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scooped her up and lifted her from the truck. He trudged through the deepening snow and, as promised, carried her with apparent ease up wide steps to a wraparound porch.The entryway was a beautiful arch of multicolored stone surrounding wooden double doors.
    “Can you lean over and let us in?” Jesse asked.
    “Sure.” Claire nodded and held her hand out.
    “What?”
    “I’ll need the key.”
    “It’s unlocked.”
    She raised her eyebrows. “You’re joking!”
    “The crime rate up here is . . . well, low unless you count raccoons stealing garbage and deer eating acorns.”
    “No, that doesn’t count.” Claire laughed but then thought about the alarm system on her apartment in the city and shook her head in wonder. “It must be nice not to have that worry.”
    “Yeah, well, there’s a downside. Pizza isn’t delivered either.”
    “Oh, well, that sure has to suck!”
    “Yeah, but it has made me a pretty good cook.” He chuckled and looked down at her.
    Wow, his eyes are blue.
    “Yeah, sometimes it sucks. I guess you can’t imagine living without fast food.”
    “Sometimes I need me some Starbucks.”
    Jesse grinned. “Like about now?”
    “Um . . . yeah.”
    “Sorry about your bad luck.”
    “I seem to be having a string of it.” After she opened the door, Jesse eased Claire to her feet and flicked on overhead lights. “Wow!” Perhaps my luck is changing. She padded in her stocking feet across the gleaming hardwood floor into a massive great room. A floor-to-ceiling fieldstone fireplace was the focal point, and although the room was large, leather furniture accented with plump pillows in jewel tones made the space feel warm and inviting. Many of the furnishings seemed to spring from nature, including a glass-topped tree trunk that served as a coffee table, and a wine rack made of antlers, giving the room a rustic charm that managed to maintain a touch of elegance.
    Claire turned around to face Jesse, who remained standing on the braided rug in the foyer. “Your so-called cabin is breathtaking. I can’t wait to see the rest of it.” She thought the lack of Christmas decorations was a bit sad, but she kept her questions to herself.
    “Make yourself at home while I bring in the supplies. My bedroom is on the first floor, but you can choose any of the guest rooms upstairs. Oh, and help yourself to anything in the fridge.The kitchen is to your left. Grab a beer if you want one. Don’t be shy.”
    “Thanks. I might grab one in a bit,” Claire replied calmly, but after Jesse headed out the door, she hung his parka on a nearby coatrack and then made a beeline for the kitchen. Okay, it might not be happy hour yet, but she was stranded with a complete stranger in the middle of Colorado with little more than the clothes on her back. . . .Yeah, she could use a little liquid courage. She flicked a switch that turned on recessed lighting, but before snagging a beer, she had to pause to admire the gourmet kitchen. “Oh . . . my,” she said breathily. Stainless-steel appliances gleamed against the walls, while a granite center island surrounded by tall stools seemed to invite her to sit down. Cherry cabinets added elegance to the sleek look, but the slate gray tile floor brought a touch of the rustic feel back into the room. It was gorgeous.
    “Hey, are you okay?”
    Claire turned at the sound of Jesse’s deep voice and felt a little embarrassed that she stood in the middle of the room with her hands crossed on her chest.“Oh, yes, I was just admiring your kitchen. It makes me want to learn to cook.”
    “Up here, you have to. The only takeout comes from the freezer.”
    “It’s always good to have a backup plan,” Claire agreed.
    “That’s my motto. How about you?”
    Claire looked down at her sock feet and then back at him. “What’s your guess?”
    “I’m guessing . . . no.” Jesse grinned as he set several bags of groceries onto the center island.
    “Then you must be a good