"I'd love a ride." I pause, then add softly, "And company for dinner, if that's on the table."
His eyes meet mine, searching. "You'd want to meet my family?"
"Why not? I've been curious about the famous McKenna cousins." I keep my tone light, trying not to make this bigger than it is. "Unless you're embarrassed to be seen with the disaster hiker you rescued."
"Not embarrassed." He stands, taking our empty plates. "They're just... a lot. Loud. Nosy."
"I think I can handle it." I smile, feeling strangely excited at the prospect. "I promise not to tell them how you snore."
"I don't snore."
"How would you know? You're asleep."
The corner of his mouth quirks up—that almost-smile I've come to look for. "Pack your things. We'll leave in an hour."
I realize with a jolt that I don't have much to pack. My hiking clothes, washed and dried by the fire. The few toiletries I had in my small backpack. That's it.
Everything else I've been using belongs to Caleb. Leaving feels like shedding a skin I've just grown comfortable in.
After I've gathered my meager belongings, I find him outside on the porch, talking in low tones to Ruby. The dog looks up as I approach, ears perked.
"All set?" he asks, straightening.
"Such as it is." I hold up my small pack. "Traveling light."
He nods, then gestures to a rugged pickup truck I hadn't noticed before. "Radio said the roads are passable for vehicles now."
"No horseback journey into town? I'm disappointed."
That earns me another almost-smile. "Next time."
Next time. The casual implication that there will be one settles warm in my chest.
The truck is well-maintained but clearly built for function, not comfort. Ruby jumps into the back without being told, settling in like this is routine.
"She comes to town with you?" I ask as Caleb helps me up into the passenger seat, his hand strong and steady under my elbow.
"Sometimes." He closes my door and circles to the driver's side. "She likes to visit her brother."
"Ruby has a brother?"
"Same litter. My cousin Cade has him. Bear."
I smile at this small revelation. "So it runs in the family, the whole mountain man and loyal dog combo?"
"Something like that." He starts the engine, the truck rumbling to life beneath us.
As we pull away from the cabin, I look back, committing it to memory. The solid log walls. The smoke curling from the chimney. The porch where I watched sunrise with coffee in borrowed flannel.
I already miss it.
The drive down the mountain is quiet but not uncomfortable. Caleb navigates the rough roads with easy confidence, one hand on the wheel, the other resting on the center console. I resist the urge to cover it with mine.
"Tell me about your cousins," I say instead. "What should I expect?"
He sighs, but it's not annoyed. "Sawyer's the oldest. The sheriff. Responsible one. Cade's the loner."
"Like you?"
