Free Winter Interlude by SANDY LOYD

him full circle to his own predicament . In seconds, he was depressed . He placed the last piece of wood in the bin and reached for the TV remote . Seven thirty couldn’t come soon enough . Pushing both Judith and Kate out of his mind, he sat back on the bed, and flipped through channels. He settled on a basketball game and tried to ignore the lameness of his default activity of late — watching sports. By himself.

Chapter 4
     
    “ I love the burgers in this place , ” Kate said , as Paul helped take off her coat . It was such a gentlemanly thing to do and it flustered her a bit . James never bothered with stuff like that . She turned her face to hide her reaction as she slid into the booth . “Not crowded , either.”
    “Tomorrow, it’ll be packed .” Paul shrugged out of his parka and placed it with Kate ’s on the bench before sliding in next to them .
    Kate nodded and peered out over Lake Tahoe . The restaurant’s floor - to - ceiling windows gave her a good vantage point to enjoy the moonlight’s reflection shimmer ing on the water . “It’s beautiful here, especially the view tonight .” Romantic even, except the person she was sharing it with happened to be the wrong Morrison .
    “Looks like the storm’s moving in.”
    She smiled, thankful to have something to think about besides what she was missing with James . “Yeah ! Fresh powder if it stays cold and doesn’t rain.”
    In between the attentions of their waitress , they discussed the next day’s skiing . Eventually, the woman returned to place their plates, each loaded with steaming fries and a burger, in front of them .
    A tantalizing aroma wafted under Kate ’s nose and her stomach made funny gurgling noises . She laughed to cover the sound, then quickly dug into the thick, juicy cheeseburger .
    Kate took a bite and closed her eyes, savoring the taste . When she opened them, she caught Paul watching her, a lopsided grin plastered on his face.
    “What ?” Self-conscious all of a sudden, she traced the edges of her mouth with her tongue, then wiped her lips with her napkin.
    Still grinning from ear to ear, he shook his head .
    When his slow rumble of a chuckle erupted, she glanced down to make sure there was no ketchup on her turtleneck . “What’s so amusing?” she asked, meeting his gaze . “ D on’t tell me it’s nothing because you’re grinning like an idiot.”
    “You’re inhaling your food with gusto .” He indicated her plate with a nod . “I was just wondering where you put it all in that minuscule body . What are you ? Five feet and maybe a hundred pounds ?”
    “I’m five two,” she corrected . “And no woman reveals her true weight . Ever .” She was too vain to tell him to add eight pounds . Let him think she weighed less than she really did . W hy the thought pleased her, she had no idea.
    “I see . ” He nodded slowly . “Still, it’s nice to be around a woman who can enjoy her food without worrying about dieting and all that nonsense.”
    A flush of heat washed over her as the approval in his voice wrapped around her like a warm blanket . She looked down at her plate, not liking the tingling sensation on her neck those enthralling, liquid pools of blue generated . She studied her burger, working to keep both from affecting her further . Finally, she was able to say with a modicum of normalcy, “I guess I’m lucky . I never gain an ounce and I love to eat .” She took a bite and slowly chewed until the feelings dissipated, before swallowing . Once they did, she spoke with more conviction . “I think it’s all that nervous energy I expend .” She shrugged . Her focus landed on his plate . “It looks as if we both appreciate a good burger.”
    “What’s not to like ?” His beguiling smile was back . He captured her gaze once more and, not letting her look away, added, “I’ve always had an appetite for the finer things in life.”
    Another warm flush seeped from her belly to her extremities . To