Cowboy Who Came For Christmas (Harlequin Romance) by Lenora Worth

explanation, but not on a night like this.”
    She peeked out the kitchen window. “Criminals don’t care about the weather.”
    “True. But why would a neighbor wait until so late in the day to leave posters on doors? And why didn’t Bettye mention having one on her door?”
    Sophia whirled around and took her time putting fresh pillowcases on the two pillows she’d pulled out of the hallway closet. “I don’t know. I just reacted to seeing
that
right after you showed up here. Too much excitement and you with all your talk of some dangerous man on the run.”
    Adan stared over at her with purposeful intent. “A dangerous man who obviously came to Crescent Mountain for a reason.”
    She got that fearful look again but quickly cleared it and gave him a defiant chin lift. “Maybe he knows someone around here.”
    A roundabout confession? “Maybe so.”
    The room grew uncomfortably quiet.
    Deciding to back off for now, Adan stifled a yawn. “Sorry. I guess I’m more beat than I realized.”
    “Me, too,” she said on an eager sigh. “I hope this will be okay.”
    He nodded toward the blanket and fluffy pillows. “Looks like heaven.” He took off his hat and laid it on the coffee table then shrugged. “I’ve slept in worse places.”
    She gave him an appraising glance. “I guess you have at that.”
    “I’ll be fine.”
    He wanted to say more, but it had been a while since he’d been in a forced confinement with a woman. Adan’s rule was to keep moving fast so no woman would ever try to tie him down the way his ex-wife had. And yet this one had already tied him up. He’d have to bear that in mind until the snow stopped falling. No telling what she’d try if he actually fell asleep.
    “Okay, then, I’m, uh, going to bed.” She motioned toward the bathroom. “I’ll just be a minute then you can take a shower if you’d like. Towels underneath the sink. And I think I have several unopened toothbrushes from our many trips into town. Jacob always brings everyone a new toothbrush. He’s a retired dentist.”
    Adan nodded and grinned. “He did have white teeth.”
    She put a hand to her mouth and reminded him of his daughter, girly and giggly. But this particular girl was all grown-up and way too enticing.
    “I guess I have missed a few clues around here,” she admitted. “Did not see that one coming.”
    “I think they make a cute couple,” he replied. “But I’ll have to question them again. And everyone else on this mountain, too. I need you to understand that, Sophia.”
    “I guess I don’t have much of a choice,” she replied, her playful expression changing as an aggravated frown arrowed its way up her forehead. “You do what you need to do. And we’ll do the same.”
    “Is that a threat?”
    “I have no reason to threaten you.”
    “Then be honest with me so I don’t have to threaten you.”
    “I’m tired,” she replied. “And I’m going to bed.”
    And the moment was gone.
    In a whirl worthy of an award-winning actress, she turned and strutted into the bathroom and slammed the door.
    But the warning had been very clear.
    Sophia and her merry band of followers would not make his job easy. He’d have to do some investigating when this weather cleared. If this weather cleared.
    Something wasn’t right about Sophia’s reaction to that poster. Either she knew the man in the picture or she’d seen him recently. Why would she withhold information on a dangerous man?
    Maybe because she might be the reason that man had come to this mountain?
    Adan grunted and sank down on the sofa and removed his boots. Sometimes, his job really got the best of him.
    But at no time on a case had a woman ever gotten the best of him.
    Not yet, at least.

CHAPTER SIX
    A DAN DOZED WITH one eye open.
    He must have finally fallen into a deep sleep only to wake up to sunshine and the smell of coffee. With a grunt, he sat up on the sofa and looked around. In the light of day, this place was cozy and