Free Aces High by Kay Hooper Page A

all, Zach.”
    He shook his head slightly. “Honey, there’s always danger in a scheme like ours. We’ve covered all the bases, sure, but it’s impossible to plan for the unexpected element. And Hagen’s such a wild card, God only knows what could happen.”
    “Well, you’re with me,” she said serenely, her faith in her big warrior absolute.
    His lips twisted, but his gray eyes gleamed with sudden wry humor, and she grinned at him. Zach bent his head to kiss her, his hand still moving gently over her stomach. After a few moments he muttered huskily, “We should have waited, given you more time to recover.”
    Teddy, perfectly aware that his mind was never long distracted from her unexpected pregnancy, slid her arms around his neck and laughed softly. “After you and the other guys came back into the country on that flying visit, I was so happy to see you that birth control never crossed my mind. Or yours, for that matter.”
    Remembering the very passionate reunion with his wife, Zach silently admitted that his lifelong control had never stood against Teddy. Thank heaven. Aloud, he said, “Are we going to tell her she was conceived in a Jeep?”
    Solemnly Teddy said, “Well, if I’d known neither of us could wait until we got home, I would have borrowed the limo to pick you up at the airport. Then she could have been conceived in style.”
    He chuckled softly. “And I probably wouldn’t have given a damn about the driver either.” He caught his breath suddenly as her hand wandered, and added somewhat thickly, “Didn’t the doctor say we should be careful?”
    “I plan to be extremely careful,” Teddy said. “We have a couple of hours before we meet the others in Josh and Raven’s suite for breakfast. That’s long enough to be careful, don’t you think?”
    Zach, no longer unnerved by his inability to think at all where his wife was concerned, growled and pulled her petite body into his arms.
    —
    Skye walked briskly along the paved pathway leading to the Old West section of the park. The gates hadn’t opened for the day, but he could hear the usual morning noises, and employees in costumes wandered about talking and laughing. From the section Skye was nearing came occasional gunfire as various characters practiced the tricks they’d be called upon to perform later.
    Stopping to watch two costumed characters perfecting their sharpshooting, Skye waited for a pause in the gunfire and then said dryly, “Funny how many of you have managed to act out your own personal fantasies.”
    Lucas Kendrick, in the guise of Wild Bill Hickok, chuckled as he reloaded his rifle. “My ego’s suffering,” he told the other man, and nodded at the slim brunette at his side who wore the costume of Annie Oakley. “She’s so much better than I am.”
    Kyle’s turquoise eyes gleamed briefly at her husband, and then she looked at Skye. “Something up?”
    He shook his head. “Not really. But I’ve settled on the Ferris wheel as the most likely spot.”
    Lucas turned to look in the direction of the Ferris wheel, his sharp blue eyes narrowing as he picked out the tall structure in the distance. “Good,” he murmured thoughtfully. “It’s fairly central, so we can all get there quickly.”
    “Will you tell the others?” Kyle asked Skye.
    “Yeah.” Skye listened intently as the sounds of gunfire echoed, and added, “If you two see Raven and Josh, tell them, will you? They’re the only ones who wander all over the park, and I may not see them anytime soon.”
    “Sure.” Lucas gazed at him steadily. “You sound a bit jumpy.”
    Skye managed a shrug. “Must be the gunfire. See you later.” He strode off.
    Lucas looked at his wife with a lifted brow, and she said, “I caught it too. He’s definitely on edge.”
    Grimacing slightly, Lucas said, “I’ve noticed Dane’s keeping a pretty close eye on him, and he wouldn’t if he weren’t worried about his brother. If Hagen sees those two together, he’s