A Snowy Night by Layla Skylar Page A

her gaze and held it as he smiled, dimples and all, and raised one hand in a casual and friendly wave.
    Anna frowned at him. But he ’ d seen her, so what could she do? She could answer the door in her freaking pajamas at four in the afternoon. That ’ s what she could do.
    “ Yes? ” Anna said casually as she opened the door a notch.
    “ I’m sorry to bother you. D o you have a telephone I could use? I can ’ t get cell service here. ”
    “ No. I ’ m sorry. We let the landline drop a long time ago. It ’ s a vacation house. My cell doesn ’ t get signal either, ” Anna paused, uncertain what was socially required of her in this situation. A woman alone should never invite a stranger into her home, to use the phone or for any other reason. But it was snowing outside.
    “ What brings you out tonight? ”
    “ That ’ s a nice way to put it. ” He ran his fingers through his dark brown hair, tugging at it anxiously. “ My car got stuck. ” He looked at her. “ Let me amend that. I got my car stuck. I had to pee and I pulled off the highway. I went a little too far, and now my car is stuck on the road there. ” He gestured to the north.
    “ There? ” I pointed the way I hoped he didn ’ t mean. He nodded.
    “ The closest road that direction is half a mile through the woods. ”
    He nodded. “ I guess so. I thought I saw porch lights, but they just kept seeming farther off. ”
    “ So you ’ re telling me you ’ ve already walked half a mile through the woods, in eight inches of snow, in a t-shirt? ” Anna ’ s maternal instincts took over. She pulled him inside. “ What ’ s your name? ”
    “ I ’ m Joshua. ” He shoved an ice-cold hand into her grip.
    She shook her head at him. “ Jesus. What were you thinking leaving home without a coat? Or chains for your car? ”
    “ Okay, now I blame the mud on that road for the car. If it hadn ’ t been snowy, I would have known to avoid the hazard, wouldn ’ t I? ” He smiled to take the sting out of his hot-tempered words.
    “ I don ’ t know. You might be one of those idiots who ’ s only recently moved here, and knows nothing about how to drive in the snow. ”
    “ It wasn ’ t that recent. ”
    Anna rolled her eyes. “ I guessed it? Seriously? ”
    “ But I know how to drive in the snow, I swear. ” Again with the smile. Anna had to admit he was a good-looking guy. A little rough around the edges, but sometimes that ’ s just how she liked them.
    “ Did you have chains? ”
    “ I tried them. They ’ re not getting me out of this. ”
    Anna looked toward her Hundai. “ My car ’ s stuck, too. ”
    Joshua ’ s expression was bleak.
    “ Okay, let ’ s have a cup of tea while we think this through, ” Anna suggested. The cabin had a great room layout, so all she had to do was step into the kitchen and pour the water over teabags. “ Earl grey or peppermint? ” she asked, smiling to set him at ease.
    “ Earl grey, please. I have a feeling I may need the caffeine. ”
    “ Don ’ t get out of sorts. There ’ s no imminent danger here, ” Anna laughed.
    “ Easy for you to say. I think I saw a pile of firewood out there that would last you a month of heavy use. ”
    “ Good estimate. That ’ s my dad and my brother ’ s work. They let us womenfolk out of the wood chopping. ”
    “ Nice guys, ” he commented. “ So it ’ s a family place? ”
    “ My grandparent ’ s place while I was growing up. ” Anna had no idea why she told him that. It was a rather intimate part of her past to share with a stranger. She set his tea in front of him. “ Any cream or sugar? ”
    “ No, thanks. ” He looked out the window for a minute, before turning back to her, his expression serious. “ Thanks. ”
    “ No problem. ” Anna took a sip of her tea. “ Mind if I ask where you were going? ”
    “ Over the pass. I was supposed to meet up with some friends at Stevens Pass for a ski trip. I heard it was snowing, but I didn’t think