Snowbound - Harlequin.com
Snowbound - Harlequin.com Snowbound - Harlequin.com
116 SNOWBOUND would that constitute child abuse to these private-school kids? He mixed up bread dough, kneaded it, gave it time to rise and had the loaves in the oven before he heard any stirrings at all upstairs. Willow and Erin were the first to come down. “It quit snowing,” Erin said in her serene way, making it an observation rather than an exclamation. “Yep.” “How long do you think before the road gets plowed?” Willow asked timidly. “Probably a couple of days, anyway.” “Oh.” Her voice was small. “That smells really good.” “Nothing like bread baking. Want to start with some cereal or eggs, or would you rather wait until the bread comes out of the oven?” “Wait,” they agreed. “Anybody else up yet?” What he really wanted to know was whether their teacher was up. He’d been thinking about her when he fell asleep, and he hadn’t even opened his eyes before he pictured her face this morning. With faint shock, he realized he was in trouble. He’d be foolish to imagine that any sensible woman would want to traverse his bad moods and flashbacks long enough to build any kind of relationship with him. “I don’t think so,” Willow said, in answer to his question. He got some blackberry jam out of the freezer and set it on the table to thaw. The two girls continued to hover. After a minute, John felt obligated to make conversation.
JANICE KAY JOHNSON 117 “You looking forward to getting home?” “It’s been fun here,” Erin said, not really answering his question. “And we might miss some school,” Willow added. “Don’t you have to make up snow days in the spring?” “Only if the whole school… Oh!” The younger girl’s mouth formed an O. “Do you think it snowed enough in Hawes Ferry that school will be canceled Monday?” “From what your principal said, it’s a real possibility.” He put hot water on for tea. “You think your parents are worrying?” “My dad will be,” Willow said softly, her head tilted forward enough that her hair veiled her expression. Erin shrugged. “As long as they know we’re safe, mine’ll be okay.” John checked the oven. A couple more minutes. “Do you get snowed in a lot here?” “A couple of times a winter, I’m told. Not usually so early. I’m guessing this is a record.” “We were so lucky.” Willow shivered. “Good thing you had Dieter with you.” He kept an eye on her, aware from what Fiona had told him that the skinny boy with the goofy smile had been Willow’s knight-errant yesterday. She obligingly blushed. More drama in the making. John hadn’t expected to feel as comfortable as he did with these kids. He supposed it was because they had become individuals to him, taking on personality. The only two he still mixed up were Kelli-with-an-i and
- Page 66 and 67: 66 SNOWBOUND “Gee, why don’t I
- Page 68 and 69: 68 SNOWBOUND As, she supposed, it w
- Page 70 and 71: 70 SNOWBOUND “Period starting?”
- Page 72 and 73: 72 SNOWBOUND “Daddy…I mean, my
- Page 74 and 75: 74 SNOWBOUND Downstairs, Kelli and
- Page 76 and 77: 76 SNOWBOUND games that went on for
- Page 78 and 79: 78 SNOWBOUND that he quickly hid.
- Page 80 and 81: 80 SNOWBOUND “Really?” Dieter l
- Page 82 and 83: CHAPTER FIVE JOHN COULDN’T REMEMB
- Page 84 and 85: 84 SNOWBOUND “Fiona.” She slept
- Page 86 and 87: 86 SNOWBOUND “Not what the physic
- Page 88 and 89: 88 SNOWBOUND It took her a bit long
- Page 90 and 91: 90 SNOWBOUND mother. I was afraid s
- Page 92 and 93: 92 SNOWBOUND John dumped burgundy w
- Page 94 and 95: 94 SNOWBOUND Her laugh was a lovely
- Page 96 and 97: 96 SNOWBOUND He nodded, unsurprised
- Page 98 and 99: CHAPTER SIX AFTER DINNER, Willow di
- Page 100 and 101: 100 SNOWBOUND “Willow’s period
- Page 102 and 103: 102 SNOWBOUND you looking at her wh
- Page 104 and 105: 104 SNOWBOUND Amy lay flat on her b
- Page 106 and 107: 106 SNOWBOUND “No,” Fiona said.
- Page 108 and 109: 108 SNOWBOUND “Amy was mad becaus
- Page 110 and 111: 110 SNOWBOUND woman since he was wo
- Page 112 and 113: 112 SNOWBOUND the bathroom, then re
- Page 114 and 115: 114 SNOWBOUND “Yeah!” they said
- Page 118 and 119: 118 SNOWBOUND Tabitha, both blond a
- Page 120 and 121: 120 SNOWBOUND “Snow falling off a
- Page 122 and 123: 122 SNOWBOUND water up to her neck,
- Page 124 and 125: 124 SNOWBOUND Crap. Oh, crap. He’
- Page 126 and 127: 126 SNOWBOUND the girls’s, a litt
- Page 128 and 129: 128 SNOWBOUND their path having rea
- Page 130 and 131: 130 SNOWBOUND “Does it happen oft
- Page 132 and 133: 132 SNOWBOUND steady, he took out a
- Page 134 and 135: CHAPTER EIGHT FIONA NOTICED that Jo
- Page 136 and 137: 136 SNOWBOUND was proving surprisin
- Page 138 and 139: 138 SNOWBOUND “Are you sure? I do
- Page 140 and 141: 140 SNOWBOUND While he, she couldn
- Page 142 and 143: 142 SNOWBOUND She flushed at the id
- Page 144 and 145: 144 SNOWBOUND They all knew she was
- Page 146 and 147: 146 SNOWBOUND convincingly. And yet
- Page 148 and 149: 148 SNOWBOUND “If I get him, I’
- Page 150 and 151: 150 SNOWBOUND “Do you mean,” sh
- Page 152 and 153: CHAPTER NINE KISSING FIONA gave him
- Page 154 and 155: 154 SNOWBOUND cupping his mug to ke
- Page 156 and 157: 156 SNOWBOUND Stryker had roared ba
- Page 158 and 159: 158 SNOWBOUND that’s the next tow
- Page 160 and 161: 160 SNOWBOUND God. He wished it wou
- Page 162 and 163: 162 SNOWBOUND out to meet them? So
- Page 164 and 165: 164 SNOWBOUND Pros with the snowsho
116 SNOWBOUND<br />
would that constitute child abuse to these private-school<br />
kids?<br />
He mixed up bread dough, kneaded it, gave it time<br />
to rise and had the loaves in the oven before he heard<br />
any stirrings at all upstairs. Willow and Erin were the<br />
first to <strong>com</strong>e down.<br />
“It quit snowing,” Erin said in her serene way,<br />
making it an observation rather than an exclamation.<br />
“Yep.”<br />
“How long do you think before the road gets<br />
plowed?” Willow asked timidly.<br />
“Probably a couple of days, anyway.”<br />
“Oh.” Her voice was small. “That smells really good.”<br />
“Nothing like bread baking. Want to start with some<br />
cereal or eggs, or would you rather wait until the bread<br />
<strong>com</strong>es out of the oven?”<br />
“Wait,” they agreed.<br />
“Anybody else up yet?” What he really wanted to know<br />
was whether their teacher was up. He’d been thinking<br />
about her when he fell asleep, and he hadn’t even opened<br />
his eyes before he pictured her face this morning.<br />
With faint shock, he realized he was in trouble. He’d<br />
be foolish to imagine that any sensible woman would<br />
want to traverse his bad moods and flashbacks long<br />
enough to build any kind of relationship with him.<br />
“I don’t think so,” Willow said, in answer to his<br />
question.<br />
He got some blackberry jam out of the freezer and<br />
set it on the table to thaw.<br />
The two girls continued to hover. After a minute,<br />
John felt obligated to make conversation.
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