Squeals fought to get out, but I contained them. “That's so cool. EvenIcouldn’t get an advanced copy. I tried when she released her last book.” I took it gingerly from him and clutched it close to my chest. “She’s one of my all-timefavorites.”
“If you like it that much, keep it. The advanced copies for the rest of the series should be in there. I can easily replace them with regular copies.” He seemed bored with myexcitement.
“I can’t take these. They’re too valuable,” I protested. “Besides, aren’t you supposed to return them to thepublisher?”
“If it makes you feel better I’ll shoot her an email and get her permission.” He shrugged. “She won’tcare.”
“I’d really appreciate it. I’d love so much to have these books, but I wouldn’t want you to get in trouble or anything, or do anything unethical.” The author had given him the book on the faith that he wouldn’t resell it or profit from it. “And I promise to keep it forever andever.”
“Watch TV with us?” Ellionasked.
I eyeballed my book wistfully. I wanted to read it. But I didn’t want to be rude, especially since I’d tried to run away fromthem.
“Where were you?” Chandler asked. “We were gettingworried.”
Ellion snorted. “We were freaking out. We thought you’d gone out into the snow for some crazyreason.”
Griffin gave me a deadpanstare.
I shook my head and sighed. “I did go out into thesnow.”
“What?” Chandler exclaimed and paused the show. “Why?”
“I got a little upset last night and decided to take a snowmobile and try to go on to my patient’s house. It’s really not that far away, and I thought I could makeit.”
Ellion wrung his hands. “You would’ve died,” he saidflatly.
I watched him in shock. I didn’t think I’d die going such a short distance. When I’d told Griffin I’d almost died in the barn, I’d been joking about my fear of heights. I believed I could’ve made it to my patient’shouse.
“Linda, if you hadn’t wandered onto our front yard the other day, you would’ve frozen solid in no time. You passed out after only thirty minutes. If you hadn’t had those hand warmers you most definitely would’ve gotten frostbite,” Ellion lectured me, voice confident, though his body betrayed his nervousness. His hands fidgeted, and his eyes blinked rapidly. He didn’t like being hard onme.
“That’s crazy—I was out there for hours. Those warmers last about two hours before they die, so I was at least out there that long.” They were being dramatic, trying to scareme.
Griffin cleared his throat. “From the time you wrecked to the time we got you in the house was about forty five minutes, total. We timed it with camerafootage.”
“Those batteries don’t work so well in this extreme cold. They’re made for thirty to forty degree weather,” Chandlersaid.
I gaped at the three of them like a fish. “But, I… How’s that possible? I was out there forever. It felt solong.”
“That happens in the cold.” Chandler shrugged. “It all worked out. You’re safe. You can stay here as long as you need to, even after the storm clears, right,Griff?”
Griffin gave Chandler an inscrutable look then turned to me. “He’s right. I’m… I wanted to… I’m sorry I was rude. You came at a bad time for me. That’s not an excuse, but… Anyway, I’m sorry.” He lowered his eyes. The apology had to have been hard for him, he’d been through somuch.
I watched the firelight dance across his scars for a second before replying. “It’s okay. Sometimes we go through stuff that’s impossible to explain to someone else. Like my anxiety. I’d like for us to be friends, if that’s okay with you.” Hopefully, he wouldn’t revert back to the beastly Griffin frombefore.
He gave a begrudging smile. “I’d like that,” hemuttered.
Ellion sniffed once. His eyes were suspiciously watery. I leaned over and gave him a side hug, mindful of my still aching ribs. I’d almost forgotten the pain with the book excitement and waking up to discover I’d been a fool yet again. I really needed to learn to control myself and not be soimpulsive.
“Would anyone mind if I made myself a sandwich?” I asked, ravenous. I wanted to take some ibuprofen, too, and that was a bad idea on an empty stomach. I couldn’t even take a gummy vitamin on an empty stomach without majorvomiting.
Chandler jumped up and headed to the kitchen. “Absolutely not,” he called from across the room. “I made breakfast once Griffin let us know you were safe. I figured you’d be hungry. Yours is warming in theoven.”
I wandered into the kitchen after him, anxious to ask him a question. As he busied himself getting my plate out of the oven and grabbing cutlery, I sidled up close tohim.
“Why is he suddenly being so nice?” I whispered, picking pieces of sausage and mushroom out of the omelet he’d set on thestove.
Chandler peered around me toward the living room, where I assumed Griffin was still sitting. “I have no idea. This is more like his normal self. The way he acted before was weird forhim.”
