Page 13 of More Than Words (Trickle Creek: The Lyons #2)

Chapter Ten

Ethan

T he wind had picked up by mid-afternoon, and with it came that sharp bite in the air that meant snow wasn’t far behind. And not just a few flurries, but real snow. The kind that meant winter was really and truly here.

We were only barely into November, but Mother Nature didn’t seem to care about trivial details like the date on the calendar. Life in a mountain town was unpredictable, especially when it came to the weather.

Not that I minded too much. I’d grown up spending all my free time on the ski hill, and I couldn’t wait to get Quinn out there, too. On our few visits to my brothers, she’d tried it and liked it. But it was different when you lived right down the street from the ski hill.

With any luck, we’d be spending most weekends on the hill.

Maybe it could be a new way for us to reconnect.

Quinn had been pulling away lately, and I couldn’t help but let it worry me.

No matter what my brothers told me about how it was normal for a twelve-year-old girl to want to spend more time with her friends than her dad.

It still felt…strange. Like the end of something.

Still, I was glad she was starting to make good friends in Trickle Creek. I’d been so worried about the move, but she was doing great. Coming back to town had been a good decision for so many reasons.

I pulled my gaze from the building storm outside and went back to wiping down the bar, not that I expected any customers.

It was the midweek lull in shoulder season.

Most of the locals had already hunkered down for what was supposed to be the first big storm of the season, and there weren’t many tourists to speak of at this time of year, with the golf course closed and the ski hill not quite ready to open.

Quinn had left a few hours ago with Reid for their weekly ice cream date, opting instead for hot chocolate in the cozy lounge of the Tamarack Inn. Too cold for cones, they’d declared.

I left the cloth on the bar and moved to the front window to watch the snow swirling around the deserted plaza. There wasn’t a soul out there. Which meant there was no point staying open any longer.

I flipped the sign over the door to “Closed” and glanced toward Plot Twist. Was Delaney still open? Was she prepared for the storm?

It had been almost three weeks since I’d shown up at her door in the middle of the night like an idiot and changed everything between us with one kiss.

But what a kiss it was.

I’d walked away feeling as though the earth had completely tilted under my feet.

And in the weeks since…we hadn’t talked about it.

Not once.

It’s not that we’d actively avoided each other either.

That would be impossible in a town like Trickle Creek, especially considering we were neighbors.

She’d popped into the brewery a few times.

Always with friends or to say hi to Quinn.

And I’d gone next door once or twice looking for my daughter, or some advice on the font for the new menu or for some other reason I’d pulled together as an excuse just to see her.

Now, when she looked at me, there was something new behind it.

A little bit guarded. But not completely.

The flirting had turned into something else, too. For one thing, there was no longer any denying that there was a flirtation between us.

The lingering glances that held a beat too long. The fingers that brushed my arm when I handed her a beer. The quiet smiles.

Oh yes, that was all very much there.

But still, we hadn’t talked about the kiss.

What was there to say?

We were both busy. Now that Peaks & Brews was officially open for business, I had even less free time. And Quinn was and always would be my priority. Christmas was right around the corner, too. Obviously, it was a busy time for Delaney. Never mind her usual book clubs and writing groups.

Timing, as always, was a bastard.

Still, I replayed that kiss over and over in my head. And the tiny little shorts and tank top she’d been wearing. Her hair piled on top of her head, and those sexy librarian glasses over her big, green eyes.

Damn.

I’d gone to bed with that image in my head more than once.

A ping pulled me from my thoughts before they could get carried away. I pulled my phone from my back pocket.

Quinn:

Looks like a blizzard. Uncle Reid says I can stay here tonight. I brought my book and they’re all set up for a power outage.

I stared at the message for a beat. The snow had started to come down even harder since I’d been lost in my thoughts.

I sent her a quick text back.

Sounds like a good idea. Help out if you can. Love you.

I grinned when, a second later, her reply came through.

Of course I will! Love you, too.

A moment later, my phone buzzed again. This time with a call.

Preston.

“Hey,” I answered. “What’s up?”

“You’re not going home tonight,” he said without preamble.

“Excuse me?”

“Figured you’d want a heads-up,” he said.

“I just got called in for duty.” Preston worked with the local search and rescue crew.

When he wasn’t out playing in the mountains, he was usually helping those who were.

“It’s going to be a busy night,” he continued.

“Trees are down on the main highway northbound, and Evergreen Way is a skating rink. Cars in the ditch everywhere.”

I sighed. “That’s the way I take home.”

“Which is why I say, you’re not going home tonight.” There was a trace of a smile in his voice, despite the serious job he was on. “Stay put. It’s a shit show out here. And the power lines are already sagging like crazy. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the power go out soon.”

“Shit.”

“That’s an understatement,” he said. “The first storm of the season is always a bitch. But this one is going to be a doozy.”

“Awesome,” I muttered, already heading for the brew room. “I better make sure the generators are in place and double-check the tank lines.”

“Good plan, brother,” Preston said. “Don’t risk the beer.”

“Priorities.”

“You know it.” He laughed, but there was an edge of seriousness to his voice when he asked, “You staying there, then?”

“Looks like it.” I didn’t have much of a choice. “Quinn’s with Reid and Avery at the inn. I’ll make sure things are good here.”

“Good. I’ll check in later.”

Before I could reply, the line went dead. Preston was in for a busy night. Not that he’d mind. He loved working with the search and rescue team. The adrenaline fueled him.

I tucked my phone in my back pocket and, with a sigh, went to check on the beer.

I had the generators in place. If the power went out, the beer would hold.

Still, I planned to keep a close eye on things. Just in case.

I leaned against the edge of a stainless-steel tank, staring at the blinking green lights and listening to the wind howl outside.

There was no going home tonight.

Delaney

There hadn’t been a customer in well over two hours, and judging by the way the snow was blowing sideways through the plaza, there wasn’t likely to be any.

I’d just finished locking up and was halfway through the shop to head up to my apartment when a flash of movement caught my eye.

Ethan.

He was bracing himself against the wind, snow clinging to his jacket and hood as he plowed his way through the snowdrift to the front of the shop. He tried the door and, finding it locked, rapped on the glass.

“What the?—”

I moved quickly, so he didn’t freeze to death, and unlocked the door. A blast of cold air rushed in with him.

“What are you doing, Ethan? You look like a snowman.”

“And I only walked a few feet from my door to yours.” He laughed and shook his head. “It’s crazy out there.”

“Which is why I ask, what are you doing?”

He brushed snow from the front of his coat and looked up. “I’m checking on you.”

I took a step back, surprised. “You are?”

He chuckled. “I figured you’d already be closed up, but I saw the light and I just wanted to make sure you had everything you needed for the storm. It sounds like it’s going to be a big one.”

“Oh.” I was touched by his thoughtfulness. “The forecast just said snow. ” I held my fingers up in air quotes.

Ethan laughed. “The weather in the mountains is so unpredictable that the forecasters often just default to their best guess. But I just got off the phone with Preston. He works with the search and rescue crew,” he added, when I looked confused.

“He told me the roads are already sheer ice, people are sliding all over, there are lots of cars in the ditch already, and the snow shows no signs of stopping. Our first storm of the season will be a good one.”

“Wow.” I looked past him into the plaza.

What was left of the afternoon sun was all but blocked by the dark clouds and the heavy snow.

“I must have gotten lucky last year. We had some big snow dumps, but nothing like this.” Truthfully, after my first winter in Trickle Creek, I’d been surprised there hadn’t been more severe weather. “I guess I’m past due.”

Ethan smiled for a moment, but his expression quickly morphed to concern. “Are you okay here? You have everything you need?”

“I do.” I nodded. “What about you? Is Quinn?—”

“She’s with Reid and Avery at the inn. It’ll be safe and warm there.”

“And you?” I didn’t know exactly where Ethan lived, but I did know he lived just on the edge of town. And if the roads were already icy… “You’re not driving in this, are you?”

“Oh no.” He shook his head. “I’m a confident winter driver and I have snow tires, but it’s the other drivers you need to worry about.” He chuckled a little. “Besides, I don’t feel like adding to my little brother’s workload tonight.” He shrugged. “I’ll stay in the brewery.”

“No.” My response was immediate. “You can’t stay in the brewery. You’ll stay here.”

“Delaney. I don’t want to impose on?—”

“Ethan.” I reached for his arm and tugged him forward. “Don’t be ridiculous. There is no way I’m letting you sleep with your beer tonight. You’re stuck with me.”

His smile was warm and sent a thrill through me. “There are worse places to be snowed in.”

I tried not to smile. “Come on upstairs,” I said. “Before you track snow through my entire shop.”