A Kiss in the Snow (Kindle Single) (Fool's Gold) by Susan Mallery Read Free Book Online

emotion.”
    Consuelo, a petite, incredibly fit, dark-haired woman, shook her head. “No, you shouldn’t. You should be thinking about things like baking cookies and wrapping presents. It’s the holidays, Felicia. Save your research projects for January.”
    “What on earth does the month have to do with the feasibility of studying something?”
    “It’s Christmas.”
    “You made that clear. Not that I wasn’t aware of the upcoming celebration.”
    Nancee held in a laugh. These woman obviously cared about each other, she thought happily. What a wonderful surprise to find this kind of a community in town. They were so welcoming, too. As if they wanted her to feel that she belonged. She found herself wanting to feel that way, too. Maybe permanently.
    * * *
    Out with ski patrol all day. You free tomorrow afternoon?
    The text—a handful of words—shouldn’t have had the ability to get her heart beating faster. And yet here she was—grinning like a fool, all because she’d heard from Shep.
    I am , she texted back. They agreed on a time, then she tucked her phone into her jeans pocket. She was making cupcakes for a big family party. The Hendrix clan was having a get-together, and the matriarch, Denise Hendrix, had ordered four-dozen holiday-themed cupcakes. The baking was finished, and now she was decorating.
    She’d decided on a simple, family-friendly theme. Shelby had mentioned there were a lot of kids, so she’d done a third of the cupcakes in a white frosting with little reindeer on top, complete with red noses. The other cupcakes would have more traditional holly leaves and wreaths.
    While the work kept her hands busy, her mind was free to wander. She found herself thinking about her lunch with her new friends and the evening she and Shep had spent decorating the tree. Both had been fun, but they’d also given her a sense of the possibilities. If she stayed here, she would be able to make a place for herself. She would fit in. At least with the women. As for Shep...well, he still confused her.
    She cared about him. She supposed she always had, and even getting involved with Sean hadn’t changed that. When Shep had told her that he’d moved to Fool’s Gold for her, she hadn’t known what to think. Was he saying that he still loved her? He’d certainly gone out of his way to be with her. Even knowing she was with someone else. He hadn’t shown up in DC or done anything to disrupt her life. Instead he’d waited. Maybe even hoped.
    Theirs had always been a straightforward relationship. They’d met and fallen in love. The problem had been him. Knowing what she did about his past, she understood why he had to always keep moving, but knowing the truth didn’t make it easier to live with.
    After the last time, she’d sworn she was over him. She’d promised to forget him, to never go back. She’d met Sean and had been sure everything would be different.
    Yet here she was. Back with Shep.
    She wanted to believe that he’d changed. She knew that there were signs of that. Him being here. Him waiting for her. Loving Shep wasn’t the problem, she admitted to herself. It was trusting him.
    The afternoon wore on. She finished decorating the cupcakes and delivered them. Denise Hendrix was thrilled with the project and immediately ordered four dozen more for Christmas. Nancee swung by the bakery to pick up more orders from Shelby, then went to the grocery store for supplies. Honestly, if she was going to do this on a permanent basis, she was going to have to set up an account with a commercial baking supply company and order in bulk. As it was, she was decimating the baking aisle at her local grocery store.
    She bought what she needed, then headed for the checkout line. But before she got there, she thought about Shep and his text. How he would be out with ski patrol all day. No doubt he would get home cold and hungry.
    She turned around to do a bit more shopping. She had a recipe for a chicken taco casserole that