Snowbound Cinderella

by Ruth Langan

  By the time he’d located his skis and started back down the hill, he could see Ciara already going into the last turn before reaching the cabin. She was little more than a blur of color against the snow.

  He muttered a halfhearted curse. That would teach him to stop daydreaming when he ought to have his mind on more important things.

  Then he grinned. The truth was, he was just as happy to be the loser this time. He was really looking forward to scrubbing her back. And other things.

  Twelve

  Ciara lay in the big bed beside Jace, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest as he slept. He’d been restless through the night. Restless and pacing. And though he hadn’t complained, she surmised that it was the pain in his leg that had him walking the floor. The spill he’d taken while skiing had no doubt aggravated his injury. Just before dawn she’d seen him swallow a pill. Now, finally, he had found some peace, though he’d tossed aside the blankets in a fit of discomfort.

  She studied the scar that ran from his hip to his ankle. The pain from such a wound would be bad enough to endure. But what sort of anguish must he have suffered, wondering whether or not he would lose his leg? For a man like Jace Lockhart—a fiercely independent, well-respected journalist who prided himself on his ability to go anywhere necessary to cover the news of the world—it must have been a terrifying experience. And yet he’d found the courage within himself to fight his way back to health.

  There was such strength in him. Not only physical strength, but a strength of will that touched a chord in her. They were so different, and yet—in many ways—so alike. Each of them had displayed a single-minded purpose as they had pursued their goals. Each of them had overcome many obstacles. Yet, amid the rubble of their past, they were still standing.

  She felt a sense of fierce pride in that fact. A town like Hollywood could eat people alive. Yet, despite her lack of formal education and the many detours she’d been forced to take in her career, she was still working. Oh, her head might often be in the clouds, harboring all kinds of future dreams, but she was able to keep her feet firmly planted on the ground.

  She lifted her head, listening intently. She could hear the return of the plows in the distance. The sound of their engines had filled the night air, continuing on until almost midnight. And now, although it was barely light, they were already back at work, clearing the mountain roads. Why did they have to be so damnably efficient? The irony of her conflicting feelings made her grit her teeth. Just days ago she would have rejoiced if she could have been spared the company of this man. And now, thanks to the hardworking road crews, she’d just lost her best excuse for staying with him.

  She pressed a hand to the little throbbing that was beginning at her temple. She shouldn’t think so much, she told herself.

  As she started to ease herself from bed, strong fingers closed around her wrist, holding her still. “Jace.” She glanced at his face and found him staring at her with a strange, intense look. “I was trying not to bother you.”

  “Impossible, Hollywood. You’ve been bothering me from the moment I met you. And what a meeting. At the end of a rifle.”

  She gave an embarrassed laugh. “What else could I do? You had me scared half to death.”

  “Really?” He lifted a hand to brush the hair from her eyes. “And I thought you looked cool enough to nail my hide to the wall.”

  “That would have been a pity.” She trailed a finger across his chest, and saw his eyes narrow fractionally. “It’s such a lovely hide.”

  “Yours isn’t half-bad either. Especially that first glimpse you gave me. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen that sexy little thong since. What happened to it?”

  “I was mortified to be caught in that. I was just undressing when I heard the approach of a car. I was so terrified that I’d been found out by a news crew, that I wasn’t even thinking straight. There wasn’t time to do more than grab that rifle and switch off the lights. The next thing I knew, I was being roughed-up by a stranger. You know something, Jace? You’ll never know how scared I was. I really thought you might be some sort of escaped rapist or killer, until you said the name Fortune. Then I was just humiliated.”

  “Then you’re one hell of a good actress, Hollywood. All I saw was this hissing, spitting she-cat who wanted to scratch out my eyes.”

  “That probably would have worked better than the rifle. I don’t really know how to fire one of them.”

  “It shows. You forgot to take off the safety.”

  Her eyes widened. “You mean you knew I couldn’t shoot you?”

  “Not right away. When I felt the press of a rifle in my ribs in the darkness, I knew only one thing—survival. But later, when I switched on the lights, I realized you wouldn’t have been able to do much more than knock me over the head with it. But by then, I was so dazzled by the sight of you in that…almost invisible underwear, you had a distinct advantage over me. A good thing you didn’t realize it, or this whole weekend might have ended before it began.”

  “Now you tell me.” Ciara was laughing as she swung her feet to the floor.

  Jace’s fingers tightened on her wrist. His lips curved in a lazy, knowing smile. “Stay in bed awhile.”

  “I’m not sure I should. You know what that always leads to.”

  “Yeah.” He hauled her into his arms and covered her mouth with his. “I’m counting on it.”

  As soon as Ciara opened the cabin door and stepped onto the porch she became acutely aware of the change in the weather. The warm southern breeze was positively balmy. Water dripped from the roof and ran in rivulets, melting the snow around the steps. A chorus of birds sang in the nearby trees. A rabbit nibbling grass beneath the shelter of a towering pine scampered away as Ciara stepped off the porch and headed toward the shed.

  The snow had already disappeared from the roof of the shed, and the path leading to it was a river of water. But instead of lifting her spirits, the return of spring had the opposite effect on her. She felt a overwhelming sadness at the sight of the melting snow.

  A short time later she returned to the cabin, carrying the fixings for a breakfast of eggs, sausage and pancakes. As she entered she called, “It’s a good thing we got in our skiing when we did.”

  Jace looked up from the fire, where he was adding another log. “Why is that?”

  She nodded toward the window. “The snow’s melting so quickly, the hillsides will be bare in places by this time tomorrow.” She turned away and busied herself in the kitchen, trying not to think of the implications. But the truth was there, lying like a stone around her heart as she crossed to the fireplace, scrambling eggs and turning sausage in a skillet. The snow was melting. The plows were on the move. In no time, she would be free to leave.

  Free to leave. What a strange expression. She poured pancake batter into a skillet, then sat back on her heels, deep in thought. If she were truly free, she would never leave this place. Or this man. She’d found something rare and wonderful here in this cabin, in Jace’s arms. She wished, with all her being, that she could simply hide away here with him and never return to the life she’d known. But she wasn’t free. She had duties, obligations. And no matter how much she wished otherwise, she would have to go back and face them.

  Then there was Jace. He had obligations of his own. A man like Jace Lockhart would never be willing to give up the excitement of his world travels and settle down into a routine.

  “Hey, Hollywood.” Jace pulled the skillet from the fire before the pancakes could burn. “Where’s your mind?”

  “Oh. Sorry.” Avoiding his eyes, she filled a platter, then took a seat beside him.

  Jace tasted, sighed with pleasure. “I bet I’ve gained ten pounds since I got here.”

  She gave him an admiring glance. “You don’t have an ounce of fat anywhere on that body.”

  He arched a brow. “You’ve been peeking, haven’t you?”

  “More than peeking.” She sipped her coffee and studied him over the rim o
f her cup. “As a matter of fact, I’ve looked you over very carefully. And I declare you one fine specimen.”

  “Now, coming from one of the world’s most beautiful women, I take that as a high compliment indeed.”

  “‘World’s most beautiful women.”’ She gave a snort of disgust.

  “As I recall, you topped a magazine’s list of the world’s most beautiful people last year. They had a full-length shot of you on their cover. And I spent many a night drooling over it.”

  “You did?” She lifted her nose in the air. “You really need to get a life. Besides,” she added, “that was last year. This year I’ll probably be replaced by a sixteen-year-old nymph, and the magazine staff won’t even remember how to spell my name.”

  “Cynic.” He helped himself to another pancake and liberally poured syrup over it.

  “Maybe. But if I’ve learned anything it’s that the public is fickle. Especially when it comes to actors who start to believe their own publicity.”

  “No chance of that happening to you, Hollywood. You’re your own worst critic.” He caught her by the chin and kissed her, hard and quick. “Come on. Indulge yourself. We won’t count the calories. We’ll just enjoy the moment.”

  How could she argue, when he was so persuasive? She slid a pancake onto her plate and followed his lead, slathering it with syrup. As she took the first bite she muttered, “I’m going to need a really tough workout right after breakfast, if I’m going to overcome all these fat grams.”

  He lifted her hand to his lips. “Hollywood, I have the perfect exercise in mind.”

  She closed her eyes and pretended to groan, before bursting into gales of laughter. “Now why did I know you’d make just such an offer?”

  “Because that’s the kind of guy I am. Always willing to sacrifice myself for the sake of a damsel in distress.”

  Even while she laughed with him, Ciara realized that Jace had deliberately kept the conversation light for her sake. It was one more reason to love him.

  And I do love him, she thought. Though it didn’t seem possible to be responding this way to someone she’d known such a short time, there was no denying what she felt for this man. It was stronger, deeper, than anything she’d ever felt about any man. Even Brendan.

  The thought left her breathless, and more than a little sad. Because the truth was, the timing was all wrong. The timing and the circumstances. Neither she nor Jace had the time to give this relationship what it needed to develop into something lasting and permanent.

  A short time later, as they were putting away the last of the clean dishes, the lights in the cabin flickered, then came on. There was an unexpected humming in the room—the sound of the refrigerator.

  They stared at one another in surprise. Then Jace opened the refrigerator door and saw the interior light come on.

  “Well.” Ciara struggled to keep her tone even. “Looks like the power’s on. I guess we can haul the food back from the shed now.”

  “Yeah.” He caught sight of her little frown, and quipped, “you did say you wanted to work off your breakfast, didn’t you?”

  She nodded and, following his lead, pulled on her parka. “I think I like your first idea better.”

  He draped an arm around her shoulders as they trudged through the snow to the shed. “Right after this, we’ll try my way. I promise it’ll be much more pleasant than hauling in food. And just think,” he muttered against her temple, “We can even enjoy a hot shower together afterward.”

  She brightened. “I’m beginning to like your idea even more. Come on. Let’s get this little chore over with.”

  They made several trips from the shed to the cabin, returning the food to the refrigerator. Just as they finished, they heard the roar of the plow as it moved up the steep path and came to a halt at the door of the cabin.

  Jace stepped onto the porch and waved to the driver, then walked over to the truck, while Ciara remained in the doorway, watching and listening.

  “How’re the main roads?” Jace shouted as the driver rolled down his window.

  “Most of them are clear. There are still a few patches of snow and ice. But by morning you folks should have no problem getting out of here.”

  Morning. Ciara’s heart dropped.

  “I bet you two can’t wait to get back to civilization,” the driver shouted over the roar of his engine.

  “Yeah.” Jace’s voice lacked conviction.

  “Would you like some coffee before you leave?” Ciara called to him.

  “No, thanks.” The driver held up an insulated mug. “Brought my own. But I appreciate the offer. I’ll be going now. I still have a lot of work ahead of me. Oh!” he called as an afterthought. “I don’t suppose you folks have a problem being interviewed.”

  “Interviewed?” Jace frowned. “What are you talking about?”

  “I spotted a couple of those television news vans out on the highway waiting until I plowed this lane. I figure as soon as it’s clear, they’ll want to interview people like you who’ve been stuck in this snowstorm for the past couple of days. How about that? You’ll get to see yourselves on TV.”

  With a wave he backed the truck down the lane, executed a turn, and was gone.

  In the silence that followed, Jace made up his mind quickly. As he began a sweep of the cabin he said calmly, “Better grab a parka and some boots, Hollywood, and hide back in the shed.”

  “Hide? But—”

  “No time to argue. Just do as I say.” He headed for the bedroom, drawing draperies on all the windows as he went.

  Ciara pulled on her boots and snatched up her parka. Without taking time to slip it on, she ran from the cabin and yanked open the door to the shed. Just as she stepped inside, she could hear the sound of vehicles approaching. She crouched behind the shed door, listened to the slamming of doors and the sound of voices. Though she couldn’t see, she strained to make out the words.

  “Hey.” A reporter with carefully sprayed hair, wearing a parka over his suit and tie, stepped from the news van and started toward the porch. Behind him walked a bearded photographer, aiming his video camera at the cabin. A second news truck pulled up and several more men and women spilled out. They quickly began to fan out, moving around the cabin, focusing their cameras on the door and on every window.

  Jace opened the door and stood facing them. “What brings you up here?”

  “We don’t want to bother anybody,” the handsome reporter called in his friendliest voice. “We’re looking for Ciara Wilde. Know her?”

  Jace smiled. “Are you talking about the actress?”

  “Know any other Ciara Wilde?”

  Though he was inwardly seething, Jace managed to show no emotion. “What would a gorgeous movie star be doing in the middle of nowhere?”

  “Hiding out, maybe. She’s missing.”

  “Then what makes you think she’s hiding out? Maybe she’s been kidnapped.”

  The news crew glanced at one another nervously. “Could be.” The reporter seemed to be mulling it over. “Our theory is that she just wants the publicity. At any rate, our magazine is paying a hefty bounty for the first pictures of her.”

  “A bounty, huh? You make it sound like the Wild West. Just how much is her hide fetching these days?”

  “Quarter of a million.”

  “Half a million,” a second reporter corrected. She had short lacquered red hair, and was wearing a red coat with a white scarf at the throat. The second reporter moved closer. “We’d be willing to share, of course, if someone were to show us where she is.”

  “That’s a lot of money.” Jace dug a hand in his pocket, and came up with a handful of crumpled bills. “As you can see, I could use some. But…” He shrugged. “I’m sorry to say I’m all alone at the moment.”

  The reporter started up on the porch. “Mind if we look around?”

  Jace’s eyes narrowed. “Yeah. I’d mind a lot.”

  At the look in his eyes she backed up a step, moving so quickly that
the photographer filming behind her had to duck to one side to avoid being bumped.

  The first reporter was studying Jace with great interest. “You look familiar. Don’t I know you?”

  Jace lifted a brow. “You might have seen me on TV. I’ve been covering the war in Eastern Europe for the past few years.”

  “A correspondent?”

  “That’s right. I’m here on vacation.”

  “Some vacation.” The two reporters glanced at each other, then at Jace. “You picked a hell of a time to come to the mountains.”

  “Yeah.” Jace managed a smile. “Pretty boring. No phone. No electricity. But at least I got plenty of rest.”

  The first reporter stuck out his hand. “Look, we’re really sorry we bothered you. We had a tip that Ciara Wilde was friends with the owners of this place. It was just a wild-goose chase, but we have to follow every lead. You understand.”

  Jace nodded. “Yeah. I’ve followed plenty of leads myself.”

  He remained on the porch, watching as the reporters and photographers returned to their vehicles. As they drove away he carefully locked the cabin door, then, with a look of fury, made his way to the shed.

  When he yanked open the door, he saw Ciara cringe and turn away from the sunlight, as though it were the lights of dozens of cameras. He stood a moment regarding her. “So. That’s the price you pay for being a movie star. What are they after?”

  She paused a moment, realizing that this was the perfect opportunity to tell him everything about herself and her reason for hiding away this weekend. A part of her actually looked forward to the cleansing that would come with a full confession. But another part of her recoiled at the thought of baring her soul. They had so little time left together. Why spoil even a minute of it with talk of a part of her life that didn’t involve Jace? Her engagement to Brendan was already over, at least in her own mind. Why drag it out for discussion now?

  As the silence stretched out between them, she knew that the time for the truth had passed.

  He was staring at her with such intensity, she had to look away. “Are you saying this happens all the time, Hollywood?”