Page 76 of Mine For The Winter

For the first time in a long while she felt some hope.

* * *

“What’s going on?” Kelly looked at the three Winter brothers standing behind the bar. North was serving a customer, his large hands wrapped around the pump as beer flowed into a glass. Gabe was loading the dishwasher. And Kris was smiling at her in that soft way that made her stomach do a twist.

He walked out from behind the counter. “I’m taking you out.”

She blinked. “What? No. I have to work.”

“That’s what North and Gabe are here for. I know you’re a demon behind the bar, so I figure two of them can equal one of you.” It was weird, but he looked almost nervous, an emotion she wasn’t sure she’d seen on Kris before. “I’d like us to go out for something to eat and to talk. Just old friends. But if you’d rather not, you can still take the night off, go home, and put your feet up.”

She let out a lungful of air. This had been coming for a while, she knew that. And maybe she needed this talk as much as he did.

But there was still that little jolt of anxiety. What came after the talk? Would he feel unburdened and leave?

The thought made her stomach tighten.

You’ve been through worse, girl.She wanted to laugh at that voice in her head, because it was true. She was surviving. Maybe even thriving.

She let out a long breath. “Okay, let’s go talk.”

His smile was like the sun coming out after years of rain clouds. He reached for her hand and she let him take it, leading her out of the Tavern and into the cool evening air. It hadn’t snowed for a couple of days, but the temperatures had been low enough to cover the sidewalks and trees with a glistening frost.

“Hey!” Dolores called from the café door. Despite it being closing time the tables inside were still half full. “I have your order here.”

Kris walked over to take the two brown bags from her, leaning down to kiss her cheek. “Thank you.”

“Any time, honey. Now you kids behave.”

He chuckled. “We’re just going out to talk.”

“That’s what they all say.” Dolores winked and walked back into the café.

“You ready?” Kris asked Kelly, nodding his head at North’s truck.

“Aren’t we going in your car?”

“I figure if we’re gonna freeze our asses off we should do it in a truck bed.”

“We’re eating outside?” She frowned. “In this weather?”

“I have blankets. And hot coffee.” He glanced at the bags he was still holding. “I thought we’d drive up to the mountains and look out over the town. But if you’d rather go somewhere warm we can do that.”

“No,” she said quickly, because the mountains sounded perfect. The skies were clear and the stars were out and she knew the view of Winterville would be beautiful from there. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen it from a distance at night. She was too busy working to take a trip like that.

Kris wedged the brown bags behind some boxes in the flatbed, then walked around to open her door. “I don’t remember you being such a gentlemen when we were in high school,” she said lightly, liking the way he lifted a brow as she teased him.

“Yeah, well I don’t remember you being a lady either.”

She climbed in and he pushed the door shut behind her, walking around to the driver’s side and sliding in behind the wheel.

“I was a perfect lady in high school,” she protested.

“Like when you beat up Amelia Day?”

“She was teasing the little kids. She deserved it.”

His eyes met hers and his lip twitched. “I know. You were kick ass.”

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