Snow Falling on Bluegrass by Molly Harper Read Free Book Online Page A

her.
    â€œOh.” Bonnie’s face brightened back into its usual state of perkiness. “Never mind, then!”
    â€œLook, the good news is that the insulation is going to keep the rooms warm for at least a few hours,” Luke said, setting about a dozen flashlights on the bar. “So what we’re going to do is have one more round and then it’s off to bed. The electronic locks are not working, obviously, so you all can have your pick of the rooms on the first floor. Try to stay close together for convenience and safety. Please don’t do anything weird in there, because you’re not technically registered guests right now, but I will figure out a way to charge you for damages. Don’t make me put you in time-out in the snow.”
    Jacob poured the drinks with a little less zeal, but we all managed to imbibe enough that sleeping in a big blacked-out hotel didn’t seem all that bad an idea. Josh was lugging “two-drink Sadie” down the hall, where he dutifully put her to bed in the first room he found and then bunked down in separate accommodations. He was all about professional decorum, even in an ice-fueled crisis. Armed with our flashlights, the rest of the staff split off to our own rooms without comment beyond whispered good-nights. No one seemed to want to share a room, and that was fine with me. I had the feeling we would all get enough togetherness over the next few days.
    I dragged my giant duffel bag down to the last room on the right. True to Luke’s word, the door opened without a problem, but I couldn’t seem to pull my canvas albatross one more inch, much less around the corner into my bedroom.
    I grunted, jerking on the handle. I felt the weight of it lift behind me until the bag slid through the door.
    Charlie was there, lips quirked into a pleased grin. “I had to redeem my upper body strength somehow. Still packing the car-battery-size first aid kit, I see.”
    â€œWith good reason. Because if the electricity isn’t on by tomorrow morning, Sadie’s head is going to explode. That will involve a lot of Band-Aids.” I nodded toward the bag. “Thanks, Charlie.”
    Charlie stepped back into the darkness of the hallway. “Good night, Kelsey.”
    Smiling, I closed the door behind me and flipped the dead bolt.
    I dropped the mega-bag and closed my eyes, leaning my head back against the door. “I want to have a marathon of dirty, sweaty monkey sex with you until my thighs give out and then maybe have a dozen of your super-genius babies,” I whispered against the door and then slid down to my knees and onto the carpet.
    The only thing more pathetic than my personal life was the weak little beam provided by my hotel-issued flashlight. I couldn’t seem to move. I just lay there by the door, shining my pitiful light into the darkness, unable to settle into what was going to be an exceedingly crappy night of sleep.
    The room looked comfortable enough, with a queen-size bed and a comfy armchair in the corner. I couldn’t get a feel for the décor in the pitch darkness, but the room smelled clean and the bedspread seemed nice and fluffy. There was no fireplace, which was disappointing, considering our situation. I was sure the view of the lake would be fantastic, even by moonlight, but the idea of opening the blinds was downright unnerving. I felt safe(ish) in my little enclosed space. I did not need to look outside and watch falling ice form a glaze of doom around us. Or that creepy Deadite girl from the Evil Dead remake singing “We’re going to get you” while licking the glass.
    I climbed to my feet. Without the warm air circulating, I could feel the room getting colder. If I just stood there, I would be half-frozen before I managed to climb into bed. Using my light, I dug through my bag until I found a pair of pajama pants, then demonstrated mad speed-dressing skills, shivering all the way. Beyond