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“Yes. The roads are getting bad. Jory said the snowplows will be out all night. They don’t usually get to us until the freeways are cleared, though.”
Ed’s forehead creased into worry lines beneath the thick shock of white hair that matched his equally thick beard. “Do you kids want to drive back to town with me? Your sedan isn’t equipped for winter weather, and Angelina doesn’t like to drive in snowstorms.”
“I went over the edge of the road up by Clyde’s Ridge when I was a teenager,” she told Sean. “Lucky for me, the car ran into a tree and didn’t tumble all the way down the hillside. I probably wouldn’t have survived.”
Lucky for me, he thought, tightening his hold around Angelina.
“Go ahead,” Sean told Ed. “We’ll be right behind you. I need to check a few things in the cabin and then we’ll head out. If worse comes to worse, I’ll stay at Angelina’s place instead of heading back to the hotel. It’s just down the road.”
“Hurry and finish up,” Ed advised. “I haven’t seen a fall like this since the blizzard of ’07. Some folks were snowed in for almost a week.”
As Angelina walked the older man to the front door, Sean crossed to the bay window overlooking the cabin’s porch. Six inches, maybe more, lay in a thick layer along the porch railing.
Yep. They were in for one hell of a blizzard.
The door closed softly behind him. Angelina’s footsteps brushed across the whitewashed barn wood plank flooring.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
“Yeah. I just needed a minute.” He turned to face her. “We’ve been going at a hundred miles to make this happen, and now…I just want a minute to take it all in.”
“I can wait in the car.” She sounded uncertain, which was out of character for her.
“No. Stay with me.”
They stood together in the middle of the one-room cabin. A stone fireplace filled one wall, extending all the way to the vaulted ceiling. White shiplap walls gave the space an airy feel, while wall hangings and throw rugs added texture, color, and warmth. A king-sized bed filled one corner while a love seat and recliner define a seating area in front of the fireplace. A galley kitchen ran along one wall, onto which backed a spacious bathroom with a tiled walk-in shower, a claw-foot tub, and small sauna.
Angelina had added a freshly cut Christmas tree in one corner. The white lights and red ribbons added a festive touch to the luxurious interior. A speaker played holiday instrumental music on low.
“I know how to build things, but I don’t know how to make them feel like this,” he said.
“Like how?” There was a teasing note in her voice.
“Warm. Inviting. Homey.” He paused, letting the words come from his heart. “The kind of place where I’d like to spend time with you. Getting close. Sharing thoughts. Sharing feelings.”
Chapter Six
“I think we already share feelings.” Angelina heard her words as if from a distance. She’d been waiting for this moment for weeks now, sensing Sean’s attraction, well aware of her own attraction. “We just haven’t said anything.”
“Do you need words?” Sean closed the distance between them and stared down at her with eyes as dark as a winter night. Velvety eyes filled with the glimmer of a million stars, a million thoughts, a million desires.
“Not right now, but later I’ll need words.” She laid her hands on his shoulders. “I think there’s a more eloquent way to express your feelings right now.”
“Here?”
“Why do you think I put real sheets on the bed?” she asked, breaking into giggles that faded with the intensity of Sean’s gaze. “Northhaven has become so much more than I dreamed.Youare so much more than I ever dreamed of.”
“I dreamed of all the wrong things,” he said, voice hoarse like he had trouble grinding out the words. “I was in love with the idea of being in love. I convinced myself I cared for a woman because ‘it was time.’”
“Time for what?” She smoothed her hands over the muscles of his shoulders down to his biceps.
“Hell, I don’t know anymore.” He curled his hands around her arms and pulled her roughly against his chest. “I planned out my entire life. College. Career. Wife. Kids. Believe it or not, I even had my retirement planned.”
“What’s that saying?” she mused. “Life is what happens when you’re making plans.”
“Lesson learned,” Sean said. “The only thing I’m making from now on is love. With you.”
“For not needing to talk, we’re doing an awful lot of talking.” Angelina peeked up at Sean through her lashes. “Shut up and make love to me.”
