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How I Got Knocked Down and…(to be continued)
She tapped her pen on the paper. She’d frequently pitched stories to Charlie, but they were easy to come up with. All she had to do was look around Bliss Cove for ideas. Girl Scout troop events, profiles on interesting high-school students, “behind the scenes” at local businesses, Mariposa Street renovation progress.
Now she needed ideas that went beyond small-town and appealed to a much bigger audience.
Cheerful Tips for Turning Thirty on a Budget.
Ugh. Time for a dance break.
She set her notebook down and reached for her music player. Since the speaker was lousy, she slipped in her ear buds and shuffled to her dance playlist. ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” blasted into her ears. She let the vibrant beat start pulsing in her blood, then she got up and began to dance.
Some people took walks or exercised to clear their heads. Brooke danced and sang. She shimmied her hips, grabbed a pen to use as a microphone, and belted out the lyrics. She did the twist and practiced her moonwalk.
By the time Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies” came on, she was well into her zone. She threw her hands in the air and executed a few hip wiggles that she’d seen on the video.
Yes! Her blood was pumping, her muscles loosening. Oxygen was flowing to her brain, and soon the ideas would start popping. Put a ring on it, indeed. Seal the deal. With a particularly loud bellow, she spun around and…crashed right into a solid wall.
With a yelp, she started to stumble backward when the wallreached out and grabbed her shoulders.
Catching her balance, she tipped forward and came up against a tall, broad figure clad in a freezing cold parka wet with snow.
That’s no wall. That’s a—
Jerking her head up, she stared into a pair of penetrating dark eyes partly concealed by the shadows of the parka hood.
Oh. My. God.
Panic shot through her.
A big stranger had just broken into her cabin and—
With a shriek, she yanked herself away from him and darted toward the back door, her heart hammering. She was about to bolt outside when she realized she’d be exchangingdeath by intruderfordeath by snowstorm. Her coat and boots were behind him in the foyer. Grabbing the nearest object, she charged toward him in attack.
“Get out!” She began pummeling him, realizing belatedly that her unicorn pillow pet wasn’t the most effective weapon. Why hadn’t the fireplace poker been closer? “I’m going to—”
“Whoa, wait a second.” Surprise colored his deep voice as he held up his arms to block her whacks with the pillow.
“Stay away!” She backed up and held the pillow in front of her like a shield. “I’m a karate black belt who can take you down in less than a second, so you—”
Her voice stopped in her throat as he pushed his hood back and unzipped the parka. Though he was still in the shadows, she was struck with a sudden familiarity. Which made no sense because…
“Brooke?”His voice rolled over her like the start of thunder rumbling.
She tightened her grip on the pillow.Oh my god, he’s a stalker.
“Wait.” He held up his hands and stepped into the light. The overhead beam spilled over his thick dark hair and the strong, masculine lines of his face. “It’s Sam.”
A gasp caught in her throat. She shook her head, as if he were some sort of mirage. She hadn’t expected to see anyone for the next ten days, least of all…Sam.
What the heck?
Her gaze collided with his. The earth seemed to vibrate, as if a seismic wave had coursed through the mountain.
“What…” He glanced over the cabin, taking in the fire, her stack of books, the open suitcase on the floor. “What are you doing here?”
“What do you mean, what am I doing here?” She waved her hand up and down to indicate his large figure, her shoulders sagging with relief. “What areyoudoing here? You scared the crap out of me.”
She had no idea what was going on, but she’d take Sam over an evil intruder any day.
