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wanted to stamp her foot.
    “Then find a different babysitter, Princess.”
    She pursed her lips but could not think of a suitable comeback. Why did that always happen to her?
    “You…unnerved me,” she finally admitted. “I’m not used to people being so rude.”
    He raised one eyebrow. “I saved your life, and you call me rude?”
    “I’m not used to Alaskan weather. There was no need to call me a fool.”
    “Are you going to walk out that door without bundling up first?”
    “No.”
    “Then me calling you a fool taught you a lesson, and thus I’ve saved your life again.”
    Thea opened her mouth then shut it when she couldn’t think of a comeback. At that moment, Miki came back out with a plate of food in one hand and a mug of coffee in the other. She set them down in front of Paden. When she noticed he was looking at Thea, her gaze bounced back and forth between the two.
    “Am I interrupting something?” she asked hesitantly.
    “No,” Paden said smoothly and turned his attention to his food.
    Thea spun back around on her stool. “When would you like me to start tomorrow?”
    Miki shrugged. “I usually open at seven in the morning, but for your first day, why don’t you just get here whenever you can?”
    “Sounds good to me.” Thea rose from her chair and headed over to the hook where her coat and scarf hung. “I think I’ll go back to the hotel now. Thanks for everything, Miki.”
    “Let me walk you back,” Miki said.
    Thea darted a look at Paden, who was steadily ignoring her as he ate his beef stew. “That’s okay. I know my way now.”
    Miki’s forehead creased in concern. “All right. If you’re sure?”
    “Positive.”
    First she put on her scarf, wrapping it around her neck before slipping into her parka. Last she put on her wool hat and gloves. All bundled up for the short walk back to the hotel.
    She waved to Miki and ignored Paden as she walked out the door. Like the night before, there was a stiff wind blowing, kicking up small swirls of snow and making the trek back to the hotel difficult. Plows had come out earlier and shoved away most of the snowbanks, but walking was still a bit tricky. She saw the hotel’s lights and followed them, thoughts of a hot shower fueling her onward.
    About twenty minutes later she stomped up to the hotel’s entrance and banged her boots against the side of the building, loosening the caked on snow. The Ugg boots weren’t meant for this weather and left her feet perpetually damp. Right before she opened the door to go into the hotel, she looked back the way she had come and saw a bulky figure in the drifting snow walking back toward town. She narrowed her eyes and just knew it was Paden. She watched him until he disappeared within the churning flurry.
    Had he followed her? Why? The answer hit her right between the eyes.
    To make sure she got back safely, of course, because he thought she was a total idiot.
    Annoyance coursed through her. After feeling empty and broken for so long, she’d finally experienced emotion again. She would relish the feeling, except it came from such an obstinate man that she derived no pleasure from it.
    Damn it!

Chapter Six
     
    Thea walked into Suinnak early the next morning. The wind had died down, leaving the snow settled. The world seemed so still as she walked the short distance into the town, so quiet. The cold stung her eyes, her nose and her lungs, but it wasn’t unpleasant. Rather, it made her feel…exhilarated.
    That stopped her short. She had felt so alone, so bare, for so long, that it was hard to process feeling something more, something other than apathy.
    Miki’s surprised yet delighted expression greeted her as she waked into the restaurant the next morning. Two people were already eating breakfast, a roaring fire blasted heat from the stove, and Miki had already brewed two pots of coffee.
    “Good morning!” Miki called out. “You’re certainly up early.”
    She gave a weary shrug as she hung