His heart did something stupid in his chest.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
"Volunteering. Hannah guilted me into it."
"Hannah's not even here."
"I know. She's diabolical like that." Riley held up the coffee. "Want this? You look like you're freezing."
"I'm fine."
"Your lips are blue."
Grant climbed down the ladder and took the coffee, their fingers brushing. Even through his gloves, he felt the spark.
"Thanks," he said.
"No problem." Riley glanced around the square. "What else needs doing?"
"You don't have to?—"
"I'm already here. Might as well be useful."
Mrs. Henderson appeared out of nowhere, clipboard in hand. "Riley Monroe! Perfect timing. I need someone to help with the garland on the gazebo."
"I can do that."
"Wonderful. Grant, you're with her."
Grant opened his mouth to argue, but Mrs. Henderson was already gone, barking orders at someone else.
Riley grinned. "Guess we're partners."
"Guess so."
They headed toward the gazebo where boxes of garland sat waiting. The structure was already decorated with white lights, but apparently that wasn't enough for Pine Valley's holiday standards.
"Okay," Riley said, pulling out a strand of garland. "How do we do this?"
"One of us climbs up, the other hands up the garland."
"Rock paper scissors for who climbs?"
"I'll climb. You're afraid of heights."
Riley blinked. "You remembered."
"Of course I did. I remember a lot of things, Riley.”
"Apparently."
Grant set up the ladder and climbed, and Riley fed him garland section by section. They fell into an easy rhythm—him draping, her guiding, both of them working together like they'd done this a hundred times.
Which, Grant realized, they kind of had. Different context, same partnership.
"A little more to the right," Riley called up.
Grant adjusted. "Here?"
