stuck.â
âProbably like me and Misty of Chincoteague . If I hadnât already loved horses, that book made me.â
He didnât dwell on the past, especially his childhood. There was nothing but pain and humiliation there and the future had always been where heâd seen himself. But he realized now how much of the man he was today had been shaped by those events. He was a maverick, even in the Cronus program. Always pushing boundaries and going on missions that others thought twice about. It was why his boss was determined that he get back in top physical condition as quickly as possible.
He was realistic enough to know he probably wouldnât be part of the Mars mission team since the first one wouldnât likely happen for at least another twenty years. The test missions, though. The long-term journeys and a possible moon base. Those were all programs he was interested in.
But Cronus was close to his dream mission. Theyâd be taking up the components for the first base between Earth and Mars. Theyâd establish the way station and each mission would continue to test human endurance in space.
âLike that,â he agreed. But he wasnât thinking about their conversation anymore. He was thinking about Molly. And how sheâd always been just out of his reach. He had been afraid he wasnât good enough for her as a teenager, and he realized now that heâd also been running from anything that hinted at a normal life. Still was.
But in the moonlight, with the horses neighing behind them, it was easy to see that none of that mattered. He cupped the back of her head and lowered his mouth to hers. Slowly, in case she wanted to pull back. But she didnât.
She rose on her tiptoes and put her hands on his shoulders. She held him loosely for balance and he felt the brush of her breath over his lips a second before their mouths met. He moved his lips over hers and closed his eyes.
He knew he couldnât stay, that this could never be more than a few moonlight kisses, but somehow that seemed perfect to him.
* * *
T HROWING CAUTION TO the wind wasnât her MO, but this was Jason. And she knew no matter what happened with his health, he wouldnât stay here on the Bar T Ranch for long. He had always been destined for bigger things.
She sighed and almost let her thoughts derail her, but then she shook her head. Shook herself. Not tonight. Like sheâd promised herself earlier this evening when she left her bed...no regrets.
Pushing her fingers into his hair, cupping his scalp, she tilted her head to the side to deepen the kiss. Now that they had been out here riding and talking, he tasted different to her. More like adventure and the promise of things sheâd never be brave enough to take for herself.
He tasted like a man who was leaving, the same way he had that long-ago summer when sheâd wanted to be sophisticated enough to seduce him into staying.
She pulled back.
âWhat is it?â
How could she tell him that suddenly she felt too silly, too foolish for him? She couldnât. She wouldnât. âNothing.â
âDammit, Molly. Itâs just a kiss,â he said, his Texas drawl stronger than it had been earlier.
It couldnât lead anywhereâthat was the problem. Opportunities for real, lasting romance were lacking in this town and maybe she was tired of it. There werenât a lot of men in Coleâs Hill that she would consider dating. Mainly because they were either ranchers like herself and busy with their own land, or sheâd dated them in high school, or they werenât her type. And she was here with Jason...Ace. It was hard to think of him as Ace.
âYouâd think that I could just let go and have some mindless fun, but even now, with nothing left to lose, I canât do it.â
He pulled her into his arms and hugged her. Just held her close. She wasnât crying like she had been earlier. That flood