“You okay?”
“Mm-hmm. Hey, Casp!” he called out. “Where are you?”
He waited for his dog to appear. Nothing.
He called again and started to get up.
A bark, and just like that, Caspian came bounding toward them, his entire body snowy, nipping at the snowflakes. He ran up the steps, right into his lap, and slurped his chin. “Casp!”
Keely laughed.
Caspian bounced away.
“Well, he loves you,” she said.
Caspian leaped up to her too, and she squealed, pushed him away.
“Clearly he’s falling for you too.” He let his words hang there, his heartbeat catching his words. No, that wasn’t right...
But then she met his eyes with a slow grin, and his pulse thundered, and no ... no ... that wasnotgoing to happen. “Yeah, well I snagged him a soup bone from the kitchen, so...”
“I see. Bribery.”
“Absolutely. Gotta wipe the memory of my screaming from the poor guy’s memory.”
She got up and held out her hand to Dawson.
Oh no, it was Caroline all over again. Believing in him.
“I’ll get youhome.”
“I know you will.”
And with Keely standing there in the glow of the light, the wind taking her hair, her eyes bright, he fought the dangerous urge to pull her back down, to wrap his arms around her.
To kiss that pretty mouth.
He stared at her.
“What? Sheesh. You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
He took her hand, let her help him up. Found words. “No. I’m just wondering what game I’m going to best you in next.”
“Rematch, anytime, if you have the guts.” She winked and walked into the lodge, Caspian running in front of her.
He stayed a moment on the porch, the storm behind him, dark, furious, lethal. Then he followed her into the warmth and light of the lodge.
Not feeling safe at all.
8
THE STORMHAD STOPPED.
Or at least died. The wind had quieted, the snow no longer pinging on the window in her room. Keely lay there, under the heavy peace of her blankets, her breath cool in the room.
If she closed her eyes, she might hear her mother humming in the kitchen nearby, the pungent scent of coffee percolating on the stove, pancakes sizzling in bacon grease.
Keely hadn’t sat in that memory for years. Now, she drew it in. Let it saturate her, returned to her conversation with Dawson last night.
