01 Winters Thaw Read Online Free Page A

back during my Granddaddy JD’s day. The actual building fell down a few years ago during a bad storm and my Uncle Colby had the remains hauled off.”
    Daniel backed the RV into the spot she indicated, then turned off the vehicle. He glanced around at their surroundings. “It’s nice back here. Private, but not too far away from the stable or main house.” He looked at her. “Thanks for your help, Sienna.”
    She licked her lips nervously, suddenly realizing how alone they were in the shelter of the woods. His face was the epitome of harmlessness, but there was something in his eyes that lured her, tempted her.
    “Well,” she said too loudly, “I guess I’ll head back to the house and let you settle in.”
    “That’s the beauty of an RV. Once you’re parked, you’re pretty much settled. I just have to throw some wheel chocks under the tires, expand the slide outs and voila—home sweet home. Want a tour?”
    She did…and she didn’t. Daniel had been nothing but friendly to her. Regardless, he left her unsettled. She’d never felt an attraction to any man except Josh. Ever. Her cousins told her that was a sad commentary for her life, but Sienna stood by her assertion that she’d been lucky, meeting her true love at fifteen.
    She still felt that way. Sort of.
    Daniel took her silence as acquiescence and rose, leaving the driver’s seat and walking into the living room area. “I’m sure it seems small now, but that wall behind the couch slides out. Once I’ve got the whole thing opened up, it’s actually bigger than you might expect.”
    She’d spent nearly an entire summer in a similar RV with her family one year when her mother insisted it was time they saw more of the world than Wyoming. They’d driven to Texas in a borrowed RV to visit Granddaddy Thomas, then taken a meandering tour through Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada and several other states. Her parents had taken them to the Grand Canyon, the Hoover Dam, Mount Rushmore and Las Vegas.
    By the end of the summer, Sienna had seen plenty of the country. She was also on the verge of killing her entire family after spending so much time confined with them in the small space. The experience had left her less than fond of RV’ing. She’d made a vow to herself that when she and Josh had kids, they’d travel the traditional way—in planes and hotels.
    “It’s very nice.” Her tone must have betrayed her true thoughts.
    Daniel chuckled. “Not much for hitting the open road and camping along the way, huh?”
    She shrugged. “I like my vacations a little more organized.”
    “Organized how?”
    Her answer was simple. “Plane tickets with definite departure and arrival times, hotel reservations and a detailed itinerary. Driving around with no definite idea of where you’re going or when you’ll get there is insanity.”
    Daniel shook his head. “Haven’t you ever heard the expression It’s the journey, not the destination ?”
    “No doubt that was penned by someone who couldn’t be bothered to go online and book a room.”
    Daniel didn’t respond. Instead, he simply studied her face. When she began to feel uncomfortable under his scrutiny, she turned and pretended to be fascinated by his kitchen. “You cook a lot?”
    He shook his head. “I have enough skill not to starve. Mainly live on soup and sandwiches. Oh, and I can whip up a mean breakfast—scrambled eggs and bacon.”
    “Well, it sounds like Vivi is saving you from a light dinner tonight. Her homemade spaghetti sauce is to die for.”
    “Vivi?”
    “Vicky, my grandmother. My cousin, Hope, dubbed her Vivi when she was two years old. She tried to say Vicky, but Vivi was all she could manage. There were three more of us learning to talk at about the same time, so the name stuck.”
    “Seth told me a bit about your family. Sounds like there are a lot of Comptons living on Compass Ranch.”
    She smiled. Talking about her family was never a hardship. She adored each and every cousin,