Snowbound - Harlequin.com

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132 SNOWBOUND steady, he took out a cutting board and knife. “Trouble is, going back the second time would be harder.” Alarm flared on her face. “You won’t be deployed again?” “I’ve been discharged,” he said unemotionally. “I’d be a liability now with this leg.” “Oh.” Her voice was just above a whisper. “I’m glad.” His throat felt thick. He couldn’t say anything. “I can tell you don’t like talking about it. But…thank you for explaining. The look on your face today…” She shivered, seemingly unaware that she hugged herself. “I’m sorry I scared you.” The apology felt and sounded inadequate to him, but he didn’t know what he could add. Generous woman that she was, Fiona offered him a smile that looked untainted by anything he’d said or done. “Not to worry. Now, <strong>com</strong>e on, admit it. Surely you can use some help feeding the crowd.” She wanted to stay here in the kitchen, with him? Stunned, John said, “You’re a glutton for punishment.” Now the smile became merry. “No, if I were a glutton for punishment, I’d be in the great room with eight teenagers. Instead I’m hiding out in the kitchen with you. At least, I’d like to hide out in the kitchen with you. If you’ll give me an excuse.” He didn’t know when he’d felt luckier than he did right now, realizing that Fiona MacPherson was giving him a second chance. “You might collect wet clothes and start a load of laundry. Then you can help me with lunch.” “Oh, good.” She sounded buoyant, as though he had
JANICE KAY JOHNSON 133 relieved her mind in some way. “I can at least pretend I’m being useful.” She headed for the swinging door, pushed it open and gave him a last bright smile over her shoulder. “I shall return,” she promised. For the first time, he wondered if, once the road was plowed and the van back on it, Fiona would think about <strong>com</strong>ing back. Just her. If he asked. Oh, yeah, his inner voice scoffed. Just what she’d want: to be alone in the lodge with the guy who’d thought terrorists were shooting from the woods today. But she’d seemed to buy his explanation. And a couple of times these last two days, when he’d looked at her and the air seemed to leave the room, he’d have sworn she couldn’t breathe, either. He looked at the pile of frozen chicken breasts he’d brought out and wondered what he was supposed to do with it. Refrigerator. Oh, yeah. That was it. As for Fiona, she wouldn’t be escaping Thunder Mountain Lodge tonight, and maybe, if he was lucky, not tomorrow. So he had time to…well, hint. See if she was interested, unlikely though that possibility seemed.
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For 60 years, Harlequin has been pr
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Dear Reader, In 2009 Harlequin will
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR The author of more
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8 SNOWBOUND Only, they hadn’t. Th
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10 SNOWBOUND Fiona was momentarily
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12 SNOWBOUND bottles heated at odd
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14 SNOWBOUND Then he stood for a mi
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16 SNOWBOUND Voice pitched so only
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18 SNOWBOUND Well, she had no choic
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20 SNOWBOUND “I didn’t know tha
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22 SNOWBOUND it with spilled coffee
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24 SNOWBOUND back in the lodge, onl
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26 SNOWBOUND You want to share mine
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28 SNOWBOUND He thought of himself
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30 SNOWBOUND Tabitha, Erin and…th
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32 SNOWBOUND Her chin came up. “T
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34 SNOWBOUND and beneath the collar
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36 SNOWBOUND students! And here she
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38 SNOWBOUND She’d barely reached
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40 SNOWBOUND She ached as if she’
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42 SNOWBOUND didn’t remember, for
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44 SNOWBOUND ing a smile. “Amy be
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CHAPTER THREE WILLOW AND ERIN came
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48 SNOWBOUND didn’t seem in any h
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50 SNOWBOUND figure it out. They se
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52 SNOWBOUND Fiona winced and hoped
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54 SNOWBOUND She laughed. “Hopper
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56 SNOWBOUND Her eyes widened. “O
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58 SNOWBOUND “I don’t need it.
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60 SNOWBOUND each other, all blurre
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62 SNOWBOUND She laughed with them.
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64 SNOWBOUND although neither of th
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66 SNOWBOUND “Gee, why don’t I
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68 SNOWBOUND As, she supposed, it w
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70 SNOWBOUND “Period starting?”
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72 SNOWBOUND “Daddy…I mean, my
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74 SNOWBOUND Downstairs, Kelli and
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76 SNOWBOUND games that went on for
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78 SNOWBOUND that he quickly hid.
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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 116 and 117: 116 SNOWBOUND would that constitute
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 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
Page 166 and 167: 166 SNOWBOUND Time could be elastic
Page 168 and 169: 168 SNOWBOUND the back by the windo
Page 170 and 171: CHAPTER TEN IN HER REARVIEW MIRROR,
Page 172 and 173: 172 SNOWBOUND “Why are you making
Page 174 and 175: 174 SNOWBOUND to pull into a slot,
Page 176 and 177: 176 SNOWBOUND She was especially in
Page 178 and 179: 178 SNOWBOUND John, We made it safe
Page 180 and 181: 180 SNOWBOUND Then he skipped over
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182 SNOWBOUND couple in a Lexus SUV
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184 SNOWBOUND Go see her. When was
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186 SNOWBOUND or the depth of commu
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CHAPTER ELEVEN THE ROAD FELT famili
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190 SNOWBOUND there had been in Nov
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192 SNOWBOUND the open trunk of her
Page 194 and 195:
194 SNOWBOUND “You’re the exper
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196 SNOWBOUND lenge. They couldn’
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198 SNOWBOUND enough time alone to
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200 SNOWBOUND not hers—who wander
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202 SNOWBOUND “Temporarily.” Hi
Page 204 and 205:
204 SNOWBOUND “Yeah.” Just like
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206 SNOWBOUND time within the last
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208 SNOWBOUND “I was afraid you w
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210 SNOWBOUND THE FIRST DAYS were w
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212 SNOWBOUND “The University of
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214 SNOWBOUND What she wanted most
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216 SNOWBOUND “You wanted her to
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218 SNOWBOUND despite the gloves bo
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220 SNOWBOUND Knowing she should re
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222 SNOWBOUND Of course, the sex wa
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224 SNOWBOUND ing his nose and his
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226 SNOWBOUND His heart was as froz
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228 SNOWBOUND Seeing her start to t
Page 230 and 231:
230 SNOWBOUND “I really thought
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232 SNOWBOUND Scammell had arrived
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234 SNOWBOUND “Do you ever talk t
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236 SNOWBOUND Do you have nightmare
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238 SNOWBOUND The boy’s was even
Page 240 and 241:
CHAPTER FOURTEEN THE EVENING OUT wa
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242 SNOWBOUND stiff with anger and
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244 SNOWBOUND checked out the bathr
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246 SNOWBOUND listening to somebody
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248 SNOWBOUND Yeah. There it was, t
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250 SNOWBOUND logged and farmed in
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252 SNOWBOUND patio he had helped h
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254 SNOWBOUND He sank back into the
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256 SNOWBOUND bulk around the middl
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CHAPTER FIFTEEN SOMEHOW, after the
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260 SNOWBOUND “He is so into rule
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262 SNOWBOUND straight, her demeano
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264 SNOWBOUND they would have, and
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266 SNOWBOUND “No.” His eyes we
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268 SNOWBOUND “Thanks,” he said
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270 SNOWBOUND of developing posttra
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272 SNOWBOUND He knew she didn’t
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274 SNOWBOUND the hoarse sound of h
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276 SNOWBOUND sprawled atop him, a
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Choose the romance that suits your
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60EBOOKEND For 60 years, Harlequin
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Snowbound - Harlequin.com

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