Four For Christmas(25)
Flynn pushed her hair behind her ear and dipped his head to meet her gaze. “I can see her in you, angel face. I think you’re more like her than you know.”
They heard a loud roar shake through the cabin, startling both of them. Flynn turned and headed to the den to look out the window. “Hell, that son of a bitch just flattened our snowmen.”
She watched him grab his jacket without any further explanation, joining his brothers outside.
Georgia grabbed the nearest pair of pants from her bag, hopping into them on her way to the door. She’d just gotten them zipped when the door opened again, the blast of cold air making her shiver.
She couldn’t believe her eyes. “Connie?”
She soon found herself smothered, face first into Connie’s more-bountiful-than-she-remembered breasts. “Only you would get marooned in a mountain cabin this far away from civilization your first trip ever out of the state of Louisiana. When you see what I had to ride in to come and get you, you’ll make me one of your Grandpa’s famous chocolate pecan pies as soon as we get home.”
Georgia wrapped her arms around herself as Connie guided her outside to see what a machine that looked like an armored tank from the future, a snowplow and an escalator made babies. “What is that thing?”
A dark haired man with a charming smile jumped out of the driver’s seat. “A snowcat. Owner at the lodge loaned it to me. His road’s been cleared,” he glanced at the men who had gathered around their fallen creations. “Sorry about the snowmen. I didn’t see them until it was too late. At least I bring good news. Your road should be cleared by tomorrow.”
Georgia bit her lip as the three men continued to stare at Simon, obviously making him feel awkward. He lifted his eyebrows in confusion. “Okay, guys, I know I raised the prices a little this year, but I do have a growing family to feed. Besides, it’s sports equipment. It’s supposed to be expensive.” His gaze landed on Georgia’s with something akin to relief. “You must be Georgia. I’m Simon. Connie has been worried sick about you. Literally, if you ask Lee about it. She couldn’t wait another day.”
Was it bad timing or good? Was her holiday karma still going strong?
Chris turned and walked toward her. No. Toward Connie. “I told you she was fine, Connie. The last thing any of us want is for you to worry for no reason.”
Connie did something that, in Georgia’s memory, was very un-Connie-like. She started crying. “I know,” she sobbed. “I’m a nurse, I understand logically that it’s just hormones. But Georgia hasn’t had a Christmas since her grandfather died where she wasn’t a—“
“Connie,” Georgia interrupted, avoiding Chris’s penetrating blue eyes. “I’m glad you’re here. I’m fine. They’ve been gracious hosts. More than gracious. So stop worrying.”
Connie hugged her again. “I’m scaring you aren’t I?”
“A little.” Georgia looked at her frazzled friend and chuckled. “But isn’t this how all pregnant women act?”
Her friend’s jaw dropped. “You can tell? I’m not that far along.” She looked down at herself and started sniffling again. “It’s my breasts, isn’t it? Lori Ann said she couldn’t really notice the difference, but I could barely get that seatbelt across them this morning.”
She comforted her friend, acknowledging with a silent nod of thanks when Flynn brought out her jacket and placed it over her shoulders.
Simon was talking to Jimmy. “Good thing you took your vacation time this week. Some of your buddies spent the last few days snowed in at the station. You can imagine what a fun slumber party that was.”
Jimmy shook his head. “I’ll be hearing about it for months to come I’m sure. I should check on them. Make sure they aren’t planning any shootouts.”
Georgia patted Connie’s hand. “I’m just going to go get our things, then we can get you back home where it’s warm.”
She heard Jimmy’s sound of disagreement but kept walking. This was already going to be difficult. Now it would be difficult in front of a friend with matchmaking tendencies and wild hormone fluctuations, as well as a stranger.
It was no surprise when she turned around, her bag over her shoulder, to find the three men right behind her. Jimmy got to her first. “You’re going? Just like that?”
Georgia didn’t know what to say. “She drove here in a wildebeest of a vehicle, a day before your road would be cleared. Pregnant. Who knows how she’d react if I didn’t go.”
Jimmy opened his mouth to argue, but Chris shot him down. “She’s right, James. Connie is too early in her pregnancy to be this worked up. And she did come to spend Christmas with her…not us.”