Morgan's Wife (39 page)

The Sinclair house was large, a turn-of-the-century three-story Victorian home that had originally been built by Sinclair ancestors when silver mining was at its peak in
Montana
. Jim had been immersed in the family's stories of the mining era, when the
Sinclairs
had been among the local elite. But as silver production died off in the 1930s, the family had become destitute like much of the rest of the country. This generation of
Sinclairs
—Warren and Mary—had turned economic disaster into success.
Warren
ran a fishing-expedition service with clients from around the world who wanted to fish the state's famous trout streams.

Jim allowed Scott Sinclair to climb into his lap. The boy was tired—he'd been up since six this morning, wanting to touch every bulb and light on the ten-foot-high blue spruce that stood, brightly decorated, in the corner of the expansive living room.

Last night they had all worked together to decorate the tree, and Jim couldn't remember ever having so much fun or laughing so hard.
Now Scott snuggled against him, resting his head tiredly on Jim's shoulder and closing his eyes.
Jim wrapped his left arm around the boy and watched him drop quickly off to sleep. His gaze returned to Pepper. Again his heart expanded with such joy that it continued to catch him off guard, made him inhale a deep ragged breath as he tried to believe his good luck.

Pepper wore an ankle-length, red corduroy skirt, a dark green angora sweater and comfortable shoes with bright red socks that matched her skirt. Earlier, Molly had placed a sprig of holly and berries in Pepper's hair, and now her cheeks were flushed as she talked animatedly with her mother and Molly in the kitchen. She had pushed the sleeves of the sweater up to her elbows in order to make the dressing. Jim
sighed,
glanced down at the sleeping tiger he held in his arms and continued to sip the delicious hot chocolate. Life didn't get much better than this and he knew it.

The past three days had been bliss for him and Pepper. Yesterday a brief storm had passed through, dropping another foot of snow, and they'd gone alpine skiing for part of the day. He was sore today from the unaccustomed form of exercise, but it had been a great day. Pepper had packed two thermoses of hot chocolate and a lunch, and they'd shared another snow picnic in the middle of the forest, the towering
Douglas
firs stately and awe-inspiring around them.

Jim finished the cup of chocolate and saw
Cam
looking his way. The navy pilot wore Levi's, loafers and a dark green flannel shirt and Jim smiled to himself. He, too, had opted for comfortable civilian clothes: tan chinos, an off-white fisherman's sweater and hiking boots.

"Looks like Scott finally crashed and burned,"
Cam
said as he came over and gently eased his son into his arms. He turned Scott around and allowed him to sink across his shoulder.

"I'd say he's about used up his energy for this mission," Jim agreed as he watched the pilot gently hold his son. It was good to see men who enjoyed being fathers, who weren't afraid to show their full range of emotions with their children—unlike many of the stoic father figures of the past, who'd remained apart from their families in many ways.

"Thanks for baby-sitting,"
Cam
said with a chuckle. He turned, carrying his son down the hall toward one of the many bedrooms to continue his nap. Jennifer quickly got up, leaving crayons and paper behind and followed her dad.

"Playing baby-sitter?" Pepper asked as she wandered in, wiping her hands on a dish towel. How wonderfully handsome Jim looked, she thought. The cream color of his sweater emphasized his dark good looks, and when he lifted his chin, his green eyes narrowing on her, she felt giddy with joy.

"I think the little rug rat just found any old soft spot to call a pillow," he teased, taking the hand she had extended to him. Pepper came to the side of his chair and knelt down, her hand resting in his lap.

"Rug rats—what an awful term!"

He gave her a nonplussed look. "It's an affectionate Marine Corps term for kids."

"Leave it to the Marine Corps to think that that term shows affection." Pepper sniffed, leaning over to gather up the crayons and coloring book.

"Marines aren't usually in the line of being babysitters," Jim drawled, teasing her.

She set the items on the lamp stand next to Jim's chair. As she straightened, she muttered, "Listen, I've been around enough military brats, kids who had to grow up in that sterile, rigid place called the Fortress, and I've seen firsthand how little the military cares about the wives and children. Don't get me started, okay?"

Jim grinned and leaned over, placing a swift kiss on her mouth. "Okay," he murmured.

Pepper sighed and leaned against the arm of the chair, content. "This is so much fun. I just love Christmas."

"It's one of my favorite holidays, too." He placed his hand on her shoulder. "And you've got a great family." He raised his eyebrows slightly. "You really take after your mother."

"Yes. She's something else, isn't she?"

"I was surprised to hear she hikes back into those interior places where the trout are. That's rugged country."

Snorting, Pepper gave him a cool look. "Come on! Women can't be good guides?"

He held up his hands. "Remember? I'm still adjusting to the fact that women can do anything a man can. But I have to admit, I can't see any reason why a woman couldn't know good fishing spots, too."

Pepper shook her head. "You're one of those guys who grudgingly
gives
up ground to a woman, you know that?"

"Maybe so, but I am trying to adjust," he protested lightly.

"Stick around me and you'll change a lot quicker," she muttered, smiling. Jim's eyes were warm with tenderness, and Pepper felt wrapped in
a euphoria
she still had trouble trusting. The last time she'd uttered those heartfelt words
I love you,
John had died. In the past few days, she had realized she was genuinely ready to let go of the past and embrace the present. What she felt for Jim more than rivaled what she'd felt for John. But how should she tell Jim? She wasn't sure if he was ready to commit at such a serious level. Did she dare believe that what she experienced in his touch and his kisses and saw in his eyes was love? After all, he'd never said the words to her. Would he ever?

Sighing, Pepper said, "Molly's beside herself. Her friends from
Annapolis
and
Pensacola
flight school will be here in a few minutes. I guess this is the first time they've all been able to get leave, meet somewhere and have a great time together."

"Sort of like a college reunion," Jim said.

"Yes. Molly's told me all about Dana and Maggie—how they shared an apartment in
Pensacola
when they were there to get their navy aviator wings. I'm excited to meet them myself. Molly has told me so much about them, I feel like I already know them. And it will be interesting to see the men they've chosen as husbands. How they compare."

"Oh?" Jim took her hand and laced his fingers with hers.

"Well, you know." Pepper laughed.

"Is this
womanspeak
? Some kind of mysterious verbal shorthand we poor males try to decipher, but can't?"

Pepper had the good grace to blush. "Sorry. Yes, it is. I guess I'm curious about the men from the standpoint that all three of these women are very strong, confident people. It's been my experience that most men get defensive or project like crazy around woman like that. It takes a man who is really comfortable with his masculinity, as a total person, to appreciate women like us, that's all."

"So you're going to compare
Griff
Turcotte
and Wes Bishop with me?" He saw Pepper's cheeks grow even brighter red and grinned.

"Not exactly…." she hedged, obviously uncomfortable.

Laughing huskily, Jim whispered, "I know I'm not the perfect twenty-first-century male, but I'm trying. And I think that's what counts, don't you?"

Leaning over, Pepper kissed him quickly on his smiling mouth. The heat in his eyes touched her deeply. "It does count," she murmured. "Besides, you might pick up some good pointers from these guys, especially Wes Bishop. I understand Maggie is a real go-getter. She's one of the first women in the navy to fly the fighters up against the boys—and she beats them on a regular basis."

"Hmm, maybe I will," Jim drawled, holding her laughter-filled gaze, which sparkled with an emotion he wanted to call love. Was Pepper ready to commit to him?
To release the past with John once and for all?
Jim had seen her seesaw back and forth in the days he'd spent with her at the cabin. Their conversations had tiptoed around the issue. But he'd also seen the deepening of
their own
relationship. He loved her. Could she put herself out on a limb and love for a second time in her life? Could she do it for him? He still wasn't sure.

The doorbell rang, and they watched Molly fly from the kitchen to the foyer, her long blond hair streaming behind her. Pepper laughed and shook her head. Molly was such a sprite, completely uninhibited, and it reminded her to stay in touch with her own childlike emotions. The woman opened the door, shrieked and flung her arms wide.

Pepper was content to stand at Jim's side and wait until the group shed their coats and gear and came into the living room. Molly's cheeks were pink with excitement, her eyes sparkling with tears as she held the hands of her two dearest friends. She brought them around the room, introducing them to everyone. Pepper and Jim were the last to be introduced.

"Dana and Maggie, meet one of us, Pepper Sinclair. Can you believe it? She made it through Army Ranger school, beat the guys at their own game, was the highest scoring of all of them, and they wouldn't let her graduate? Pepper's a smoke jumper now, for the Forest Service. Pepper, meet my friends."

Laughing, Pepper held out her hand to red-haired Maggie Donovan-Bishop, whose
eaglelike
eyes seemed to miss nothing. Maggie's handshake was firm, her smile genuine. Dana
Turcotte
, who possessed
an intensity
and introspectiveness that reminded Pepper of Cam, shook her hand next.

Pepper was delighted by this unusual chance to meet her "own kind."
Though few women had joined the smoke jumpers so far, those who had possessed similar hallmark traits.
It was obvious Maggie and Dana had them, too. As Molly introduced Jim, giving a quick sketch of his background, Pepper was able to stand back and observe their reaction to him. Maggie grinned, thrust her hand forward and shook Jim's hand vigorously. Dana was more circumspect, more official, eyeing him with a bit of wariness, or watchfulness, perhaps. Pepper wondered if Dana had had a bad time in general with men, to make her so guarded.

Cam
brought the two husbands around next. Pepper liked outgoing and warm Wes Bishop, who was a pilot with United Parcel Service and flew the "heavies," as they called the jumbo jets, all over the world, hauling cargo.
Griff
Turcotte
had a rugged face, a tough exterior, and was more reserved, like Dana. Shaking his hand, Pepper felt
Griff
was exactly what Dana needed. It was obvious they were happy—she had seen them trade an affectionate glance shortly after the introductions and before Molly had dragged the two women off to the kitchen to give them her late grandmother's recipe for the hot chocolate she'd made for everyone.

Jim went into the kitchen and brought out cups of the famous chocolate for the two pilots. It struck him that the men had formed a loose circle near the roaring fireplace, while the women were in the kitchen, chatting away, laughing and working together on the meal to come. There were differences between men and women, and Jim honored them. He turned his attention to Wes, who pinned him with an interested look.

"Molly said you're a Recon Marine?"

"Yes, a ground pounder compared to you air guys," Jim said, grinning. Everyone laughed. Jim was familiar with the ongoing rivalry between ground troops and the pilots who owned the air above them.

"I won't hold it against you," Wes murmured, his grin stretching wide across his face.