Judy Christenberry - Snowbound Sweetheart

“Is this your room or mine?” Lindsay asked Gil.

Dead silence. He didn’t even look at her.

“Gil? Is this—”

“Our room.”

It was her turn to be silent.

His gaze met hers. “There was only one room left. We can’t go on, and we can’t stay in the car. I didn’t know what to do but take the room. I promise you you’re in no danger from me.”

She believed him. And she should’ve been grateful. She was grateful, she hurriedly assured herself. But he needn’t make it sound so easy.

All afternoon, closed up in her small car, his male aura had kept her aware, tense…interested, no matter how much she told herself she wasn’t attracted to him.

Now she was going to share a motel room with him?

Dear Reader,

As Silhouette’s yearlong anniversary celebration continues, Romance again delivers six unique stories about the poignant journey from courtship to commitment.

Teresa Southwick invites you back to STORKVILLE, USA, where a wealthy playboy has the gossips stumped with his latest transaction: The Acquired Bride…and her triplet kids! New York Times bestselling author Kasey Michaels contributes the second title in THE CHANDLERS REQUEST…miniseries, Jessie’s Expecting. Judy Christenberry spins off her popular THE CIRCLE K SISTERS with a story involving a blizzard, a roadside motel with one bed left, a gorgeous, honor-bound rancher…and his Snowbound Sweetheart.

New from Donna Clayton is SINGLE DOCTOR DADS! In the premiere story of this wonderful series, a first-time father strikes The Nanny Proposal with a woman whose timely hiring quickly proves less serendipitous and more carefully, lovingly, staged.…Lilian Darcy pens yet another edgy, uplifting story with Raising Baby Jane. And debut author Jackie Braun delivers pure romantic fantasy as a down-on-her-luck waitress receives an intriguing order from the man of her dreams: One Fiancée To Go, Please.

Happy Reading!

Mary-Theresa Hussey

Senior Editor

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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For Finis Christenberry, a good man through and through

Silhouette Romance

The Nine-Month Bride #1324

* Marry Me, Kate #1344

* Baby in Her Arms #1350

* A Ring for Cinderella #1356

† Never Let You Go #1453

† The Borrowed Groom #1457

† Cherish the Boss #1463

† Snowbound Sweetheart #1476

JUDY CHRISTENBERRY

has been writing romances for over fifteen years because she loves happy endings as much as her readers do. She’s a bestselling writer for Harlequin American Romance, but she has a long love of traditional romances and is delighted to tell a story that brings those elements to the reader. A former high school French teacher, Judy devotes her time to writing. She hopes readers have as much fun reading her stories as she does writing them. She spends her spare time reading, watching her favorite sports teams and keeping track of her two adult daughters.

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Epilogue

Lindsay Crawford was going home. True, it was only for the Thanksgiving holiday, but she was looking forward to presenting the new Lindsay to her family. She made the rounds of her apartment, watering her plants one last time, so that her neighbor would only have to water them once while she was gone.

She set her bags out into the hall and pulled the door behind her, locking it. Then she crossed the hall to the opposite door, knocked and waited for Kathy to answer.

Instead of her friend, though, a tall, handsome man opened the door. The biggest surprise of all, however, was his attire. Instead of Chicago chic, or city casual, as most of the men Lindsay met in the city wore, he was dressed in worn jeans, a flannel shirt and boots. Just like her brothers back home.

“Uh, is Kathy here?”

“Yeah. Just a sec.” He turned and called her neighbor’s name over his shoulder. Then he opened the door wider. “Come on in.”

Lindsay stepped inside the door just as Kathy came into the living area.

“Lindsay! You haven’t left yet?”

“No, I thought I’d bring over my key. You said you wouldn’t mind watering my plants. I just—”

“So your flight’s still on?” Kathy interrupted.

Lindsay stared at her. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

“Well, Gil’s flight was canceled,” Kathy replied. “Oh, I haven’t introduced you. This is my brother, Gil Daniels. Gil, my neighbor Lindsay Crawford.”

Lindsay nodded at the handsome man. “I suppose I should’ve checked on my flight, but the bad weather’s not supposed to hit until tonight, so I didn’t think there’d be a problem.”

“That’s what I thought, too,” the man said, his voice deep and rich. “But the plane I’m on originated in Minneapolis. It’s stuck there.”

Lindsay could sympathize, but she figured he’d just catch the next one out. “Well, I hope you get out before the storm.” She turned to Kathy. “Here’s the key. And I just watered the plants, so probably watering them on Saturday will be enough.”

“Aren’t you going to call and check on your plane?” Kathy asked. “Maybe you and Gil were on the same flight.”

Both she and Gil spoke at once. “I’m sure we’re not.”

Then they stared at each other.

“But aren’t you from Oklahoma?” Kathy asked.

“Yes, but—” Lindsay stopped and stared at the man. “You were flying to Oklahoma?”

“Yeah, the three-thirty flight.”

“Oh, no! No, that can’t—well, I’ll find another flight.” She turned around to head for her apartment and the nearest phone.

“Won’t do you any good,” his laconic voice informed her.

She spun around to stare at him.

Kathy answered her unspoken question. “Gil’s called every airline he could think of. They offered a flight tomorrow morning…if the storm hasn’t closed the airport.”

The weather forecasters were expecting a huge snowstorm this evening, but Lindsay hadn’t really been concerned. After all, they were usually alarmists. And it was early for a snowstorm, even in Chicago.

The panic filling her had no basis. Missing Thanksgiving with her family wasn’t the end of the world.

Except that she was homesick.

Extremely homesick.

She instantly formed a new plan. Nothing was going to stop her from getting home. She smiled at the other two. “Then I’ll drive.”

“I already checked. There aren’t any rental cars available. I guess because of the holiday,” Gil said, watching her.

Aha. She had him there. “I have my own car. I can load up and be out of here in half an hour, long before the storm hits Chicago.” With a smile of triumph, she spun on her heel and was out in the hall when he called to her.