Snowbound Cinderella by Ruth Langan Page B

day. Maybe she was just unhappy with the way it was going. Maybe she’d begun to realize that writing was hard work, and she’d decided to give up the pipe dream and get back to reality. That could be why she’d run off, close to tears.
    Intrigued, he settled himself on the sofa and began to read. Within minutes, he set aside the coffee and cigar, too fascinated to bother with even those minor distractions. He had no idea what he’d expected to find. Certainly not this. The characters were so alive, they nearly leapt off the page. The dialogue sizzled. And the setup from scene to scene flowed perfectly. It wasn’t just good—it was fabulous. He couldn’t stop now. He had to read to the end and see if she could actually sustain the suspense until the final scene.
    Ciara climbed to the top of the hill before she paused for breath. When she finally stopped, she was amazed at how far she’d come. The cabin below was completely hidden beneath a canopy of snow-coveredtrees. All that could be seen was the smoke from the chimney.
    Eden Fortune had been right. This place was completely isolated. She could have been in a remote, primitive wilderness anywhere in the world. A glacier in Alaska. Above the timberline in Wyoming. There was no sound but the sighing of the wind. Hers were the only footprints in the snow. She sat down on a half-submerged boulder and lifted her head at the sound of a bird’s cry. High above, two crested cardinals happily feasted on red berries that clung to a branch. They were the only spots of color in the otherwise pristine countryside.
    While she watched, a squirrel danced along the upper limb of the tree in search of his own berries. And off in the distance was a herd of about a dozen deer. The sight of them warmed her heart as nothing else could have. Though the unexpected blizzard had caught all of these creatures off guard, and had probably caused them more than a little discomfort, they’d adjusted, and survived.
    She loved watching the animals. As a child growing up in coal-mining towns in Kentucky, she’d never had the luxury of appreciating nature like this. And, except for the rabbit her little brother had brought home one day, her family had never had a pet. It would have been one more expense for her already overburdened mother.
    It occurred to Ciara that at this moment she was thoroughly content. Oh, it was true that the storm had changed her plans. Like the animals, she’d been forced to improvise. But despite the presence of Jaceand the temptation he presented, she’d found plenty of time to think. The only trouble was, she still wasn’t any closer to a decision. About her career. Or her future with Brendan. But at least she was enjoying this wonderful day, and the sight of all these creatures enjoying it with her.
    With a sigh, she stared at the shadows marching in a line down the mountain. She had no idea of the time, but from the position of the sun, just beginning to sink below the line of trees, she figured she’d been gone for several hours. Time to head home if she wanted to make it back to the cabin before dusk.
    By the time she’d trudged through the mounds of snow, she was thoroughly chilled, and eager for the warmth of the fire. She scraped snow from her boots, then let herself in.
    Jace looked up from the kitchen table, where he was cutting something on a board. “I thought maybe you were walking back to California.”
    She laughed. “I thought about it. But then I remembered our gin game. If I ducked out now, I’d never get my chance for revenge.”
    “Good thinking.” He watched as she hung her parka and shook snow from her jeans. “I’ll bet a hot bath would really feel good right now.”
    “Oh, why are you being so mean? It isn’t fair to tease me like that.” She gave a sigh of regret. “What I wouldn’t give for a long, hot bath.”
    “What would you give, Hollywood?”
    At the tone of his voice she gave him a sharp look. “Okay. You’ve got that