In the chaos, snatch Keely and vanish with her into the forest.
He picked up his pace, ignoring the burn in his knee. “Keely!” The blizzard ate his voice. Just the faintest light pulsed from the barn.
He’d never find her. Not if Thornwood had grabbed her, draggedher out into the night. Standing in front of the barn, he looked past it, into the forest, then out to the lake, where the crew now hauled in the hoses, just an outline in the darkness.
“Keely!”
The wind gobbled up his voice. “Keely—”
“Here! I’m here!” The voice emerged faint on the wind, but enough, and he turned.
She stood on the porch, thin, bracing herself in the cold, her silly white puffer jacket pulled tight around her, shivering.
His knees nearly buckled again. But he ducked his head against the wind and fought his way up the stairs. She stepped back, like he might be a polar bear charging.
Maybe.
He stopped in front of her, looking down at her. His heart caught, roaring in his ears. It slowed, and he took a breath. Another. “You okay?”
She nodded. “Why?”
Oh, maybe she didn’t need to know—He blew out his breath, shook his head, looked at the barn, back to her.
She tucked her arms close to herself and shivered again. “Can we go inside?”
And in her question, he heard“Could thewarmth we found in the cold be ours to keep?”
Yes, maybe.
He met her eyes, his voice shaking. “What was that?”
She stared at him, caught her breath. “What—”
“That song in there. That ... that ...love song.”
“It was just a song—”
And maybe it was anger, or panic, or even ... a painful, deep longing inside, but it all stormed out of him. “Not a chance, Bliss. That wasn’t any pop song. That was ... that was...”
“Real?”
The way she said it, soft and almost a question, shouldn’thave had the power to rock him back, but ... a boulder lay in his throat, maybe his chest.
He nodded. “Maybe. It could be real, right?” He backed her up to the lodge wall without realizing it and braced a hand over her shoulder.
Wow, she was pretty. In the light of the porch lights, the gold in her eyes shone, sparkled, and he thought he recognized hope in them.
Probably reflecting his own.
Aw. His gaze traced her face. “If I kiss you again, are you going to run away?”
“Where am I going to run?” She reached up and tucked her bare fingers into his jacket lapels. “You have me trapped.”
He smiled then, his heartbeat slowing, the terrible boulder dislodged. “Yes, actually, I do.” And then he kissed her.
Really kissed her. Wrapped a hand around her neck, fitted his mouth against hers, and dove in. She tasted sweet, of those incredible sugar cookies, and maybe a hint of hot cocoa, and she smelled of the lavender soap from her shower. She stepped up to him and molded her arms around his shoulders.
And kissed him back.
