What to Read After FSOG: The Gemstone Collection (WTRAFSOG Book 3)

by Lauren Hawkeye

  “Can I help you with anything?” He entered just as she jerked a door open.

  “I want some hot tea. Mom always has it.” She rummaged through another cabinet.

  “I think she took it all with her. It was pretty bare in here when I moved in.”

  Julie slammed the cabinet shut. Covering her face with her hands, she slid down to the floor. Oh, shit. She was crying. If there was one thing he had a hard time dealing with, it was a crying woman. They weren’t rational, and they made no sense. Now he had a crying pregnant woman.

  “What can I do?” he asked.

  “Unless you can make some tea just appear, then nothing! Nothing at all.”

  He ran a hand through his hair. “I have cocoa. How about I put the kettle on, and we can sit by the fire and get to know each other a little better.”

  Julie moved her palms from her face and stared up at him through wet eyelashes. “It’s not instant, is it? My mom always makes real cocoa.”

  Damn, he just wasn’t going to get a break. “I’m sorry.”

  “I must sound like such a brat.” She started to get up.

  Mark knew better than to agree, so instead he offered his hand. Her gaze locked with his and she accepted. Once she was standing, he held onto her a moment longer. He was really tempted to pull her in and hug her. To tell her everything would be okay, but it would probably freak her out. It was best to take it slow. Although, he couldn’t recall the last time he’d wanted to make anyone feel better the way he did with her.

  “Go have a seat by the fire. I’ll see what I can do about this cocoa situation.”

  “Instant is fine,” she softly said. “Thank you.”

  He wasn’t sure what she was thanking him for, but if she was being nice now, he was taking it. There was no telling how long it would last.

  “Do you mind if I grab a snack? I’ll pay you for the groceries I use.”

  “Help yourself, and don’t worry about it.”

  A huge grin crossed her face. It was the most beautiful smile he’d ever seen. Her brown eyes really shined. The sight went straight to his heart, and he wanted to make her smile like that more often. Hopefully this snow wouldn’t last. Because he worried that the more time he spent with her, the more he was likely to fall for her since she already held a soft spot in his heart.

  Julie nestled into the corner of the couch to wait on Mark as he prepared cocoa. At least he was hot—drool-worthy, for sure. That was a plus to being snowed in with him. Even better, he was a good host. She had just acted like some sort of insane woman, but it seemed like her mood was constantly up and down. It was like she no longer controlled herself. One minute she was happy, the next she wanted to kill someone. Then there were even times she found herself extremely aroused, and that certainly wasn’t good being locked in with a stranger.

  After her drink with Mark, she would call her mother. Find out why she didn’t tell her about this trip and when she would be home. Did Julie want to share the news about the baby? The last thing she wanted was for her mom to drop everything and come home. She was finally out there, traveling and seeing the United States as she had always dreamed about.

  Julie rubbed her still-flat belly. It wouldn’t be that way much longer. She really needed to see a doctor to confirm she was as far along as she suspected.

  “Here you go.”

  She jumped and moved her hand away from her belly and gazed into his blue eyes. He simply was a handsome man. As he handed her the mug, she glanced at his hands. Rough and calloused. Whatever line of work he was in, he used them, and she could almost imagine how they’d feel against her skin.

  Mark took a seat on the opposite end of the couch. He crossed his legs the way men do and leaned back, sipping his cocoa. For some reason, he just looked right in this house. Maybe it was because it had been so long since a man had been here. Her father often sat the same way while watching football games on Saturdays.

  “What brought you to Brookfield?” She cradled the mug in her hands.

  The carefree expression changed to a sort of sadness. “It was time for a change. So I started driving one day, and here I am.”

  He had a story, but it wasn’t her place to push it though. Hell, she had one herself. Only hers would be very obvious before long.

  “How do you like it so far?” The warm beverage felt good going down her throat.

  “It’s nice and quiet. Everyone is friendly.”

  “That’s one thing about Brookfield. Everyone knows everyone, and everyone’s always there to help.” He stared at her. “You mentioned you had to work. Where?”

  “At the local furniture shop. I build a lot of the custom pieces.”

  She was right. Those strong hands were what he used to make a living. Taking a sip of her warm drink, she closed her eyes. It tasted so good.

  “Sorry about in the kitchen.” She felt awful now for being such a brat. Instant cocoa wasn’t so bad.

  “No worries. You came here expecting your mother and all the things moms do for us. Instead you found a man you don’t know, and now you’re stranded with me. That’s enough to upset anyone.”

  He was right about that, only there was a person living inside her, making all those emotions twenty times stronger.

  “Thanks for letting me stay here.”

  “Who am I to kick you out of your mom’s house?” She didn’t say anything. “I like the company,” he said, catching her gaze.

  Staring back at him, a shiver spiraled through her. An urge to touch him came over her. It was strange. She didn’t even know anything about this man, but she found herself very attracted to him. Damn hormones.

  Mark was the first to glance away. He took in a long sip of cocoa then stood. “I think I’m going to get started on dinner. Chili okay?”

  “It sounds great.” She smiled.

  He paused a moment as if the wheels were turning in his head. “What about your stomach?”

  She was feeling fine now. In fact, the snack and drink had settled right in. “I’m better.”

  “Okay, glad to hear it.” He headed for the kitchen, and Julie just couldn’t resist glancing at his backside again. God had really blessed him. She would certainly enjoy seeing that until this blizzard passed.

  As the day went on, Julie did her best to wait patiently on her mother to call back. Mark had explained to her though that it sometimes took a few days. That just seemed crazy to her. Another thing driving her nuts was the snow, still falling and trapping her inside. She’d pulled the weather up online, and it didn’t look like this storm was going to go away anytime soon. It was a slow-moving system, and it was really dumping out the snow.

  She enjoyed snow but not like this. This was the kind of snow where everyone’s lives stopped, and you stayed in your homes with a fire going, playing family games and reconnecting with your loved ones. Julie missed her mom even more now.

  Julie had been hiding out in her mother’s room after her shower, but hunger was getting the best of her. She found Mark in the living room, sound asleep on the couch. Tip-toeing past him, she went to see if there were any cookies. Oreos. Yes, she really wanted some. Double-stuffed would be even better. Rummaging through the cabinets, she found she was in luck. A brand-new package awaited her. Tearing it open, she immediately bit into the crunchy goodness and moaned loudly. It hit all the right taste buds. Thank God this baby had taste.

  She took a handful and was about to get some milk when the phone rang. The only close phone was the ancient, giant cordless phone on the wall.

  “Hello,” she said, wishing her mom had caller ID.

  “What’s up, girl?” Claire asked on the other end.

  “This snowstorm is up.”

  Claire giggled. “At least you’re snowed in with that hunk, Mark Thomas. All the girls have been gossiping about him. Lucky you, you’re shacked up with him.”

  Julie smiled then quietly asked, “What’s his story?”

  “No idea. He came to town with only one
bag and started work at the Country Furniture, and that’s all we know. He keeps to himself. Once he’s finished with work, he goes right back home. Plenty of girls have tried to turn his eye but haven’t had luck.”

  Julie had caught him checking her out a few times. “Thanks for not warning me. Now I get what the smirk was all about last night.”

  “I guess I should’ve warned you.”

  She ran a finger over the cool fridge door, tracing circles. “You think?”

  “Listen, if you need anything, holler. You going to stay there, or do you need a place at Honeycreek?”

  Stay snowed in with a hottie or go out in the snow and be with Claire? “Not sure yet. For now, I’m here. I don’t have any other choice.”

  “All right, well, we’ll chat soon. You’ve gotta tell me all about New York and what has brought your skinny ass back to Brookfield.”

  “Soon. We’ll have a proper catch up.”

  “Good. I’ve got to run. Call ya soon, chick!”

  “Bye.” Julie hung up.

  So the man on the couch in the next room was Brookfield’s most desired bachelor. All the single ladies—maybe even the married ones—wanted Mark Thomas. She could only imagine what gossip would float around when the women heard they’d been snowed in together.

  Chapter Five

  The alarm clock rang and Mark reached over, slapping his hand across the snooze button. There was no way in hell he was ready to get up after tossing and turning all night. Julie had clouded his mind. Over and over he wondered if he was right about her being pregnant, and why she was here without the father. At that, did the father not want the child? That thought hurt him the most and brought too many memories back that he’d been doing his best to push away.

  Julie was bringing up a lot of memories he had repressed except for only a few times a year, when he’d drink, cry, and then move on.

  She also stirred up other emotions in him. It had been a long time since he’d desired a woman. He hadn’t wanted to hold one the way he did Julie. Actually, he wanted to do a whole lot more than just hold her. As his thoughts began to wander in that direct, something below the belt began to harden.

  Tossing the covers back, he turned off the alarm so it wouldn’t buzz again and headed for the shower. A very cold shower. Which was the last thing he wanted in this weather.

  After getting dressed, he made his way to the kitchen to get started on breakfast. Stopping in his tracks, he saw Julie was already in there. A pot of coffee had been started, and she was busy at the counter chopping some fresh veggies. Her hips swayed and her toes tapped. It was then he noticed a white cord going from her waist to her ears.

  She started to belt out some lyrics just as she turned for the fridge. Julie stopped dead in her tracks, dropping the paring knife to the floor. Her cheeks reddened and her mouth dropped open. After a moment of her being frozen, she removed the ear buds and slowly lowered herself to the ground to get the knife she’d dropped.

  “Smells good. What are you making?” He didn’t want her to feel any more uncomfortable than she was. It was best not to dwell on the fact he’d watched her ass shake for a moment and a cold shower might be in order again.

  “I was making a garden omelet. That okay?”

  Where was the meat? He hoped like hell there was some bacon or ham in that concoction she was making. No wonder the girl was so darn skinny.

  “I’ll eat whatever you make.” He headed for the coffee. “Want a cup?”

  She shook her head. “Just having OJ.”

  “Need any help?”

  “I got it.” Her back was to him again.

  Mark wasn’t sure what to do, so he took a seat at the kitchen table. “Heard from your mom?”

  “No.”

  He figured it wouldn’t be long. Surely she’d call her daughter back quicker than she usually did him.

  Glancing out the window, he was in awe of the amount of snow that was out there. In fact, the lower half of the window was covered with snow. That was going to be a mess to shovel when it came time. The worst part was it was still lightly coming down.

  “Did you happen to check the weather this morning?” he asked.

  “Not yet, I woke up craving some eggs and tomatoes.”

  Cravings. He remembered those all right.

  “It’ll only be a few more minutes.” She grabbed the frying pan and set it on the stove.

  The mix of herbs and tomatoes smelled good. Letting his eyes study her again, he was glad to see the ugly orange robe was gone. He could at least make out some of her curves in the oversized T-shirt and bright red pajama pants with reindeer on them. Maybe the snow would melt soon, so he could see her in her own clothes.

  “All done.” Julie laid a plate in front of him.

  That was quick. She took a seat. Perky. That’s what she was this morning as she bounced a little in her chair. Taking a sip of his coffee, he watched as she wasted no time with her omelet. After returning the mug to the table, he figured he should at least try the breakfast she’d made him.

  He was surprised that it was actually good. It could use some meat, but it was still flavourful.

  “Do you like it?” She set her for down and lifted her glass.

  “Yeah.”

  “Good.” She smiled. “I figure, if we are going to be stuck here together, we should share preparing the meals.”

  “I’ll do dinner tonight.”

  She devoured her omelet in record speed. He’d only eaten half of his when he noticed she was no longer perky. In fact, she had that look she’d gotten the previous morning, and he knew what was next. Her eyes locked on his and she slowly stood up as panic spread across her face.

  “I’ll be right back.” Julie scurried off.

  Mark set his fork down. There was no way he could finish this, knowing she was puking hers up right now. Might as well clean up and wait for her to re-emerge to see if she needed anything.

  Julie sat on her mother’s bed, trying to remember anything about pregnancy she could. Was she eating foods she wasn’t supposed to? She hadn’t been sick once but, now that she was in her hometown, every morning she puked. How was she to face Mark? Surely she couldn’t fool him again. Maybe he didn’t know where she went, and she could just strut back into the kitchen like nothing happened. He was a guy, she reminded herself. He was single, and it wasn’t like he had any experience with this.

  She looked herself over in the mirror and figured she looked the best she could without any make-up. Leaving the bedroom, she saw Mark was now at the computer in the living room.

  “Any news?” she asked.

  He turned to her. “Storm should be passing by soon.”

  She sighed. This was just too much snow. “That is good to hear.”

  “Have you been to the doctor?” He ran a hand through his dark hair with a concerned expression.

  Shit. “It’s just a bug. It’ll pass soon. Must’ve picked it up from a rest area or something.”

  “I know you don’t know me, but you can talk to me. I understand.”

  “There is nothing to talk about.” Julie crossed her arms and decided it was best to leave the room. Maybe the dishes hadn’t been done yet.

  Luck wasn’t with her. Her mess had already been washed and dried. The counters and table had been wiped off. Damn, what could she do to busy herself?

  Seeing as this wasn’t her kitchen, it wasn’t her place to organize and clean out the cupboards. Maybe she would sneak back to her mom’s room and look at all the postcards. She walked quickly out the doorway but bumped right into a broad, hard chest.

  “Yikes, are you okay?” he asked.

  Julie stood still before slowly letting her gaze drift away from his firm chest and up to his face, where his eyes burned down at her. Something stirred in her nerves, sending tingles through her, and she recognized it right away. Arousal. She wondered what it would feel like to wrap her hand around the back of his neck and bring his lips to hers. Would the kiss be swe
et and sensual, or hard with passion? Without even realizing it, she’d moved in closer, and her breasts were now touching his chest. Damn, she didn’t even know this man.

  Breaking the connection, she placed a hand on his chest to push him away. He was firm, and it took everything in her not to explore.

  “Sorry,” she mumbled. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go clean up for the day.”

  Mark didn’t budge right away. Breathing in his musky scent, her arousal stirred more. She had to get away from him and fast.

  Finally, he stepped out of the way. She took the extra space and dashed toward her room. However, luck was still not with her. Right as she was about to turn the knob on the door, a loud crackling sound came from outside and the lights went off.

  “No!” She ran toward the window.

  Mark came up close behind her. A tree had fallen from the heavy snow and crashed right through the power lines. Now not only was she snowed in with this damn hot stranger, who she had an urge to kiss, but now there was no power. Which meant there was no heat. Where was her mother when she needed her the most?

  Chapter Six

  “I can’t believe there isn’t a corded phone in this entire house. My cell phone is out there in my car. How are we supposed to call for help?” Julie clutched her fists to resist the urge to punch the wall.

  She was freaking out and wasn’t afraid to show it. This wasn’t at all how she’d envisioned this trip home. Her mother was supposed to be there for starters and would have told her everything was okay. The worst damn snowstorm of the century wasn’t suppose to hit and trap her with the hottest man she’d ever seen, leaving her wanting to do all these dirty things with a stranger. While she was at it, she shouldn’t have puked up that delicious omelet either. She was hungry—again.

  “Everything will be okay.” Mark stood there, looking awkward. “Does your mom have a generator?”

  “Check the basement.”

  He nodded and went toward the basement door.

  “While you’re down there, check for a phone with a cord so we can call for help.”