Snowbound in Montana by C. J. Carmichael Read Free Book Online Page B

of a breakdown, then, Marshall said. He was sent to live with an aunt, because his father was still in South America. Oh, his dad came home for the funeral, but he’d gone back right after.
    Eliza looked at her watch. Almost nine. She’d slept in, but what did it matter? They wouldn’t be skiing today. Still, she ought to get up and make her way to the kitchen. Betsy could probably use a little more help.
    Not wanting to waste hot water with the shower she craved, she dressed quickly, in layers, adding a fleece jacket at the end, and an extra pair of socks.
    After his brother’s death, Marshall had been shunted around. His mom remarried and he lived a few years with her and his new step-father. But soon after his sisters were born, he’d left.
    “I could tell that whenever Mom saw me, she was reminded of Dean. I made her sad just being around.”
    Eliza felt her own eyes well up when she thought about that part. She thought the story of Marshall’s past explained a lot about the way he was now. Why he was so quiet, and tended to hang in the background, never calling attention to himself.
    Now, more than ever, the tragedy of his skiing accident got to her. If not for that, he might have found a new confidence in himself. Instead, he’d had to struggle just to survive.
    “There were some doctors who didn’t think I’d even walk again,” he’d told her.
    Eliza brushed her hair, then tied it back in a ponytail. She couldn’t stop thinking about all the things he’d told her last night. She wondered if he was likewise thinking of all she’d told him.
    The idea made her cringe. She’d never confessed, to anyone else, the depth of her feelings for John. She was aware that she came off looking like a fool. After what he’d done to her, she ought to hate him.
    In fact, she did.
    And yet, she loved him, too. How could she ever find another man who could compare to John? Half the women in America were in love with him, it wasn’t just her.
    Lucky thing the Internet was down. It kept her from trying to get in touch with him. Or from trying to reach her sister to find out what had happened when John found out she’d left town.
    Had he been disappointed?
    Was he, right this minute, trying to find her? The idea was romantic and exciting, but even if he was, there was no way he could be successful. She’d been smart enough to make sure she couldn’t be traced. No one, not her sister or her aunt, knew where she was this Christmas.
    Eliza brushed her teeth next, and then washed her face and hands, all using only cold water. After making her bed, she hurried down the stairs and into the dining hall.
    It was mayhem this morning. Kevin was running laps around the tables, yelling, “It’s Christmas Eve, it’s Christmas Eve! Santa is coming tomorrow!”
    His parents sat at the table, looking frazzled, while his sister put her hands on her hips and yelled. “Kevin, stop it!”
    The Bracketts were lined up at the food table, where Buck was grumbling about something to Marshall. Poor Marshall looked absolutely miserable. Tired, too, as if he hadn’t slept all night.
    Judging from their body language, Sydney and Ryan were having a full-fledged, if whispered, argument at their table at the far end of the room, and even the placid Arbuckle couple looked a little out of sorts.
    Abruptly, Kevin stopped his chanting and running. Probably because he was exhausted. In the sudden silence, Buck Brackett’s voice travelled loud and clear. “We paid good money for this holiday. And you’re telling me I have to settle for a cold breakfast this morning?”
    Oh dear, Eliza thought. This was not sounding good. And she had a feeling it was about to get a whole lot worse.
    *
    He did not get paid enough money for this, Marshall reflected wearily. “If I could change the weather, I would, Buck. A week ago, this storm wasn’t even on the radar. Four days ago, they were predicting a moderate snowfall. No one could have guessed we were getting