Frostfire by Viehl Lynn

Author:Viehl, Lynn [Viehl, Lynn]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Signet
Published: 2011-01-03T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

Like every building in the town, the small hotel appeared old and well built from the outside. The interior, crowded as it was, kept out the cold and seemed reasonably secure. Lilah openly admired the thousands of objects the townswoman had used as decorations, especially a small red wagon filled with shabby stuffed toys.

“Look at this one, Walker.” Lilah pointed to a bear with an eye missing and honey-colored, patchy fur darkened by years of being handled by small, grimy hands. An old metal button stitched inside the tuft of its left ear bore the image of a tiny elephant. To Annie, she said, “Isn’t this a Steiff bear?”

“I wouldn’t know,” the older woman said, her voice gruff. “I just like them. Now, I’ve got a room on the second floor with a nice view overlooking Main Street—”

“We will stay on the first floor,” he told her. When both women stared at him, he added, “Mari is tired and hurt. The stairs will be too much for her.”

“Shoot, I didn’t think of that. Of course you can stay downstairs. Let me get some clean linens and make up a room for you.” Annie hung up her coat and disappeared down a hall.

“I don’t think you have to worry about these people,” Lilah chided. “I’m sure they believe our story.”

“For now.” The sheriff had taken an instant dislike to him, and would probably check on their identities as soon as his phones and computer were functioning again. The only way to know what the man was thinking would be to have Lilah read his mind, but he wasn’t allowing Ethan Jemmet within ten feet of her. “You must be exhausted.”

“After what happened the last time I fell asleep, I don’t know if I’ll ever close my eyes again.” Her smile turned rueful. “I hope Annie’s water heater is still working. I’m dying for a long, hot shower.”

The image that came into his head made heat surge through him, and he took off his hat and jacket. When he noticed her staring, he went still. “What is it?”

“You can’t feel it?” She reached up and ran her fingers over his scalp, which was no longer bare. “It’s like black mink. Sometimes mine does that, you know, seems to grow a couple of inches overnight, but yours is . . . ” She stopped herself and gave him an apologetic look. “It’s okay. I mean, it happens to all of us. Sometimes our fingernails and toenails do the same thing.”

He caught her wrist, and then brought her hand to his mouth to kiss her palm. “It’s only hair, Lilah. Not snakes.”

She stared at his mouth. “Snakes?” she echoed, her voice soft and dreamy.

Annie emerged from the hall, her mouth curling on one side. “You two really do need a room. Come on, it’s just down here.”

The room was large, not as crowded with things, and had an adequate bath adjoining it.

Lilah seemed enchanted, and ran her fingers over the heavy stitching of the old white coverlet on the large bed.

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