“Are you sure you should be out on the roads right now?” Dad asks.

I roll my eyes, even though he can’t see me. “Dad, I’m fine. It’s not that bad.”

“If it gets bad, promise me you’ll pull over for a few hours, okay?”

“I will.”

A steady stream of snow is falling. It’s getting darker out, but it’s not bad enough to stop driving.

“You know I could have gone to pick up this dresser for you next week.”

“The new job starts on Monday. I want to get settled in my apartment before I start.”

“You could still commute,” he says.

“Dad. Pinecrest is two hours away from Thistle Creek. I am not going to drive four hours every day for work.”

“Sorry. It’s just hard to believe you’ll be moving away.”

“Again, two hours, Dad. It’s not like I’m moving across the country.”

“It’s been nice having you here. It’s going to be a change with you gone now.”

“You have your own life with Joey and Max. It’s time I start my own.”

I won’t admit it to him, but I’m nervous about moving towns. Sure, it’s two hours away, but moving and starting a new job all at once is a lot for anyone.

“ThistleTech is lucky to have you. I know you’re going to be their best employee.”

“You have to say that, Dad.”

“Either way, I know you’ll do great.”

“Thanks, Dad. Listen, I’m going to go.”

“Are the roads getting bad?” 

I don’t miss the concern in his voice.

“Nope.” I shake my head. “I’m getting close and don’t want to miss my exit.”

“Text me when you get there and again when you leave. Just so I know you’re safe.”

“I will. Love you, Dad.”

“Love you too, Lenny.”

I end the call and focus on the road ahead. If I weren’t so dead set on getting this antique dresser to restore, I’d be all settled and cozy in my new place in Thistle Creek.

But no. I was taken with the brass handles and the dark wood. It reminded me of the chest my mom had when I was little before she died.

When I saw this person selling it, I knew I had to have it.

Which is why I’m turning down an old dirt road on a snowy night to buy it.

“You Lennox?” the older man asks.

“That’s me.”

I secure my hat over my ears as I shut the door behind me.

“Follow me.” He waves me over into a large barn. “You sure want this if you came out tonight.”

“I figured if I waited any longer, you’d sell it.”

He pushes the doors open and a warmth engulfs me. All kinds of antiques fill the barn, from tiny knickknacks to old jukeboxes.

“Here she is.” He pats the top of the dresser.

“It’s in great shape.”

It looks exactly like it did in the photos, with three large drawers and vine-wrapped handles.

“Found it at an estate sale just up the road last week. Could use a good sanding to clean it up, but overall, in great shape.”

“Two hundred, right?” I ask.

I pull open the drawers and they’re lined with floral paper. The smell of mothballs is overwhelming.

“Yes.”

“Great, I’ll take it.” I fish out the stack of twenties from my purse and hand it over. “Would you be able to help me get it into my truck?”

“Sure thing.”

By the time we get it wrapped in a plastic tarp, lug the piece into the back of my rented truck and get it secured, the snow is thick. So thick, it’s hard to see through.

Shit.

At the rate it’s coming down, there’s no way I’m going to be able to make the three-hour drive back to Thistle Creek. Hell, I can’t even make it to Pinecrest at this point.

I’m one of the only people still out by the time I get to the main road. With darkness settling in, I’m not going to be able to make it much farther.

“Fuck.”

I squint through the snow, trying to find any sign of a place to stop. This is one of the bad things about small-town life in Montana.

Once you get out of town, there’s not much around.

A gas station I passed on my way in is now closed. The café next to it? All the lights are off.

“Damn it.”

At this rate, I’m going to have to curl up in the back seat of the truck and hope I don’t freeze.

Until a flashing light up ahead gleams like a beacon in the dark night.

Cozy Cottage Inn blinks in red with a vacancy sign underneath it.

“Thank God.”

It takes longer than it should to pull into the crowded parking lot because the snow is getting deep. I hope they still have rooms, because with how much snow they’re predicting, I might be here a few days.

I find an empty spot in the back of the lot to park the truck and hop out. The wind is howling as the snow sticks to my face.

“Damn, it’s freezing,” I mutter to myself.

The drifts are already up to my shins as I pull open the glass door into the lobby. Everything is covered in plaid wallpaper with groups of overstuffed chairs clustered around the frosted windows. A few people linger, but with another gust of wind, someone trails in behind me and heads straight to the desk.

“Hi there. Welcome to the Cozy Cottage Inn. How can I help you?” the young woman asks.

“Yes, I need a room for a night or two.”

She beams at him. “You’re in luck. We have one left.”

Only one? Oh, hell no.

“Umm, hi. Sorry, excuse me.” I tap the man in front of me on the shoulder. “I got here before you.”

He spins on his heel and I have to look up to see him. Wow. That is one good-looking man.

But I shake that thought from my head.

“How did you get here before me?” he asks. “I’m standing in front of you.”

His voice is smooth, like molasses, sending warm shivers through my body. I ignore it because if this man is going to take a room from me, I won’t allow it.

“Only because you ran ahead of me. You broke proper protocol.” I scoff.

“There’s no protocol here. You weren’t at the desk. I was. Room’s mine.”

I ignore how tall he is and his broad shoulders. The way his hair sticks out of his hat. He’s way too sexy for his own good. Except this dick is trying to take my room.

“Only because I was getting the lay of the land.”

He smirks at me. “Sorry.”

“No, you’re not.” I poke him in the chest. His rock-hard chest.

“You’re right; I’m not.”

“That’s my room. You took it from me.”

“It’s a suite, if that helps,” the woman chirps from behind the desk. “There’s a couch if you want to share.”

“Is it now?” The man spins back to look at her before focusing back on me.

“I don’t know you. There is no way I’m sharing a room with you.”

He takes a step closer. The scent of pine washes over me. It’s unfair that a man this good-looking smells as good as he does.

“Up to you. What else are you going to do in this weather?”

Damn him. He has a point. It’s either this or getting back on the road and potentially crashing.

“Since I was here first—”

“Were you?” he interrupts.

“Yes.” Why is this man so infuriating? “I got here before you, so that means I get the bed.”

“Does that mean you’re going to share with me?”

I grind my jaw. If I had any other options, I would go with that choice. But I don’t. I guess I’m stuck with this man.

“Fine.”

“Good.”

He fishes out a credit card—a black one—and passes it over to the woman at the desk.

“In that case, I should probably introduce myself if we’ll be sharing a bed.” He sticks his hand out. “My friends call me G.”

I ignore his hand, crossing my arms in front of my chest.

“Like I said, I’ll be taking the bed since I got here first.”

“Okay then. Nice to meet you…”

“Here are your keys.”

I look around him and take the keys from her.

“Thank you so much,” I say.

“Alright, No Name it is,” G says.

This is going to be a really long night.