Page 71 of A Cozy Christmas Blizzard
“Look at what some idiot put up there.”
“Pardon?”
“That bag. Good grief, people should know better than to try to force a tuba case up there.”
“That’s mine, and it isn’t a tuba case.” Extracting the bag containing the bread, so the bigger bag would be easier to extricate, she handed it down to him.
Slade looked at it as if something were about to leap out and bite him. “Good heavens, what is this?”
What was it?What was wrong with his eyes? Bread had to be the most recognizable item in the world.
“A suitcase for a snake,” she replied sarcastically.
The beginnings of a grin touched his usually impassive features as he gently moved in front of her. “Let me get that thing down before you drop it on your head.”
She stepped aside so he could put the bread and their carry-ons on her empty seat.
“Suitcase for a snake, huh?” Unexpectedly he smiled again.
The effect on her was dazzling. She had the feeling that this man didn’t often take the time to enjoy life. Only minutes before she’d classified him as cheerless and intense. But when he smiled, the carefully guarded facade cracked and she felt she was being given a rare glimpse of the intriguing man inside. And he fascinated her.
By the time they’d arranged things with the airline, the courtesy van from the rental agency had arrived to deliver them to their vehicle.
“I put everything in my name,” Slade said on a serious note as he unlocked their car.
The snow continued to fall, creating a picturesque view and making her happier than ever that she wasn’t getting back on that plane. “That’s fine.” He’d taken the small carry-on from her, leaving her to cope with the huge bag filled with Christmas goodies.
“It means I’ll be doing all the driving.”
After another glance at the snowstorm, she was grateful.
“Well?” He looked as though he expected an argument.
“Do you have a driver’s license?”
Again a grin cracked the tight line of his mouth, touching his eyes. “Yes.”
“Then there shouldn’t be any problem.”
He paused, looking down at her, and smiled again. “Are you always so witty?”
Shelly chuckled, experiencing a rush of pleasure at her ability to make him smile. “Only when I try to be. Come on, loosen up. It’s Christmas.”
“I’ve got a meeting to attend. Just because it happens to fall close to a holiday doesn’t make a bit of difference.”
“Yeah, but just think, once you’re through, you can hurry home and spend the holidays with your family.”
“Right.”
The jagged edge of his clipped reply was revealing. She wondered if he had a family.
As they deposited their luggage in the trunk of the rented Taurus, she had the opportunity to study him. The proud, withdrawn look revealed little of his thoughts; there was an air of independence about him. Even after their minimal conversation, she realized that he possessed a keen and agile mind. He was a man of contrasts—pensive yet decisive, his highly organized façade covering his sense of humor.
The young man at the rental desk had given Slade a map of the city and highlighted the route to the nearest freeway entrance ramp, apologizing for the fact that the car’s built-in GPS was broken. Since that explained why the car was available at all, neither she nor Slade had objected.
Now Slade pulled the map from his pocket and handed it to her. “Are you ready?”
“Forward, James,” she teased, climbing into the passenger seat and rubbing her bare hands together to generate some warmth. When she’d left San Francisco that morning, she hadn’t dressed for snow.
