Annoyed, Brynne palmed away some of the fog from the window and peered out, only to find Eli Garrett in front of her café, mounted on the biggest snowmobile she’d ever seen and grinning like a kid.

He was wearing a heavy coat and gloves, but no hat, the damn fool. His ears were red with cold.

Now that he knew she’d seen him, he gunned the engine a couple of times.

Brynne hurried to the door, jerked it open and was immediately struck by a blast of bone-chilling cold. “Eli Garrett,” she sputtered, “are you crazy? Get in here before you freeze to death!”

Mercifully, he shut the engine down. Lord, that thing was loud enough to qualify as a menace.

Eli dismounted, dropped the keys to his gas-powered chariot into the pocket of his coat and came toward her, that insufferable grin still in place.

“What are you doing here?” Brynne demanded, as soon as they were both inside and the door was closed.

Dripping melting snow, Eli tugged off his gloves, shoved them into another pocket, then removed his coat. Hung it from one of a dozen pegs alongside the door.

“I was under the impression a man could get a cup of coffee here,” he answered, in his own good time. “Was I wrong?”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” Brynne said, more flustered than angry. She was flashing back to her youth again, only this time not to school closures and sledding parties. No, this time, she went back to high school, when she’d worn Eli’s senior class ring on a cord around her neck. When she’d believed, with all her naive young heart, that someday she would marry Eli Garrett and have his children.

Instead, he’d chosen Reba Shannon.

She was still furious with him. Still hurt.

“Aren’t you supposed to be out patrolling the roads or something?” she asked, going to the coffeepot and pouring a cup of regular.

Eli took his coffee black.

He came in often enough, always with J.P. and Cord, for her to remember.

“I can be reached if I’m needed,” he said, holding up his phone before setting it on the counter, beside the mug she’d practically slapped down in front of him.

“Good,” Brynne said, snappishly, because nothing else came to her.

“How is it that you’re already pissed off at me? I just came through the door about five seconds ago, and I haven’t had time to put my foot in my mouth.”

Brynne sighed. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to be abrupt.”

“Okay,” Eli said mildly. “Thanks for that, anyway.”

“Eli, what are you doing here?”

“Drinking coffee?”

“You never come in for coffee. Not without Cord or J.P.” She paused. Maybe she’d jumped the gun, pointing out their absence. They might be on their way to Bailey’s right now, riding snowmobiles of their own.