"Should we sit?" Riley asked.
"Yeah. Sure."
They settled at the table, coffee mugs between them like a barrier.
Riley pulled out her phone. "Okay. So. Ground rules."
"Ground rules," Grant echoed.
"We already covered the basics last night. But we should nail down the details before the reunion tomorrow."
Tomorrow. The annual reunion was tomorrow. Grant's stomach twisted.
"Timeline," Riley said, all business now. "We've been seeing each other for a few weeks. Started right after Thanksgiving when I came home early."
"Why did you come home early?"
"I had the PTO to use up. Wanted to spend more time with family. Pick one."
"Both work."
"Okay. So I came home early, we ran into each other at—where did we say?"
"Hardware store?"
Riley wrinkled her nose. "That's so random."
"You're the one who needed Christmas lights."
"Did I?"
"Sure. You were helping your dad with something. I was picking up supplies for the farm. We literally bumped into each other in the paint aisle."
Riley's mouth twitched. "Paint aisle?"
"Your mom was repainting something. You were helping."
"Okay. That actually tracks." She made a note on her phone. "So we ran into each other. Started talking. Realized we'd both been thinking about each other."
Grant's heart raced. "Have you?"
Riley looked up, eyes wide. "Have I what?"
"Been thinking about me."
The question hung between them, heavier than he'd meant it to be.
Riley's cheeks flushed. "I mean—for the story. We have to say that. Right?"
"Right. For the story."
She went back to her phone, but her fingers were shaking slightly. "So we talked. Started texting."
"And then?"
"Coffee date. Somewhere neutral. Not in town because people would've seen us."
"Next town over," Grant suggested. "That diner off Route 9."
