Page 214 of Santa Daddies

“It’s really good,” she told him. “My husband never cooked.”

Darn it. Why did she tell him that?

“Never?”

“Uh, no. I did all the cooking. I got a bit sick of it.” George would never have done something like this for her.

“You’re divorced?”

“Hopefully soon,” she told him. “I left him a while ago.”

He nodded. “Figured if you had a man of any worth he wouldn’t let you drive up here alone.”

“Let me?”

“Yeah. You were mine, no way in hell you’d be driving up a mountain alone in winter. Probably not any time of the year.”

“You don’t have a significant other?” she asked carefully.

“Not anymore. You finished?” He gestured at her empty plate.

“Oh yes. But I can clean up.” She got to her feet and grabbed the plates. Then she remembered his aversion to having people help him. “You cooked, I clean. Fair?”

“That seems fair.”

“Do you think this storm will last much longer?” she asked. “I kind of thought storms only lasted a day at most.”

“This one is pretty bad. Probably another day, but it’s likely another day or two after that before it’s safe for you to drive. You’re eager to leave?”

“No!” she said quickly. “I mean, only if you’re not in a hurry to get rid of me.”

“No hurry, Alice. You can stay as long as you need to.”

You can stay as long as you need to.

Anson was still shaking his head over those words the next day when he walked into the kitchen. It was mid-afternoon and he’d barely seen his guest again today.

He wasn’t sure why, but for some reason that was starting to annoy him.

The storm had finally eased up this morning, but like he’d told her, she needed to wait a few days to drive. He’d have to get Joey up here to plow the driveway first.

Spotting her sitting at the counter, he stopped to study her for a moment. She wore an oversized sweater with some yoga pants and thick socks on her feet.

It was an outfit that his ex would never have been caught dead in. But Alice looked adorable.

Fuck.

What was that thought? He didn’t think she was adorable. She was an annoying house guest.

Except he’d noticed how gorgeous she was. How sweet she smelled.

This was not what he needed right now. He did not need to be attracted to her.

“What are you doing?” he asked more abruptly than he’d intended to.

She let out a cry and turned, holding her left forefinger with her right hand.

He peered around her, noticing the chopped apples and sharp knife.