Snowbound - Harlequin.com
Snowbound - Harlequin.com Snowbound - Harlequin.com
230 SNOWBOUND “I really thought…” She couldn’t finish. “He was the one?” her mother asked softly. Fiona nodded. “Maybe he is. Maybe you need to be patient.” “I think…” She bit down hard on her lip, tasting blood. “I hurt his pride, Mom. I doubt he can forgive me that.” “Just…leave the door open. Somehow, let him know it is open. That’s my advice, for what it’s worth. Now—” her tone changed, although her expression stayed kind “—what do you say we sit down to eat?” On the first day back to school, Erin asked Fiona shyly if she’d seen Mr. Fallon over the break. Several of the students knew that he and she had been e-mailing back and forth. “Yes, I went up there for a few days,” she admitted. “He kept my room for me.” So, okay, she hadn’t used it. That wasn’t the kind of thing you told a teenager. “Wasn’t that sweet?” “That’s so cool! I wish I could have gone with you instead of…” She stopped. “Instead of?” “Oh, my parents mostly worked. I know they had to, but it was boring.” She shrugged. “That’s okay. I had to work on college applications anyway.” They talked about those, and about the recommendation Fiona was going to write for her. Then Erin left with her customary poise. Recognizing loneliness when she saw it, Fiona was sad watching her go. Over the next few weeks, Fiona kept thinking about her mother’s advice. Would allowing herself to hope that she and John could somehow reconnect keep her
JANICE KAY JOHNSON 231 from moving on? If she wanted to leave the door open, what would she use to prop it ajar? A note? An e-mail? Maybe because of her dad’s infidelity and her parents’ troubles, of which she’d been all too aware, Fiona prided herself on her ability to accept life as it came. In this case, she had a choice: she could marry a man who would never really talk to her and live in an isolated lodge doing laundry, changing beds and serving guests. Or she could walk away from him, choose the career she loved, the graduate degree that meant something to her, the relationships she had with students, friends and her mother. She’d already made her choice the day she’d driven away from Thunder Mountain Lodge. Now all she had to do was put the sense of loss behind her. In the middle of January, however, she did send an e-mail. John… Even her fingers hesitated. If you ever want to talk, you know how to reach me. Resisting tears, she typed, Love, Fiona, and hit Send. Her heart pounded when she checked her e-mail the next day, and the day after that. She felt that same hope every time she went online that week, and even into the next week. But John never replied, and she finally gave up expecting him to. In mid-March, two things happened on the same day. The first was that she got asked out on a date. Chad
- Page 180 and 181: 180 SNOWBOUND Then he skipped over
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- Page 184 and 185: 184 SNOWBOUND Go see her. When was
- Page 186 and 187: 186 SNOWBOUND or the depth of commu
- Page 188 and 189: CHAPTER ELEVEN THE ROAD FELT famili
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- Page 192 and 193: 192 SNOWBOUND the open trunk of her
- Page 194 and 195: 194 SNOWBOUND “You’re the exper
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- Page 198 and 199: 198 SNOWBOUND enough time alone to
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- Page 202 and 203: 202 SNOWBOUND “Temporarily.” Hi
- Page 204 and 205: 204 SNOWBOUND “Yeah.” Just like
- Page 206 and 207: 206 SNOWBOUND time within the last
- Page 208 and 209: 208 SNOWBOUND “I was afraid you w
- Page 210 and 211: 210 SNOWBOUND THE FIRST DAYS were w
- Page 212 and 213: 212 SNOWBOUND “The University of
- Page 214 and 215: 214 SNOWBOUND What she wanted most
- Page 216 and 217: 216 SNOWBOUND “You wanted her to
- Page 218 and 219: 218 SNOWBOUND despite the gloves bo
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- Page 224 and 225: 224 SNOWBOUND ing his nose and his
- Page 226 and 227: 226 SNOWBOUND His heart was as froz
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- Page 232 and 233: 232 SNOWBOUND Scammell had arrived
- Page 234 and 235: 234 SNOWBOUND “Do you ever talk t
- Page 236 and 237: 236 SNOWBOUND Do you have nightmare
- Page 238 and 239: 238 SNOWBOUND The boy’s was even
- Page 240 and 241: CHAPTER FOURTEEN THE EVENING OUT wa
- Page 242 and 243: 242 SNOWBOUND stiff with anger and
- Page 244 and 245: 244 SNOWBOUND checked out the bathr
- Page 246 and 247: 246 SNOWBOUND listening to somebody
- Page 248 and 249: 248 SNOWBOUND Yeah. There it was, t
- Page 250 and 251: 250 SNOWBOUND logged and farmed in
- Page 252 and 253: 252 SNOWBOUND patio he had helped h
- Page 254 and 255: 254 SNOWBOUND He sank back into the
- Page 256 and 257: 256 SNOWBOUND bulk around the middl
- Page 258 and 259: CHAPTER FIFTEEN SOMEHOW, after the
- Page 260 and 261: 260 SNOWBOUND “He is so into rule
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- Page 264 and 265: 264 SNOWBOUND they would have, and
- Page 266 and 267: 266 SNOWBOUND “No.” His eyes we
- Page 268 and 269: 268 SNOWBOUND “Thanks,” he said
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- Page 272 and 273: 272 SNOWBOUND He knew she didn’t
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- Page 278 and 279: Choose the romance that suits your
JANICE KAY JOHNSON 231<br />
from moving on? If she wanted to leave the door open,<br />
what would she use to prop it ajar? A note? An e-mail?<br />
Maybe because of her dad’s infidelity and her parents’<br />
troubles, of which she’d been all too aware, Fiona prided<br />
herself on her ability to accept life as it came. In this case,<br />
she had a choice: she could marry a man who would<br />
never really talk to her and live in an isolated lodge doing<br />
laundry, changing beds and serving guests. Or she could<br />
walk away from him, choose the career she loved, the<br />
graduate degree that meant something to her, the relationships<br />
she had with students, friends and her mother. She’d<br />
already made her choice the day she’d driven away from<br />
Thunder Mountain Lodge. Now all she had to do was put<br />
the sense of loss behind her.<br />
In the middle of January, however, she did send an<br />
e-mail.<br />
John…<br />
Even her fingers hesitated.<br />
If you ever want to talk, you know how to reach me.<br />
Resisting tears, she typed, Love, Fiona, and hit Send.<br />
Her heart pounded when she checked her e-mail the<br />
next day, and the day after that. She felt that same hope<br />
every time she went online that week, and even into the<br />
next week. But John never replied, and she finally gave<br />
up expecting him to.<br />
In mid-March, two things happened on the same day.<br />
The first was that she got asked out on a date. Chad
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