Snowbound - Harlequin.com

120 SNOWBOUND
“Snow falling off a tree branch,” he said. “You’ll
keep hearing that. Gets worse once it warms up and the
snow starts to melt.”
“Oh.” Hugging herself, she still looked spooked.
“Wow! Can we just, like, dive?” Troy asked, staring
at the white expanse.
“I doubt you’d get hurt,” John said.
Over the top of his words, Fiona started to say, “But
I don’t think it’s a good…”
Too late. With a whoop, Troy let himself fall backward
from the porch.
The girls let out squeaks and gasps and peered over
the railing. He rose as if from lake water, looking like
the Abominable Snowman, shaking snow from his hair
and face as he grinned and called, “Dare you!”
Pretty soon they were all thrashing around in the
snow as if they’d never seen any before. Even those who
skied were probably used to groomed slopes, not five
feet of newly fallen snow. Their shrieks and bellows and
squeals shattered the mountain stillness.
Only Fiona remained with him on the porch,
watching her charges.
“Dare you,” John murmured.
“Ugh. It would go down my neck.”
“Come on. Aren’t you a little bit tempted?”
“Maybe a little.” Her nose was already red, her
cheeks glowing. “I will if you will.”
He was going to be sorry. Real, real sorry. His hip
gave a warning twinge, but he ignored it. He couldn’t
resist the laughter in Fiona’s clear gray eyes or the
mittened hand held out to him.