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like they been friends a long time. “I shouldn’t,” she said truthfully.
    “Well, you certainly aren’t driving anywhere,” he said dryly. “I would guess no one in Northern Wisconsin is on the roads tonight. So what’s the harm?”
    That sentiment sounded logical, but it probably wasn’t. She didn’t object when he filled her glass again. In fact, all of it; the raging blizzard outside, the cozy dinner by the fire, the comforting food, the delicious wine, all of it evoked a long missed feeling of well-being.
    The company of a gorgeous man like one sitting across from her didn’t hurt either. She hadn’t even been on a date in over a year. The 36
    Kate Watterson
    last time she’d had sex…well, that had to be close to two years ago, before she and Michael had split and broken their engagement.
    Good God, was she actually sitting there thinking about that with a perfect stranger?
    “Would you listen to that wind?” Jesse leaned back, his lean body relaxed in the leaping firelight. The shadows did nice things to the chiseled planes of his features. His dark hair was tousled, but it suited the outdoorsy image of flannel shirt and old jeans. “I bet there are going to be eight foot drifts by the front door. It’s going to be fun shoveling out of all this when the storm is over.”
    As if to emphasize his words, a particularly keening howl whistled past the house, the brush of the snow flung against the windows loud in the darkness. To conserve energy, he’d turned out the lights and shut off anything that would draw from the emergency generator, leaving on only the essentials.
    Maybe that was it. A romantic fire and lots of good wine, Kerin pondered, curled up comfortably on the floor with her back resting against one of the chairs. She knew she was tired—she had to be tired after the long drive and all the strain she’d been under—but somehow felt content to simply sit there and talk.
    What had started as one of the worst days of her life had turned out to be rather nice.

    * * * *

    The storm was a bitch, and there wasn’t much doubt it was going to be days before they could get out. Jesse wondered if the pretty doctor realized just how much time they were destined to spend together.
    Thank God he hadn’t stopped to help an overweight redneck who didn’t believe in personal hygiene or a little old lady with a heart condition and a religious objection to the consumption of alcohol in her presence. He came up to the cabin to get away from people, and if Blindsided 37
    he had to get stuck in the middle of a blizzard with another human being, he was damned glad it was a beautiful, intelligent young woman. Yes, she’d been uptight as hell at first, but that seemed to have passed. Since there was nothing to do but talk, she’d hesitantly given him a few more details about her life as she relaxed. The wine probably didn’t hurt either, he thought wryly.
    The clock on the mantle chimed, and she glanced up. Her eyes were fringed with long lashes that sent shadows across her smooth cheeks. “Is it really that late?”
    It was, and he’d been up early, splitting wood in case the storm became the reality the weathercaster predicted. “Yes. Let me make sure you have extra blankets. It’s usually pretty comfortable upstairs but the way the temperature is dropping, you never know.”
    “I don’t think it’s fair for me to kick you out of your bed.” She shook her head, honey blonde hair brushing her shoulders. Her features were delicate, almost fragile, and her mouth soft.
    His smile was crooked. “With only one bedroom, I don’t see how else to arrange things. Needless to say, I didn’t buy this place with the intention of having a lot of guests. It’s no problem. I can sleep on the couch and keep the fire going.” He got to his feet. “I think I have an extra toothbrush in the cabinet and I find you something to sleep in.”
    She stood also, her slender body dwarfed by his flannel shirt,