some relief. It seemed that most of her weight had settled in the stomach, bloating her tummy. Her energy level had dipped, big-time, causing her to want a midday nap.

And a few other things had been bothering her, too, like a nervous stomach that seemed to be much worse than ever before. Of course, she blamed that on her recent breakup with Cain, but just to be on the safe side, she’d scheduled an appointment at the Rumor Family Clinic on Monday afternoon.

Chances were her weird complaints were nothing but residual stress caused by that lousy relationship she’d finally ended.

When would she learn how to sort through men and choose one worth keeping?

Jeff looked up from his meal. “This is really good, Jilly. You’ve become a great cook.”

“Thanks.”

When she glanced up and caught him looking at her with those big-sky eyes, something passed between them, and the air grew heavy, laden with unspoken words and thoughts.

Jilly didn’t know what was tumbling around in Jeff’s mind, but she suspected it was some of the same confusion that plagued her. The friendship she’d come to depend upon had changed.

She and Jeff had shared a lot of meals in the past—pizza, a burger and fries. But boy, oh, boy, things were different this time. Much different.

Maybe they were both a little uneasy with their new…their new what?

Awareness?

Attraction?

Darned if she knew what was happening, but this whole surreal evening reminded her of the movie, When Harry Met Sally.

Was this what Harry meant when he said men and women couldn’t be friends because sex got in the way?

Well, she wasn’t about to let awkwardness rain on their reunion. Friendships like the one they shared came along once in a lifetime, and she wasn’t going to risk losing the one-and-only stable element in her life.

Jeff pushed his chair from the table and slowly stood, breaking the tension that hovered around them. “I’d better go. I’ve got an early day tomorrow.”

Jilly nodded. “I understand.”

“But I’ll help you with the dishes.”

“Don’t bother,” Jilly said, fighting a grin. “Posey will help me clean up.”

Jeff furrowed his brow and studied her as though he suspected she planned to let the dog lick the plates clean.

The naughty side of her wanted to let him believe she was serious, but her conscience wouldn’t let her tease him tonight. Not when he had to fly out tomorrow morning and fight that fire. The danger of his job was never far from her mind.

“I’m joking, flyboy. Posey just keeps me company.”

He grabbed her by the hand and drew her to his side. “I can take a joke as well as the next guy, but I never know what you’ll come up with next.”

She laughed. “Well, if you’re leaving, you’d better give me a hug.”

“I’ve always got a hug for my best friend.” He pulled her close, sending her pulse racing and her imagination soaring. And when he brushed a goodbye kiss across her cheek, her breath caught and her heart spun like a little toy top with nowhere to move.

The men in her life had always let her down, but not Jeff Forsythe, the best friend she’d ever had.

Yet, in spite of herself, she had begun to look at Jeff in a new and sensual light.

And it left her terribly uneasy.

Especially when she knew her best friend had no intention of putting down roots in Rumor.

Chapter Two

Jilly sat in the waiting room at the Rumor Family Clinic, listening for her name to be called.

The wind had shifted that afternoon, taking the scent of smoke and the haze of ash with it and giving the Rumor community another respite from the fire that continued to blaze and darken the southern sky. It seemed a waste of time to be indoors on a day like this.

Afternoon sunlight poured into the room through two huge bay windows, casting a bright and cheerful glow on all who waited patiently, yet Jilly felt tense and fidgety.

She glanced at her watch—4:08 p.m.

Hopefully, they’d get her in and out so she could go back to work. She’d purposely scheduled the time so Blake Cameron, the teenager she’d hired as part-time help, could watch the florist shop for her.

She glanced at her watch again—4:09 p.m. Maybe she should cancel the appointment and head back to work, but she was hoping Dr. Holmes could tell her those weird symptoms she’d been having and those strange sensations she’d been feeling were all in her head.

The door to the back offices opened, and a dark-haired, matronly nurse held a file close to her chest and stood in the doorway. “Jilly Davis?”

Too late to cancel now, she supposed. After placing the magazine she’d been reading on the table, she stood and followed the nurse down the hall that led to the examining rooms.

“Will you step on the scale, please?”

“Sure. Mind if I slip off my shoes first?” she asked. Maybe take off my watch and my ring, shave my legs?

Sheesh. Jilly knew her weight was up. She couldn’t button her pants anymore and even her bras were snug. She’d tried to diet, but every time she turned around, she had the nervous munchies. She’d blamed her food cravings on stress, following her breakup with Cain.

“Not too bad,” the heavyset nurse said. “Only five pounds up from last winter, when you came in for your yearly pap smear.”