Snowbound - Harlequin.com
Snowbound - Harlequin.com Snowbound - Harlequin.com
266 SNOWBOUND “No.” His eyes were very dark and intent on her face. “I thought, uh, that I wouldn’t be welcome. Not if I hadn’t dealt with any of my issues. But their e-mails scared me, Fiona.” He reached out and clasped her hands. “If that’s what they meant to do, they succeeded.” “But…” Tears stung her eyes and she knew any minute her nose would be running. “It’s been months!” She couldn’t seem to help wailing. “You never…never even answered my e-mail.” “God,” he said, and enfolded her in his arms. She cried quietly for a minute, her tears soaking his thermal shirt. All the while, he held her tightly, his cheek pressed to the top of her head. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Fiona. If you only knew…” When she thought she could hold herself together, she straightened and stepped back. She heard in her voice a dignity that reminded her of Erin. “That was the trouble, wasn’t it? I couldn’t know, because you didn’t tell me.” Any guard had slipped, leaving his face haggard, unhappiness—equal to hers—in his eyes. “That’s why I couldn’t rush over here six weeks ago. Why I never answered. I was…struggling with anger because you were asking me to do something that was painful. I couldn’t come to you until I could admit that I had a problem.” “But…” The words caught in her throat, emerged as a whisper. “Have you now?” “I spent two weeks in Portland in March. I saw a counselor who specializes in PTSD three times a week. Since then, I’ve been making the trip once a week.” Now she was afraid to hope. “Has…has it helped?” His mouth twisted. “I still have nightmares. I haven’t
JANICE KAY JOHNSON 267 had a flashback in maybe a month. That’s not long enough to assume they’re gone for good. But…I’ve been able to talk to people. First him, then my sister and Mom and Dad.” He hunched his shoulders. “Is your offer still open, Fiona? Because I’m here to talk.” Darned if she wasn’t crying again. She didn’t even try to hide her tears or wipe her nose. “It’s still open. I said whenever, and I meant whenever. Even if it took…” She couldn’t finish. Once again his arms were around her. “Months?” “Forever,” she choked out. HE WIPED HER TEARS and grabbed a paper towel from her kitchen so she could blow her nose. Then he had to kiss her, of course. These last six weeks, it had been all he could do to stay away from her. He’d lived for the moment he could kiss her again. He’d prayed it would come. He’d known all along that she might reject him. She’d driven away almost four months ago. In that time, he’d neither e-mailed nor called. It had come to seem foolish even to imagine that he could knock on her door out of the blue and be received with any kind of joy. But in this kiss she gave herself with all the generosity that had drawn him to her in the first place. She held him tightly, she murmured his name, she pulled back to look up at him with something like wonder. “I can’t believe it.” He grimaced. “That I’m here? Or that I was ever willing to admit what a jackass I’ve been?” She laughed, as if she was too giddy to prevent it. “Well…both.”
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- Page 258 and 259: CHAPTER FIFTEEN SOMEHOW, after the
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- Page 278 and 279: Choose the romance that suits your
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- Page 284 and 285: 60EBOOKEND For 60 years, Harlequin
JANICE KAY JOHNSON 267<br />
had a flashback in maybe a month. That’s not long<br />
enough to assume they’re gone for good. But…I’ve<br />
been able to talk to people. First him, then my sister and<br />
Mom and Dad.” He hunched his shoulders. “Is your<br />
offer still open, Fiona? Because I’m here to talk.”<br />
Darned if she wasn’t crying again. She didn’t even<br />
try to hide her tears or wipe her nose. “It’s still open. I<br />
said whenever, and I meant whenever. Even if it took…”<br />
She couldn’t finish.<br />
Once again his arms were around her. “Months?”<br />
“Forever,” she choked out.<br />
HE WIPED HER TEARS and grabbed a paper towel from her<br />
kitchen so she could blow her nose. Then he had to kiss<br />
her, of course. These last six weeks, it had been all he<br />
could do to stay away from her. He’d lived for the moment<br />
he could kiss her again. He’d prayed it would <strong>com</strong>e.<br />
He’d known all along that she might reject him.<br />
She’d driven away almost four months ago. In that time,<br />
he’d neither e-mailed nor called. It had <strong>com</strong>e to seem<br />
foolish even to imagine that he could knock on her door<br />
out of the blue and be received with any kind of joy.<br />
But in this kiss she gave herself with all the generosity<br />
that had drawn him to her in the first place. She<br />
held him tightly, she murmured his name, she pulled<br />
back to look up at him with something like wonder.<br />
“I can’t believe it.”<br />
He grimaced. “That I’m here? Or that I was ever willing<br />
to admit what a jackass I’ve been?”<br />
She laughed, as if she was too giddy to prevent it.<br />
“Well…both.”
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