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“No. We’re friends.”
“That’s wonderful.”
“Yeah, except she’s leaving the day after Christmas. We’ll reconnect just in time for her to move on.”
“She might change her mind. Snowy Springs has this magical way of drawing people in.”
The way she said it, along with the small smile on her lips, gave him pause.
“Savannah…”
“What?”
“Whatever you’re thinking of doing, don’t.”
“I wasn’t plotting anything.”
“Aha! Your Freudian slip proves you are up to no good.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “I know you. You like playing matchmaker, but I am telling you, I don’t feel that way about Anna Beth anymore. I just want to get back what we had before, and if you mess with that by plotting one of your big romantic traps, I’m going to tell mom about the time you borrowed her diamond earrings and lost them."
"First of all, they aren’t traps, they’re well thought out plans. Secondly, I replaced the earrings and, third, she already knew, so joke’s on you."
Jared grabbed her in a headlock like when they were kids and playfully dragged her toward the front door. “I mean it!”
She squirmed away from him and grinned. “Fine! I won’t meddle. But I can’t speak for the rest of the Jeffries. Everyone wants to see you happy.”
Jared groaned, knowing she was right. If Mom or Isa got wind that he still had feelings for Anna Beth, he’d be doomed.
Ten
Fat, wet snowflakes landed on Anna Beth’s windshield as soon as she pulled out onto the road.
Awesome. Just what I need after that emotional rollercoaster.
Anna Beth hated driving in harsh weather, especially when it came down like meteors from space.
She could’ve made it through the rest of the night with the Jeffries, but talking to Jared about being friends again got her thinking. In less than three weeks she’d be gone again. Rebuilding deep, emotional connections seemed like a way to complicate things rather than an attempt to resolve them.
Especially when those connections might not be as platonic as she’d originally thought.
It could be loneliness. It had been over a year since someone held her, and she’d known Jared a long time. He was kind and funny and good-looking. It was only natural for her to feel attracted to him. She felt safe with him.
Olive’s voice flitted through her mind, reminding her of her mutually beneficial relationship with Vance. Anna Beth immediately brushed the idea aside. Even if she was down for a little recreational mattress Mambo, it wouldn’t be with Jared, not with their history.
He’s not in love with you anymore. What’s the harm in a little quid pro quo?
She knew the answer before she even finished the thought. Anna Beth wanted Jared back in her life but she didn’t want things to get all screwy again.
By the time she reached the edge of town, the snow was hammering down on her with a vengeance. She couldn’t see anything except swirling flakes and the snow-covered highway. Suddenly, her high beams flashed across a shape in the road. She swerved to miss it; her heart thundering painfully fast.
What the hell was that?
Anna Beth pulled over onto the side of the highway and grabbed the flashlight from under her seat. She rolled her window down and swung the beam of light in the middle of the road at the lump. It slowly turned its head and looked at her. By the shape of the ears, she realized it was a small cat.
Climbing out of the car, Anna Beth didn’t stop to consider how dangerous it was to cross into the middle of the highway in a blinding snowstorm. With her car still running on the side of the road, she hustled toward the animal, expecting it to bolt. Snow hit the side of her neck and face, melting against her warm skin and dripping down under her sweater.
The kitten didn’t move. It hunkered down when Anna Beth knelt next to it, the snow on the road soaking through the denim of her jeans. The bitter cold stung her skin but she ignored it as she reached out to touch the snow-covered feline. Her hand pressed along its thin back and it shivered. If it was hurt, she feared picking it up and injuring it further, but she needed to get them both out of the road before someone came along. It would be just her luck to get hit trying to be a hero.
Shrugging out of her jacket, she wrapped it around the kitten and picked it up. Tears stung her eyes as the poor thing continued to quiver, but it didn’t try to escape. She carried it back to her car and by the time she shut the door on the blowing snow, her body shook with cold.
