Snowbound - Harlequin.com
Snowbound - Harlequin.com Snowbound - Harlequin.com
136 SNOWBOUND was proving surprisingly deft at evading work. Fiona was beginning to wonder whether she was the same with her schoolwork. And if so, how was it that she consistently turned in essays and papers that lifted her grades above the results of midterm and final exams? And, oh, how Fiona hated to have such a suspicious mind. After dinner, she had the kids bring the remaining soggy clothes down, and she folded laundry, moved a load to the dryer and started yet another. Thank goodness for multiple hot water tanks! she thought, passing back through the kitchen to see Amy and Dieter unloading and drying dishes from the commercial dishwasher while Erin rinsed off plates and placed them in a rack in preparation for starting it again. They had all proclaimed the dishwasher, which did a load in under two minutes, “major cool.” The fact that they had to dry dishes rather than leave racks to air-dry on the counter had dimmed its appeal. “Anyone know where John is?” she asked casually. “Who?” Amy asked. “Oh. Him.” “I think he went that way.” Erin nodded toward the great room. Surprised he hadn’t shut himself in his apartment, Fiona followed. Not because she necessarily wanted to spend time with him—after what happened today, she wasn’t so sure that was a good idea—but because she ought to check on the rest of her students. Kelli and Tabitha were nowhere to be seen, but Willow sat curled in one of the armchairs watching the boys bouncing a hacky-sack between them, using heads
JANICE KAY JOHNSON 137 and knees. John was just tossing a piece of wood in on the fire, creating a burst of sparks. “Hey, Mr. Fallon,” Troy said, “do you have a soccer ball?” He turned and stared at the boys, who were still keeping the hacky-sack in the air. “No.” His voice was guttural, the look on his face strained. None of the kids noticed. Fiona started toward him. He walked past her as if oblivious to her presence, unlocked the front door and went outside, closing it behind him. Determined, she followed. He stood in the dark between bands of light that fell through the windows. His back was to her as he stared out at the night. Fiona didn’t have to be able to see him well to know that he stood rigid, undoubtedly wishing to be alone. Hesitating—perhaps she should have pretended not to notice that something in the exchange with the boys had upset him—she hugged herself against the bitter cold. “Are you all right?” Her voice sounded as uncertain as she felt. “Yes. Go back in.” She bit her lip and took a step back toward the door. About to turn, she stopped. “Why soccer?” For a moment, she thought he wasn’t going to answer at all. He didn’t move. A shiver racked her. “I can’t talk about it.” The words sounded torn from him. Painfully, leaving an open wound.
- Page 86 and 87: 86 SNOWBOUND “Not what the physic
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- 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
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- 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 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
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- 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
- Page 182 and 183: 182 SNOWBOUND couple in a Lexus SUV
- Page 184 and 185: 184 SNOWBOUND Go see her. When was
JANICE KAY JOHNSON 137<br />
and knees. John was just tossing a piece of wood in on<br />
the fire, creating a burst of sparks.<br />
“Hey, Mr. Fallon,” Troy said, “do you have a<br />
soccer ball?”<br />
He turned and stared at the boys, who were still<br />
keeping the hacky-sack in the air. “No.” His voice was<br />
guttural, the look on his face strained.<br />
None of the kids noticed. Fiona started toward him.<br />
He walked past her as if oblivious to her presence,<br />
unlocked the front door and went outside, closing it<br />
behind him. Determined, she followed.<br />
He stood in the dark between bands of light that fell<br />
through the windows. His back was to her as he stared<br />
out at the night. Fiona didn’t have to be able to see him<br />
well to know that he stood rigid, undoubtedly wishing<br />
to be alone.<br />
Hesitating—perhaps she should have pretended not<br />
to notice that something in the exchange with the boys<br />
had upset him—she hugged herself against the bitter<br />
cold.<br />
“Are you all right?” Her voice sounded as uncertain<br />
as she felt.<br />
“Yes. Go back in.”<br />
She bit her lip and took a step back toward the door.<br />
About to turn, she stopped. “Why soccer?”<br />
For a moment, she thought he wasn’t going to<br />
answer at all. He didn’t move.<br />
A shiver racked her.<br />
“I can’t talk about it.”<br />
The words sounded torn from him. Painfully, leaving<br />
an open wound.
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