Snowbound - Harlequin.com

166 SNOWBOUND
Time could be elastic; he knew that. For example,
getting stuck on an observation post during your tour
in Iraq. You’ve donned full combat gear and body
armor, made sure you have five hundred rounds of ammunition
for the machine gun you’re carrying, then
have to go stand or sit in full sun—120 degrees. Sweat
pouring down your face, soaking your uniform. Time
didn’t just crawl, it eked. What had to be half an hour
would pass, you’d look at your watch and see that the
hand had hardly moved at all.
In contrast, the next hour here and now sped by. He
couldn’t believe how fast it passed. Within minutes, it
seemed, Fiona and the kids were dressed in the clothes
in which they’d arrived and were ready to set out, purses
and bookbags in hand. Their faces glowed with eagerness.
Fiona was back in teacher mode, worrying that
they’d forgotten something, thanking him effusively as
if he were their rescuer and not the man who’d kissed
her senseless barely sixty minutes ago.
Next thing he knew, he’d started up his 4Runner and
driven them in two separate groups up to the van at the
top of the hill. Once they were out and waiting for Fiona
to unlock, their voices rang out as they shared plans.
“Man, I’m glad I’ve got TiVo.” Hopper slapped his
gloved hands together to keep them warm. “I’m going
to watch big-screen, plasma TV for eight straight hours.”
Several wanted to get together with friends. Tabitha
apparently had a boyfriend who was going to be, like,
so glad to see her. Movies, the mall, their cars.
Dieter was hoping to go skiing. “It’s going to be
awesome,” he assured everyone.