Page 95 of Beastly Mountain Man

Caprice grabbed the snow-gear bag. “I’m helping.”

“I expected you to.”

Before we went outside, she traded her leather ankle boots for the waterproof resort pair she’d worn yesterday and pulled on gloves.

The Audi was still buried enough to need work. Snow covered the roof and windshield, and the storm had left a packed ridge along the lower driver’s side where the access lane had been cleared.

Caprice opened the rear hatch and pulled out her long-handled snow brush.

I looked at it.

She lifted one eyebrow. “I own winter equipment.”

“You live in Missoula.”

“Exactly.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You were impressed.”

“A little.”

“Good.”

We worked from opposite sides of the Audi. Caprice cleared the windows, mirrors, lights, and lower sections while I shoveled the packed ridge away from the tires and swept the heavier accumulation off the roof.

When she stretched the brush toward the middle, the tip stopped several inches short.

She adjusted her grip and tried again.

Still short.

I kept my face turned toward the other side of the roof.

“Lucky, if you laugh, you will spend the rest of this relationship apologizing.”

I looked over the Audi at her. “I wasn’t laughing. I was considering offering help.”

“That would be acceptable.”

I walked around and took the brush when she held it out.

“The roof is an architectural problem, not a personal failing. The vehicle was clearly designed without adequate consultation from short women.”

“I agree. I can write that down with the weather complaint.”

Caprice smiled. “See? This is why I’m coming back.”

The sentence was easy enough that for a second I kept brushing snow.

Then I looked at her.

She didn’t take it back or turn it into a joke. She simply picked up the smaller scraper and moved to the front windshield.

Something in me settled, not because she had used the word coming, but because she had used back like there was already someplace here to return to.

I cleared the rest of the roof, then checked the tires while Caprice started the Audi and let the engine warm. The pressure display came up normal. She had plenty of fuel, the washer fluid was full, and nothing under the vehicle had been damaged by the accumulation.