Dead of Winter: A Romance Thriller by Suzanne Hoos & Wicked House Publishing

Author:Suzanne Hoos & Wicked House Publishing [Hoos, Suzanne & Publishing, Wicked House]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wicked House Publishing
Published: 2023-09-02T00:00:00+00:00

“I hope I didn’t take you away from something important.” Using the crutches the doctor had on hand, I hobbled over to the couch. “I thought…”

Mark shrugged. “Nope. Just another day of spaying and neutering.”

I winced.

“To tell you the truth, I’m surprised you called me.”

So was I. Surprised, too, he had come to my aid without question. On the short ride home, he had only asked if I was okay. My contribution to the conversation was telling him Joshua was away in New York for the week. He had offered nothing, except a sense of relief that washed across his face. But now that he was here in the house, I knew there’d be no avoiding the inevitable.

“Do you need anything, Mrs. Winters?” Lucius had returned home just minutes before I had. He met us at the door, fretting as though my tumble was his fault.

“No, Lucius, but thank you. Is Ruth here?”

“She went into town. She should be back soon.” He left the room.

“It doesn’t look too bad,” Mark said, eyeing my ankle that I had propped up on the cushioned ottoman.

“Is that a veterinarian’s point of view?” I asked.

He laughed. “You’re much easier to care for then the patients I see.”

“Thank you for comparing me to a French poodle or a Maine Coon cat.”

“I’m not comparing, I’m contrasting.”

“And now, you’re going all English grammar on me. When will it stop, Mark?”

We both laughed. He was easy and fun to talk to. A strange tingling swept up the back of my neck and across my face. I knew I was blushing, but why?

Mark blinked and then averted his eyes, though not fast enough. His face, too, had turned dark with discomfort.

Thanks to Glenna’s quick thinking and bag of frozen peas, the swelling in my ankle had gone down considerably. In addition to the pain pills, Dr. Daniels had wrapped an Ace bandage around my ankle, and told me if I see or feel any change for the worse to get myself to the clinic in town.

Mark suggested we exchange phone numbers in case I needed anything while Joshua was away. Since Ruth and Lucius were permanent fixtures around the house, I was hesitant to give him my number at first. But then, I realized he would once again be part of Joshua’s “team,” so I didn’t see the harm.

“Listen, Mark…”

He put up his hand. “I know what you’re going to say, Tori. Joshua called me this morning on his way to New York.”

I breathed a little sigh, feeling happy my husband had kept his promise. “I’m glad. You deserved better…”

“I know. That’s why I didn’t accept his offer.”

I stared at him. “What? Why?”

He sat on the edge of the chair. Though he looked boyish in his cream-colored Henley pullover, jeans, and Timberland’s, a difficult-to-read emotion shadowed his expression. Troubled? Flustered? Angry?

“Look, Tori. I know firing me was Joshua’s automatic reaction to Rikki’s fall, but I also know that…that this isn’t going to work.” He waved his hand between the two of us.

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