Snowbound - Harlequin.com
Snowbound - Harlequin.com Snowbound - Harlequin.com
74 SNOWBOUND Downstairs, Kelli and Troy had just finished a game and he was saying, “I’m going to go find something to eat.” Kelli spotted Willow, and to Fiona’s relief said, “You want to play a game?” “Sure.” Fiona went to the small-paned window near the front door and looked out. How could it still be snowing? Another twenty-four hours of this, and the front porch would be buried! They might have to tunnel out. Turning away, she thought of choosing a book from the tall cases along the wall beneath the staircase, but realized she ought to find out first what John planned for dinner and then decide on preparation and cleanup crews. She was beginning to feel like an innkeeper. Did they ever get to relax? Imagine if all the rooms upstairs were full, as well as the cabins Dieter had told her were down by the river. John must often cook for a crowd three or four times the size of their group, and this was enough work. Troy came back from the kitchen crunching on an apple and sank down to sit beside Kelli and watch the game of Chinese checkers. Fiona went to the kitchen. John still sat at the kitchen table, but now had a book open. At the sound of her footstep, he looked up. “Hungry?” “Lunch wasn’t that long ago. Only teenage boys are hungry an hour after they get up from the table.” He smiled briefly. Probably longing for her to go away so he could have some peace. Although he could
JANICE KAY JOHNSON 75 have hidden in his own room if he’d wanted to be left entirely alone. “No,” Fiona continued, “it just occurred to me that dinner also isn’t that far away and I should figure out how much help you need and who to assign to you.” His mouth quirked, although whether with a smile or a grimace she wasn’t sure. “I keep expecting one of them to chop a finger off when I give them knives.” “They need to learn,” she said firmly. “I’ll help, too.” He appeared to ruminate. “Why don’t you and I make dinner, and let them clean up?” Inexplicably her pulse speeded up. “We can do that. If you’re sure you don’t want a whole crew?” “I’m sure.” “Okay. Well, then.” Her feet seemed to be rooted to the floor. “I’ll have to think about whose turn it is to have KP duty.” “You sound like a sergeant.” His tone was gentle and almost, well, affectionate. As if he were teasing her. “Did you have to peel potatoes when you were in the Guard?” “Oh, yeah.” He shrugged. “Came in handy, though. Taught me how to cook for big groups.” Fiona nodded. “Well, I’ll let you get back to your book.” He didn’t reach for it. “Why don’t you get yourself a cup of coffee and sit down? Unless you’re playing Monopoly, too.” “Chinese checkers I could have been talked into. But not Monopoly. It tends to go on forever. When I was, oh, ten or eleven, a couple of friends and I used to start
- Page 24 and 25: 24 SNOWBOUND back in the lodge, onl
- Page 26 and 27: 26 SNOWBOUND You want to share mine
- Page 28 and 29: 28 SNOWBOUND He thought of himself
- Page 30 and 31: 30 SNOWBOUND Tabitha, Erin and…th
- Page 32 and 33: 32 SNOWBOUND Her chin came up. “T
- Page 34 and 35: 34 SNOWBOUND and beneath the collar
- Page 36 and 37: 36 SNOWBOUND students! And here she
- Page 38 and 39: 38 SNOWBOUND She’d barely reached
- Page 40 and 41: 40 SNOWBOUND She ached as if she’
- Page 42 and 43: 42 SNOWBOUND didn’t remember, for
- Page 44 and 45: 44 SNOWBOUND ing a smile. “Amy be
- Page 46 and 47: CHAPTER THREE WILLOW AND ERIN came
- Page 48 and 49: 48 SNOWBOUND didn’t seem in any h
- Page 50 and 51: 50 SNOWBOUND figure it out. They se
- Page 52 and 53: 52 SNOWBOUND Fiona winced and hoped
- Page 54 and 55: 54 SNOWBOUND She laughed. “Hopper
- Page 56 and 57: 56 SNOWBOUND Her eyes widened. “O
- Page 58 and 59: 58 SNOWBOUND “I don’t need it.
- Page 60 and 61: 60 SNOWBOUND each other, all blurre
- Page 62 and 63: 62 SNOWBOUND She laughed with them.
- Page 64 and 65: 64 SNOWBOUND although neither of th
- Page 66 and 67: 66 SNOWBOUND “Gee, why don’t I
- Page 68 and 69: 68 SNOWBOUND As, she supposed, it w
- Page 70 and 71: 70 SNOWBOUND “Period starting?”
- Page 72 and 73: 72 SNOWBOUND “Daddy…I mean, my
- Page 76 and 77: 76 SNOWBOUND games that went on for
- Page 78 and 79: 78 SNOWBOUND that he quickly hid.
- Page 80 and 81: 80 SNOWBOUND “Really?” Dieter l
- Page 82 and 83: CHAPTER FIVE JOHN COULDN’T REMEMB
- Page 84 and 85: 84 SNOWBOUND “Fiona.” She slept
- Page 86 and 87: 86 SNOWBOUND “Not what the physic
- Page 88 and 89: 88 SNOWBOUND It took her a bit long
- Page 90 and 91: 90 SNOWBOUND mother. I was afraid s
- 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,
JANICE KAY JOHNSON<br />
75<br />
have hidden in his own room if he’d wanted to be left<br />
entirely alone.<br />
“No,” Fiona continued, “it just occurred to me that<br />
dinner also isn’t that far away and I should figure out<br />
how much help you need and who to assign to you.”<br />
His mouth quirked, although whether with a smile<br />
or a grimace she wasn’t sure. “I keep expecting one of<br />
them to chop a finger off when I give them knives.”<br />
“They need to learn,” she said firmly. “I’ll help, too.”<br />
He appeared to ruminate. “Why don’t you and I<br />
make dinner, and let them clean up?”<br />
Inexplicably her pulse speeded up. “We can do that.<br />
If you’re sure you don’t want a whole crew?”<br />
“I’m sure.”<br />
“Okay. Well, then.” Her feet seemed to be rooted to<br />
the floor. “I’ll have to think about whose turn it is to<br />
have KP duty.”<br />
“You sound like a sergeant.” His tone was gentle and<br />
almost, well, affectionate. As if he were teasing her.<br />
“Did you have to peel potatoes when you were in<br />
the Guard?”<br />
“Oh, yeah.” He shrugged. “Came in handy, though.<br />
Taught me how to cook for big groups.”<br />
Fiona nodded. “Well, I’ll let you get back to your<br />
book.”<br />
He didn’t reach for it. “Why don’t you get yourself<br />
a cup of coffee and sit down? Unless you’re playing<br />
Monopoly, too.”<br />
“Chinese checkers I could have been talked into. But<br />
not Monopoly. It tends to go on forever. When I was,<br />
oh, ten or eleven, a couple of friends and I used to start
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