But vibes helped lead the way for everything I tried. And they hadn’t steered me wrong yet.
The first hint of doubt niggled at me.
“City boy. Isn’t that bad enough?”
I tugged my purse out of the locker, then my hat, scarf, and gloves. I tugged my hat over my pigtail braids. For a second, I thought about taking them out, but my hair was…ugh. There was so much of it and it was so damn heavy.
Nope, he seemed to like me with them, so I wasn’t going to go there.
I stopped in front of Mitch on my way out. I looped my scarf around his neck and pulled him down for a quick kiss on his beardy cheek. “Thanks for looking out for me, big guy.”
“If you don’t show up for work tomorrow, where should I start looking for you?”
I rolled my eyes. “The Hummingbird.”
“Still don’t like it.”
“I love you, Mitch.”
He grunted again. “Get.”
I tugged my scarf free and wound it around my neck as I walked into the diner. I didn’t have my good coat with me tonight, but if my neck was warm, I could manage just about anything. Central New York strong.
“Is that all you’re wearing?” Rory’s gaze narrowed as he zipped up his coat.
“As opposed to that windbreaker you’re wearing?” I laughed and headed for the coatrack.
“Yes, well, I’m a dumb guy from California, remember?”
“Oh, I do.” I tugged my puffy vest off the hanger. “But you have a car, right?”
“Actually, I walked.”
“Oh. Well, I have mine.” I tugged on my gloves. “Let’s get moving, LC.”
“That’s not going to stick, is it?”
“Maybe.” I patted his cheek with my thermal gloved hand, then sauntered out the door. “Whoa.”
Rory came up behind me and whistled. “So, maybe a bit more than eight minutes, yeah?”
I peered up at him, then at the near foot of snow on top of my car. “Let’s see what we can do about that.”
“Your feet.” He hurried after me as I stepped off the sidewalk.
“What about them?”
“Get in the car. It’s too cold.”
“Sorry?”
“It’s freezing and snowing. You are not dressed for this.”
“Baby, my blood is thick and hardy. You’re the one who is probably dying a little inside.” I’d already waded through a foot of snow from the bar to the diner tonight. My toes were just fine. Mitch was right though. No plow would be coming through for another hour or two. Easier to wait until just before work hours.
Rory grunted and brushed off snow halfheartedly with his sleeve.
“If we get stuck, we’ll just call my brother. He’s a few doors down. When it snows he crashes in his shop.”