Read Online Love Story for a Snow Princess (Siren Publishing Classic) by Beth D. Carter - Free Book Online Page B

if she fooled Miki’s sharp gaze.
    The next day she packed up and moved out of the hotel, just in time to avoid the storm. Whatever warm weather was trying to wiggle its way into September disappeared as a cold front moved in.
    Hank’s room was small but comfortable. Miki had changed the bedsheets and cleaned the place for her arrival. The twin bed had a wooden headboard with a shelf built into it. The carpet was gold shag shot through with brown. It seemed a little retro with the wood paneling on the walls, but Thea didn’t mind the décor.
    It didn’t take long to unpack her suitcase. She took out only the essentials and left much of it behind. She hated that she’d have to lug all this stuff back to Malibu. In fact she hated that she’d have to go back to Malibu at all, but she didn’t have an excuse to stay.
    She waited that night, but again, Paden failed to arrive.
    By the third day the storm had fizzed away, leaving another heaping of snow in River Ice. Patrons still came in, piling their snowshoes on top of each other. She absolutely loved the chatter of the room, making sure each cup remained full and bringing out plates of food when asked.
    That night, after Miki closed the restaurant and Paden hadn’t shown up, Thea decided to go to him.
    “Miki,” she called.
    Miki came from the back, drying her hands with her apron. “Yes?”
    “Where can I rent a snowmobile?”
    “Why do you need one?”
    Thea bit her lower lip. “Because I, um, want to visit Paden. I’m worried about him.”
    Miki sighed. “Honey, it’s probably not a good idea to set your heart on Paden Winters.”
    “Set my heart?” Thea scoffed. “I’m just, you know, he, uh, cut his arm, and I was worried about, you know, healing.”
    “You are such a terrible liar. Here,” she said and reached behind the kitchen door to grab some keys. She tossed them to Thea. “Around back is the garage, use Hank’s snowmobile for now. It’s the gray one, goggles are in the handlebars.”
    “Thanks! And how—”
    “Down the street,” Miki said, answering the question before Thea even finished asking it. “As it curves back to the right to come into town, make a left and follow that street about two miles. His house is at the end on the left.”
    Thea hurried over to bundle up.
    “You’ve probably never driven a snowmobile, right?” Miki asked, and then started explaining before Thea could answer. “Of course not. Tuck your feet under the metal pockets on the lower front end. The throttle is the lever on the right side for speed and the brake is on the left, but if you just ease off the throttle, chances are you’ll slow down considerably and maybe even stop because of the snow. Otherwise, it’s like riding a bike.”
    “Thanks, Miki.”
    “No worries.”
    Thea quickly hugged the other woman then hurried out the door. The quick instructions Miki had given her proved invaluable. It only took a few false starts and one nosedive into a snowbank before she caught on, but as she turned onto Paden’s road a sense of adventure over took her. It had been so long since she’d felt the need to be intrepid that the thrill literally caused a little high-pitch giggle to escape.
    In her mind the trip to Paden’s house was a breeze. In reality the road weaved its way over the land, up hills, and around trees. The only way she knew she heading in the right direction was the groove marks cut into the snow from another snowmobile. The generator lights of the town were behind her, keeping her navigation on target as she headed for the National Forest line. The sign for the forest had ice hanging sideways on the pole, but at least she knew when to look for Paden’s house.
    It wasn’t hard to miss, however, not only because of the sheer massiveness of the structure but also because of the two stories of windows lit from within. She pulled the snowmobile over and headed for the front door, holding carefully on the railing as she traversed the