Page 4 of True Valor
“I’m missing a slipper, but I’m notCinderella, am I?”
No, and I’m not Prince Charming, either.“Well, Julie Cinderella doesn’t sound right, so I don’t supposeso,” Nic said, spotting a parking place and pulling into it, wentaround to open Julie’s door.He peeled off his coat and wrapped itaround Julie as she stepped out of the car.He’d planned to let herwalk to the door, but reconsidered when he saw all the puddles leftby dripping cars.So, once again, he scooped up Julie and walkedinto the hotel, not putting her down until they were on carpet.
“Well, here we are,” Nic said, wondering onceagain what had possessed him to bring her here.
Once inside the door, he steered Julie pastthe kitchen and into the living room, gently pressing her into achair.She’d begun to shiver so he left his coat around hershoulders.Room service would likely be closed.
“I’ll see what I have in the kitchen for youto eat.”
She didn’t reply.
He’d picked up a few snacks at the localmarket and, luckily, he’d also gotten a few cans of soup for aftera day on the slopes.He grabbed one, and after pouring it into abowl, placed it in the microwave and punched high.
“Want a cup of coffee, Julie?”Nic asked fromthe kitchen.
Again, she didn’t answer, so he walked outand knelt in front of her.She stared at the television as if itwere on.He took her hands in his—ignoring the tug in hischest—they were so cold.He rubbed them with his thumbs as he gother attention.
“Julie, do you want a cup of coffee?”
“No, thanks, I don’t drink coffee.”Amusementflickered in her brown eyes.“Weird, I don’t know my last name, butI know I don’t drink coffee.”
The bell on the microwave sounded.Nicsqueezed her hands reassuringly and headed back into the kitchenfor the soup.By the time he got back into the living room, Juliehad moved to the window, gazing out at the falling snow.
“Christmas Eve, huh?I wonder where I’msupposed to be right now.”
It wasn’t her tone—even andmatter-of-fact—but the words that forced him to clear his throatbefore speaking.
“Come eat some soup.”
Once at the table, Julie ate well.Nic satacross from her and, when she was finished asked if she wantedmore.She shook her head and sat back, pulling his coat aroundherself again.
“So, Julie.Why don’t you tell me what you doremember?”
She looked up at him, her eyes once againreflecting a sort of panic.Then her gaze fell to her hands.“Theonly thing I remember is the car sputtering.I looked down at thegas gauge and then pulled off to the side of the road.”She paused,clearly trying to get to the memories locked away inside.
Nic waited, hoped.
“It was like when you zone out whilesomeone’s talking.You kinda zone back in and realize you’ve missedwhat they said.I just sat there trying to figure out where I wasand where I was going.Then, you were at the window talking tome.”
Her eyes met his.God, she was beautiful.Herblonde hair fell around her face, and her eyes, a deep brown whenhe would have expected blue, shimmered with tears.
“You think, if I go to sleep, I’ll wake upand remember?”
“I don’t know.Sure you won’t let me take youto the hospital?”
“No!”She sat up straight, as if wanting toflee the room.
Nic put his hands up in surrender.“Okay,okay.No hospital.C’mon, I’ll let you have the bed.I’ll sleep onthe couch.”He walked around the table and held out his hand topull her to her feet, then led her to the bedroom.He laid back thebedding.“Get some sleep.We’ll see how things are in themorning.”
There was that “we” word again.
Julie sat down hesitantly on the bed.
“Do you think someone is looking for me?”
His gut twisted at the question.It wasn’t asinister question.If she was missing, likely her family would belooking for her.But it wasn’t that simple.He just knew it.Still,he didn’t want to scare her with the first response that came tohim—that someone might be looking to do her harm.
“Maybe.”
