Snowbound

in the washer into the dryer?”

“You okay, Ms. Mac?” Tabitha asked.

She managed another smile. “I’m fine. But, you know,

I think I’ll take my book—” not the one about Iraq, she’d

find something else “—and go take a nice, hot bath.”

“You deserve it.” Tabitha looked at her skeptically,

which meant her smile hadn’t been entirely convincing,

but she didn’t ask any more questions. “We can fold the

laundry. Right, Kelli?”

Less enthusiastic, the other girl shrugged. “Yeah, sure.”

Fiona ended up skipping the book. Picking one out

would have involved going downstairs, which might

have meant encountering John or more unwanted curiosity from her students. She doubted she’d have been able to pay attention to a plot anyway.

Instead she brooded as she soaked, reliving the kiss

over and over. Now she knew what had been missing

from every other kiss she’d experienced. She knew why

she was rarely interested in a second date, why her few

longer-running relationships had, in the end, not endured.

But why, oh why, did she have to be so attracted to

a man who, she was beginning to be afraid, was more

damaged by the war than he was willing to admit?

Of course, distance was a problem, too, but she couldn’t

imagine him staying at Thunder Mountain forever. He

didn’t love the business of innkeeping, he wanted the

solitude. And presumably once he “decompressed”, he’d

sell the lodge and move back to civilization. Perhaps even

to Portland, where Robotronics was located.

Not that he’d actually said a word to suggest he was

interested in anything beyond a few kisses—okay,

beyond sex—with her.

She flushed at the idea. Of course she couldn’t…

What if one of the kids needed her? And she hadn’t

brought any protection— No, that was silly; considering

the huge variety of tampons and sanitary napkins he’d

produced, he surely had an equal assortment of condoms.

The truth was, she just didn’t know him well enough.

She’d met him only days ago! And considering she’d

had to extract each sliver of knowledge about him as if

with tweezers from his flesh, with him flinching every

time she tugged, Fiona thought she could be excused for

feeling wary.

But then she reflected on how nice he’d been to all

of them, even the boys who seemed to stir his memories,

and she realized she knew more about the John Fallon

who tried to hide behind his self-constructed barriers

than she’d thought.

More, maybe. But enough?

She stirred, and water lapped at the porcelain sides

of the tub.

Would rescue come tomorrow? she wondered. Did

she want to go home yet?

Fiona got out of the tub well aware that she hadn’t

answered a single one of her questions.

She let the water out, dried and got dressed, deciding to leave her hair bundled up on her head, untidy though it was.

Tabitha, Kelli and Amy were lounging on their beds

when she paused in their door.

“Did you find your jeans?”

Tabitha nodded. “I miss my clothes. I may never

wear this shirt and jeans again.”

Fiona laughed. “I know what you mean. Me, I’m just

going to be glad to have clean underwear at hand every

morning.”

“Are you going downstairs?” Amy slid off the bed.

“I think I will, too.”

“Yeah, let’s all go,” Kelli agreed.

They followed her, to find Erin reading and Willow

giggling as the boys tried to teach her how to keep the

hacky-sack in the air with one knee.

“Like she’s really that bad at it,” Amy muttered.

Fiona had a suspicion she wasn’t, either. Willow was

blossoming.

“Haven’t you ever played soccer, Willow?” Amy

asked, as they reached the foot of the stairs.

Dieter deftly caught the hacky-sack with his knee.

Willow shook her head. “It looks fun.”

“It is,” Tabitha said. “You should come out for the girls’

team. If you’re willing to work hard, you could play JV.”

“Hey, cool!” Dieter grinned at her. “I could teach you

stuff.”

Hopper made a rude noise. “Like you know any stuff.”