The Snow Leopard's Baby (Glacier Leopards 2)

She probably thought he had a vehicle parked somewhere, Jeff realized, because how else would he have found her in the storm? She clearly either didn’t remember seeing him as a leopard, or had dismissed it as a dream, because otherwise he felt like she would’ve mentioned it by now.

And she hadn’t even seen him shift. So even if she did remember it, it would just be a memory of a wild animal.

“No,” he said regretfully. “I don’t have any food with me.” They’d be okay with the granola bars and trail mix that Leah had in her backpack, but it’d be pretty lean, especially if they were here longer than just overnight.

“I should’ve put more in the backpack,” Leah said, frustrated, “but I was packing in such a hurry, and I had to carry Emily and I didn’t want to overload myself...I had a ton of food in the car.”

Jeff perked up at that. “I could go get it. I passed your car on the way here.”

Leah hesitated. “Are you sure? It’s quite a ways. Wouldn’t that be dangerous?”

“Don’t worry,” Jeff assured her. “I’m not going to put myself in danger. I know how far I can go and what I can carry.”

It was a good distance, but it wouldn’t take long in his shifted form. He’d have to come back as a human, but he was still faster and stronger than a normal human was. He could run all the way and it wouldn’t tire him out too much.

“Anyway, we’re actually closer to your car than where I found you,” Jeff said. “So it won’t be as far as you had to go.”

“Did I miss the turnoff when I was walking?” Leah’s mouth set in an unhappy line. “I could’ve found it on my own if I’d been paying closer attention, probably.”

“The turnoff was completely buried in snow. It’s just a little dirt rut, barely wide enough for a car,” Jeff countered. “And the cabin was dark and locked. You’d have been walking up into the woods with no way to see the trail, no lights to guide you, and no way of getting in once you got here. It was definitely better to stay on the road.”

Leah’s shoulders relaxed a little. “All right. That does make sense. But you’re sure you can get down to where my car is without causing yourself trouble?”

“I am absolutely sure,” Jeff said firmly. “I wouldn’t risk my own safety right now—that’d be risking yours and Emily’s safety, too. And I hope you realize that I would never do that.”

Leah’s deep blue eyes met his across the room. “Yes,” she said softly. “I do.”

***

Leah needed to get her head on straight.

Jeff was such an obviously good man. He was preparing to go out into the freezing snowstorm again, so he could get them supplies, after spending half an hour playing with Emily and walking her around the cabin.

And his grin as he assured her that he was having fun, that babies were better company than lots of adults...it was so bright and happy that it made her chest ache.

Not to mention his steady, truthful gaze when he promised to come back safe from the supply run.

And Leah was having all sorts of problems with the way that gaze caught hers. She wanted to look into his eyes forever. She felt like as long as he was in the cabin, she could really believe that everything was going to be okay.

And that was not okay. First of all, it wasn’t a good idea to feel so dependent on someone she’d just met. Second of all, she couldn’t let herself get too distracted from the real world. As much as this cabin in the snow felt like it was something apart from civilization and everyday problems, those problems were still real.

Third of all...okay, yes, Jeff was an attractive man. He was tall and well-muscled—very well-muscled—and he had that handsome face, that bright smile and those clear gray eyes. There was nothing wrong with finding him attractive; tons of people would find Jeff attractive.

She just had to keep herself from acting on it. She was going to be heading out of town as soon as she could, after all, and she did not want a fling with a man she’d have to leave. And even if she did, there was no way he’d want a woman who came with a baby already attached to her hip.

Also, Jeff’s comments about her hair being pretty aside, Leah knew she wasn’t as attractive as she’d been before having Emily. She’d never been skinny, and not all of the baby weight had disappeared after she’d given birth, so now she had a definite rounded stomach, thick thighs, and of course her breasts hadn’t been perky since somewhere around the second trimester.

Rob had hated how her body had changed with pregnancy. “You’re getting stretch marks.” “God, you’re huge.” “You had the baby already, what’s with the belly?” He’d been into her larger breasts, but they’d been way too tender right after birth for her to let him touch them, which he hadn’t liked at all.

Even though she’d just met Jeff, she was sure that he would never make comments like Rob had. But that didn’t mean he’d think her post-baby body was hot. Men liked thin girls with high breasts and taut skin, and she’d hardly looked like that even before pregnancy, much less now.

So it would be better all around if she didn’t embarrass both of them by making some sort of move.

Besides, they were in a tiny cabin with an active baby, so there wasn’t going to be a chance. Right? Right.

Jeff was pulling on his winter gear across the room. The fire had warmed the cabin up quite a bit by now, especially near the couch, so they’d both taken off their coats. Now Jeff was re-mummifying himself into the large, parka-covered figure she’d first seen when she woke up.

“I’m about to head out,” he said. “Is there anything you want from the car besides food? Stuff for Emily?”