Free Winter Winds by Gayle Roper

church is growing, the people like you, and you’re dynamite in the pulpit.”
    Trev blinked. “You mean you actually listen?”
    “I always listen to my younger brother,” Phil said, face straight, eyes twinkling. “He always knows what’s best.”
    Trev grinned. “Yeah, right.”
    Phil grinned back. “It drove me nuts growing up. Which brings me back to this present strange situation, which is anything but your standard modus operandi.”
    Trev agreed, pushed himself away from the wall, and went to stare glumly out the window. The parking lot had mounds of snow pushed to the rear to open as many parking slots as possible. None had melted. Cold out there and cold in his heart.
    How had his life gotten so messed up? He hadn’t expected things to be any different than usual that fateful spring weekend when he was a junior and Dori a freshman at college. The evening had started quietly enough. She’d come to the apartment he and Phil shared to cook them dinner, not an unusual occurrence.
    As she poured spaghetti sauce into a pan, Trev had pulled a beer from the refrigerator. He leaned against the counter and watched her. She had on jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt and clogs. She wore no makeup and her hair was pulled up into a slightly off-center ponytail.
    “What?” she asked as she put the pot on the stove.
    He tossed the empty bottle in the trash. He pulled another out and twisted the cap. “I didn’t say anything.”
    “You’re staring.”
    He shrugged. How could he tell her what he felt when she was around? “You’re nice to look at.”
    She turned to him, her cheeks red. “Trev.”
    “Are you blushing?” He grinned and took a long swallow. Maybe the cold liquid would cool the heat in his blood.
Yeah, right
.
    She watched him drink and frowned. “How many bottles have you had today?”
    He blinked. A lecture about drinking would kill any amorous thoughts more quickly than a dozen cold showers. “How should I know?”
    “That’s what concerns me,” she said. “These days I never see you without a bottle in your hand.”
    “So what? It’s only beer.”
    “Beer can make alcoholics too, you know.”
    “Come on, Dori. You’re overreacting.”
    She walked to him and took the bottle from his hand. “I’m notoverreacting. You drink too much, Trev. It worries me. You know what drinking did to our parents.”
    He glared at her. “I am not irresponsible enough to drink and drive.”
    “So you say.” She looked at him with those amazing dark eyes. “Please promise me you’ll stop.”
    Much as he hated to admit it, he knew she was right. He was drinking very heavily. It was what college guys did. They hung out together and drank. They played football, basketball, or baseball and drank. They scoped out the babes in the park and drank. They went out for late night pizza and drank. They turned the air blue with their jokes and drank.
    She laid her hand on his arm. “Please, Trev.”
    He tried to save face. “I’ll cut down. How’s that?”
    She shook her head. “Stop.”
    “Stop? As in totally?”
    “As in completely. Please? For me?” She moved her hand to his chest. “Please?”
    Something inside him shifted, and suddenly his thoughts had nothing to do with beer. Maybe it was the look in her eyes. Maybe it was the way she stood so close, her hand on his chest. Probably it was him reaching his limit to the rigid discipline he’d practiced for so many years where she was concerned.
    Until that moment he had scrupulously honored Pop’s order about leaving Dori alone.
No more
, he thought as he covered her hand with his own where it rested against him.
Never again
.
    He reached an arm out and wrapped it around her waist. As far as he knew, she had no idea how he felt about her. He also had no idea how she’d respond to any physical advances from him. Well, he’d never know unless he made a move. Slowly he pulled her against him, giving her time to resist. To his intense pleasure she