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As Mochi looked up at Leah and proceeded to lick the tip of her nose, Leah’s eyes shimmered with love. He didn’t think he was going to have to do a hard sell to get her to keep Mochi.

The lights flickered.

Off. On.

Off. On.

Off...

Leah sighed. The lights stayed out. She’d been hoping they’d keep power through the worst of this storm. Apparently that wasn’t to be the case.

Her gaze moved to the pup. “Sorry. I have to get up.”

She put Mochi on the floor and walked her over to Shaun. She handed him the leash. “She going to make someone a wonderful companion.”

Martha sent him a puzzled look. “You mean she’s not your dog?”

He shook his head. “Mochi is a rescue. I brought her and three other puppies to the Purr ’n Woof. But there was a miscommunication, and they were only able to take three puppies. So, I’m taking Mochi back to Kentucky with me.”

Martha’s gaze moved between him and Mochi. “Looks to me like she already found her human.”

“I’m sure she’ll find the right home in no time at all.” Leah said as though sensing he was in an awkward position. She moved to the kitchen counter and grabbed two of the battery-powered lanterns. She lit them and placed them on opposite ends of the table. “I’m really sorry about the power being out.”

“There’s nothing for you to be sorry about,” Martha said. “You have no control over the weather.”

Molly, the young newlywed, turned to her husband. “Are we going to be able to get to my parents today?”

Brock, a large guy who was mostly quiet, nodded. “No problem.”

“You might want to reconsider.” Henry spoke up as he reached for his cup of coffee. “The roads are a mess.”

“I’ve got four-wheel-drive,” Brock said. “We’ll be fine.”

Martha looked at her. “Leah, I hate to impose, but would there be any chance we could stay another night.”

Leah had been looking forward to having the day to herself. With the big storm in the forecast, all of her reservations had canceled. It was rare when there weren’t any guests at the inn.

She needed to put up her Christmas decorations. But more important than that, she had more exploring to do. She still knew next to nothing about her extended family. She didn’t even know her father’s name. If she didn’t find something here at the B&B, she felt as though she would never know what had caused the split between her mother and grandmother.

Her whole life, she’d been told her grandparents were dead. And then to learn that her grandmother had been alive, and she had been robbed of a chance to get to know her, left a sour feeling in the pit of her stomach. With her mother no longer alive to answer any of her questions, she was spending her month at the inn searching every nook and cranny for answers about the past.

But nothing could be done about the winter storm. Leah put a smile on her face. “Sure. I’d be happy to have you. With the bad weather, I don’t have anyone checking in today. So, everyone please feel free to stay. Although with the power out, we might be roughing it.”

“I’m sure we’ll find something to do,” Martha said. “Do you have a deck of cards?”

Leah nodded. “And chess, Scrabble, and some other games.”

“Perfect.” Martha smiled before turning to the newlyweds. “Are you sure we can’t talk you into staying until the roads are safe?”

Molly shook her head. “We really need to get to my parents’ house. We eloped. And they are hosting a big party for us tomorrow. We can’t miss it. My mother would never forgive me.”

Her husband took her hand in his and gave it a squeeze. “Don’t worry. I’ll get us there. And your mother will forgive you for eloping.”

“I...” Molly had tears in her eyes. She blinked, and the tears streamed down her cheeks. She got up from the table and fled the room.

Brock called out, “Molly, wait.”

When he went to follow his wife, Martha said, “Give her a moment.” When Brock sent her an uncertain look, Martha said, “She just needs a moment to pull herself together. Trust me. I was once her age.”