Snowed In by Sarah Title

Chapter 2
    By the time she got to the ice cream freezer, Maureen couldn’t hold it in any more. So she just let it go. Why not? It was a Friday night. Now that she was apparently single, why not let fat, ugly tears stain her oversized, hooded sweatshirt while she stood in the ice cream aisle of the grocery store?
    â€œThere’s frozen yogurt, you know.”
    Maureen jumped and turned to see . . . well, a god. He was at least a head taller than she. His brown hair was a smidge too long and curled into the collar of his flannel shirt. His jaw was strong and sharp—a man face. His dark eyebrows emphasized deep blue eyes—eyes that were looking at her with curiosity, sympathy, and, if she wasn’t mistaken, a hint of mischief.
    â€œI’m sorry?”
    â€œIf you’re so upset about the calories, try frozen yogurt.”
    â€œOh, no, it’s not that, it’s just—” Maureen was stammering. Stammering in front of a god.
    â€œKidding.”
    â€œOh. Ha.” Bad jokes. Okay, so he wasn’t perfect.
    â€œSorry. I do my best work in produce.”
    Damn, that was cute. He’s definitely perfect, Maureen thought as she stood there dumbly, unable to process the perfection of his face (and those shoulders—even through his beat-up leather jacket she could see he had strong shoulders). Not to mention the fact that a god was making bad jokes at her while she stood crying with the freezer door open.
    â€œCan I just—” He reached around her for a pint of mint chocolate chip.
    â€œOh, my gosh, yes, sorry.” Maureen completed that articulate thought by backing into her shopping cart.
    â€œHey, easy now,” the god said as he placed a steadying hand on her arm. Even through her sweatshirt she could feel his hand was warm and strong.
    â€œListen, are you okay?”
    â€œWhat? Yes! I’m fine.”
    â€œIt’s just that I don’t always see beautiful women crying in front of the ice cream.”
    Ha. Beautiful. “Where do you usually see them crying?”
    He laughed. “Nowhere, if I can help it.”
    â€œWell, I don’t usually do this. I’m just a little . . . emotional,” she sniffed, wiping her nose on her sleeve. Smooth, Maureen. Real smooth.
    â€œI can see that.”
    â€œI didn’t mean to bother you.”
    â€œThe only thing that will bother me is if I leave this store without seeing you smile. I bet you have a great smile.”
    She raised an eyebrow. Was he flirting? He was pretty sure of himself. Probably came from being so perfect.
    â€œAh, a look of disdain,” he said. “We’re getting somewhere. So, what’s it gonna take to make you smile?”
    â€œMaybe I just don’t feel like smiling, okay? Maybe I have nothing to smile about.”
    â€œDid your dog die?”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œIs that why you’re crying? Your dog?”
    â€œNo, I don’t have a dog.”
    â€œDid you lose your job?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œInoperable cancer?”
    â€œNo! That’s not funny.”
    â€œWell, what else is there to cry about?”
    â€œMy boyfriend, okay? My stupid boyfriend decided after two years that he’s ‘not feeling it’ so he dumped me.”
    â€œIdiot.”
    â€œAnd I was naked!”
    She caught him looking her up and down, no doubt taking in her spinster sweats and frazzled hair. “Double idiot.”
    â€œYeah, right.”
    â€œYou know what you need?”
    â€œA hit man?”
    He laughed again, quick and smooth. “No. What you need is someone to take your mind off your boyfriend. Ex-boyfriend.”
    â€œAre you propositioning me? In a grocery store?”
    He looked a little flustered, but soldiered on. “I’ve seen it dozens of times. Beautiful, sharp women dropped by undeserving idiot men. And you’re going to go home and drown your sorrows in ice cream and wonder what you did