Shake The Frost (Crystal Lake #6) - Juliana Stone Page 0,19

an invisible piece of lint on her black sweater, though she hid an answering smile.

“Look, I know we got off on this wrong, and that’s on me. I made things wrong. But I thought I was pretty clear yesterday when I said I was in this with you.” He walked toward her, his dark eyes intense as they swept over her. “I know I’ve been…” He swore under his breath and ran his hands through his hair before continuing. “I know I’ve been distant the last few years—”

“Distant?” She rounded on him, suddenly full of fire. “You weren’t distant, you were gone. One day, you were in my life, and the next, you were just…” She threw up her hands. “You became a ghost when I needed you more than I’ve ever needed anyone before. God, my mother didn’t even come back from Florida when it happened.” Tears welled up again, and she swiped at them angrily. “I had no one. No one. It was always the three of us. You, me, and Rick. And then there was just me.” Her voice broke as she turned away from him, shuddering and shaking from the intensity of her emotions. God, she was up and down and there didn’t seem to be any way to control this.

Blinking rapidly, Emily tried to stanch the flow of tears, but it was no use. She wrapped her arms around her midsection in an effort to find some kind of comfort. When she felt Ethan’s hand on her shoulder, she stilled, sniffling loudly.

“Hey.” His voice was low and rough. “I’m here now.”

Throat tight, she nodded, embarrassed and unable to speak.

His arms slid across her shoulders, and he pulled her back to him. A few days ago, Emily would have resisted, but she was so damn tired, and it felt so damn good to be held. She melted into Ethan’s embrace, and when he gently turned her to face him, she didn’t resist. She laid her cheek against his chest, her body syphoning his heat and strength, it seemed. The two of them stood like that for a good long while. Ethan gently stroking her hair, while Emily slowly calmed down.

By the time her doorbell rang, she was in a much better place, and a tremulous smile lifted her lips as she slid from Ethan’s arms.

“I’m sorry. It’s the pregnancy and the hormones and…” She pointed toward the door. “That’s Connor, so—”

“Connor?”

If she were in the right frame of mind, Emily might have noticed the sharpness in Ethan’s voice or the way his eyes narrowed as they looked past her toward the foyer.

“Connor Jenkins. You remember him from school? He’s back in town, and I invited him over for coffee.”

“I had no idea he was back,” Ethan replied.

“That’s because you’ve been a hermit for years.”

“Well then.” He nodded to the door. “We better not keep Connor waiting.”

She eyed Ethan warily. “Is there a problem?”

“Nope.” Ethan shook his head. “You get the door. I’ll make the coffee.”

The air changed. It was subtle, but she felt it nonetheless, fired up with some kind of energy that had Emily’s nerves buzzing. She hesitated for a moment, but when the doorbell rang again, she headed for the door.

Chapter Seven

Saturday morning brought with it a brisk wind and the first snowfall of the season to blanket Crystal Lake and stay. It was the beginning of November, and Ethan had come to the conclusion that they were in for a rough winter. He’d noticed the squirrels gathering stuff for months now, and since animals were smarter than most humans he knew, he figured if they were hoarding, they knew something he didn’t.

Mood pensive, he stared out the window at the dull gray sky full of thick, bulbous clouds spread over a cold, silent lake. He slowly sipped his coffee, not really tasting the hot liquid. He’d been in a shit mood ever since he’d gotten back from town the day before. He could lie to himself and say it had nothing to do with Connor Jenkins swinging by Emily’s for coffee, but what the hell was the sense in that?

He had no right to like or dislike who Emily spent time with. Not even if she was carrying his baby.

He slammed his eyes shut at the thought and downed the last of his coffee. Maybe if this were another time or place, he’d lament the mess he found himself in. But the truth of it was, for the first time in a long