Something I have no right to find familiar and yet I do.
Iwantto.
I clear my throat and step closer.
“Hey,” I say softly, flicking on one of the lanterns.
Warm amber light spills across the counter, chasing away the shadows. I set it down beside Eli, smiling. “Here. Could use some light, huh?”
He looks up, his grin instant and pure. “Thanks! Er…”
“Dean,” I respond. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Eli.”
Cal rounds the corner a few seconds later, his phone pressed to his ear. His expression is grim.
He doesn’t say a word while he listens to whatever is on the other end of the line, his brows furrowing deeper until finally he exhales and pulls the phone away from his ear.
“National Weather Service just issued an update. The area’s in a complete whiteout. Visibility’s zero. So, no driving anytime soon.”
Noelle’s head snaps up, her frown forming instantly. “You’re kidding… Well, we can’t stay here all night. The place has no heat.”
I glance over at Cal, then back at her. “You think the hotel’s down too?”
He shrugs. “Could be. Usually they’ve got backup generators, but in weather like this who knows.”
“Worth a shot to call Grant and check,” I say, already knowing how this is going to go. Or hoping, at least.
He nods, rubbing a hand over his jaw before stepping toward the front of the store. “I’ll see if he’s holed up or if the power’s out there too.”
When I turn back to Noelle, she’s still frowning, her hand resting lightly on Eli’s shoulder. “Listen, I appreciate you guys trying to help out, but it’s really not necessary. Eli and I can just walk back to my dad’s house. It’s not that far.”
I stare at her, incredulous. “Noelle…no offense, but yeah, it is.”
Her brow furrows. “It’s only a few blocks?—”
“It’snot,” I cut in gently, holding up a hand. “You know I know where your dad’s place is, right? It would take you an hour towalk there in good weather. With a whiteout going on outside?” I shake my head. “You’re looking at more than that.”
She blinks, caught off guard by the firmness in my tone.
My eyes sweep over her and Eli, both of them in thin knit sweaters and casual pants. “Also…you guys aren’t exactly dressed for a blizzard.”
Her lips part, ready with an argument, but before she can speak, her phone buzzes sharply on the counter.
The sound slices through the silence. She exhales hard and grabs it, pressing it to her ear. “Hey, Dad. Yeah, the shop’s down too.”
I lean my hip against the counter, setting the lanterns down next to me.
There’s a pause while she listens, nodding absently. Her hand runs over Eli’s curls as she murmurs, “No, we’re fine. Just a little cold, that’s all.”
From where I stand, I can just make out Richard’s voice bleeding faintly through the line, muffled but distinctly laced with worry.
The same concern I remember from years ago when Noelle so much as sneezed wrong as a kid.
Even now, it hasn’t changed.
Noelle bites her lip as she listens, nodding along to whatever he’s saying, her eyes darting between Eli and the windows up front like she’s trying to manage a dozen thoughts at once.
Then suddenly her gaze flicks to me.
