Going to New Hampshire with him felt like a big step. She’d met his family, of course, but this would be her first time staying in their home. Perhaps it was weird to think that was some kind of a milestone in a relationship, but she couldn’t help it.
“Wren, you are going to freeze in there.” Mr. Belostotsky had opened the cooler door from the store side and was peering at her through a gap in the milk jugs.
“I think it’s warmer in here than it is outside.”
“True. But Mother is worried about you being in there so long.”
They were so sweet. “I’ll be right out.”
Now that they’d brought it up, she did feel chilled and her fingers were definitely cold. Luckily, the cold didn’t make her cough anymore, but that didn’t mean she should linger in it. She finished up in the cooler as quickly as possible, and then stepped out into the warm storage room. After making sure the big metal door was secure, she added a sticky note about the half and half to the ordering sheet.
“Oh good, you’re done in there.” Now it was Mrs. Belostotsky checking on her.
They never slowed down and she saw no signs they really wanted to. Wren was convinced they hadn’t needed to hire any help. They just missed their grown children and wanted somebody around to fuss over. And she didn’t mind it at all.
“We don’t want you getting pneumonia before you go away with your young man, do we?”
Wren was fairly sure you couldn’t get pneumonia from being in a walk-in cooler, but she appreciated the sentiment. “No, we don’t.”
When she’d asked them about having both Saturday and Sunday off, she’d been racked with guilt. They’d been so generous after the fire and there was the Sunday cleaning to do. But when she told them why, they’d been so excited for her, she might have felt guilty if she didn’t go.
They left the storage room together, Mrs. Belostotsky telling the story of the time they’d taken their young kids on a drive up through New Hampshire to see the White Mountains during foliage season. They were hoping to do it again soon, with their grandchildren.
It was almost closing time, so Wren started running through her mental checklist of things to do while Mr. Belostotsky went through the process of closing out the register for the day.
The bell over the door rang and Wren looked over from the coffee machine she was prepping for the morning brew. Hot coffee and fresh baked goods were one of the ways they rewarded their loyal customers.
Grant stepped through the door, his hair and shoulders coated with a light dusting of fresh snow. He smiled when he saw her, but he didn’t approach her until she smiled back and waved him over.
“We’ll be closing in a few minutes,” Mr. Belostotsky said.
“He’s with me,” Wren said.
“I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d see if Wren would like a ride home,” Grant said.
Mrs. Belostotsky popped out from the back room, where she’d probably been keeping an eye on the security camera screen. She hated when her dearest was doing the register at the end of the day because it made her feel vulnerable. They’d been robbed seven times over the decades and they’d never been hurt, but she never stopped worrying. “Is this your young man?”
“Yes, this is Grant.” She introduced them and wasn’t surprised they instantly seemed to adore him.
It only took her a few minutes to finish up and Mrs. Belostotsky practically shooed them out the door. “Go! Have fun with your young man.”
“I should warn you, it’s a bit of a walk to the Jeep,” he said once they were outside. “Especially in this weather.”
The wind was biting, so they walked quickly and didn’t bother talking. It wasn’t as bad as he’d made it sound, though, and within a few minutes, they were inside and soaking up the heat from the vents.
“What did you just happen to be doing in the neighborhood?” she asked once they were on the road.
He gave her a sheepish smile. “I was in the neighborhood to see if I could give you a ride home.”
“You have to work tomorrow.”
“Yeah, so I’m going to have to actually take you home, which is kind of a bummer.” He squeezed her hand. “But I get to see you before I go to bed, so it’s worth it. I hope you’re not upset I showed up at your work, though.”
She turned to look at him. “Why would I be upset?”
“I don’t know. You’re a pretty private person. I don’t know if you tell people anything about your personal life.” He chuckled. “If you hadn’t looked happy to see me, I was going to buy a candy bar and leave.”
It hurt that he thought she wouldn’t be happy to see him, to the point he had an exit plan if she turned away. Had she been that closed off before? “I’m not holding back this time. Or hiding anything. I told you that.”
