Out of the Storm (Buckhorn, Montana #1) - B.J. Daniels Page 0,18

her mind off everything.

Earlier this morning, Collin had mentioned that a couple of his associates were skiing in Canada and might meet up with them if the part came in soon. “You wouldn’t mind, would you? We might have to cross the border. You brought your passport, right?”

She’d nodded. She’d never been to Canada but doubted it was much different from Montana right now. According to what she’d heard about this latest storm, it covered a wide area.

After buying the books, she had little choice but to head back to the motel room. The aroma of the two warm cinnamon rolls rose from her purse where they lay wrapped in foil, compliments of Bessie. Kate knew Collin would love them. Maybe she’d eat a little of one since she’d barely touched her breakfast.

Today, she stayed on the opposite side of the highway from Jon Harper’s woodshop as she walked back. Not that she wasn’t aware of the sound of a saw coming from the old carriage house. Today, he had the garage door closed, but she could see a sliver of light stealing from the crack between the two doors.

She thought about what Bessie had told her about Jon. He’d shown up five years ago. What had she been doing five years ago? She had to think for a moment. She felt her pulse jump as she recalled Mia’s graduation from college in late spring. How she’d wished that Danny had been there to see his oldest receive her college diploma. He would have been as proud of his daughter as she’d been.

For some time after the explosion took Danny from her, it had almost been like a game, wondering where he would have gone if he’d been hurt and suffering from a form of amnesia. What would he have done?

He’d always been good with his hands. He could fix anything. Make anything. She’d known that he’d have found a job and wouldn’t have gone hungry. That’s why she’d thought that was him in Nebraska working on a farm.

Being reminded of the mistakes she’d made over the years made her forget to watch her step. She slipped on the ice under the snow and almost fell. As she righted herself, she looked across the highway at the sliver of golden light that shone from the crack between the double carriage-house doors. She had heard the whine of a saw earlier. Now there was nothing but a cold silence. Maybe he wasn’t even over there, and even if he was...

She stood in the falling snow, the wind whipping flakes around her, wondering. The more she’d tried not to think about him, the more she had. Jon Harper wasn’t Danny. But it nagged at her. She couldn’t understand why she’d been so sure that first instant she’d seen him standing in his shop.

The other times she’d thought she’d seen Danny, her heart had threatened to explode from her chest, she’d had trouble breathing, she’d felt the blood rush from her head even, but she’d never fainted. So, why this time? What had it been about this man? Something about his silhouette? Or had it only been the way he was standing?

It left doubt in her mind. She’d been in such a hurry to get out of that room with him, as if she’d been running scared. Not embarrassed. That was later. No, this was a different form of terror that had her racing from that woodshop and out into the storm.

Kate knew she’d have to go back. She’d have to see him again. She couldn’t leave this town unless she was certain, otherwise there would always be that nagging doubt at the back of her mind.

The thought of seeing him again after yesterday and making a fool of herself made her a little sick to her stomach. Jon Harper. A snowplow went flying past in a roar on the highway, kicking up a cloud of snow. She waited until the cloud drifted away before she crossed the paved two-lane.

Her throat went dry as she neared the woodshop. She’d been so sure it was him until she’d heard the rasp of his voice. Not Danny’s voice. Of that she was certain. But what bothered her was that even when he’d been hovering over her, she couldn’t remember if she’d seen the color of his eyes. Danny’s were brown, a warm, soft sable with dark lashes. His hair had been brown, too. Brown eyes and brown hair. Could either be more common?

There was one

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