Snowbound Bride

by Cathy Gillen Thacker

  “Most of that information is down at the store, along with copies of all our back advertising.” Harold got up to check the phone; finding it still inoperative, he shook his head in disappointment.

  Nora, however, was only relieved. As long as there were no phone lines running, there could be no faxes sent to Sam regarding her disappearance. No calls from her father. No way of easily tracking her down to Clover Creek.

  “If you want to go to Whittakers with me, I can show you where everything is,” Harold said. “Since the snowplow’s been clearing the streets inside the city limits of Clover Creek, I think we could drive a couple of blocks.”

  “That’d be great, actually,” Nora said.

  Doing an analysis of their business problems would not only give her a chance to pay them back for their hospitality, it would also give her a chance to do her first solo job on a smaller account. That experience, plus a good reference from Harold and Clara Whittaker, would be invaluable when it came to setting up her own business.

  “I hope you don’t mind if I don’t stay with you,” Harold said an hour later, after opening his files and turning on his computer and showing Nora where all the records on sales and copies of past advertising efforts were filed. “I’ve got to go by the volunteer fire department and see if they need any help.”

  “It’s no problem.” Nora smiled. “It’s going to take me quite a while to go through all this.”

  “When should I come back for you?” Harold asked.

  Nora considered the analysis ahead of her. “Would it be a problem if I spent the entire morning here?” she asked. Now that the building had heat, it was comfortable and quiet.

  “Not at all. I’ll come back for you at noon, then,” Harold said.

  Nora nodded, already deeply immersed in the challenging problem in front of her.

  SAM TRUDGED BACK to the sheriff’s office, after a morning spent in the cold and snow. He didn’t know what made people in such a hurry to get out and about in weather like this. He only knew it created nonstop problems for emergency personnel and law enforcement.

  Thus far that morning, there’d been two car accidents, four stalled vehicles, a chimney fire, a cat stuck in a tree, a broken traffic light, a shattered window from an out-of-control snowball fight and a shoplifting eight-year-old at the grocery store.

  Fortunately, there was some good news, too. He’d learned via police radio that the schoolteacher and seven students feared missing had telephoned their school. Something about car trouble deep in the mountains after they’d lost their way. The young mother and baby from Maryland had also been located. The mom had eloped to Kentucky, apparently flabbergasting all those who knew her.

  Aware that it was only noon, he wondered what the rest of the day would hold. And that was when he saw the light on over at the store in the third-floor offices. Generally speaking, his grandparents did not even go in to the store on days when school and work were called due to weather. Adding to his suspicion, his grandfather’s car was not parked out front, as it would have been if his grandparents were there.

  Hoping they didn’t have a visit from the burglary ring currently working the state, Sam took out his keys and headed across the street to the store. He used the employee entrance off the alley and the service elevator off the store rooms. The smell of freshly brewed coffee from the staff lounge on third had him relaxing. Maybe someone was working here.

  The sight of Nora riffling casually through the files in his granddad’s office had him tensing again. He hadn’t been betrayed this way since he was engaged to Susan. Fool that he was, he’d been so attracted to her, he didn’t expect it then. He didn’t expect it now. But that didn’t mean it wasn’t happening, Sam warned himself sternly.

  Still, Sam knew he shouldn’t jump to conclusions. It was possible there was a damn good explanation for what was happening here. He only hoped Nora would give it.

  “I’m surprised to see you here,” Sam began, in a low, insinuating tone.

  Though Sam’s words were calm, there was something overly predatory and watchful in his manner that immediately set Nora’s nerves on edge. She straightened, feeling her pulse skitter and jump. “I’m re viewing some back advertising for your grandparents.”

  To her growing consternation, Sam looked as though he did not believe her. And that, in turn, reminded Nora of all the times her father—and Geoff, too, as she had recently discovered—had lacked faith in her. She did not want to be put in a situation where her every move was questioned again.

  “Mind if I check that out?” Sam asked with a highly speculative glance.

  “As a matter of fact,” Nora said as she crossed the room and put her hand firmly over his before he could remove the shortwave radio on his belt, “I would.”

  “Why?” Sam countered, just as coolly, as he removed his hand from hers and stepped back a pace. He looked down at her in a way that made her feel both trapped and accused. “If you’ve nothing to hide…” He shrugged and let the provoking thought trail off.

  Nora tilted her head back another notch and glared up at him defiantly, determined to come out the winner in this battle of wills if it killed her. “I don’t like having my every move checked up on or questioned,” she enunciated. That was, in fact, exactly what she was running from. “It makes me feel smothered.” And disrespected and unappreciated.

  “Well, then, we’re even,” Sam replied as he continued to study her skeptically, “because I don’t like it when my family is taken advantage of, their hospitality betrayed.”

  “So who’s taking advantage?” Nora retorted, all the more bewildered and incensed by his sudden shift in attitude toward her. “I told you what I’m doing here,” she said, making no effort to hide her mounting irritation, as she pressed a hand against her chest. “I told you I have your grandparents’ permission to be looking at all of this. Even if you couldn’t figure that out for yourself—” she waved her arm dramatically “—my word on the matter should be enough!”

  “And maybe it would be,” Sam shot back, just as emotionally, “if—”

  Nora waited for him to continue. When he didn’t, she prodded. “What? What were you going to say?”

  Sam grimaced and fell maddeningly silent. He shrugged and turned away. “Nothing.”

  He was sure in a weird mood, Nora thought. Was he worried she was a spy for a rival department store, or a gifted embezzler? Heaven knew, with the right security codes, all sorts of electronic fund transfers could be arranged these days via computer. Not right now, of course, with none of the modems that would have connected them to the banks working, because the phone lines were down. But once someone had garnered that information, as soon as the lines were up again, transfers could be done at any time, from any location and any computer. Nora supposed, given all that, plus the unexpectedness of her appearance here, riffling his grandparents’ private files, Sam had a right to be worried.

  Then again, given the time he had spent with her, the way he had kissed her, he should trust her a little more, no matter how things looked!

  Her emotions in turmoil, Nora studied Sam. She’d been around him long enough to know it wasn’t like him to fly off the handle, or falsely accuse without a damn good reason. Therefore… “There’s something going on here…” she theorized calmly. “Seeing me here, like this, going through your grandparents’ files, triggered something in you. I’d like to know what it is.”

  He regarded her stoically, but made no move to illuminate her in any way. “Has it happened before?” Nora persisted doggedly, following him to the window. “Did someone steal from the store or your grandparents? Did someone betray you in some way?”

  Sam turned away from Nora so abruptly she knew she’d struck a nerve. “Tell me,” she insisted.

  “I don’t want to talk about this, Nora,” he told her gruffly as he headed for the door.

  After the curious way he’d behaved, Nora wasn’t about to let him off that easily. She sprinted after him and caug
ht his arm. Her hand on his bicep, Nora forced him to face her.

  The heat and strength of the tensed muscles beneath her fingertips sent a thrill rushing through her. “Then what do you want from me, if not talk?”

  “The truth?” Sam murmured, as he shook his head at her in silent remonstration.

  “Yes,” Nora whispered back softly, aware that her heart was pounding so hard and so fast she could hardly stand it.

  Sam dragged her all the way into his arms. He tunneled his hands through her hair. “I want this.”

  Chapter Seven

  HIS KISS caught her by surprise. Nora was completely unprepared for the soft, sensual feel of his lips on hers. And just as completely enthralled, as he brought her closer yet and gave her a long, thorough kiss meant to shatter her resolve. She knew she shouldn’t be giving in to the desire that simmered whenever they were near each other. And yet, no one had ever made her feel this way, and she sensed that no one else ever would. So what was the harm, she wondered dizzily, returning Sam’s kiss, when no one but the two of them would ever know they’d succumbed to passion? What was the harm, she thought, as another delicious shudder swept through her body, in finding out what it would be like to have a wild, passionate fling—just once—in her life?

  Sam’s kiss was both sweeter and more demanding than he intended, but try as he might, he couldn’t seem to put on the brakes. He wanted Nora to feel as overwhelmed as he did by what was happening here, he wanted her to feel pushed to the absolute limit. And once that happened, he wanted to make love to Nora for a luxuriously long time. He wanted her to feel everything it was possible to feel. And then sleep wrapped in his arms, only to wake and make love again and again. But he also wanted their love making to happen for all the right reasons. And right now, despite the fact that he believed with all his heart and soul, as did she, that she had never really loved her fiancé, he was not entirely convinced that was the case.

  Right now, there were so many other reasons why she could be melting against him, and kissing him with such urgent need. Revenge—not to mention consolation, via a whirlwind storm-induced affair—being paramount among them.

  Sam did not want their time together to be something Nora looked back on with regret; it meant too much to him. With effort, he forced himself to slow down and pull back from the deliciously exciting kiss. Nora shivered in his arms, but did not pull away as he wordlessly studied her upturned face and the conflicting emotions he saw in her eyes.

  She wanted him desperately, but even while her body was saying yes, a small, protective part of her was still saying, No, I’m not ready for this.

  “Why did you stop?” Nora whispered.

  To protect you, Sam thought as he studied the wildly throbbing pulse in her throat. “Because I needed to know,” he told her huskily, as he scanned her hotly from head to toe, “if you would want me so much if your wedding hadn’t just been called off.”

  Nora’s eyes widened with shock, and she stared at him in amazement. “What?”

  Feeling they were still too close for comfort—it was hard to think about anything but making love to Nora when they were still molded together that way—Sam dropped his hold on her. His eyes still on her face, he stepped back a pace and repeated the question.

  Nora flushed. “I don’t know what you’re thinking, Sam Whittaker…”

  He gave her a deadpan look. “Don’t you?”

  “…but my near miss at the altar is beside the point,” she continued haughtily, tossing her head.

  Sam’s heart pounded in his chest as he thought about all that was at stake, the least of which was his rapidly growing feelings for her. “Is it?” he drawled, in a provoking manner meant to make her face the cold reality of the situation, whether she wanted to or not.

  Nora threw up her arms in frustration. “Listen, Sam,” she retorted, her pretty green eyes flashing with unbridled temper, “I’m free to do as I please here, no matter what anyone else thinks!”

  Sam trod closer and gave her a know-it-all look that belied the hurt he felt inside. “What about if you were still in Pittsburgh?” he shot back smugly. “Would you be doing this there, too?”

  Nora didn’t answer Sam’s question right away. But then, Nora realized in mounting frustration, she didn’t have to answer. It was clear that Sam had already made up his mind about what was going on here, she realized sadly. Worse, he was no more prone to listen to her than her father was!

  Sam sighed and shook his head in disappointment. “Just as I thought,” he pronounced grimly. “You probably can’t think of a better way to wreak your revenge on Geoff and your dad than by immediately getting involved with someone—anyone—else as soon as possible.”

  Nora rolled her eyes. “I readily admit the idea of hurting Geoff the way he hurt me has some appeal, but this is not the way I’d choose to do it, Sam.”

  “What would your father have to say if he knew about us?”

  “Oh, probably something like—” Nora dropped her voice to a low, gruff parody of her father’s serious-to-the-point-of-being-beside-himself tone “—‘Let me get this straight, Nora. You went straight from almost marrying one man and into the arms of another?’” Nora gave Sam a level look as she continued matter-of-factly, “He’d think it was strictly a rebound romance. And, as usual, he’d be wrong about what was going on with me.” She’d never felt like this. Never.

  “And yet it pleases you to know he’d be irritated?” Sam persisted, his eyes darkening grimly.

  Nora feigned a nonchalant attitude meant to irk him. “In a perverse sort of way, sure, it pleases me,” she admitted honestly. “And you want to know why? Because I’m still ticked off, too!”

  Sam continued to grill her. “Is the speed with which we’ve become interested in each other the only thing that would bother your father about me?”

  Unfortunately, Nora was no better at reading her father’s mind than he was at reading hers; if she had been able to second-guess Charles Kingsley with any degree of accuracy, she would have guessed about the prenup! Nora shrugged in differently as Sam sauntered closer. “I don’t know. It’s hard to say. You’re certainly different from any of the men I’ve dated before.” And, Nora thought, there was no denying that was a big part of Sam’s appeal to her. The fact that Sam was so completely different from the exceedingly eligible beaux her father had thrown her way. The fact that Sam was so strong and honest and principled, and completely un interested in her father’s many connections and business holdings. The fact that he wanted to protect her enough that he would circumvent his own considerable desire, just to make sure they were doing the right thing for her, too.

  “So, in other words,” Sam said unhappily, “you’re using me to widen the rift between you and your dad, and probably further alienate your ex-fiancé, as well, so he won’t pursue you.”

  Nora figured her father was not likely to approve of anyone but Geoff at this point. But that was neither here nor there, as far as she was concerned. It was her life. It was her decision.

  Again, Sam jumped the gun. “Dammit, Nora, I’m not in the business of separating families—rather, bringing them together!”

  Nora rolled her eyes and regarded Sam with exasperation. She knew he took his job as sheriff and all-round peacemaker seriously, but he was really overstating his importance here. “You are not widening the gulf between me and my father in any way,” she told him sternly. “My father and I are already oceans apart, for reasons that have absolutely nothing to do with you or anyone else. Furthermore, I am not using you to strike back at anyone! I’m relieved and happy I didn’t marry Geoff.”

  Sam relaxed slightly. “I can see that,” he murmured thoughtfully.

  “Then…?” Nora asked.

  He took her by the shoulders and held her in front of him. “I still think I’ve struck a nerve.” Sam paused and gave her a look that seemed to go straight to her soul. “You’ve done it before, haven’t you, Nora? Gotten involved with the wrong person, simply t
o irritate your father?”

  Nora flushed guiltily. How did he sense these things about her? It was unnerving!

  “Want to tell me about it?”

  If she didn’t, he would think she made a habit of this. And nothing could be further from the truth. Ignoring the weight of his hands on her shoulders, Nora clamped her arms in front of her. “It was the year my mother died,” she retorted defiantly. “I was fifteen, and I didn’t do it consciously. I did it because I was scared and alone and I needed my dad and he was so wrapped up in his own grief that I couldn’t get his attention any other way.”

  “What about the rest of your family and your friends?” Sam asked. His voice was soft, conciliatory.

  Nora felt her eyes fill with tears at the memory of that difficult, lonely time. “I didn’t have any other family,” she said thickly. “My Mom, Dad and I were it, as far as family went, and my friends had never lost a parent, so they didn’t understand what I was going through, either.” She wiped her eyes with her fingertips. “So I started hanging out with a very wild crowd. They didn’t care what I’d been through. Their only goal was to party like there was no tomorrow. And that worked for me, because at the time, having just lost my Mom, I didn’t feel there was going to be any tomorrow.” Nora released a quavering breath. “Not any tomorrow I was interested in, anyway.”

  Sam took her wrist in hand and led her over to the sofa. The next thing Nora knew, he was sitting down and she was on his lap. “Suffice it to say, your dad woke up to what was going on?”

  Nora smoothed a hand over the front of Sam’s shirt. “Not until he caught me sneaking out my bedroom window at 2:00 a.m, to meet my bad-news boyfriend. Anyway,” she continued, fastening her eyes on the strong column of Sam’s throat, “that’s when he became smotheringly protective.”

  Nora sighed. “Since then, I’ve tried desperately to make it up to my father, so he would trust me, only that hasn’t worked, either—because my dad still thinks I can’t tie my own shoelaces without him.”