Page 72 of Snowed In With the Mountain Man
When he did, his heart squeezed in his chest.
In the flickering glow of the flames, still bundled up in his scarf and hat… he’d never seen her looking more vulnerable. And every part of him wanted to take care of her.
He stood up abruptly and turned away, heading toward the chest of drawers and trunk near the bed. He made quick work of sorting through the contents as his mind went to war with his heart.
He’d tried that once before, hadn’t he? He hadn’t wanted to let his ex go, so he’d made a commitment he wasn’t ready for. A lifelong commitment that neither of them could keep.
Was that what this was?
Did he just want Dahlia to stay because he didn’t want to see her leave? Not wanting to see Dahlia walk out of his life was not the same as wanting her to stay here for him. With him. He’d learned that lesson, and he wasn’t about to repeat it.
He stacked some clothes together in a pile and snagged a pair of UGG boots he found tucked behind the trunk as his mind continued to race, trying to sort through the confusing chaos of the past versus the present.
But like trying to pin down a cloud, the more he tried to figure out what he was feeling, what emotions had made him want to ask her to stay, the more confused he felt.
Meanwhile, Dahlia had been quiet for too long, and when he turned back to her, his arms full of clothes, he found her frowning down at the fire, lost in thought.
“I found some warm clothes for you,” he said, handing them over. He picked up the boots he’d found and held them out to Dahlia. “Looks like Lizzy left these behind when she and Kit honeymooned here. Want to try them on and see if they fit?”
Dahlia snagged the boots, a funny smile tugging at her lips. “They honeymooned here?” She glanced around at the admittedly rustic, not-at-all luxurious accommodations. “I have a hard time picturing Lizzy here on her honeymoon. I would have taken her for a Bahamas kinda gal.”
JJ chuckled as he moved toward her to hand over the boots. “Yeah, well, I guess when it comes to honeymoons, they decided as long as they had privacy, they were happy.”
Her gaze flitted past him to the bed, and he felt a surge of heat when her cheeks turned pink.
She cleared her throat and turned away, tugging on one of the thick wool sweaters he’d found and sliding her feet into the fur-lined boots.
“They fit.” She glanced up with a grin that spread the heat in his veins to his chest so quickly he could hardly catch his breath. “Would you look at that? We’re the exact same size.” She turned her foot left and right to show them off. “I guess Lizzy and I have something in common after all.”
He chuckled, and her small smile was sweet as she added quietly, “I’m only kidding. I know we have more in common than that.”
“You’re both strong,” he agreed. “You’re both smart. And you both have the mistaken belief that cities are where it’s at.”
She laughed at his teasing. “Spoken like a true mountain man.”
He chuckled as she put on the other boot and headed toward the kitchen area. “We should probably tackle the food situation next, huh?”
He nodded, following in her wake. “Might be good to get an idea of what we have. There should be plenty to tide us over.”
She shivered and rubbed her hands together. The fire was starting to warm the place, and a little electric heater was chugging away in the corner, but they could still see their breath when they exhaled.
“How about a hot cup of coffee first?” he said.
She nodded. “That sounds great. We don’t have any milk, though, if that’s how you take it.”
He grinned, remembering that morning when he’d surprised her in the downstairs office. “I told you. Black is how all the cool kids drink it.”
Her face split with a grin that knocked the wind straight out of him. And all those battling thoughts he’d been stewing over, about why he wanted her stay and what that meant…
For a second they scattered like the wind in the face of that smile.
He wanted her to stay all right. He couldn’t say why or for how long or what it all meant, but there was no denying the fact that if he had his way…
Dahlia O’Sullivan wouldn’t be going back to NYC.
25
Dahlia knew it was incredibly stupid to feel this giddy.
