Find Me in the Snow by Pamela Q. Fernandes

November 24, 2020
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Find Me in the Snow by Pamela Q. Fernandes

When Althea meets Morgan Hunter at Muldoon’s pub for the first time, she thinks he’s a handsome, ego tripping, prissy-pants executive. She quickly rebuffs him only to find him thundering at her in the operation theater, the very next day. He’s dogged in his censure of her, but not immune to her allure. Through a snowy December Morgan courts Althea and wins her heart but not her trust.

When she travels with him at his request for Christmas to his home in Finesse, a tumble in the snow leads to the discovery of Morgan’s missing ex-girlfriend. Dead. Morgan pushes Althea away and she doesn’t understand his reasons.

Althea returns to build the new rural clinic in Finesse. She discovers the truth about Morgan’s heritage, the murdered ex-girlfriend and the secrets about the Hunter clan.

Can she save the man she loved from going to prison?

Excerpt

“Is this seat taken?” Morgan asked her. Althea glanced around the dining hall. All the tables were occupied. Morgan had that !ash in his eye. He looked around with his tray in hand.
“I checked,” he informed her.
She nodded as she stuffed two more fries in her mouth, washing it down with her mocha.
“Is this dinner?” he asked, as he looked at her loaded plate and proceeded to sit in front of her.
She nodded. “#is is lunch but then I thought, what the heck, I might as well have dinner now that I’m here.”
She glanced at his sparse tray: a bottle of water and a wrap. He must be one of those fitness freaks. #en he had to be. Even in his tailored suit, she could tell he was lean, athletic, and toned. Right now, every woman in the room was shooting daggers at her. She, in her scrubs and tight top knot without makeup or heels, and him, in a fancy three-piece suit.
“How come you’re alone?” he asked.
“Lunch is usually lonely. Everyone has work and wants to get it done before exit rounds.”
Taking a bite of her burger, she watched him as he carefully opened his wrap. Then he started picking out onions and laying them on the side. She didn’t say anything as she took another bite. “I’m allergic to onions.”
“I’m sure Marian would have given you a wrap without onions.”
He looked at Althea, then at the woman behind the counter, who was dealing with an unruly customer. “Why bother her?” Then he took out the tomatoes as well and closed his wrap.
Althea continued eating. Suddenly, she felt like her meal could not be over fast enough and he had still not started eating. She had to pick up the pace. She usually allowed herself twenty minutes for lunch; now she’d have to cut it to ten.
“Is something wrong? You seem like you’re in a rush,” he said biting into his wrap.
Althea bit her lip. “I need to get some reports in.”
He chewed and she noticed his full lips, his tongue occasionally darting out.
“Why did you in your elaborate way say no?” he asked her.
She feigned indifference. “Not that again. Does it matter?”
“It does. It was only a drink and some conversation.”
She snorted. “What would you have done after that?” Althea set down her burger. “Asked me out to dinner?”
He smiled and she swore she could have melted.
Morgan said, “You seem pretty sure of yourself, but I would have. You’re attractive, I have to admit.”
She laughed, baring her teeth. “Tsk, then what?”
Morgan coughed. “Excuse me?”
“After dinner, what? Expect a chaste goodnight kiss, call after three days, and take me out to another dinner, this time expecting tongue. After a week, call again, and a movie perhaps, and then onto second base. A week later, after another meal, then take me home for the night. Continue that for a month, while you have your ‘needs’ met and then say it’s not you,
it’s me and give me some lame story and move on.” Althea leaned back, looking smug.
“There, I just saved you two months of money and time that both of us would have wasted over something none of us would pursue until its end.”
“And what end would that be?” His eyes !ashed. Althea didn’t know if she should be scared or annoyed. “Why do people date, Dr. Hunter?”
Morgan breathed out. “I don’t know, to get laid.”
Did he just say that? She couldn’t believe it. Althea stood up.
“You know what, I don’t know what your problem is, but you’re all types of
crazy and I thought I’d seen many.”
“Sit down, Althea,” he said with an edge to his voice, watching her as she
shoved all her food back in the paper bag.
“It’s Dr. Paes to you, Dr. Hunter.”
She could see his jaw clench.
“Since you saved me time and money, what about my needs now?” he said sweeping his gaze over her, lingering slightly at her bosom.
The audacity of this man! It incensed her. Without missing a beat, she smiled sweetly, “You got hands, don’t you? Use them.”