Like she was the great doctor with the cure to the plague that was wiping out the planet or something.
She came out and immediately turned to lock the front door shut. The key snapping the lock seemed almost loud in the otherwise fairly quiet parking lot.
Probably had something to do with the newly fallen snow muffling all the sounds.
Made it even easier for him to hear her.
“Good night, shop. See you Tuesday.”
I raised my eyebrow. “Tuesday, eh?”
“We’re closed on Mondays. The standard hairdresser workweek is Tuesday through Saturday.”
“Ahh,” he said, and held out his arm.
“We can both ride in my car,” Winter said, gesturing to her sedan that was covered with the white freshly fallen snow.
The ground was still wet and a bit warm, and Shaun didn’t expect the snow to last.
Though this was Kansas, and anything could blow in.
“Maybe we should take two vehicles,” he said. “At least, to your place. You were still wanting to go home first, correct?”
Winter nodded. “I can’t wear this white shirt to a barbecue sandwich night. I’ll ruin it.”
“Messy eater?”
“Enough,” she said. Sighed, and looked over the mostly empty parking lot. "Yeah. You can follow me. Make sure I don't get stuck anywhere."
"Do you think that's going to be a problem?"
"Not really." She sighed again.
"Winter, what's bothering you?"
She wrapped her arms around herself. "I'm cold. And I don't feel like chatting in the snow."
He was pretty sure that wasn't what was bothering her.
But she wasn't talking about whatever it was.
"Okay, then. Let's get going."
She nodded and he walked her over to her car. She opened the door and started it up, and came back out, an ice scraper, the kind with the brush on one end, in her hand.
"Here, I can do that," he said, holding out his hand.
"I can do it. It's not stuck." She brushed one hand in the snow on her windshield and it came off with ease.
"But you're cold. Climb in and warm up. I'll get it for you."
"It's not that big of a deal."
"I could have had it done by now if you had given it to me."
"Fine," she spat and tossed the scraper at him.
He caught it as she climbed back into her car and slammed the door shut.
