11
Her thoughts in a whirl, Isabelle hurried across the snow-covered lawn back to the main lodge building and her bedroom. What in the world had just happened? Had Lyle really proposed — for about half a minute? Why? What was he thinking?
It couldn’t possibly be because of that night in Rome. Sure, there was plenty of chemistry between them, or she wouldn’t have wound up in a bed with him. She didn’t normally do that kind of thing. Most of her relationships developed in the crucible of fieldwork. Attraction would flare with another doctor, or an aid worker, someone she worked with closely every day. They’d get involved, things would burn hot and fast, and as soon as the assignment ended, or one of them moved on, they’d call it quits.
Lyle was different. He was an anomaly. Was she an ano
