Page 38

Keegan shifted restlessly in the booth, watching the door to the pub. Each time it opened, he tensed…and then sat back in disappointment when he saw it wasn't Sofia.

Would she come?

He'd chosen a booth by the windows, with a view over the horizon. The storm had moved on, and the sky was bright with stars and the moon. The ice made all the trees and earth sparkle, as if someone had painted it with magic…

The door opened again, and this time, it was her.

Keegan's heart started racing as she scanned the room, looking for him. When her gaze fell on him, he grinned and stood up.

Her returning smile was instant, instinctive, he suspected.

He felt like he was holding his breath as she made her way across the pub, worried that she was there to tell him that she wasn't going to stay. But when she neared, all he got from her was a nervous smile. "Hi."

Relief rushed through him. "Hey."

She didn't sit down. She was restless. "Sit here?"

"Or we can walk outside? It's cold but beautiful."

She looked out the window. "It's breathtaking."

"It is. That's why I chose this seat."

"I didn't bring a coat."

"We have a bunch in the truck. We can grab one and then just wander around." He suddenly wanted to be outside with her, not sitting with a table between them. "Cool?"

She nodded. "Okay."

Words were sparse as he led the way through the adorable pub, down the hall, and to his truck. He went through the stash Bella had put in the back, and fleeces and hat for both of them. Within moments, they were both wrapped up and warm.

"There's a cool lookout point up here." Keegan led the way through the parking lot, and down a little trail that had been treated with sand to deal with the ice. They made it down the trail to a little precipice with a covered swing that sat perched on the edge.

Sofia let out a little gasp. "How did you know this was here?"

"I always stay at this hotel when I do this run. I found this spot on my second time here. It's really glorious in the summer as well." He put one of the blankets on the bench of the two-person swing that was more like a wicker love nest than a swing. "Have a seat."

Sofia didn't hesitate. She sat right down, leaving enough space for him.

He sat next to her, then draped another blanket across their laps. There was enough room that they weren't touching, but he was viscerally aware of how close she was. He pushed off with his feet, and the swing began to move gently.

"It's like heaven up here," Sofia said. "The ice storm is so gorgeous in the moonlight."

"It is," he agreed. "It's like an ice kingdom."

For a long moment, neither of them spoke. He felt consumed by the moment, of sitting there with her. "You remember the fountain?"

She didn't look over. "You mean, when we sat on the wall and dangled our feet in it, until security chased us off?"

"Yeah."

"Don't remember that."

He laughed, and she grinned, finally looking over at him. "Thank you for being so nice to Gabby."

"You don't need to thank me. It's automatic." He paused for a moment. "Is that why you didn't tell me? Because you thought I'd be an asshole about it? About her?"

Sofia sighed, pulled her knees to her chest, and wrapped her arms around them, in a defensive, protective position, making herself small.