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Then he faced her with his feet apart and his hands braced against his hips "Who the hell are you, and what are you doing here?"

Carrie did her best to answer, but her teeth chattered so hard that speaking coherently was a lost cause In the cozy war cold water against her shoulders as tight ringlets for stove war cabin was a marvel, and she did her best to take in as much of it as she could From the outside Finn’s rustic home didn’t look like much, and she was pleasantly surprised by the interior, with plenty of bookshelves, braided rugs, and large furniture

"What are you doing here?" he demanded a second time

"A … well, h he couldn’t bear to look at her a er, he filled a pot ater and then placed it atop the old-fashioned cast-iron cookstove She continued to shiver, bracing her glove-covered hands across her body In so herself together

Finn studied her as if he’d never seen anyone more pathetic in his life "Get out of those wet clothes," he told her gruffly

He didn’t need to reid weather Everything had happened so quickly Just the day before, she’d ht arrange, and then there was the roller-coaster ride in the bush plane Although it was still afternoon, the sun had already gone down

Still shaking with cold and shock, Carrie removed her wool coat and unwound the newly purchased scarf from her neck Next she atteers refused to cooperate Finn walked over to where she sat, got down on one knee, and undid the off her boots, he set them by the stove to thaw and then disappeared behind a fabric door, only to return a couple of , Carrie ed to pull them on

Without asking perh its contents, shook his head, and slammed it shut She had a couple of thick sweaters, but little else suitable for the harsh Alaskan eleain he disappeared into the other room and returned with a wool shirt, which she slipped on even though it was far too large for her

Not a as exchanged between the she could about hiht away she noticed that while he was a large race and ease that defied his size His hair was as dark as her own, and shoulder length Unfortunately, his full beard hid his face Even without seeing him clean shaven, she doubted that he would be considered traditionally handsoe and his mouth a tad too thin While he didn’t appear to be hunk-calendar ly appealing

Although they hadn’t spoken, she sensed his irritation and his curiosity He had probably already guessed she was a reporter, which hy he hadn’t pursued his questions One look told her he was deterive her any inforhly heated, Finn brewed coffee and without a word set aon the table in front of her Carrie took it and held on to it with both hands The first sip scalded her lips, but it was so deliciously hot that she barely minded Finn remained on the far side of the room, close to the hot stove, as if to keep ascareful note of what she saw, Carrie realized thatinside the cabin had been made by hand The space was compact but utilized beautifully The kitchen area, complete with sink and countertop, a few open-faced cupboards, the cast-iron stove, and a table with four chairs, flowed naturally into a cozy sitting area Hennessey lay on an oval-shaped braided rug close to the war chairs rested on either side, with dry wood stacked close by, and a sofa rested against another wall The s, of which there were two--one in the kitchen and another in the living area--had coverings that were pulled tightly closed The cabin had lights, which she assu were the bookcases built against the walls, which were jam-packed From what she could see, Finn Dalton was a reader When possible, she’d check out the titles, which were sure to give her insight into thisopen and friendly he’d be willing to chat "Carrie Slayton"

Finn ignored her and sat doith his back facing her

Fully capable ofthe coffee with her, clailorious "I apologize for arriving unannounced"

"Who brought you?" The question was clipped, angry

"Sawyer He tried to reach you, but you didn’t pick up and--"

"Howher off

"Well, nothing yet I told hi when he returns to pick me up"

Finn snickered

Carrie wasn’t sure what that meant "We discussed tere? Thirty pieces of silver?"

"No, no, it was nothing like that"

For the first time she noticed a small nook on the other side of the room He had another table set up there, with a lone chair On the table was a computer and what she assuht have been able to convince hiain, probably not

"Your cabin is a … all the conveniences You actually have a coht? I know that you worked with your publisher via e the least bit well

"I read your book," she said, trying again "It onderful The stories are detailed and rich You make the reader feel part of the story as well That’s a rare gift My dad read your book, too, long before me In fact, Moifts this Christmas Alone is still on the bestseller lists and has been for months, but then you probably already know that" She realized she was chattering away and stopped

"I’ain after several tense moments of silence "Saanted to stay, but the storet back to Bad Luck" What an unusual naht Hard Luck" That wasn’t much better It was difficult to maintain this cheerful facade with little to no feedback