He nodded, not looking at her, his eyes on the chasm that yawned before them. “It’s a drop of eight hundred feet; did you know that, Billie? I had the advance crews scouting the area for days to find a drop that would get the maximum dramatic effect.”
“It certainly does that,” Billie said with a shiver as her gaze followed his to the shadowy, boulder-strewn floor of the valley below. “It makes me dizzy just looking at it.”
“Oh yes, I have a definite talent for dramatic effect.” His lips curved in bitter self-derision. “The gap had to be wide enough so that every person who had the money to fork out for a theater seat would gasp in wonder when my spunky little ingenue miraculously soared over it to land safely on the other side. I spent hours over the storyboard planning the shot just at sunrise so the jeep would be arched against a backdrop glorious enough to be worthy of my masterpiece.” He jammed his hands in the pockets of his windbreaker. “I didn’t give a thought to the person who was making that jump. Don’t you think that’s funny, Billie?” He laughed mirthlessly. “I never even gave it a thought.”
“It wasn’t your job to worry about it,” Billie said, her eyes fixed worriedly on Joel’s face. There was an air of terrible stress about him so vibrant it was almost tangible. “You just create the concept and turn it over to the proper people to implement it.”
“The proper people being one Kendra Michaels.”
“She’s good, Joel. She’s the best in the business or she wouldn’t be working on a picture with a budget the size of Venture. She’ll make it.”
“Do you know how many stunt people have been killed or seriously injured in the last ten years?” Joel asked, his eyes fixed compulsively on the jagged rocks below. “I’ve made a study of the subject in the past two weeks so I have all the statistics at my fingertips.”
“Look, Kendra’s not afraid,” Billie said. “She was up with Skip until after midnight going over every aspect of the jump, and she’s not worried.”
“But then she thinks she’s Supergirl and Wonder Woman all rolled into one,” Joel answered. “Most of those accidents I mentioned weren’t due to lack of skill or bad timing. They were due to mechanical or technical failure of some kind. Even if she’s the best driver on the face of the earth, it’s not going to help. If something goes wrong with the jeep on the approach to the jump it will lack the power to gather enough momentum for spanning the gulf.”
“That’s not going to happen,” Billie assured him staunchly. “Kendra has the utmost confidence in Skip. He wouldn’t let her take the jump without triple-checking everything about the jeep. She’s going to be fine, Joel. You’ve got to believe that.”
“Yes, I’ve got to believe that,” Joel said dully. If he didn’t he wouldn’t be able to survive this nightmare he had choreographed for himself. “Do you know, when I was a kid, I was always afraid to believe in anything. It seemed like everything I believed in turned out to be built of sand. From the Santa Claus myth to sweet maternal affection, it all turned out to be a bunch of crap. I couldn’t believe in any of it because none of it was real. Nothing in my life’s been real until now…until Kendra.” He drew a deep, shaky breath. “So I’d better start learning how to believe, hadn’t I?” The first tentative rays of sunlight suddenly brightened the sky, illuminating his face, and Billie caught her breath at the torment she saw there. “God, I’ve got to believe she’s going to make it.”
“Joel,” Billie’s hand closed impulsively on his arm. “You mustn’t—”
“Come on,” Joel said abruptly as he turned and started back down the road to where the rest of the crew waited at the bottom of the cliff. “We’ve only got fifteen minutes to get everything in position for the jump.” His face was once more masked as he took her elbow and propelled her swiftly down the road. “The camera crew on the helicopter is ready to take off at a moment’s notice, but the positions of the crews on either side of the canyon and at the cliff facing the chasm have to be double-checked before I give the signal.” His smile was bittersweet. “I wouldn’t want to lose a single angle of my fantastic sunrise backdrop, would I?”
“No, that would be a shame,” Billie said absently as she half skipped to keep up with Joel’s long stride. “Joel, Kendra didn’t seem worried about the jump itself, but she mentioned something about the springs of the jeep being prepared properly. She was a bit grim about the importance of that. What would happen if something went wrong with the springs?”
Joel’s fingers on her elbow tightened to an almost bruising force. He looked straight ahead, his eyes on the crowd of milling technicians a few hundred yards along the road. He could see the jeep now and Kendra standing beside it, listening intently to something Skip Lowden was telling her. “What would happen? She’ll be going at fantastic speed and hit the other side with a tremendous impact. If the springs hold rigid instead of giving and cushioning her as they should, it will have the same effect as jumping from a ten-story building.” He paused. “It would break her back, at the least.”
It was almost time. Kendra felt a glowing warmth as another stuntman she scarcely knew gave her a hard hug and murmured a gruff, “Luck, Ken” in her ear. She knew it was tradition to give this physical comfort and support before a potentially dangerous gag and she’d done it many times herself, but still it touched her. Once she was in the driver’s seat of the jeep, she would know only that terrible cold aloneness; even the excitement would be the icy thrill of danger. But she would have the memory of strong arms and warm words to ward off that coldness. It always helped to know that, and she would need all the help she could get today.
Joel’s biting anger had shaken her more than she had let him see yesterday. She’d had to force herself to resist the impulse to give in and do anything, be anything he wanted. Yet how could she, when it meant giving up her pride and independence for what might be a fleeting liaison? Joel wanted her now. What about next year or the year after, though? She wouldn’t be able to stand it if she wasn’t able to teach him to love her as she loved him. And what chance would she stand with a man who had learned distrust and cynicism in the cradle?
But Lord, how hard it had been to turn and walk away from him when she wanted only to flow into his arms like a hurt and weary child. He hadn’t given her so much as a word or a glance since he had stalked down from that clifftop like Moses with his tablet of commandments. Well, what had she expected but anger and rejection after the way she had deliberately tried to alienate him? She should have been prepared for the pain her actions would bring her. But she mustn’t think about the hollowness she felt as she watched him move with lightning speed and sure dominance from group to group in preparation for filming. She mustn’t think of anything but the jump itself.
“Ken.” She pulled her glance away from Joel to find Skip once again beside her. “The mechanics and I have just completed one last check on the jeep. It couldn’t be better. You’re going to have a real smooth ride.”
“Of course I am,” Kendra said lightly. “Nothing would dare go wrong with you running the show.”
“You’re damn right,” Skip drawled. “Keep it in mind when you’re zooming over that abyss. You wouldn’t want to damage my reputation by doing something stupid like smashing yourself up on those rocks.” Then his rare smile appeared. “I not only expect you to make the jump, but break the existing record. Think you can handle that?”
“Sure, why not?” She knew Skip didn’t give a damn about records, no matter how competitive other stuntmen were about their feats. He was just feeding her every bit of incentive he could in these last minutes. “I’ll fly across the canyon as if I had wings.”
“See that you do.” Skip enfolded her in a brief warm hug. “See you on the other side, kid.” Then he was striding swiftly away.
On the other side. That was a phrase that could be taken more than one way. She shook her head ruefully. Goodness, she was getting morbid. Perhaps it was time she left the really dangerous side of the business.
??
?The camera trucks will be ready to roll in a few minutes.” It was Joel speaking beside her, his voice as impersonal as his expression. “The helicopter is taking off now and I want them to be in position to take the aerial shot before you start the run. Ron will notify you on the mobile phone when they’re ready for you. I’ll be with the camera crew on the other cliff when you land. Try to be ready to start the second he gives you the word. We don’t want to lose that perfect sunrise backlighting, do we?”
“I’ll be ready,” she said, trying to smile lightly. “I wouldn’t think of disappointing you by messing up the most dramatic shot in the picture. Besides, I’ll enjoy the switch of driving into a sunrise instead of riding off into the sunset.” She was babbling and she couldn’t seem to stop. If he would only go away so that she wouldn’t have to see that flinty look in his eyes, the muscle working in his jaw. “The last two pictures I did were westerns and I always seemed—”
“Be quiet.” Joel’s hands were heavy on her shoulders. “For heaven’s sake, be quiet. After watching half the people on the set bidding you a fond farewell as if you were the star of an Irish wake, I can do without your flippant remarks.”
She found his face oddly blurred and it was hard to speak over the tightness in her throat. “There was nothing funereal about it. They were just trying to give me comfort and strength in the only way they know how. I’m sorry if you don’t approve.”
“I didn’t say I didn’t approve.” His voice was husky and his olive eyes oddly bright in the misty morning light. “I’m just jealous as hell you need anyone else but me. I want to be the only one you turn to for help.”
He drew her into his arms carefully, as if she were very fragile and might break at the slightest touch. His cheek was hard and cold against her own, but his lashes pressed against her temple were warm and moist. Moist?
“Take from me, rainbow lady. Use me. I want to give you all the strength and skill you need to get across that canyon.” He was rocking her with the most exquisite tenderness she had ever known. “Oh God, I feel as if I could lift you over it myself by sheer force of will. Know that, Kendra. Know that I’ll be willing you across that damned abyss with everything that’s in me.” He kissed her with desperation and ferocity. “You’ve got to make it, dammit!” Then he released her and strode quickly toward the camera truck. He didn’t look at her again as he jumped in the back and shouted. “Let’s go” to the driver.
Kendra drew a deep breath, feeling a little dazed as she watched the truck turn and race down the road to the canyon floor. Dazed and yet she was experiencing an inner fire that seemed to warm every atom of her being, banishing the cold, banishing the fear she wouldn’t admit even to herself. Perhaps Joel really was the sorcerer she had thought him that first night. She could almost believe he could lift her over the canyon by will alone. By will…or was it something else? The question brought such a wild soaring hope she found herself trembling. No, she mustn’t start to think of that possibility now when all her concentration must be on the job.
She turned and climbed into the driver’s seat of the jeep, fastening the special seat belt before leaning back in the seat and closing her eyes. She cleared her mind of everything but what lay ahead of her, mentally going over the route and focusing on the point where she must gun the accelerator to gain enough momentum to make the jump. She forced herself to relax the tense muscles of her neck and shoulders. Hang loose. In a few minutes it would all be over and she’d be zooming over the chasm. She wouldn’t be alone for long. She’d be able to see Joel and the camera crew even as she made the jump. She would see him on the truck and know that he was making his own special magic and willing her to come to him. Then she’d be landing on the other side of the canyon where Joel was waiting. Where love was waiting.
She heard the crackle from the mobile phone—Ron from the helicopter with the signal for her to start. She opened her eyes and turned on the ignition of the jeep before reaching with a steady hand for the receiver to tell him she was ready.
The film sequence of the jeep soaring over the canyon won the camera crew on the helicopter an Oscar nomination. It was unforgettable: a small, black car silhouetted against the glory of the scarlet sunrise. The valiant sturdiness of the small jeep and the fragile figure of the woman at the wheel pitting their strength against the emptiness that yawned below caused the heart of a viewer to leap. It wasn’t only the sheer marvel of the feat that created such excitement, but also the incredible beauty of the concept itself.
To Joel, watching Kendra hurl herself into nothingness from the other side of the canyon, it seemed as if the jeep were suspended in midair for centuries instead of seconds before it began its descent. Then it moved in ultra slow motion until it hovered over the safety of the cliff. Suddenly the air was rent with violent sound and spewing of earth as the wheels of the jeep landed in a bone-jarring crash and skidded for an eternity before coming to a halt less than a hundred yards from where the cameras were set up near the truck.
He dimly heard the roar that went up from the crew and felt Billie grab his arm and squeeze it in a rapture of relief and delight. But he saw only the slim delicate woman in the driver’s seat, the copper curls of her wig bright in the sunlight as she bent forward. What was she staring at so intently? Then he realized her body slumped oddly.
“Oh God, no,” he breathed, and it was a prayer. Then he was running toward the jeep, forgetting the cameras that were still rolling. “No!”
Her lashes were dark shadows on her cheeks and her lips were parted like those of a sleeping child. She was so still that at first he thought she wasn’t even breathing, and it caused an icy panic to grip him as he fumbled frantically at the seat belt holding her prisoner. Suddenly he found his shoulders gripped by a steely hand, yanking him backward.
“Don’t touch her.” Skip Lowden’s voice was an urgent growl. “Haven’t you got any sense at all, Damon? I’ve radioed down to the first aid tent for them to send up a van and a medical team. They’ll be here within ten minutes.”
“She’s hurt!” Joel’s eyes were blazing as he turned to face him. “You were so sure nothing could happen to your people. That all your cross-checks would keep her safe. She trusted you. And you may have killed her, damn you!”
“She’s not dead,” Skip said, his finger on the pulse point on Kendra’s throat. “But she’s unconscious and that means some type of injury. We can’t move her until we find out just exactly what we’re up against. I’ve got to look at the springs to make sure something didn’t go wrong.” He was already examining the seat with razor-sharp eyes. “Nothing. It should have given her a perfect cushion.” His forehead knotted in puzzlement. “What the hell could have happened to her?”
“I’m not going to stand here while you worry about your blasted technical problems,” Joel said through clenched teeth. “Is her back broken or not?”
“No, there’s no reason to believe there should be any broken bones from the impact,” Skip said absently. “And she didn’t hit her head when she landed. I don’t know what the hell is wrong with her.”
“Oh for pity’s sake, are you two just going to leave her in that seat while you try to diagnose what’s the matter with her?” Billie’s voice was seething with exasperation as she pushed between them and bent over Kendra. “Let’s get her out of here. If there aren’t any bones broken, there shouldn’t be any danger. She looks wretchedly uncomfortable.”
Skip frowned. “I don’t know if—”
“There’s nothing seriously wrong,” Billie said crossly. “Can’t you see, she’s just fainted.”
“If she’s fainted, then there must be a reason,” Skip said stubbornly. “We’ll have to wait for the medical team to take her down for X rays. There’s a portable unit at the first aid tent.”
“X rays!” Billie’s eyes widened. “They can’t do that. I told you there’s nothing wrong with her.”
“They’ll have to make sure,” Skip said with a shrug. “We can’t take the
chance.”
“They can’t do it!” Billie interrupted violently. “X rays might hurt the baby!” Billie took one look at the stunned faces of the two men facing her and closed her eyes. “Oh Lord, now I’ve done it. I promised I wouldn’t say anything about her being pregnant.”
“Pregnant.” Joel repeated the word dazedly. He shook his head to clear it. Kendra pregnant. Kendra carrying his child. It was too much to comprehend after the panic that had gone before. “You’re sure, Billie?”
“I’m sure,” she said gloomily. “Kendra didn’t want anyone to know. She’s probably going to kill me.” Her chin lifted belligerently. “Now that you know what’s wrong with her, can we please get her to the first aid tent? I’m not sure all that jarring wasn’t harmful for her and the baby.”
That chill of panic returned and Joel shook his head. “We’ll still wait for the paramedics. I’m not going to risk hurting her.” She was too deeply unconscious for his peace of mind and Billie was right about that bone-jarring impact. God, he didn’t know anything about pregnancy. For all he knew it could be as dangerous for Kendra as that damn jump she had just made across the canyon. What if she was bleeding internally or something?
“Radio to Marasef,” he ordered Skip. “I want the best doctor in the city waiting at the first aid tent when they get her back down there.” With a surge of relief he saw the van racing up the road and started forward to meet it, with Billie following in his wake.
TEN
THE BEDROOM WAS dark except for the soft diffused light streaming through the amber beads of the door when Kendra opened her eyes. For a moment in the haze of first awakening it was so like the many other times she’d awakened in this room that she half expected to hear the chords of a guitar and Billie’s voice softly singing in the other room. But there was no sound except the light rhythmic breathing coming from the other couch against the wall. Billie, she thought drowsily, her gaze wandering to the couch. But the head on the cushions wasn’t copper but raven dark, and the shadowy figure definitely masculine. Joel!