Snowbound - Harlequin.com

56 SNOWBOUND
Her eyes widened. “Oh, no! I didn’t even think about
that. Two groups came from Portland and one from
Lincoln City over on the coast. What if…?” She pressed
a hand to her throat.
“Nothing you can do about it.” Okay, that didn’t
help, John saw immediately. He tried again. “Eight kids
is enough for you to take responsibility for.”
“I can’t help worrying. Oh, I wish we could get some
news coverage!”
“You can’t do anything.”
She tried to smile. “I can worry, can’t I?”
They’d been standing here in the hall too long. He
was becoming uncomfortably aware of her. Of little
things: the palest of freckles on the bridge of her nose,
the fullness of her lower lip, the single strand of dark
hair that curved down over her brow. He resisted the
urge to lift his hand and smooth it back.
The effort made his voice curt. “Worrying won’t help.”
Her pointy chin rose. “No. It won’t. Hadn’t we better
get started? I figure they’ve already been out there five
minutes. By your estimate, Amy will be coming in the
door in another five minutes.”
“I didn’t mean…”
“It’s okay. You’re trying to help. I know.” She smiled,
a benediction.
His fingers curled into fists at his sides. She wouldn’t
be so forgiving if she knew about the death he’d rained
on the innocent.
The road to hell was paved with good intentions.
She took the girls’ bathroom, he took the boys’. From
long habit, he cleaned fast, and then carried a pile of