Logan's immediately on his feet. "Fuck yeah. I'll walk you out, baby."
They disappear toward the back exit, and all of us laugh and shake our heads at the newest happy couple in town.
By the time we're ready to leave, three glasses of wine has put a flush in Mia's cheeks and loosened her up enough that she's not flinching away from casual contact.
We say our goodbyes, a process that takes approximately fifteen minutes because everyone in this town is incapable of a simple wave, and finally make it outside.
The cold air hits us like a slap, and I look up into the crisp, clean mountain air. Fat snowflakes are drifting down from the dark sky, swirling in the breeze and falling at our feet.
"Ohhhhh," Mia breathes, tilting her face up to catch the snow. "It's beautiful."
I pause for a second, watching how the snowflakes catch in her eyelashes, how her face softens in wonder.
"Yeah.Beautiful," I mumble.
Except I'm not talking about the snow. I'm talking about her. The girl who's always been my north star, even when I was too stupid to follow. She's standing there with snowflakes catching in her hair, cheeks pink from cold and wine, looking more relaxed than I've seen her since I came back.
I take a deep breath and slide my arm through hers, carefully casual but deliberate nonetheless.
She freezes, looking down at our linked arms, and my heart stops. For a terrifying second, I think I've ruined everything.
But then… she doesn't pull away.
We walk through the falling snow, connected by this fragile bridge between us.
"Do you remember the snowman contest we were in?" I ask, the memory hitting me suddenly as the snow falls heavier on the walk back to my truck.
She nods. "Which time?"
"Senior year. The one where we won first place."
"Iwon first place," she corrects. "With my brilliant architectural design."
"Your design?!" I stare at her in mock outrage, tugging her closer by the arm linked with mine. "I'mthe one who suggested we make it look like Mr. Peterson, the gym teacher!"
"No… You suggested we make it look like a hockey player! I'm the one who said we should give it his mustache and that ridiculous toupee he used to wear."
"The toupee was my idea!"
"Oh my god, Ryder. Itsowas not!"
We're standing in the middle of the parking lot, arguing about a snowman we built in high school, and yet… it's still the most normal I've felt since coming home.
"You know what?" I bend down and scoop up a handful of snow. "There's only one way to settle this."
Her eyes widen. "Ryder, don't you dare—"
But I'm already packing the snow, grinning at her like we're seventeen again.
"We build new snowmen. Right here, right now. Winner gets to claim credit for the Peterson masterpiece."
"You're insane," she says, but she's already crouching down to gather her own snow. "It's midnight and we're in a parking lot. Only you could come up with something so ridiculous Ryder Heath Scott."
My mouth opens in mock horror. "Um… Did you just middle name me? MiaGertrudeHarper?!"
"You did NOT just use the G-word!" Mia gasps, and before I can blink, a snowball smacks into the side of my truck, right where my head was a second ago.
I dodge sideways, laughing as she scoops up more snow. "Whoa there, Harper! Don't start what you can't finish."
