yanked off the ski mask. “My face might freeze, but I can’t see out of this damn thing.”
Carolina laughed, gratified by the answering smile that crept around the corners of his lips. “Plus you look like an abominable snow-stalker.”
He shook his head. “Why did you want to come here, again?”
“Because it’s awesome. And how often do you get to build a snow tunnel on the way out of your house?” She walked to the catchall closet next to the pantry and rummaged for a snow shovel. Holding it out to him, she grinned. “I’m assuming you won’t let me go first, so here.”
“You’re right.” He took it from her and started to dig. He’d made it about two feet before Carolina heard a voice on the other side.
“Hello? Carolina? Is that you?” The throaty, cracked tone belonged to an older woman.
Carolina grinned. “Regina!” She pushed Jake to the side.
“Get behind me,” Jake commanded, unzipping his parka and leather jacket. He pulled off one of his gloves with his teeth and withdrew his gun.
“Mister President?” crooned the woman. “Are you all right?”
Releasing an exasperated sigh, Carolina stomped a boot on the entryway tile. “It’s just the caretaker. She’s my friend, dammit,” she muttered at the wall of his back.
“Identify yourself,” Jake yelled through the snow wall.
“Knock knock,” said the woman.
Jake turned to glance at Carolina. She shrugged. “She probably wants you to say ‘Who’s there?’”
“I’m not saying that,” he whispered, shaking his head.
“Knock knock,” the voice repeated.
“Oh come on,” Carolina said. “This is fun.”
“This is absurd,” he shot back. Then he took a deep breath. “Who’s there?”
“Regina Frankley.”
“Told you,” Carolina said. “She’ll eat you alive if you let her. Better be careful.”
Jake smiled. “Regina Frankley . . . who?” he called.
“Regina . . . Frankley, my dear, I don’t give a damn.”
“Good one, Regina!” Carolina called. She tapped Jake on the shoulder. “You can put your gun down. She’s harmless.”
He ignored her. “Ma’am. Ms. Frankley. I’m going to have to ask you to step off the porch. And walk one hundred paces backward.”
Carolina rolled her eyes. “For God’s sake, Jake. One hundred paces? Regina is close to one hundred as it is.”
“I am not! I’m seventy-six,” squawked the voice behind the snow wall.
“Sorry,” Carolina called with a grimace. She turned to Jake. “Put your gun away. And give me that shovel.” Grabbing it from his hand, she scooped up a large mound and dumped it to the side. Behind her, Jake clasped his mammoth gloves on her shoulders and stared at the snow wall as if he had x-ray vision. His chest brushed her back and she shoveled harder. Damn . Why did she have to be attracted to him? She came to the cabin to uncomplicate her life, not make it worse. She should ignore it. Ignore him.
“Regina lives on the property. And I’m not a target for old ladies, so you can relax.”
He didn’t. And worse, he didn’t even comment. Would it kill him to say something? Since the minute they’d arrived at the cabin, he had treated her like she was made of glass. Like a crazy person. Like she might . . .
Carolina went still. Oh. Did he think she was crazy because she’d attacked Roger? She craned her neck and peered at him. Only one way to find out.
“Jake, this is kind of random, but do you think I’m nuts because of . . . what happened in the China Room?”
“No.” He blew out a breath, and the cloud of air mingled with hers. “That bastard had it coming.” The corners of his lips crooked up, and he squinted at the snow wall.
She grinned. Well, at least there was that. As Jake hovered close behind her, so close that she could feel his hot breath on her neck, she tunneled forward another couple of feet. And then she hit daylight. The sharpest blue eyes in the crinkliest face she’d seen in a long time stared
Carolina laughed, gratified by the answering smile that crept around the corners of his lips. “Plus you look like an abominable snow-stalker.”
He shook his head. “Why did you want to come here, again?”
“Because it’s awesome. And how often do you get to build a snow tunnel on the way out of your house?” She walked to the catchall closet next to the pantry and rummaged for a snow shovel. Holding it out to him, she grinned. “I’m assuming you won’t let me go first, so here.”
“You’re right.” He took it from her and started to dig. He’d made it about two feet before Carolina heard a voice on the other side.
“Hello? Carolina? Is that you?” The throaty, cracked tone belonged to an older woman.
Carolina grinned. “Regina!” She pushed Jake to the side.
“Get behind me,” Jake commanded, unzipping his parka and leather jacket. He pulled off one of his gloves with his teeth and withdrew his gun.
“Mister President?” crooned the woman. “Are you all right?”
Releasing an exasperated sigh, Carolina stomped a boot on the entryway tile. “It’s just the caretaker. She’s my friend, dammit,” she muttered at the wall of his back.
“Identify yourself,” Jake yelled through the snow wall.
“Knock knock,” said the woman.
Jake turned to glance at Carolina. She shrugged. “She probably wants you to say ‘Who’s there?’”
“I’m not saying that,” he whispered, shaking his head.
“Knock knock,” the voice repeated.
“Oh come on,” Carolina said. “This is fun.”
“This is absurd,” he shot back. Then he took a deep breath. “Who’s there?”
“Regina Frankley.”
“Told you,” Carolina said. “She’ll eat you alive if you let her. Better be careful.”
Jake smiled. “Regina Frankley . . . who?” he called.
“Regina . . . Frankley, my dear, I don’t give a damn.”
“Good one, Regina!” Carolina called. She tapped Jake on the shoulder. “You can put your gun down. She’s harmless.”
He ignored her. “Ma’am. Ms. Frankley. I’m going to have to ask you to step off the porch. And walk one hundred paces backward.”
Carolina rolled her eyes. “For God’s sake, Jake. One hundred paces? Regina is close to one hundred as it is.”
“I am not! I’m seventy-six,” squawked the voice behind the snow wall.
“Sorry,” Carolina called with a grimace. She turned to Jake. “Put your gun away. And give me that shovel.” Grabbing it from his hand, she scooped up a large mound and dumped it to the side. Behind her, Jake clasped his mammoth gloves on her shoulders and stared at the snow wall as if he had x-ray vision. His chest brushed her back and she shoveled harder. Damn . Why did she have to be attracted to him? She came to the cabin to uncomplicate her life, not make it worse. She should ignore it. Ignore him.
“Regina lives on the property. And I’m not a target for old ladies, so you can relax.”
He didn’t. And worse, he didn’t even comment. Would it kill him to say something? Since the minute they’d arrived at the cabin, he had treated her like she was made of glass. Like a crazy person. Like she might . . .
Carolina went still. Oh. Did he think she was crazy because she’d attacked Roger? She craned her neck and peered at him. Only one way to find out.
“Jake, this is kind of random, but do you think I’m nuts because of . . . what happened in the China Room?”
“No.” He blew out a breath, and the cloud of air mingled with hers. “That bastard had it coming.” The corners of his lips crooked up, and he squinted at the snow wall.
She grinned. Well, at least there was that. As Jake hovered close behind her, so close that she could feel his hot breath on her neck, she tunneled forward another couple of feet. And then she hit daylight. The sharpest blue eyes in the crinkliest face she’d seen in a long time stared
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