Free Love on the Lifts by Rachel Hawthorne Page B

firm muscles.
    â€œOh, wait, maybe she’ll be at the party tonight,” I said. Wouldn’t that be interesting? I wondered if I needed to warn Paige so she wouldn’t get her heart broken.
    â€œShe will be,” Joe said.
    â€œHow do you know?”
    â€œI just know.”
    â€œYou sure ‘just know’ a lot of stuff.”
    â€œYep.”
    â€œMaybe you can make a move on her at the party.”
    â€œI doubt it.”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œShe’s not interested in me.”
    â€œHow can she not be interested?”
    He spun around. I came up short, almost barreling into him.
    â€œYou tell me,” he demanded.
    â€œTell you what?”
    â€œHow she cannot be interested? Or better yet, why would she be interested?”
    â€œYou’re nice.”
    He grimaced. “So is my grandmother.”
    â€œYou’re hardly a grandmother. Dress up tonight. That’s what I’m doing. Then pour on the charm.”
    â€œThat’s your plan for the night? To pour on the charm?”
    I heaved a sigh. “I’m going to try.” Make a last ditch effort to win Brad over.
    Joe slowly shook his head. “You don’t have to try, Kate. Or dress up. You’re terrific just the way you are.”
    I couldn’t believe I was going to say this, but it wasn’t as though I was revealing anything he didn’t already know. “Then why doesn’t Brad notice me?”
    â€œHe’s an idiot.”
    I barked out a bit of laughter. “So is the girl you met on the slopes.”
    â€œI didn’t say I met her on the slopes.”
    â€œThen where did you meet her?”
    â€œHow come I can’t get it through your head—none of your business!” He reached down, grabbed a handful of snow, and tossed it at me.
    â€œHey!”
    I rushed past him. Felt snow hit my back. Without stopping, I reached down and scooped up my own handful, packed it together as I ran into the front yard of the condo, then spun around—
    And went flying as Joe tackled me to the snow-laden ground. When I tried to gather up snow to toss at him, he grabbed my wrists and held them in place beside my head. He was heavy on top of me, straddling me, but it didn’t hurt.
    His face was so close to mine that I got a real good look at the color hazel. I was intrigued—by the color and the way he was studying me.
    â€œDon’t try to hook me up with anyone, Kate,” he finally said.
    I nodded slowly, my breath not having found me yet. “Okay.”
    We stayed there, just staring at each other. I was barely aware of the cold beneath me, because I was so aware of the guy on top of me.
    â€œAre you going to let me up?” I eventually asked.
    â€œIs there going to be dancing at that party tonight?”
    Where did that question come from? I shrugged as much as I was able. “I don’t know.”
    â€œWill you dance with me if there is?”
    â€œSure.”
    He grinned. “Then I’ll let you up.”
    But he just stayed there, smiling and looking at me, until he finally shook his head and muttered, “Brad really is an idiot.”
    Then he rolled off me, got to his feet, and pulled me to mine. As we walked up the steps to the condo, I couldn’t help wondering if maybe I was an idiot as well.

Chapter 10
    â€œH ot dogs?” Sam asked. “That’s your idea of cooking a meal? Hot dogs?”
    We were sitting at the dining room table. I glowered at Sam. “We’re short on time because we have a party to get ready for. Besides, there’s bound to be food there. Consider this a snack.”
    â€œI love hot dogs,” Brad said. He’d come back from Cynthia’s shortly after we got home.
    â€œClean-up should be a breeze,” Joe said.
    â€œAbsolutely.” I smiled at Sam. “So there.”
    â€œWhat are we going to have tomorrow?”
    â€œWe were thinking stew,” Allie