back at her. Carolina felt her smile stretch farther. “Hey, Regina.”
Regina Frankley blew out a breath between her prune lips. “Hey, yourself. I just tramped all the way over here on snowshoes. Saw lights on last night before the power went out. Just making sure you’re fine.” She pressed her face against the snow opening. “Did your parents come with you?”
“Why?” Jake asked. He tugged on Carolina’s shoulders until she took a step back.
Regina narrowed her eyes. “Who are you?”
“Would you like to come in? Mom and Dad aren’t here. Just me.” Carolina pointed a finger over her shoulder. “And him.”
“What are you doing?” Jake whispered.
She turned away from the snow hole and covered the side of her face. “What?”
Regina chortled. “I see how it is. This is the fellow from the Twit-ster, isn’t he?”
“The what?” Carolina knocked more snow away and poked her head out.
Regina blew a cloud of steam in Carolina’s face. “The Internet thing where people gossip and tell all about how they just got a delicious coffee. Or shampooed their precocious little dog. Or whatever. This is your fiancé, right?” She shook a finger. “You’re a sly one, sneaking up to the cabin. I thought that gossip about you breaking up didn’t ring true. So this is the fella.”
Carolina’s eyes went wide and she pulled her head back in. “She thinks you’re Roger.”
He shrugged. “I’m not pretending to be Roger.”
“Oh, for God’s sake. I’m not asking you to.” She poked her head back out.
“Regina, this is Jake. He’s my Secret Service agent. Roger and I really did call it quits. And I really don’t want to know what people are tweeting, so don’t tell me. Want to come in and warm up?”
Jake cleared his throat loudly, and Carolina gave him a poke to the ribs. But a gentle poke, because he still had that gun locked and loaded. “Say hello, Jake.”
“Hello.”
Regina reached up to the opening and pulled away more snow. “Hello, Handsome. You married?”
Jake gave the old woman a pained smile but didn’t say anything.
Carolina sucked in a breath. The thought of him having a wife had never crossed her mind. Had she been fantasizing about another woman’s husband? She watched with wide eyes as Regina punched at the snow with a mittened hand. She tore away a big chunk and grinned. “You’re not married.”
Jake coughed. “No, ma’am.”
“Interesting. So, not-married Jake, are you going to stand there pointing that gun at me all morning, or are you going to help move some snow?” Regina winked at Carolina.
“I’ll help.” Jake nodded. He looked a bit like a bobblehead. Or one of those bird toys that dunked a beak into a glass of water. Carolina grinned. Welcome to my life under a microscope, Handsome.
“No, let me. I’ve been dying to do this, anyway.” With a loud whoop, Carolina lurched forward and broke through the opening like the Incredible Hulk. She waded through a hip-deep drift, grabbed Regina in a bear hug and rocked back and forth. “I’ve missed you. I don’t think I’ve seen you since I was fifteen.”
“Oof,” muttered Regina. “You smell like toothpaste.”
Finally, Jake moved. Knocking away huge chunks of snow with the shovel, he squinted in the bright sunlight, looking a bit like a bear emerging from a cave. A sexy bear. “I’ll unbury the wood.”
As she stared at him over Regina’s shoulder, he gave her a slow smile, his eyes twinkling with amusement. His face was transformed. Before, he was gorgeous. Like this he was . . . breathtaking. She blinked. He looked away.
Claw-like hands squeezed into Carolina’s ribs, and Regina pushed back until cold air separated them. “I’m looking forward to seeing your photos,” Regina said. “Your mom tells me you’re good.”
Carolina nodded. “Thanks.” She grimaced. “But it will be a bit intimidating. You’re a legend.”
“I know, dear.” Regina reached into her parka for
Regina Frankley blew out a breath between her prune lips. “Hey, yourself. I just tramped all the way over here on snowshoes. Saw lights on last night before the power went out. Just making sure you’re fine.” She pressed her face against the snow opening. “Did your parents come with you?”
“Why?” Jake asked. He tugged on Carolina’s shoulders until she took a step back.
Regina narrowed her eyes. “Who are you?”
“Would you like to come in? Mom and Dad aren’t here. Just me.” Carolina pointed a finger over her shoulder. “And him.”
“What are you doing?” Jake whispered.
She turned away from the snow hole and covered the side of her face. “What?”
Regina chortled. “I see how it is. This is the fellow from the Twit-ster, isn’t he?”
“The what?” Carolina knocked more snow away and poked her head out.
Regina blew a cloud of steam in Carolina’s face. “The Internet thing where people gossip and tell all about how they just got a delicious coffee. Or shampooed their precocious little dog. Or whatever. This is your fiancé, right?” She shook a finger. “You’re a sly one, sneaking up to the cabin. I thought that gossip about you breaking up didn’t ring true. So this is the fella.”
Carolina’s eyes went wide and she pulled her head back in. “She thinks you’re Roger.”
He shrugged. “I’m not pretending to be Roger.”
“Oh, for God’s sake. I’m not asking you to.” She poked her head back out.
“Regina, this is Jake. He’s my Secret Service agent. Roger and I really did call it quits. And I really don’t want to know what people are tweeting, so don’t tell me. Want to come in and warm up?”
Jake cleared his throat loudly, and Carolina gave him a poke to the ribs. But a gentle poke, because he still had that gun locked and loaded. “Say hello, Jake.”
“Hello.”
Regina reached up to the opening and pulled away more snow. “Hello, Handsome. You married?”
Jake gave the old woman a pained smile but didn’t say anything.
Carolina sucked in a breath. The thought of him having a wife had never crossed her mind. Had she been fantasizing about another woman’s husband? She watched with wide eyes as Regina punched at the snow with a mittened hand. She tore away a big chunk and grinned. “You’re not married.”
Jake coughed. “No, ma’am.”
“Interesting. So, not-married Jake, are you going to stand there pointing that gun at me all morning, or are you going to help move some snow?” Regina winked at Carolina.
“I’ll help.” Jake nodded. He looked a bit like a bobblehead. Or one of those bird toys that dunked a beak into a glass of water. Carolina grinned. Welcome to my life under a microscope, Handsome.
“No, let me. I’ve been dying to do this, anyway.” With a loud whoop, Carolina lurched forward and broke through the opening like the Incredible Hulk. She waded through a hip-deep drift, grabbed Regina in a bear hug and rocked back and forth. “I’ve missed you. I don’t think I’ve seen you since I was fifteen.”
“Oof,” muttered Regina. “You smell like toothpaste.”
Finally, Jake moved. Knocking away huge chunks of snow with the shovel, he squinted in the bright sunlight, looking a bit like a bear emerging from a cave. A sexy bear. “I’ll unbury the wood.”
As she stared at him over Regina’s shoulder, he gave her a slow smile, his eyes twinkling with amusement. His face was transformed. Before, he was gorgeous. Like this he was . . . breathtaking. She blinked. He looked away.
Claw-like hands squeezed into Carolina’s ribs, and Regina pushed back until cold air separated them. “I’m looking forward to seeing your photos,” Regina said. “Your mom tells me you’re good.”
Carolina nodded. “Thanks.” She grimaced. “But it will be a bit intimidating. You’re a legend.”
“I know, dear.” Regina reached into her parka for
Similar Books
