More Than a Touch (Snowberry Creek #2) Read Free

Snowberry Creek and turn the old Lang place into a bed-and-breakfast. That should make her parents happy. Nick was going to oversee the necessary renovations to bring the old house up to code and then open his own remodeling business.
    Although Zoe was several years older than Callie, they’d known each other back in high school and had become reacquainted since they’d both moved back to Snowberry Creek. When they’d run into each other at Something’s Brewing earlier in the week, and Callie had mentioned the work party they had planned for today, Zoe had offered to donate a casserole to the cause.
    She could hear the deep rumble of male voices before she had even cleared the woods. Pausing at the edge of the lawn, she studied the scene in front of her. Men were sprawled all over the porch and even on the grass. Evidently, the work party portion of the day’s activities had come to a close. Before she could decide whether to wade through the scattering of bodies to reach the front door or head around to the back of the house, a dog spotted her and sounded the alarm.
    Several of the men sat up long enough to see what had set the dog off, but they immediately resumed their relaxed positions. Only one stood up and made his way toward her, using a cane to support himself as he cut straight across the yard in her direction. She started forward to save him having to come the whole distance.
    When they met in the middle of the yard, she smiled. “I’m sorry if I’m late. Callie told me dinner wouldn’t be until after six.”
    “No problem. You’re not late.” He offered her a reassuring smile. “We got through Nick’s checklist faster than expected and knocked off early. Callie and company are busy out back putting the finishing touches on dinner.”
    That was a relief. Zoe would’ve hated spending a good part of her afternoon putting together her mother’s best recipe for lasagna to find out everyone had already eaten.
    “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Corporal Leif Brevik.”
    “Zoe Phillips.” She held up her foil-covered casserole dish. “I’d shake hands, but mine are a bit full at the moment. However, it is nice to put a face to the name. Callie has mentioned you.”
    The man’s grin kicked up a couple of notches. “Should I claim everything Callie said is a pack of outrageous lies or take credit for all the marvelous things she said about me?”
    Zoe laughed. “Well, Corporal, I’d hedge your bets and do a little bit of both. She did say you were a good-looking charmer. She got that part right.”
    She suspected Leif normally had a fair dose of the swagger that was second nature to soldiers, but her compliment had him blushing. Cute. She hadn’t been kidding, either. Leif would turn women’s heads in any crowd. A shade under six feet tall, he had nice broad shoulders, although he could stand to put on a few more pounds. He wore his dark hair longer than regulation, so she had to guess he was on leave, maybe something to do with that Velcro and plastic boot on his left leg. His brown eyes were framed with ridiculously long lashes and laugh lines. Like she’d first thought, a good-looking charmer.
    Leif was talking again. “I’ll walk you around back. I was heading that way to grab a couple of beers for me and Nick when I spotted you.”
    She suspected he was making up that last part, but if he wanted to provide escort, she wasn’t going to argue. “Lead on—and I wouldn’t mind a cold drink myself.”
    “You got it.”
    When they reached the backyard, Leif veered off toward a row of coolers lined up along the side of the yard. As soon as Callie spotted Zoe, she set down a giant bowl of salad and headed straight for her. “I’m so glad you could make it! I also really appreciate your bringing something, too. We’ll need it.”
    Zoe stared at the huge array of food arranged down the length of two long tables. “Wow, that’s quite a spread.”
    “It is, but we’ve ended up with a