KIDNAPPED COWBOY by Lindsey Brookes Page B

us being out in that cold.”
    “It’s not that bad,” she argued.  “The sun’s already warming things up out there.  Besides, it’s my fault we were stranded here in the first place.  So I’m helping and that’s that.”
    He grinned.  “I’ve known bulls less stubborn than you, Caitlin Myers.  And I also know when arguing would be a lost cause.  So what do you have we can use to dig your car out with?”
    *              *              *
    Caitlin waited, grinning as she held the broom in place, waiting for Dalton to step out of the car. 
    It took a few tries, but he finally managed to get the engine to turn over.  He pushed open the door and stood just as she shoved the broom across the car’s roof, sending an avalanche of snow cascading down the back of his head.
    He let out a startled gasp.  “What the hell!”  He shook the clumps of snow from his dark hair as he straightened to full height and turned to look at her over the top of the car.
    “Oops.”  She bit back a giggle as she pulled the broom back across the roof.  “Sorry.”
    “Yeah, you look real sorry.”
    He closed the door and bent down, disappearing for a long moment.  When he straightened, he was grinning at her from over top the car’s roof.
    “Dalton?”  She took several nervous steps backwards, her boots sinking into the deep snow.  “I don’t think I like the look on your face.”
    “Gee, women usually love this face.”  He wriggled his dark brows playfully.
    “Where are your hands?”
    The devilish grin widened and he moved around the car in her direction, looking like a cat on the prowl.  “Not where I’d like them to be.”
    His words heated her cheeks among other parts of her body.   “Forget it, cowboy.  Get yourself a pair of gloves instead.” 
    He withdrew his hand from behind his back to display a glistening white snowball.  “Well, what do you know?  Look what accidentally fell into my hand.”
    It wasn’t a small snowball either.  Not if it filled Dalton’s large hand.  She took another step back.  “You wouldn’t dare.”
    “Wouldn’t I?”  He stopped and cupped a hand to his chin as if considering it, that naughty little boy twinkle lighting his eyes.
    “Dalton,” she warned.
    “Now, what is it they say about paybacks?” he asked, ignoring her warning.
    “It was an accident,” she protested with a grin as she back-stepped toward the cabin.  “The broom slipped.”
    He started after her, his long strides quickly closing the distance between them.  “You sure seem to have a lotta accidents.   I think this snowball might just accidentally slip down the back of your shirt.”
    With a panicked squeal, she spun around and raced for the cabin.  She was almost to the front porch when she slipped on a patch of ice and slid feet first into the bottom step. 
    “Caitlin!” Dalton hollered, his tone panicked as he raced toward her. 
    The snow piled up around her foot did nothing to ease the throbbing in her ankle.  She looked up at him with a wavering smile.  “Ouch.”
    He dropped down onto his knees beside her, his hands moving over her legs in a frantic sweep.  “Where does it hurt?” 
    “My ankle,” she said, sitting upright with a pained groan.             
    Muttering a curse, he scooped her up and carried her into the cabin where he lowered her onto the sofa bed.  “Which ankle?”
    She pointed, wincing in pain.  She would not cry.  She would not cry. 
    His deft fingers removed the snow-encrusted boot from her foot and tossed it aside.  Then he eased her sock down, carefully inspecting her injured ankle. 
    “Ooh!”
    His head shot up.  “That hurt?”
    She shook her head.  “No, your hands are cold.”
    He managed a strained laugh.  “Sorry.”  He took a moment to blow on his hands, warming them as best he could before returning to the task at hand.  “Can you move it?”
    She tried, tearing up with the