That Wintry Feeling (Debbie Macomber Classics) Read Online Free PDF Page B

sometime later. “The kiss was”—she paused and laughed—“interesting.”
    She lay awake for a long time afterward, staring at the ceiling. When she kissed Steve, her body’s response to him had been immediate. But she loved Steve, she was supposed to react like that. Try as she might, she couldn’t recall what it had been like when she had been kissed by men she’d known before him. He had filled her life for so long it was hard to remember. Not that it mattered now, she reminded herself.
    Sleep came several hours later, her mind battling her will, forcing out the memories. Itwas six months since the wedding now.
How much longer?
her heart asked. How much longer would it continue to hurt?
    At precisely eleven-thirteen, Cathy pulled off Airport Way and drove toward the sign high above the building that read ALASKA CARGO COMPANY .
    Wiping his hands on a rag, Ray sauntered out from one of the hangars toward Cathy. “Hello again.”
    “Hello, Ray.” She’d washed her hair, curling it carefully. Grady hadn’t said anything about seeing her this morning. Even if he had agreed to meet her, she wouldn’t want him to think she’d done herself up for him. As if to prove something to herself, she wore her most faded jeans and an old sweatshirt.
    “Grady said you’d be coming. He’s waiting for you in his office.”
    “He is?” She hoped some of the astonishment she felt couldn’t be detected in her voice.
    “While you’re with him, I’ll see to your car door.”
    Her attention swiveled from the office building back to the mechanic. “Ray,” she asked, a little shyly, “would you mind opening the car door on the driver’s side for me?”
    There was a mocking light to the faded blue eyes, but he did as she asked and moved to her car. He pulled, jerked, and heaved. His fists hammered at the lock, and still the door wouldn’t budge. “I’m afraid it’s shut solid, miss,” he pronounced gravely.
    “Just checking.” Her eyes shined with a happy light. “Thank you, Ray, thank you very much.”
    Ray paused and removed his cap to scratch his head, a puzzled look furrowing his brow as Cathy walked toward Grady’s office.
    Grady was on the phone, his voice low and lazy, when Cathy entered the building. The outer room looked exactly as it had the day of her visit. Newspapers and magazines littered the chairs, the ashtray looked even fuller, the butts balanced carelessly in a large heap. Cathy was standing at the counter, trying to make sense out of one of the charts, when Grady stepped out of his office and came to stand beside her.
    His voice was filled with laughter when he took the chart and turned it around. “You’re looking at that upside down.”
    “I knew that,” she lied, with the ease of a beguiling child.
    “I’m glad you’re here. I’ve been waiting for you,” he said, as he took a thick winter coatoff a rack.
    “I’m not late, am I?” She examined her watch. “It’s eleven-fifteen. Two minutes, if that.”
    Grady’s arm was in one sleeve when he hesitated. He looked as if he was going to question her, but lightly shook his head. “Never mind.” His smile was full.
    His charm might have fazed a lot of women, Cathy decided. Fortunately, she wasn’t one of them. “You’ve been waiting for me? What for?” He hadn’t mentioned anything last night.
    “I thought you might like to take a short run with me. It’s clear enough to get a fantastic view of Mount McKinley.”
    “A short run?” she questioned. “You don’t mean fly, do you?”
    He was laughing at her again. “Yes, my sweet schoolmarm, I mean fly. You don’t get airsick, do you?”
    “How would I know?” she shot back, losing her patience. “I’ve never flown before. Not ever.”
    “Never?” he asked, and sounded incredulous.
    “Never.”
    “Then how’d you get to Fairbanks from Kansas?”
    She would have thought the answer was obvious. “I drove.”
    “From Kansas?”
    “Yes.” He made it sound like an