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He was the first to look away. A smile lifted the corner of his lips. She turned to see what he was looking at, and she noticed Mochi. The pup was lying on the floor with her head down and her eyes closed.

“I think it’s her bedtime,” she said.

“It is. She’s had a really big day.”

“I totally understand.”

With Mochi’s leash attached to one wrist, he grabbed their things from the hallway. “Well, goodnight.”

It wasn’t until they were out of sight that Leah realized she hadn’t given him a room key. She’d been so distracted by the puppy that she’d forgotten to get it for him. At least that was the excuse she was going with.

When she stepped out of the kitchen, Shaun and Mochi were out of sight. She rushed back to the registration desk and grabbed the correct key. She hurried toward his room. She was just about to turn the corner when he appeared in front of her. She let out a little gasp from nearly colliding with him.

She stepped back. Before he could say a word, she held up the key. “I forgot to give this to you. So sorry.”

He shook his head. “No apology necessary. I really appreciate you taking us in. I get the feeling you don’t normally have canine guests.”

“Actually, Mochi is my first.” She smiled down at the pup. “Now, if there is anything else you need, my number is next to the room phone. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight...again.”

Leah was exhausted. It was a long day, from an early breakfast to this late-night check-in. And yet she wasn’t in a place financially to say no and set boundaries. Then again, she didn’t intend to be working at the inn long enough to set up any boundaries. She just had to stay long enough to fulfill the terms of her grandmother’s will.

She quietly let herself out the back door. Her cozy little cottage was in sight. She started down the back steps. Just a few more steps—

Ompf!

She landed on her backside. And the steps were definitely not soft. Ouch!

It was then that she noticed the thick layer of ice that had built up. In fact, as she looked around, she noticed the sheen of ice on everything. That was not good. Not good at all.

She carefully got up and went back into the inn. She had to write notices to put on the front and back doors about the ice. She didn’t want anyone to fall like she’d just done.

This was his first time at a B&B. Shaun wasn’t so crazy about the décor, but he certainly liked the owner. Too bad he was leaving in the morning, but he needed to get back to Kentucky—back to his construction business—back to his father, who was now his roommate.

Shaun used the key to let himself into Room One. He wasn’t sure what to expect when he turned on the lights. But to his relief, he found a king-size bed. Plenty of room for him and Mochi. The pup could roll around to her heart’s content and not disturb him.

He’d just put his bag on the over-stuffed armchair when his phone went off. He pulled it from his pocket. When he saw his father’s name on the screen, he inwardly groaned. He was supposed to have called him back.

He pressed the phone to his ear. “Sorry, Dad. I just made it to my room at the B&B. Is everything okay?”

“Everything is fine. What about you?”

“Other than this ice storm, everything is good.” He glanced around at the antique furniture, which looked like it had come from his grandparent’s house. It definitely wasn’t his style, but it was clean, so he couldn’t complain.

“Your sister called. When she found out you were out of town, she invited me to stay at the farm. She’s picking me up in the morning.”

Shaun wasn’t sure how he felt about that. “What about the dogs?”

“She said I could take them with me. Son, it’s a farm, there’s a lot of room. They’ll get to run around and play to their heart’s content.”

Shaun nodded his head. “Sounds good.”

“So, you were able to drop off all of the pups?”

“All except for Mochi.” His gaze moved to her as she nosed around the room, taking in all of the different scents.

“Why?” His father sounded concerned. “What happened?”