The drive into town takes longer than usual. The truck tires slide on the icy road, and the wipers struggle to keep up.
The snow thickens, turning the world into a blur of gray and white. The whole town seems wrapped in it.
Lorelai’s Bakery sits at the corner of Main, its windows glowing like a hearth against the storm. The sign above the door still creaks in the wind, painted letters slightly chipped.
Warmth seeps through my coat the second I step over the threshold, the air inside smelling like cinnamon and caramel.
Riley, June, and Cora are behind the counter, the three retired Omega sisters who’ve kept this place running for yearsnow. They greet everyone like family, and the bakery feels like another home in town.
Riley looks up first, her hair tied in a scarf. “Morning, sweetheart. Long night?”
“Something like that.”
June already has a to-go cup in her hand. “Coffee?”
“Make it two. And a couple of muffins for Jude.”
She laughs softly. “Still feeding that boy after all these years?”
Cora rings it up, shaking her head. “He’s lucky you take care of him, Ryker.”
“Someone’s got to keep him alive.”
The door swings open behind me. A gust of cold air swirls through, carrying snowflakes across the tile. I turn instinctively, and there she is.
Norah Knightly.
Her scarf is wrapped high around her neck, wool the color of moss. Snow glitters on her hair, soft curls spilling from under a knit cap.
Her cheeks are flushed from the cold, eyes bright under the lights. She spots me and waves, a smile lifting her mouth.
“Hey,” she says as she steps up beside me, brushing snow from her coat.
“Hey.”
She orders a hot chocolate, her voice low and warm. When she finishes paying, we wait together at the counter.
“You’re up early,” I say.
She laughs softly, a small cloud of breath escaping her lips. “Have to meet the flower delivery guy at the shop. The snow messed with his schedule again. Figured I’d grab something warm before dealing with frozen tulips.”
“You thinking of getting that cold room installed?”
Her eyes widen. “How did you know?”
“Word gets around when you run a construction company in Fox Hollow.”
She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, that spark lighting in her expression. “I was hoping to talk to someone about it this week. It’s getting harder to keep everything fresh once winter kicks in.”
“I can tell you what you’d need,” I offer. “Good insulation, a solid refrigeration unit, and sealed framing.”
Her gaze lifts to mine. “You make it sound simple.”
“Nothing’s simple until it’s built. I can promise you, it’s very doable though.”
Her smile lingers, soft but curious. She looks down at her gloves, brushing away a bit of melted snow. I notice the way it glints on her scarf, the way the cold turns her skin pink.
I hate snow. Always have. But not on her. On her, it looks right,
