While Snowbound (Sensual Romance Series)

by McIntyre, Anna J.

  He tossed the damp jacket back in the dryer and turned on the machine. The quilt was on the floor, so he picked it up and folded it hastily, before setting it atop the washing machine.

  On the way back to the living room and kitchen area, Brady stopped to use the bathroom. He found his boots still sitting on the floor, and picked them up after he finished washing his hands. The shoes were wet. He took them with him, looking for a warm place to put them so they could dry.

  Chapter Six

  Brady found Ella in the living room, placing firewood in the stone fireplace. Her back was to him, and once again Brady noticed her shapely backside, which looked especially appealing as she bent over the stone hearth to arrange the firewood. He had the sudden urge to step behind her, and grab her hips with his hands and pull her denim clad bottom to his groin. Just the thought made him hard, but his hands held the wet boots and he had a feeling if he acted on his impulse she’d hit him over the head with a stick of firewood.

  Brady couldn’t recall the last time he’d experienced such an unexpected surge of lust. He wondered briefly if the heightened awareness of his own mortality during the snowstorm had flipped some primal switch. Perhaps the attraction was encouraged by her game of disinterest. He wasn’t certain it wasn’t an act. She wouldn’t be the first woman who used scheming tactics to get his attention. The unbelievable part of her story was in trying to convince him she hadn’t known who he was a few days earlier.

  Ella was unaware of Brady’s presence behind her, and the fact he stood quietly, studying her with carnal interest. After arranging the firewood and kindling, it didn’t take her long to start the fire. Satisfied it would soon be blazing; she stood up and turned around, away from the stone fireplace.

  Startled, Ella jumped slightly before letting out a little gasp and muttering a curse. “You frightened me!” she said angrily, then stomped around Brady into the kitchen area.

  “I’m sorry. I was just watching you make the fire. Where can I put these to dry out?” He held up his boots to show her.

  “You can put them on the hearth.” Ella sounded annoyed.

  Brady turned back to the fireplace and set the boots on the stone hearth before turning around again and walking toward the kitchen. Silently, he took a seat at the breakfast bar, and watched as Ella began taking groceries from the refrigerator.

  “I do want to thank you for saving me. I’m sorry if I sounded ungrateful earlier, but I’ll confess the mishap had me more upset than I realized.” Brady watched as she removed butcher paper from what appeared to be a pound of ground beef.

  Ella glanced up from what she was doing and met his gaze. He is a handsome devil, she told herself. Even if he wasn’t some rock star, she imagined he could easily lure women to his bed with those blue eyes alone. The image of him stumbling through the snowstorm, the blond wig askew, partially covering his dark hair, popped in her head. She found herself smiling. He really had looked vulnerable and ridiculous when she found him, and she imagined he had been terrified.

  “That’s okay. I understand. Are you hungry? Do you like chili?” she asked cheerfully, no longer sounding annoyed.

  “Actually, I’m hungry. Didn’t realize it until you mentioned it. And yes, I like chili.” She gave him a soft smile and continued preparing the meal.

  Brady watched her quietly for a few minutes. “How long do you think we’ll be stuck here?” he finally asked, looking past her to the kitchen window. The snow still fell in heavy sheets.

  “It just depends when the snow stops. It’s still coming down hard. It’s possible it’ll stop sometime today, and if the snowplow makes it up here in the morning, the roads could be open by tomorrow afternoon. Unfortunately, we don’t have television up here, and no radio reception so there is no way of finding out the current weather report. The last I heard, we were to get snow sometime today, and it was expected to last the rest of the week.”

  “Are you saying I could be stuck here for over a week?” Brady said incredulously.

  “Actually, we could be stuck here for over a week even if the snow stops sometime today. I was trying to be optimistic, but they aren’t especially prompt at clearing these roads. Nobody lives up here fulltime, and according to Amanda, she wasn’t expecting anyone but you and me to come up here this weekend. Considering that we were planning to stay several weeks, and she knows we have supplies, I doubt we’ll be top priority for the snowplow. If there’s snow along the lower region, where the full-timers live, they’ll get to those areas first. Just be grateful I didn’t eat before I went grocery shopping,” Ella told him as she began frying up the ground beef. “At least we won’t starve.”

  “I don’t understand.” Brady frowned, having no idea what she was talking about.

  “Well, you know what they say, never go grocery shopping on an empty stomach.” She glanced at him, then sighed at his clueless expression. “I guess you don’t know. I suppose you have minions to do your shopping and other menial tasks.”

  “I have a staff. I don’t know about minions,” Brady replied, feeling suddenly awkward, which was not a familiar or comfortable sensation for him.

  “Well, the rule of grocery shopping is to eat a meal first, or you end up buying more than what’s necessary. Fortunately for you, I over-shopped at the market due to hunger pangs, and we should have enough food without severe rationing, even if this blizzard lasts longer than a few days. Of course, if we run out of food, you’ll need to go hunting and bring us back a deer. You do know how to clean a deer don’t you?” Ella asked her question with such calm seriousness that it proved impossible to contain her mirth when Brady responded with an expression of pure horror. It was obvious he thought she was serious.

  “Hmm, I guess not,” she chuckled.

  “Funny,” Brady said dryly, feeling foolish. “So tell me, does that phone normally work?” He nodded toward the landline sitting on the kitchen counter.

  “Yes, but apparently the lines are down. And I want to get this chili made before the electricity goes out. Times like this I regret we don’t have natural gas up here, or at least a propane tank.”

  “You aren’t serious?” Brady asked, certain she must be teasing him as she had before about hunting.

  “I’m afraid I am,” Ella shrugged. She continued to prepare the chili, which involved opening several cans of beans, whole tomatoes and chopping up fresh vegetables. “That’s one reason I wanted to get the fire going. I already cranked up the heater, to get this place as warm as possible, just in case we do lose power. Before it gets dark outside, I’ll get the flashlights, just in case.”

  “Is the cabin I rented really that far from here?” Brady asked.

  “A mile or more. I’ve hiked up there before, but not in this weather.”

  “So you didn’t find my cell phone in your car?”

  “No, and I went through the back seat. Did you leave it in the Jeep?”

  “I had it with me when I left the car. I was trying to find reception.”

  “This entire mountain is dead for cell service.”

  “Damn, I must have dropped it in the snow.”

  “Well, at least you don’t have to worry about someone finding it and running up your phone charges,” Ella said brightly. She covered the pan of chili, letting it simmer and then turned to face Brady. The counter separated them. “All we can do is make the best of a bad situation until this weather clears, or until the phone starts working again. I really make it a practice not to drive in this weather. Driving to the rental cabin is not as big as an issue for me as driving back here.”

  “I don’t understand,” Brady asked.

  “Even with my four wheel-drive, going down the mountain when it’s like this is pretty dangerous. To be honest, it kind of scares the crap outa me, driving down a steep hill when it’s so icy. Maybe if I had chains, which I don’t. Driving up hill is a little easier for me, and while it might be possible to get you to the rental cabin, I’m a little concerned about getting back he
re. And I really don’t want to be stranded out on a snowy road, when no one knows I’m missing.”

  “I wouldn’t want that.” He hadn’t considered he was asking her to risk her life by taking him to the rental cabin.

  “It’s just safer to stay here, until the storm breaks. You can sleep in one of the guestrooms.”

  “I just wish I had my suitcase,” Brady muttered.

  “How far from here is the Jeep?” Ella asked.

  “Honestly, I’m not sure. I got a little disoriented after I slid off the road.”

  “Can you describe the area?”

  Brady considered her question a moment before answering.

  “I passed about a half dozen cabins, and the road was a steady incline. But then I came to an area where the road became much steeper. It was there I started having difficulty, and since I wasn’t in four wheel drive, I’m not sure how, but I made it to the top. Unfortunately, when the road started to level off a bit, I went off the side of the road, barely missing two pine trees. Now that I think about it, those two trees looked different than most of the other trees along the road, they…”

  “Looked as if they had been in a fire?” Ella finished for him.

  “Yes, they did.”

  “And the Jeep’s near that spot?”

  “Yes, it is. In a ditch, just a short distance from those trees.”

  “Actually, that really isn’t far from here, if you cut through the forest, behind my cabin. Sam and I often take walks through that area.”

  “Your boyfriend?” Brady asked, feeling inexplicably disappointed to think she had a boyfriend.

  At the mention of her name, Sam got up from where she was laying by the fireplace, and walked into the kitchen, wagging her short tail.

  “Yes, girl, we’re talking about you,” Ella said as she patted Sam’s back and leaned down to kiss the top of the dog’s head before standing up again. “No, my dog.”

  “Sam. You named her Sam?” Brady asked. The dog walked from the kitchen to Brady and stuck her nose in his crotch. Gently, he moved her nose while stroking her furry neck. He hadn’t forgotten how she provided warmth when he so needed it.

  “Technically, it’s Samantha. But dog names really shouldn’t be three syllables.”

  “Is she a border collie?” he asked, still stroking Sam’s furry backside.

  “No, Australian shepherd. But her coloring is similar to a border collie. When I was younger, my parents had an Aussie, and her coloring was much more patchy. I don’t recall anyone ever asking if she was a border collie, but I get that a lot with Sam. The border collies I’ve seen are normally black and white, whereas Sam also has brown markings. Plus, they tend to dock the Aussies’ tails, whereas they don’t the border collie.”

  “Why can’t she get out of the Suburban on her own?” Brady asked.

  “She was the runt of the litter, and I suspect that might be the cause of her medical issues. If you watch how she runs, it’s as if she’s double jointed. Her front legs remind me of how a swimmer doggy paddles. According to the vet, she has a very mild form of hip dysplasia. Sometimes she just falls down when she walks. On these hardwood floors, she does that more frequently. Sometimes she’ll jump out of the car on her own, but normally, she’s very apprehensive about leaping down without help. And she can’t get in without a boost. She’s my special needs dog.”

  “Where did you get her?” Brady asked.

  “I bought her from a local woman who raises Aussies.”

  “Why didn’t you ask for your money back?” Brady asked.

  “Excuse me?”

  “I assume when you purchase a dog from a breeder they come with some sort of a guarantee.”

  “Yes, but that would mean I’d have to give her back.”

  “But couldn’t you get another, healthy dog?”

  “Are you serious?”

  Brady glanced up from Sam and looked at Ella. By the expression on her face, it was obvious he had offended the woman. He found her look of distain quite disconcerting.

  “I’m sorry, I was just asking a question. I didn’t mean to offend you,” Brady said, still somewhat confused.

  “Have you ever had a dog?” Ella asked.

  “No.”

  “Are you serious?” Ella found it incomprehensible that he had never had a dog.

  “No. I’m afraid pets weren’t an option when I was growing up. Just another mouth to feed.” It was no secret that Brady Gates came from poverty. Of course, that was not something Ella would know.

  “Well, Sam’s not just a dog,” Ella explained, “She’s family. She can’t be replaced like a defected piece of furniture.”

  “I did appreciate her warmth.” Brady smiled at the dog, who seemed quite content to rest her chin on his knee.

  “She’s a great dog,” Ella said proudly, noticing that Sam did seem fond of the stranger.

  “I never had much experience with dogs. Kevin tried to talk me into getting one a while back. More for security. He was talking rott or pit.”

  “Who is Kevin?” Ella asked as she turned to check on the pot of chili simmering on the stove.

  “He’s my assistant-slash-bodyguard.”

  “Oh, that’s right. I think that’s Amanda’s cousin. You really need a bodyguard?” The way she asked the question Brady knew it was a serious inquiry.

  “You really had no clue about who I was, did you?” Brady asked the question, no longer confident she was playing some coy game.

  “I’m sorry,” Ella apologized. “Please don’t take it personal. It’s not you. But I really don’t watch that much television, and I’ve never been one to read fan or gossip magazines.”

  “Even those tabloids at the grocery store checkout stand?” Brady asked with a chuckle. In reply, Ella wrinkled her nose and shook her head. She stood over the stove stirring the chili.

  “Especially those tabloids!” she said at last, after putting the lid back on the pan.

  “And you don’t like music?”

  “Sure, I like music. I just never remember the names of the bands.”

  “So, you might be familiar with my music, and you just don’t know it’s mine?” Brady asked, wondering if she would start acting like another fawning fan once she realized what songs were his.

  “Well, actually,” Ella began as she pulled a block of cheddar cheese from the refrigerator and a grater from the cabinet, “when Amanda told me who was renting the cabin, and I didn’t recognize your name, she tried singing one of your songs.”

  “And?” Brady asked, waiting for some response.

  “Yeah, I recognized it.” She grated the cheese onto a plate, refusing to look up from her task. She was embarrassed to admit she didn’t like his music.

  “So, you do know who I am?” Brady asked.

  “Well, I guess, in a way. I Googled you when I got home, to see if I recognized your face. Do you always wear that makeup when you’re in concert?” She asked the question about the makeup as if she thought it looked foolish.

  “You looked at my Wikipedia page. Yes, it’s my trademark.”

  “Oh.” Ella dismissed the topic and took two bowls from the cabinet. “Are you ready for some chili?” she asked brightly.

  “You don’t like my music, do you?” Brady asked, sounding somewhat appalled at the idea. While he suspected some of the women who chased him might be more turned on by his fame and fortune than his music, he wasn’t prepared for Ella’s utter indifference.

  “Hey, it’s not you, really. I just sorta prefer country and soft rock.” Ella smiled weakly, looking profoundly apologetic. Brady wasn’t sure how to respond; he was in unchartered territory.

  Instead of asking more questions, he accepted a bowl of chili topped with cheddar cheese, and a glass of iced cold milk. He ate the meal in silence, contemplating the unusual set of circumstances.

  Chapter Seven

  “What, exactly, do you need from your Jeep?” Ella asked as she cleared away the dirty dishes.

&nb
sp; Brady stood, intending to help her clean up after the meal, but she told him to sit down, that it would only take her a minute. Plus, there wasn’t much room in the tiny kitchen area. He sat back down on the bar stool and watched her gather up the dishes and put the leftovers away.

  “I’m not sure what you mean,” he told her.

  “Well, if we’re able to make it to the Jeep, exactly what would you want to bring back? I’ve no idea how much you packed, and if we haul the stuff in this weather, through the snow, I’d rather just get the necessities.”

  “You think that’ll be possible, to get my things from the Jeep?” Brady asked, hopeful.

  “Yes, if it stops snowing; we could go in the morning. I’ve some snowshoes stored in the attic, and a sled we could pull to carry your stuff. It’s really not that far, and we should be able to make it wearing the snowshoes, fairly easily.”

  “That’d be great. Everything I need is in one suitcase: my clothes, iPad. I’d love to get my phone, but I don’t imagine I’ll have much luck finding that. Getting the iPad would enable me to get some work done.”

  “Well, we don’t have Internet here. I had it turned off at the end of the season.”

  “Why did you do that? Not that I need Internet for my work.”

  “The only reason the cabin has Internet service and cable during the summer, is because Amanda says renters expect it. I prefer not to have it; it’s too much a distraction. When I come up here to write, I need to write, not surf and visit with my Facebook friends. Too much of a time killer. So, what kind of work does a rock star do on an iPad?” Ella asked, as she placed the leftover chili in the refrigerator.

  “Must you refer to me as a rock star?” It wasn’t the term that bothered him but how she said it, as if she was trying to humor him and found the notion of rock-stardom less than impressive.

  “I’m sorry. Then, what do you tell people you do, when someone asks?” Ella’s question was sincere, albeit a bit naive. When people asked her what she did for a living, she was never quite sure how to answer. Should she refer to herself as an author, or a writer? Both answers triggered more questions, and people often responded as if they didn’t quite believe her, or would ask the name of her publisher. Since she published her own books, some of the responses were unkind.