Dakota Homecoming (5 page)

As her eyes drifted open and she blinked from the morning light coming through the window, she had an overwhelming desire to run. Why had she come here? Why had she opened her mouth and contacted the FBI? Angela’s life was at risk if she couldn’t keep up this charade with Eduardo. She wanted to end it. His attention was unwanted. But she’d agreed to help Kelly Montgomery in exchange for his help in getting Angela and her kids out of Colombia. If it meant she had to pretend when Eduardo called, then she’d do it. If it meant pretending to be dating Julian McKinnon in order to get through the week, she’d do it. Then she’d be free.

It was only going to be a week. She’d bluff as long as she could. Then the FBI and their teams would make their move. And hopefully Angela would be on her way out of Colombia. Georgie didn’t care where she went. Well, that wasn’t exactly true. Eduardo’s reach was far. But if Angela was able to at least make it to Mexico, she might eventually be able to make it to the US before Eduardo found her. In the US, she had a chance at protection in exchange for what she knew.

She stayed in bed for a few minutes looking up at the ceiling. The air smelled different this morning, something Georgie wasn’t used to. She’d lived in a wide variety of places in her short life, but most of them were dumps. The air in those places always smelled the same. Earth and trash, and sometimes something worse.

The floor was cold when she stood with her bare feet on the wood. She glanced down at her feet and saw the worn pine floorboards where polyurethane had worn off. Children had grown up in this house and worn a path on the floor from the bed to the door. Georgie could imagine Christmas mornings and the sound of stomping feet on the floor as the McKinnons piled into the hall and elbowed their way down the stairs to the living room in search of presents from Santa. Padding across the floor, she grabbed her sweatshirt and sweatpants from the calico chair by the window and shrugged into them over her pajamas. Then she pushed the curtain aside to look outdoors and gasped.

“Snow!”

Georgie could hardly contain herself as she grabbed a pair of heavy socks she’d shoved into her suitcase and then dropped down to the chair to pull them on her feet. Sometime during the night it had snowed and a fresh layer of white covered the ground like frosting on a birthday cake. It was still snowing and she couldn’t wait to see it up close.

She’d left her boots by the door and wasted no time running down the stairs, through the kitchen and to the mudroom.

“Where’s the fire?” she heard Joan ask.

“It’s snowing!” Georgie said. She slipped into her boots and ran out the door.

“It usually does that around here,” she barely heard Joan say as the door closed behind her.

Once outside, Georgie lifted her face to the sky and let the snowflakes fall against her warm cheek. Jumping off the porch, she dropped to the ground and let her boots get buried in the snow. She kicked and laughed and kicked some more as she made a path by dragging her feet. By the time breakfast was finished, someone would be out here shoveling a clean path that people could actually walk on.

She turned to the sound of the door opening and closing again and saw Julian. His jacket was unzipped, showing his wheat colored Henley top. In his hands, he held two pairs of thermal gloves and the red jacket Julian had insisted she get before they made their journey north.

“My mother is afraid you’re going to catch pneumonia and miss the wedding.”

She lifted her hands palm side up to catch snowflakes. “It’s snowing.”

He chuckled. “So you’ve told us.”

“Isn’t it exciting?”

“I’m trembling, I’m so excited,” he said deadpan.

She couldn’t help but laugh at the look on Julian’s face. “I know I probably look ridiculous. But I’ve never seen snow. Not like this anyway. The few times I ever saw snow where I grew up, the snow was gone as soon as the snowflakes hit the ground.”

“Well, we sure do get snow here in South Dakota.”

She reached down and took a clump of snow in her hands and balled it. The ice crystals stung her skin.

“Take these before you freeze to death,” he said.

“I’m fine.”

“If you don’t want my mother at that kitchen door yelling at you for being out here unprepared, you’ll just do as you’re told.”

Georgie glanced back at the house and saw Joan was standing at the window, looking out at the two of them.

Georgie waved. Joan smiled and waved back. She genuinely liked Julian's mother. Something about her reminded her of her grandmother. Her grandmother had died when Georgie was just a little girl, but she remember her well. The two women had lived such different lives and were so different. But Georgie could already tell that Joan had that big heart her grandmother always had. She never turned anyone away. Her door was always open to someone in need, no matter how little her grandmother had.

Georgie dragged her boots in the snow again as she walked over to Julian and took the jacket. As she shrugged into it, she saw Joan smile. Then she dropped the curtain she’d lifted up to peer outside back into place. Georgie took the gloves from Julian and slipped her hands inside. The warmth that enveloped her freezing skin was immediate and she was thankful for Joan’s urging Julian to bring her protective clothes.

Julian took her gloved hands in his bare hands, rubbing them over the fabric. “Better?”

She sucked in a deep breath of cold, fresh morning air and nodded.

Julian’s gaze met hers. She saw the smile pulling at his lips but she could tell he was holding back. “So who was that snowball meant for,” he asked.

“What makes you think it was meant for a person?”

His eyebrows lifted. “You mean it wasn’t?”

She opened her mouth and gave him a mock shocked glare. “Are you accusing me of something?”

“Nothing more than I’d expect from myself.”

She giggled. “You mean a real snowball fight.”

He cocked his head to one side and let go of her hands. “Well, now the moment is ruined. You’re expecting it. The best snowball fights happen when you least expect it.”

“Really?”

“Sure thing. This yard has seen lots of snowball fights over the years.”

She glanced around. She could imagine a clan of McKinnons running around in the snow, hurling snowballs at each other and laughing. Her mind wandered further to children piling into the house and stripping off their boots, jackets and gloves, and sitting down at the kitchen table to enjoy a cup of hot chocolate that Joan made special just for them.

A stab of envy pierced her heart. It wasn’t the hot chocolate or the snowball fight that gripped her. It was everything else that couldn’t be seen or touched that was important. It was felt. Love. Family. Home. She knew nothing about that sort of thing. Not in the way they’d lived it here. She knew a fear that was always there. There’d been an underlying fear deep inside Georgie her whole life. First with her stepfather and his disapproval. And now with Eduardo.

Julian was still rubbing his hands over her gloves.

“It’s getting cold,” she said quietly. “I hate the cold.”

He frowned and squeezed her hand. “Then it’s a good thing I brought your jacket.”

His blue eyes seemed to glow against the backdrop of the white snow. His dark hair was tussled, but she wasn’t sure if it was from the wind or if he hadn't had a chance to comb it before she’d taken off outside.

Julian McKinnon was without a doubt the most handsome man she’d ever met. And he…he was nice. How did that happen? How could God have given him the gift of being drop dead gorgeous and being a great guy? She thought back to his manners at the car. It was nothing big. It was all the little things he did. Picking up her suitcase and carrying it for her. Opening her car door. He was a gentleman. Wow, what a novel concept!

And she had the incredible urge to kiss him. She’d thought about it last night before she’d gone to bed. She’d seen firsthand how incredibly strong he was and she longed to have those strong arms around her, holding her, making her feel safe. She wanted to know what it was like to have his mouth on hers. Would all his emotions be contained? Or did he unleash unbridled passion when he held a woman in his arms.

“Georgie?” he whispered.

She sucked in a deep breath and touched his face. “Julian?” Then she parted her mouth and sucked in a deep breath of crisp South Dakota morning air.

Julian came closer to her and her heart raced. She closed her eyes and waited for her dream to be in Julian’s arms to become a reality.

“The coffee is done brewing!”

Georgie’s eyes flew open at the sound of Joan’s voice. Julian’s hand was on her arm. He squeezed it gently and chuckled.

“Her timing is perfect,” he said quietly.

“You call that perfect?”

“Grace and Liam are going to be here any minute. Oh, my, it’s cold out here this morning. You two get in here before you both get sick!”

Georgie drew in a deep breath of air and then followed Julian into the house. She dropped her boots in the mudroom and hung her jacket up on the same coat hook she’d hung it on last night, making sure to put her gloves in the pocket so she’d have them ready when she went out again. The smell of coffee and cinnamon tickled her nose and drew her into the kitchen where she found Joan pulling a muffin tin out of a hot oven.

When Joan heard them come into the kitchen, she placed the muffin tin on the top of the ceramic top stove and spun around. “I thought you’d lost your mind,” she said, looking at Georgie.

“Who me?” she asked.

“Who goes outside this time of the year in South Dakota without a jacket?” Joan chuckled. “When I saw you running around out there in your pajamas, I thought I’d die.”

Heat crept up Georgie’s cheeks. “Sweats. And it’s my first time seeing snow.”

“We sure get a lot of it so you’re going to get your fill this week. Here, have an apple muffin while they are warm and some coffee.” Joan turned to Julian. “Liam doesn’t have school today so he’s spending the day here. Gracie will be here any minute.”

“I should get upstairs and get dressed,” Georgie said, starting for the stairway.

“Nonsense. You haven’t even had breakfast yet,” Joan said as she took the muffins out of the muffin tin and arranged them on a plate. “Have a seat at the table. Julian, pour Georgiana a cup of coffee so she can warm herself.”

“It’s Georgie,” Georgie said, hoping she wasn’t insulting Joan by correcting her. “My birth name is Georgie.”

“Really?” Joan said with a smile. “That’s a little unusual, isn’t it?”

“Mom,” Julian said.

“I’m just asking,” Joan said, swatting her son with the pot holder. To Georgie she asked, “Are you named after someone in your family?”

Georgie’s lips lifted to a smile as she sat in a chair at the table. “A song. My mother loved the song.”

She glanced at Julian who cast her an amused grin.

“Don’t say it,” she warned.

He put a cup of coffee down in front of her and then lifted his hands, saying, “I didn’t say anything.”

“Well, I like the name,” Joan said. “It has a story to it. Your named after a song. Something you can one day tell your children.”

Joan put the plate of muffins on the table and then went to the refrigerator and opened the door. She glanced at Julian and whispered. “Did you offer her cream for her coffee?”

He shrunk a notch. “I figured you would. You always do.”

Joan shook her head and lifted a carton of half-and-half to show Georgie.

“Please,” Georgie said.

Joan dropped the half-and-half in front of her and Georgie put a few drops in her coffee. She was glad to have something to do rather than look at the curious glances Joan gave Julian. Who knows what he’d told his family about her being there? He said they were a couple. Did they think they were serious? Having sex?

She groaned quietly as she picked up her coffee and took a sip.

“Is it too bitter?” Joan asked.

Georgie held the mug in her hands and glanced over at Julian and Joan. They’d heard her groan.

“No, it’s wonderful. I…” What could she say? “I’m not sure how fancy the wedding is going to be and I was…I was just thinking that I might not have brought a dress that is appropriate for the occasion.”

“Oh, don’t be ridiculous,” Joan said. “You’re a very pretty girl. I’m sure whatever you brought to wear will be beautiful.”

Joan lifted her head at the sound of the front door opening.

“We’re in the kitchen!” she called out.

Feet pounding on the floor grew louder until a young boy appeared in the hallway.

“Walk!” a female voice called out.

“I’m here!” the boy said, launching into Joan’s open arms.

“Give your old gramma a big hug, Liam.”

Joan kissed him on the head and rocked him as she hugged him tight. Georgie couldn’t help but smile at the affection between the two of them. She’d been so interested in this bond between grandmother and grandson that she hadn’t noticed the woman standing in the doorway. Her dark blond hair was pulled back neatly and secured in a barrette. Her herringbone wool coat was unbuttoned, revealing a silky white blouse and a black skirt.