nodded.
"I've been thinking. Why don't you come back to Payton with me? No one would question your presence there. You'd be safe while you wait until this mess is resolved."
She was quiet for a few minutes, thinking over his suggestion. He'd been casual enough in his offer, in much the same way she imagined he'd have made such an offer to Tim.
Now that she knew she had been traced to this area, Brandi knew she couldn't stay there.
But would she feel any safer with Greg at his home? He had an unusual effect on her. All her lifelong convictions seemed to waver and wilt whenever he was around.
"I might consider it, on one condition," she finally said.
"Name it."
"There will be no discussion of marriage between us."
"Whatever you say," he replied immediately.
"Because you know how I feel about the idea."
"Not really. All I know is that you don't consider me ideal marriage material."
"I never said that!"
"That's the impression I got."
"Well, I never even implied that. I'm sure you'll make someone a fine husband, if that's what you really want. I'm just saying that you don't know me well enough to want to marry me."
His grin widened. "Then I find it very accommodating of you, Ms. Martin, to allow me the opportunity to get to know you better."
"Wait a minute. That's not what I meant." Why was she having so much trouble explaining something so simple? "I don't mind getting better acquainted with you. I would like to be your friend, Greg. I just don't want more than that.''
"I see."
"Somehow I doubt it."
"What you're saying is that you will come and stay with me for a few days until Tim lets us know you can go home safely only if I treat you as a friend and not as a potential mate."
"That's it. You've got it."
"I can live with that."
"Good."
"Can you?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"I suppose that only time will tell. Why don't we get some skiing in while we're waiting to hear from Tim? Who knows? He may be able to get to the bottom of it immediately and we can go our separate ways, content to mail Christmas cards to each other annually."
She looked at him through narrowed eyes. "Are you making fun of me?"
"Of course not! Why do you ask?"
"Because you're smiling."
He immediately stopped smiling. Looking at her sternly, he asked, "Is that better?"
"Your eyes are smiling."
He grinned. "You're adorable. Has anyone ever told you that?"
She shook her head. "Mostly I'm told that I'm irritating, stubborn, opinionated, too independent and a pain in the posterior."
He stood and pulled her up with him. "Then I've got a great deal to look forward to, haven't I? Just think, by the time I see all those sides of your personality I'll be eternally grateful that you refused to marry me.
As she pulled on her outdoor clothes once again, Brandi couldn't help but realize that she rather resented his cheerful assessment of their present relationship.
❧
Hours later they returned to the cabin, happily exhausted, and saw Tim's car. Brandi breathlessly shed her skis and stumbled up the stairs and across the deck to the door.
"Tim?'' she called, throwing open the door. "What did you find out?" She bent over and started unlacing her boots.
She heard a noise from the couch, and Tim's frowning face appeared over the back of it. "I found out that I might as well forget about catching up on my sleep if you're anywhere in the vicinity," he grumbled, running his hand through his hair.
Brandi stepped out of her boots and padded over to where he sat stretching.
''Well? What did you find out?" she demanded.
Tim glanced around. " Where's Greg?"
"Oh, he's coming. We were out skiing. Isn't it a gorgeous day?"
He narrowed his eyes when he looked toward the bright expanse of snow and sky. ''Yeah. Gorgeous."
"C'mon, Tim. Tell me."
"I only want to explain once, and I need Greg's opinion on a couple of things." He stood and dropped his arm around her shoulder. "So, Mouse, have you been behaving yourself while I've been gone?" He began
"I've been thinking. Why don't you come back to Payton with me? No one would question your presence there. You'd be safe while you wait until this mess is resolved."
She was quiet for a few minutes, thinking over his suggestion. He'd been casual enough in his offer, in much the same way she imagined he'd have made such an offer to Tim.
Now that she knew she had been traced to this area, Brandi knew she couldn't stay there.
But would she feel any safer with Greg at his home? He had an unusual effect on her. All her lifelong convictions seemed to waver and wilt whenever he was around.
"I might consider it, on one condition," she finally said.
"Name it."
"There will be no discussion of marriage between us."
"Whatever you say," he replied immediately.
"Because you know how I feel about the idea."
"Not really. All I know is that you don't consider me ideal marriage material."
"I never said that!"
"That's the impression I got."
"Well, I never even implied that. I'm sure you'll make someone a fine husband, if that's what you really want. I'm just saying that you don't know me well enough to want to marry me."
His grin widened. "Then I find it very accommodating of you, Ms. Martin, to allow me the opportunity to get to know you better."
"Wait a minute. That's not what I meant." Why was she having so much trouble explaining something so simple? "I don't mind getting better acquainted with you. I would like to be your friend, Greg. I just don't want more than that.''
"I see."
"Somehow I doubt it."
"What you're saying is that you will come and stay with me for a few days until Tim lets us know you can go home safely only if I treat you as a friend and not as a potential mate."
"That's it. You've got it."
"I can live with that."
"Good."
"Can you?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"I suppose that only time will tell. Why don't we get some skiing in while we're waiting to hear from Tim? Who knows? He may be able to get to the bottom of it immediately and we can go our separate ways, content to mail Christmas cards to each other annually."
She looked at him through narrowed eyes. "Are you making fun of me?"
"Of course not! Why do you ask?"
"Because you're smiling."
He immediately stopped smiling. Looking at her sternly, he asked, "Is that better?"
"Your eyes are smiling."
He grinned. "You're adorable. Has anyone ever told you that?"
She shook her head. "Mostly I'm told that I'm irritating, stubborn, opinionated, too independent and a pain in the posterior."
He stood and pulled her up with him. "Then I've got a great deal to look forward to, haven't I? Just think, by the time I see all those sides of your personality I'll be eternally grateful that you refused to marry me.
As she pulled on her outdoor clothes once again, Brandi couldn't help but realize that she rather resented his cheerful assessment of their present relationship.
❧
Hours later they returned to the cabin, happily exhausted, and saw Tim's car. Brandi breathlessly shed her skis and stumbled up the stairs and across the deck to the door.
"Tim?'' she called, throwing open the door. "What did you find out?" She bent over and started unlacing her boots.
She heard a noise from the couch, and Tim's frowning face appeared over the back of it. "I found out that I might as well forget about catching up on my sleep if you're anywhere in the vicinity," he grumbled, running his hand through his hair.
Brandi stepped out of her boots and padded over to where he sat stretching.
''Well? What did you find out?" she demanded.
Tim glanced around. " Where's Greg?"
"Oh, he's coming. We were out skiing. Isn't it a gorgeous day?"
He narrowed his eyes when he looked toward the bright expanse of snow and sky. ''Yeah. Gorgeous."
"C'mon, Tim. Tell me."
"I only want to explain once, and I need Greg's opinion on a couple of things." He stood and dropped his arm around her shoulder. "So, Mouse, have you been behaving yourself while I've been gone?" He began
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