Page 10

“Yep. You?”

“Long day. I’m tired.”

He’d caught up with me by then. We stopped, frozen in a moment of time, with the snow falling all around us. I heard a horse whinny from the barn and the distant sounds of voices coming from somewhere on the ranch.

“Still can’t believe we’re here,” I said as a snowflake landed on my bottom lip.

“It’s hard to beat,” Grant said, his gaze seemingly on my mouth.

Self-consciously, I licked the snowflake from my lip.

Grant closed his eyes for a split second, as if it were suddenly too much to look at me. “Can I walk you to your cabin?” Grant asked.

“Yes, lead the way.”

We set out toward our cabins. The path grew slicker and at one point I slipped, my feet nearly falling out from under me. Grant grabbed me by the waist and held me up.

“Careful now,” Grant said.

I tilted my chin upward to look at him. “Thanks,” I said, breathy.

“You need a different pair of boots.”

“Yeah? I thought the price of admission was to wear cowboy boots for the entire wedding month.” I’d worn my favorite pair of black cowgirl boots that Jack had given to me for Christmas last year. However, they weren’t good in the snow and ice.

“I don’t think so. You should go into town and buy a pair of snow boots.”

“I’ll take that under advisement.”

“We don’t want our doctor to break an arm or leg,” Grant said.

“I agree.” I punched him in the arm. “It’s okay. I’m fine. Why are you sounding like that?”

“Like what?”

“All gruff, like I did something wrong.”

“I didn’t realize that’s how I sounded,” Grant said. “I worry about you, that’s all.”

“Give me your arm then. You can hold onto me until we get to my cabin.”

He seemed like he was going to argue with me at first, but instead he tucked my arm into his and we headed down the pathway. Once we reached my cabin, he walked me up to the door.

“You good?” Grant asked.

“I’m good.”

We didn’t move, until I reached into my pocket for my key. They were the old school version, made of metal and shaped like they’d come from the 1800s.

“Thanks for getting me home safe,” I said.

“My pleasure.” He moved as if to go but then turned toward me. “I was thinking about what you said earlier. About how I kind of disappeared on you after that Thanksgiving.”

“Yeah?”

“I wanted to say I’m sorry about that. I should have told you why.”

“It’s okay. I understand.” Why was he apologizing now?