Page 101 of Snowed In With the Mountain Man
She shut that voice down before she did something stupid… like cry.
Instead, she pulled a book off the stack in the screened-in patio and started to read. Or she pretended to read.
Focus wasn’t really happening. Her attention kept drifting back to the handsome mountain man outside. And before she could stop herself, she was watching him from the window, hugging the book to her chest, and doing anything but reading it.
The morning seemed to stretch, time alternately flying by too fast and then inching along at a crawl.
On the one hand, she was impatient to leave. To get this pain over with. But on the other…
On the other, she wasn’t sure she’d ever be ready to say goodbye to JJ.
But she would. She had to.
Didn’t she?
She gave her head a shake as she turned away from the window with a huff.
Yes, of course she did.
36
Dahlia’s silence in the passenger seat was killing him.
He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel as they wound their way down the mountain. Cody had left before them, but with everything all packed and Dahlia handling most of the re-winterizing while he worked on the truck, they’d left not long after.
He drew in a deep breath as she fiddled with the radio dial. “She’s running good as new now,” he said.
“Mmm.”
Mmm.That was the most he’d gotten from her since they’d set off five minutes ago.
Typically, he loved silence. Talking, in general, was highly overrated. But right now, Dahlia’s silence was putting him on edge. She’d been acting strangely all morning, but he’d thought—or he’dhoped—that was because she was just as reluctant to part as he was.
But now…
He shifted in his seat as he watched her switch off the static-filled station and turn away to look out the window. The powder-white terrain around them was breathtaking. He gazed over the quiet earth. It was always so still and peaceful after a storm. The blue sky was a stunning contrast to the white gleam of snow, and he’d usually be sucking in a satisfied sigh and smiling in gratitude.
But he couldn’t muster a smile right now.
He glanced at the back of Dahlia’s head.
What are you thinking about?
He’d asked her that countless times over the last two days, but right now he wasn’t sure he wanted to know. Besides, he was the one who ought to be talking. He knew precisely what he meant to say.
And yet they both sat in stilted silence for another few minutes.
Aw heck, emotions had never been easy for him to talk about, but this weekend he’d had no problem pouring his heart out. Now wasn’t the time to be a coward.
He cleared his throat. “Lia, I just wanted to say…” He trailed off with a frown. Was that his voice?
He sounded so formal.
She shifted in her seat. “Yes?”
“Uh, the thing is…” Why did he suddenly feel fourteen again? Like he was asking a girl out for the very first time. “I had a real nice time at the cabin.” He glanced over. “With you.”
He winced inwardly and shot another sidelong look her way. He wouldn’t have blamed her if she was laughing at him and his awkwardness, but her response…
