The Best Of Blaze - Six Sexy Romances

But whatever happened, he knew he didn’t want to lose Molly. So he followed her across the fields. His horsemanship had improved drastically since he’d come back here in May.

He pulled Carl—now his personal horse—to a stop as it struck him that leaving the ranch and Molly wasn’t going to be easy. His commitment to her wasn’t just something to get him through losing the career he’d always wanted, he realized, now that there was a possibility of him returning to active duty.

But how could he say that to her? Despite everything they’d said to each other, she seemed to think that he was either going to stay on the ranch forever or it was over between them. Didn’t she?

He clucked and nudged Carl with his heels to get him moving again and finally caught up with Molly at the pond. She’d dismounted and left her horse—a well-trained horse would stay even if the reins were just left on the ground rather than being tied to something. He did the same with Carl. He found Molly on the path and followed slowly.

She turned when she heard his boot steps getting close and he noticed she’d been crying.

“Molly.”

She just shrugged and shook her head. “I want you to stay. I want to be enough for you and not have to compete with NASA. I know it’s selfish.”

He reached for her, but she stepped back and he dropped his arm awkwardly to his side.

“You are enough for me. Sometimes I think I’m not enough for you,” he said, tackling the easiest problem first. “These past months have been...an awakening for me. Never in my life had I imagined I’d find a place to call home that wasn’t part of the space program.”

She watched him with those wide, weary eyes of hers and he was aware that he had to do and say the right things now. Because he loved her.

He stumbled over the thought in his mind.

He loved Molly. He couldn’t say for sure when it had happened. Maybe he’d loved her since the first night he’d come back and she’d dropped all her barriers and let him see the real woman. Or maybe he’d loved her since he’d first seen her dark eyes and chestnut braids.

“I’m glad you feel at home,” she said. “You always kept a part of yourself isolated when you lived here before.”

“I know. I’ve been afraid to trust another person. It’s easier at NASA because it’s all about rank and performance, but this—” he gestured to the two of them “—this is scary because the last time I thought of home like this was before my mom died.”

She nodded. “It’s different for me. This has always been my home. It’s hard for me to imagine being anywhere else. But you’ve always wanted to leave, even when you were a kid, to get out there in the stars. I can understand it, but it’s hard for me to figure out how we could be together if you’re still able to go on missions. You’d be gone for such long periods of time.”

“It would be hard,” he admitted. But it was his life. He loved Molly and he loved space. He didn’t think he could choose between them. If his health forced him to be grounded, it would be easier in some ways. The decision would be out of his hands. But something deep inside of him felt that he had improved enough, that the exercises and treatments Dr. Tomlin had prescribed had done their job. And that would leave him in a situation he never thought he’d be facing.

“So what are we going to do?” she asked.

“Just keep on the way we have been for the last month. Nothing has changed. I brought it up...well, it doesn’t matter. I made a commitment to you and the facility and I’m going to keep it no matter what the tests show,” he said.

“Are you sure?” she asked.

He had this one moment where his conscience battled with him. He loved Molly.

Love.

He couldn’t remember the last person he’d loved. His mom, he supposed, but that was so long ago she’d faded into a distant memory and sometimes he couldn’t remember her face. But Molly was here before him. Standing there looking very unlike herself with her arms wrapped around her waist.

She needed him. He had a chance to become like the strong, caring men he admired. But he’d have to give up his dream.

Wasn’t that what love was?

Sacrifice?

He didn’t know for sure, but he made his choice. “I’m positive.”

* * *

TWINKLE LIGHTS AND tiki torches illuminated the dock area and beach around the pond later that evening. Music, laughter and raised voices filled the air. Molly wandered among the ranch hands, construction crew and astronauts who’d come out for the party. She hadn’t seen Jason in the last thirty minutes, but that was okay.

They had spent a lot of time alone today before everyone had arrived. She was worried she’d forced him into a decision he’d come to regret.

“What are you doing over here looking all pouty, sunshine?” Rina asked as she came up to Molly and handed her a plastic margarita glass.

She took a sip of the frozen strawberry goodness. “I think I might have manipulated Jason today to do something he doesn’t want to.”

“Damn, girl, I wasn’t ready for that,” Rina said. “I thought you were sad that the facility would be opening soon.”

It was the end of the Bar T Ranch she’d always known, but she’d made her peace with that. “Change is inevitable, right?”

“Yes, it is. So what happened with you and Ace?” Rina asked.

The two women moved away from the party area down the path where there was a bench nestled under a willow tree. “Remember when I used to think no one could find me here?”

“I do,” Rina said. “It was your spot. Your dad told me how you and your mom used to spend time under this willow.”

“We did. I always think of her when I come here. I wonder what she’d say about all this,” Molly said.

“She’d be proud of you. You’ve done what was needed to keep the ranch in the family and you are making it a place for future generations,” Rina said.

Molly wondered if that was true or if Rina was just saying what she thought she needed to hear. The truth was someplace in between, Molly reckoned.

“So...” Rina said, taking another sip. “What did you do?”

Molly finished her margarita and sat down on the bench.

“Jason is feeling better. He thinks...he thinks that going on another mission might not be out of the question for him.”

“Was it ever?” Rina asked, coming over to sit down next to her.

“Yes. He has been part of an experiment for bone-density loss. It’s called spaceflight osteopenia. When we went to Houston right before we won the bid, the doctor saw him and the news wasn’t good. He thought he’d never go back to space. So he started considering a future with me and the ranch...”

“Well, damn.”

“Exactly. And today...well, today he tried talking to me about it, but I was all like it’s me or the moon.” She groaned, embarrassed. “I used to be afraid he would leave. No, I would think, what if Jason goes on his mission and when he comes back he doesn’t want this or me anymore?” she said. God, she hadn’t realized that was what she’d been feeling, but now that the words were out she felt freer.

Rina hugged her close and rubbed her back. “All I know is that love doesn’t come if you force it. If that boy loves you, then he won’t be able to go into space unless he knows you’ll be here for him when he returns.”

“You think so?” Molly asked.

“I do.” They sat for a few minutes in silence. “I guess we should go back to the party,” Rina said finally.

“We should.”

She followed Rina through the branches of the willow and up the path only to run into Jason coming down.

“I was looking for you,” he said. He wore a pair of tight-fitting jeans and a dress shirt, along with a Stetson she’d never seen before. He had two glasses in one hand, a bottle of Maker’s Mark in the other.

“I’ll leave you two alone,” Rina said, walking past him.

“I was hiding out.”

“Under the willow?” he asked, draping the arm with the glasses over her shoulder.

Everyone knew her secret spot, she thought, and was reminded again that on the ranch there were no true secrets.

“Yes.”

“Good, let’s go there now. I want to be alone with you.”

He led her back under the willow tree. The music from the party was softer here. He put the glasses down on the bench with the whiskey bottle and drew her into his arms.

She started to speak, but he put his finger over her lips. “No more talking. I want to dance with my woman.”

He pulled her close, one arm wrapped around her waist, and took her right hand in his left. The radio was playing Sara Evans’s “I Could Not Ask For More.”

Jason swayed with her, singing under his breath along with the music. She felt her heart melt and fell even more in love with him. And she knew that she could never be the reason this man didn’t go for his dreams. That as much as she needed him here by her side, she needed him to be happy.

She rested her head against his chest and sang along with him. Jason started smiling when she looked up and she caught her breath. It was a real smile, not one of those fake ones he gave everyone most of the time. He swung her out and spun her back into his arms, wrapping his arms around her and singing into her ear.

She felt alive and happy. And suddenly she knew what she was going to have to do. Because she wanted Jason to have the life he’d always wanted. And that life was up in the stars.

17

MOLLY LOOKED AT herself in the mirror a week later and almost didn’t recognize herself. She had few opportunities to get dressed up. With the updo, the makeup and the cocktail dress, she looked like a different woman. Not a cowgirl but a woman who belonged in the big city. The special liaison for the Cronus training facility. Molly found she was excited about the new space exploration program and her part in it.

Next week an administrative assistant would arrive at the ranch, and Molly was going to have an office in the new building. She shook her head in disbelief.

It didn’t seem like that long ago that she’d been standing on the porch at the Bar T wondering what she was going to do without her dad by her side. She’d found a new life. A life she would never have imagined. The road had been hard, but she was in a good place here.

The facility would be welcoming its first group of trainees next week and this gala was to thank all the people who’d worked so hard to get them to this moment.

She’d made up her mind that if Jason was cleared for flight she’d encourage him to take the Cronus crew position Dennis wanted to offer. He had been with Dr. Tomlin all day doing tests. Molly tried to convince herself she was prepared for whatever happened.

She’d purchased her dress with Izzy’s help at the Neiman Marcus at the Galleria. It was sparkly and slim-fitting, hugging her curves, with a halter neck and a skirt that ended a few inches above her knees. She’d even stopped into Victoria’s Secret to pick up some nice new lingerie. She’d been practicing walking around the hotel room in her new high heels for the past hour.

Her dad used to bring her to Houston to go back-to-school shopping every year in August. They’d book a hotel near the Galleria and either Rina or Annabelle would go with her. Dad would meet them for lunch and then they’d do more shopping. It had been a little odd to visit the Galleria without him.

Jason and Molly had booked the same suite they’d stayed in last time since the gala celebration was being held in one of the ballrooms in the same hotel. Rina and Jeb had come to Houston for the celebration, as well. They were going to meet the initial group of trainees who would be using the facility.

She took another look at herself in the mirror as she fastened the large diamond-cluster earrings that had been her mother’s.

You look too pretty to be my daughter.

She glanced around expecting to see her dad standing behind her. But it was just his voice in her head. The words felt like a hug, as if she’d gotten his approval—not just for her appearance, but for everything she was doing. She closed her eyes, realizing that the pain she’d felt when he’d died was starting to ebb. She still missed him, but she could think of him now without crying and that was a very good thing.

She gave her reflection a wink before grabbing the small beaded handbag that matched her dress and heading down to the ballroom. The hallway leading to the ballroom was lined with large posters of all the astronauts who’d done the work leading up to the Cronus missions. She saw Hemi’s and Izzy’s posters before stopping in front of her Ace’s. It was impossible to think of him as Jason when she stared into his intent blue gaze. The photo was of him in his flight suit, holding his helmet under his arm. And under the image was a quote attributed to him.

I grew up on a ranch in Texas so nothing is daunting to me. I need to be out there going where no one has before and expanding our boundaries the way the first settlers did in the West.

As much as she wanted him by her side, she knew that Ace really was a space cowboy. A man who should be exploring the universe, not tied to the land as she was. It was what he was meant to do and she loved him more for it.

“Hello, gorgeous.”

She turned to find him standing behind her in a tux. She almost forgot to breathe he was so handsome. His hair was neatly combed and he smiled when he bent down to kiss her. They’d come so far since he’d walked up to her porch on that warm May evening.

She threw her arms around him and started laughing. He joined her, swinging her in a circle.

* * *

JASON HAD AN engagement ring in his pocket from Deutsch & Deutsch Jewelers. They had been in business in Houston for more than eighty years and their motto—Where Life Happens—seemed to suit him and Molly. He’d picked it up earlier in the day, after he’d finished the battery of tests Dr. Tomlin had run.

She’d been excited by the test results for the blood samples he’d been sending her each week via private courier. His calcium levels were normalizing. She hadn’t seen the same results with her other patients so he mentioned Hemi’s mom’s diet and the supplements she’d sent him. Dr. Tomlin had immediately gotten on the phone with Mona and he had a feeling that the meals at the Mick Tanner Cronus Training Facility were going to be heavily influenced by Mona’s nutrition plan.

Jason was happy being back on the base. Dennis had called him earlier, but Jason had been at the jewelers. He’d wanted a special ring for Molly and had been examining the one he’d ordered to make sure it was perfect.

He hadn’t returned his boss’s call because he wanted to ask Molly to marry him before he knew if there was an option to go on more missions.

There were a lot of astronauts who were married, and many balanced work and family. But Jason knew himself. He was either Ace or Jason—he didn’t know how to be both.

He’d made a promise to Molly that day by the pond and he wasn’t going to back out of it now. She needed him and he was coming to realize how much he needed her.

She was the first person he’d wanted to call when he’d heard the news from Dr. Tomlin.

And tonight...she was beautiful. She shone more brightly than the stars in the night sky and she was holding on to him and laughing with such joy. He didn’t want to dim it. Couldn’t be the man who made her eyes lose their sparkle.

“That dress is making it hard for me to remember why we have to be here. I want to scoop you up in my arms and carry you back to our room.”

She blushed and then winked at him. “There’s no reason why we can’t have everything we want tonight, is there?”

“No reason at all,” he said. Everything she wanted. This was her night. They’d saved the ranch and were getting ready to open the training facility. They were a couple. They had the rest of their lives together.

“I want to take a picture of you by your poster,” she said, fumbling in her handbag for her cell phone.

“Why?”

“So I have both handsome sides of you in one photo,” she said.

She knew. He hadn’t realized it was obvious to everyone else, or maybe it was just because Molly knew him so well that she saw he was two different men. Not balanced at all.

The ring in his pocket felt heavy and he wanted to propose before he went inside and the lure of his old life took over.

He went over to the poster. Saw the brash, confident astronaut staring back at him. The man in the photo wore a hint of a smile along with tons of self-assurance and swagger. He posed next to his poster and she snapped the picture just as Hemi and his brother Manu came around the corner.

“I told you it wasn’t odd to take a picture with myself,” Hemi said.

Manu shook his head. “Ace, are you for real? I get this egomaniac wanting to pose with himself, but you aren’t as into yourself as he is.”

Hemi punched his brother on the arm. “Hey.”

“I asked him to do it,” Molly said.

Manu glanced over at her and then held his hand out. When Molly took it, Manu brought her hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it. “Apologies, my lady. I’m Manu Barrett, this one’s older and more handsome brother.”

“She has eyes. She can see that you were a warm-up for me. I’m the perfect one,” Hemi said.

Jason just shook his head at them.

“This is Molly Tanner,” Jason said, introducing her to Manu.

“Are you part of the astronaut program?” he asked as they all moved into the ballroom.

“Not really. I’m a cowgirl normally. But Ace and I inherited some land that is now housing the new Cronus training facility,” she said.

Jason thought it curious that she’d referred to him as Ace. She almost always called him Jason.

“That is really cool. I’d love to hear more about it,” Manu said. Hemi left them to go talk to Izzy.

“What do you do?” Molly asked Manu.

“I’m in football. Special teams coach for the professional football league. I used to play for San Diego.”

“I think I might get kicked out of Texas for admitting this, but I don’t really like the game. I’m more of a basketball fan.”

“You were almost perfect,” Manu said with a wink.

“Well, she is for me,” Jason said, putting his arm around her.

“Not perfect,” Molly said, smiling. “I’m as real as they come.”

Manu laughed and then moved off to find his brother. Jason took Molly’s hand in his and started to lead her away from the crowd.

“Where are we going?”

“I want to be alone with you for a few minutes before everything starts tonight,” he said.

She bit her lower lip and then nodded. “I figured we’d talk later, but I can do this now.”

Do what? he wondered. He led her to a quiet corner and put his hand in his pocket, feeling around for the ring box. She stood there watching him. And the lights dimmed as the emcee came out on stage.

“Ladies and gentlemen, NASA is proud to welcome you to the Cronus Kickoff Celebration. If you will all find your seats, we have a few announcements to make before we get this party started.”

“This is going to have to wait,” Molly said.

He was afraid she was right. She turned to walk toward their table and all he could do was follow.

* * *

EVERYONE SCURRIED TO their seats and Molly knew what was coming next. Dennis had called her earlier when he couldn’t get in touch with Jason, looking for him. Since he’d met her and Jason had introduced her as his girlfriend, Dennis had shared that he had some really good news from Ace’s medical evaluation. That was all, nothing more specific, but Molly was certain that tonight Jason was going to learn his place in the Cronus missions had been assured.

“Wait, before anything else happens, I want to ask you something, Molly,” Jason said, tugging on her arm.

She turned toward him, saw the ring box in his hand and felt her heart sink. She put her hand over his, the one holding the box.

“Oh, Jason. I don’t want to be the reason you can’t have your dream.”

“You wouldn’t be,” he said, but she let go of his hand and went to their table.

As he followed her, Dennis intercepted him and she glanced back. Saw the intensity of the conversation. A selfish part of her wished she’d let him ask that question, but she knew it wouldn’t be right.

Rina and Jeb were seated at her table along with Lynn and her husband, Jimmy. They were a cute couple, funny and lively. They almost distracted her from the fact that Jason hadn’t come back and that the emcee was back on the stage.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I’m sure all of you are as excited to be here as we are to welcome you. There are many phases for the next program that NASA has been developing. Our eventual goal is to get to Mars, but before we can do that we have to see how our astronauts tolerate extended missions outside of Earth’s gravity. To that end, NASA is launching the Cronus missions. I’m pleased to introduce you to Dennis Lock, Deputy Program Manager for Cronus.”

Molly sat back in her chair, feigning a calm she was far from feeling. She was ready to smile and stand up when Dennis introduced her, but she wished that Jason was by her side. The fact that he wasn’t meant her suspicions were right. He was cleared for flight and would be going on the first mission to establish a way station between Earth and Mars. An eighteen-month mission that would be the next step in fulfilling his dreams.

She wasn’t going to worry about where that would leave her.

Really. She wasn’t.

Rina reached over, took Molly’s hand and squeezed it. “Whatever happens, you’ll be okay.”

She would be. She was stronger from having loved Jason and spending the last three months with him. He’d given her new excitement for life and he’d helped her save the ranch. There was nothing to worry about.

Except a broken heart.

Everyone applauded as Dennis took the stage. He wore a tuxedo and walked with purpose. He was definitely the right man to be in charge, Molly thought. She knew how much the astronauts respected him. Had heard stories about his own missions that night she’d been at Rocket Fuel waiting for Jason.

That night she had seen him surrounded by his team, in his element. She loved Jason. He cared for her and had said he’d found a home with her. But was that because he’d thought he could never return to his real home?

“Thank you, everyone, for that warm welcome. This isn’t a press conference and there will only be one new announcement tonight. You’ve all contributed to getting the Cronus missions off the ground. All of your hard work is the reason we are here tonight celebrating.

“I need to thank Lynn and her team at Axiom who put together a top-notch bid for our new training facility and got it built in record time. Where are you, Lynn?”

She stood up and waved as the spotlight found her. Molly felt the tension inside of her grow. She couldn’t stay another minute. She leaned over to Rina.

“I have to go. Just smile and wave for us,” Molly said, talking loudly to be heard over the announcement.

“Sunshine—”

She just shook her head and got up, walking swiftly through the tables with her head down. She heard Dennis talk about the Bar T Ranch and how the facility had been named after Mick as she got to the doors that led to the hallway.

“It’s only fitting that this facility be named after the man who was a surrogate father to our top astronaut trainee. The man who has been focused on leading the Cronus missions since I first met him at training camp. I’m pleased to announce that Ace McCoy will be the commander and leader of our first mission.”

There were whoops from Jason’s astronaut friends and everyone stood up and applauded. Molly smiled to herself. She was happy for him. She thought she’d have to fake it, but there was no need. She finally understood what it was like to love someone so much that seeing them happy was enough. Jason would go on his missions and have his life and the stars. And she would watch from the ground, loving him, missing him and hoping he would come back to her one day.