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“Because you don’t like to admit that you’re human like the rest of us. You get angry with yourself when you fall short of what you see as perfect. I bet you grade yourself at the end of every day.”
She did exactly that. “You are the most annoying man who ever lived.”
“My ex-wife would agree with you.”
Her mouth fell open. “You were married?”
“Hard to imagine, I know.” He looked tired. “Let’s start this again. I was trying to be sympathetic, but I guess I’m better with trees than words. I’m sure you’re an excellent doctor, but you’re allowed to be off duty once in a while. Give yourself a break, Katie.”
She leaned her head against the sofa and stared up at the roof of the cabin. “I’m not an excellent doctor. After this morning, I’m pretty sure I’m not a great daughter either. So that only leaves sister. That, I’m not sure about. I try hard, but I don’t think I’m what Rosie wants or needs. Did you know that I went to a nightclub last night? Rosie told me we never have fun, so I went to have fun. I danced.”
“That’s rare?”
“About as rare as a mountain lion sighting in the middle of Oxford. You should have seen me. I was the life and soul of the place. I’m not saying I didn’t have a little help from a couple of margaritas.” She eased herself to her feet again. All the muscles in her body ached. “I need to get back. I need to be there for Rosie. Our parents will have told her by now, and she’ll be in a state.”
“Because of the divorce?”
“Not only that. Rosie has been using my parents’ whirlwind courtship and long marriage to convince herself that her marriage to Dan will work. When she discovers they’re splitting up, it will change things.” She caught his eye. “You think I’m meddling, but you don’t know Rosie the way I do. She’s impulsive. Spontaneous. I’m not at all sure that she hasn’t been swept away with the romance of all this, and that deep down it’s not what she wants.” On the other hand, could it be that her judgment was as flawed about that as it had been about other things?
“You don’t think she should be the one to decide that?”
“I do. But the news about our parents might influence her decision making.”
“A marriage is as unique as the two people involved. Your parents’ relationship has no relevance to your sister. If she has doubts, she should be discussing them with Dan, not you.”
“I’ve known her for her whole life. He’s known her for a couple of months. Never mind—” She held up her hand. “We can agree to disagree. She’s my sister. I won’t see her hurt.”
“Either way, your conversation with your sister is going to have to wait.”
And this, of course, was their biggest area of disagreement.
“I know you think you’re protecting your friend, but Dan doesn’t want to marry a woman who is having doubts. I’m saying that I need to talk to her.”
“And I’m saying that your talk will have to wait until tomorrow. You can’t leave.”
“Of course I’m leaving. What are you suggesting? That I stay the night?”
“I’m not suggesting. I’m telling you that’s what’s going to happen.”
“Are you trying to provoke me? Is this you being all macho again?” She folded her arms. Tapped her foot. Tried to ignore those blue, blue eyes watching her every move. “I’m in your man cave and that’s where I’m staying, is that it? Why don’t you throw me over your shoulder like you did before and carry me straight to the bedroom? Or maybe you’re planning on locking the door and tying me to the sofa?”
They stared at each other for a long moment. Each second blended into the next until she lost track of time. Her heart started to punch hard at her ribs.
They were enveloped by the warm wood of the cabin, the falling snow, the force of the chemistry.
He was the one who eventually broke the tense silence. “When did you last look out of the window?” His voice was gentle. “It’s called a blizzard.”
“It’s snowing, I know, but if you point me in the right direction I’ll be fine.”
She paced over to the window, sure he was exaggerating. It took one glance for her to realize that he wasn’t. At some point during their conversation the storm had worsened. The trees that surrounded the cabin were no longer visible. The world around them had lost all definition. All she could see was a swirling mass of white. She felt a flash of panic. She was trapped. “You must have a snowmobile or something that I could borrow. Something with headlights. Some way of getting back down that trail.”
“You’d be dead before you even found the edge of the trail, and you’d put the lives of the search and rescue team at risk. I can’t let you do that.”
No, of course he couldn’t, because as well as having the bluest eyes she’d ever seen, he was also a decent human being.
She felt a rush of desperation. “How long will the storm last?”
“As long as nature intends.”
