Trying not to look like she was searching.
Then her eyes stopped on Owen.
She froze.
Owen felt something shift.
The woman took one breath.
Then walked directly toward him.
That was when Owen remembered he was supposed to be waiting for someone.
He stood.
She stopped beside the booth.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Up close, she looked colder than he first realized.
Her fingers were pink.
Tiny melted snowflakes marked her skin.
Her breathing was slightly uneven.
Owen found himself staring.
She raised one eyebrow.
“That bad?”
He blinked.
“What?”
“My entrance.”
“No.”
“Because your face suggests you were expecting someone much less alarming.”
Owen almost laughed.
“Are you Autumn?”
The woman stared.
“Yes.”
That should have relieved him.
Instead, it confused him.
Because Owen’s phone vibrated in his hand at the exact same moment.
He did not look down yet.
Autumn noticed.
“You were about to leave.”
It was not a question.
Owen looked at the coffee.
“I was considering it.”
“Fair.”
She placed the crushed present gently on the table.
“I’m sorry.”
Owen noticed her hands were trembling.
Not nervous trembling.
Cold.
“What happened?”
“My car died.”
“On the highway?”
“Yes.”
“I called roadside assistance.”
“They gave me an hour and forty minutes.”
Owen frowned.
“So how did you get here?”
Autumn looked almost embarrassed.
“I walked.”
He stared.
“How far?”
“Depends whether you’re asking before or after I admit I took a wrong exit near Lincoln.”
“Autumn.”
“About two miles.”
Owen looked toward the snow-covered windows.
“You walked two miles in that?”
She glanced down at her dress.
“In my defense, this seemed like a better outfit before weather became personal.”
Owen finally laughed.
Autumn smiled.
Something changed instantly.
The guarded expression she had worn disappeared for half a second.
Owen noticed.
He wished he had not.
Because noticing things led to caring.
Caring led to risk.
He had spent four years avoiding both.
Autumn hugged her arms closer to herself.
Owen reacted without thinking.
He pulled off the dark coat he had placed beside him.
“Here.”
“You don’t have to.”
“You’re freezing.”
“I’ll warm up.”
“Autumn.”
She looked at him.
“Take the coat.”
Her expression softened.
She allowed him to drape it over her shoulders.
His hands brushed lightly against her upper arms.
Cold skin.