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wasn’t?”
    She opened her mouth and gave him a mock shocked glare. “Are you accusing me of something?”
    “Nothing more than I’d expect from myself.”
    She giggled. “You mean a real snowball fight.”
    He cocked his head to one side and let go of her hands. “Well, now the moment is ruined. You’re expecting it. The best snowball fights happen when you least expect it.”
    “Really?”
    “Sure thing. This yard has seen lots of snowball fights over the years.”
    She glanced around. She could imagine a clan of McKinnons running around in the snow, hurling snowballs at each other and laughing. Her mind wandered further to children piling into the house and stripping off their boots, jackets and gloves, and sitting down at the kitchen table to enjoy a cup of hot chocolate that Joan made special just for them.
    A stab of envy pierced her heart. It wasn’t the hot chocolate or the snowball fight that gripped her. It was everything else that couldn’t be seen or touched that was important. It was felt. Love. Family. Home. She knew nothing about that sort of thing. Not in the way they’d lived it here. She knew a fear that was always there. There’d been an underlying fear deep inside Georgie her whole life. First with her stepfather and his disapproval. And now with Eduardo.
    Julian was still rubbing his hands over her gloves.
    “It’s getting cold,” she said quietly. “I hate the cold.”
    He frowned and squeezed her hand. “Then it’s a good thing I brought your jacket.”
    His blue eyes seemed to glow against the backdrop of the white snow. His dark hair was tussled, but she wasn’t sure if it was from the wind or if he hadn't had a chance to comb it before she’d taken off outside.
    Julian McKinnon was without a doubt the most handsome man she’d ever met. And he…he was nice. How did that happen? How could God have given him the gift of being drop dead gorgeous and being a great guy? She thought back to his manners at the car. It was nothing big. It was all the little things he did. Picking up her suitcase and carrying it for her. Opening her car door. He was a gentleman. Wow, what a novel concept!
    And she had the incredible urge to kiss him. She’d thought about it last night before she’d gone to bed. She’d seen firsthand how incredibly strong he was and she longed to have those strong arms around her, holding her, making her feel safe. She wanted to know what it was like to have his mouth on hers. Would all his emotions be contained? Or did he unleash unbridled passion when he held a woman in his arms.
    “Georgie?” he whispered.
    She sucked in a deep breath and touched his face. “Julian?” Then she parted her mouth and sucked in a deep breath of crisp South Dakota morning air.
    Julian came closer to her and her heart raced. She closed her eyes and waited for her dream to be in Julian’s arms to become a reality.
     

Chapter Five
     
     
    “The coffee is done brewing!”
    Georgie’s eyes flew open at the sound of Joan’s voice. Julian’s hand was on her arm. He squeezed it gently and chuckled.
    “Her timing is perfect,” he said quietly.
    “You call that perfect?”
    “Grace and Liam are going to be here any minute. Oh, my, it’s cold out here this morning. You two get in here before you both get sick!”
    Georgie drew in a deep breath of air and then followed Julian into the house. She dropped her boots in the mudroom and hung her jacket up on the same coat hook she’d hung it on last night, making sure to put her gloves in the pocket so she’d have them ready when she went out again. The smell of coffee and cinnamon tickled her nose and drew her into the kitchen where she found Joan pulling a muffin tin out of a hot oven.
    When Joan heard them come into the kitchen, she placed the muffin tin on the top of the ceramic top stove and spun around. “I thought you’d lost your mind,” she said, looking at Georgie.
    “Who me?” she asked.
    “Who goes outside this time