Beverly pointed her knitting needle toward me. "Pay attention to whether he listens."
My gaze drifted back to Thane. Something warm settled inside me. It wasn't because Beverly thought he was handsome. That wasn't exactly breaking news. It was the listening part. The way he made people feel heard. The way he never seemed to realize he was doing anything remarkable.
A familiar voice interrupted before Beverly could continue her interrogation.
"Nicholas." The relief in my voice must have been obvious because Beverly laughed.
Nicholas appeared carrying a tray of fresh cookies. "Should I be concerned?"
"Probably," I said.
"Definitely," Mrs. Thompson agreed.
Nicholas set down the tray. "If Beverly starts giving relationship advice, run."
"I heard that," Beverly called.
"You were supposed to."
A doctor stepped into the room and said something quietly to Nicky. The doctor disappeared back down the hallway.
Nicky sighed. "Duty calls." He disappeared for a while after that, leaving us to continue helping with the afternoon activities.
The next couple of hours passed surprisingly quickly. By the time the afternoon began winding down, I was genuinely sorry to leave.
Nicholas caught up with us near the front entrance while we were collecting our coats. "Heading out?"
"Unfortunately," Thane said.
Nicholas smiled. "Have either of you made it up to Cedar Ridge yet?"
I shook my head. "No."
"You should go." Something in his voice made me pay attention. "It isn't a long hike," he continued. "Best view in town."
"High praise from a local," Thane said.
Nicholas laughed. "When my mom was alive, she used to take my brother and me up there when we were kids. She called it our thinking place." The smile on his face softened. "Whenever life felt too big, she'd drag us up there and make us sit for a while."
"Sounds nice."
"It is."
For a moment, neither of us spoke. Then Nicky smiled again and opened the door for us. "Go before you leave town. Trust me."
A short time later, we were driving through Juniper Hollow with Cedar Ridge programmed into the truck's navigation system. The town looked different in the late afternoon light.
"You okay?"
"Yeah." The answer wasn't entirely a lie. I was okay.
Nicky's words lingered in the back of my mind because I understood what it meant to miss someone who should still be here.
Thane didn't push when I didn't elaborate. He simply rested his hand on the center console between us. A few seconds later, I threaded my fingers through his. Neither of us said anything. We didn't need to.
The trail to Cedar Ridge turned out to be exactly what Nicholas had promised. Not difficult. Just enough of a climb to warm us despite the cold air.
Snow clung to the pine branches overhead, and our boots crunched softly along the packed trail. Every now and then, a breeze stirred the trees and sent a light dusting of snow drifting toward the ground.
