Riley crossed to the barn door, wrapping her arms around herself against the cold. Grant joined her, unable to resist pulling her close, his arm around her shoulders.
The sky had darkened considerably in just the last hour—heavy clouds pressing down, the first fat snowflakes already starting to fall.
"That doesn't look good," she said.
"Weather service says we're getting eight to twelve inches tonight."
"Should I head home before it gets worse?"
Riley's phone buzzed before Grant could answer. She pulled it out, glanced at the screen, and her expression shifted into something Grant couldn't quite read.
"Hey, Mom," Riley answered, stepping slightly away.
Grant tried not to listen, but the barn wasn't that big, and Carol's voice carried.
"Yeah, I'm at the farm," Riley said. "Grant says there's a storm coming, so I was about to?—"
She stopped, listening.
Grant watched her shoulders tense, then relax. Her free hand came up to tuck hair behind her ear—a nervous gesture he'd learned to recognize.
"Mom, I don't think—" Riley glanced at Grant, her cheeks going pink. "It's not like that."
Grant raised an eyebrow. Whatever Carol was saying, it was making Riley flustered, and that was always entertaining.
"Okay. Fine. Yes. I'll stay here." Riley paused, then softer: "Love you too."
She hung up and pocketed her phone, still not quite meeting Grant's eyes.
"Everything okay?" Grant asked.
"My mom says I should stay here tonight. That it's too dangerous to drive."
Grant's heart—and maybe something else—got excited. And maybe a little nervous. Riley. Here. All night. Just the two of them.
"She's probably right," he managed. "The roads are going to be a mess in an hour."
Riley nodded, biting her lip, something unreadable in her expression.
"You okay with that?" Grant asked. "Staying?"
"Yeah." Riley finally looked up at him, and there was something soft in her eyes that made Grant's chest tight. "Yeah, I am. Of course. Are you okay with it?"
Before Grant could respond, his dad appeared in the barn doorway, bundled in his heavy coat.
"I'm heading to the community center," Thomas said. "Jenkins called. They're opening it as a warming shelter for anyone who needs it, and they need help getting it set up."
"In this weather?" Grant frowned.
"That's why they need help. I'll probably end up staying overnight—the roads are going to be bad til morning." Thomas glanced between Grant and Riley. "You two going to be okay here?"
"We'll be fine," Grant said.
"I know you will. You always are." Thomas's expression was serious for a moment. "You've been running this place better than I ever did, you know. It's in good hands."
Grant's throat tightened. "Dad?—"
"Just saying." Thomas clapped Grant on the shoulder. "There's food in the fridge and root cellar. Plenty of firewood. And Riley?" He turned to her with a gentle smile. "Your parents know you're staying?”
