“It’s so beautiful,” she said, staring out of the window.

“You’re from Chicago, you’ve seen snow before,” Adam said, glancing at her as he took her bag from her and tossed it behind the seats in his truck.

“Yes, but it’s not the same,” Amelia said. How could she explain the difference? “In Chicago it gets dirty so fast. They clear it out of the streets fast, obviously, and so it’s just big piles of dirty snow that turns into slush along the sidewalks.” She stared out over the field, where the snow was beginning to cling to the ground already, frosting the already bleak landscape. “This…this is like something off a Christmas card. It’s so beautiful.”

Adam came to stand next to her, putting her arm around his waist. “I never really stopped to think about it like that,” he said, following her gaze. “I suppose it really is beautiful. I’ve been in the city, to Edinburgh and Glasgow, but never during the winter. I guess I’ve taken all this for granted.”

“It snows a lot in Wisconsin too,” Amelia said. “Where I’m from. But still, this is different. Maybe just because it’s a new place, it’s not home for me.”

Adam looked down at her, and his expression was odd. He opened his mouth as if he were going to say something, but he bent and kissed her instead, his lips warm against hers.

Adam pulled back after a moment. “We should get going before the storm proper hits,” he said.

Amelia followed him to his truck, while shielding her face against the elements. Adam turned the key in the ignition, frowning at the groaning noise the vehicle made as it roared to life. “I think she’s about on her last legs,” he said, patting the steering wheel and reaching to turn on the heat. “Thankfully, we don’t have far to go.”

She stared out the window as they drove, watching the snow fall, everything rapidly going to white. He hopped out of the truck as soon as it came to a halt, coming around to open her door. “Go ahead and go inside,” he said. “I need to check on the animals before it gets any worse.”

“Let me help,” Amelia said.

“Are you sure?” he frowned. “It’s freezing out. You’ll be more comfortable inside.”

“I’m sure,” Amelia insisted.

Adam raised an eyebrow. “Okay, then.” He grabbed her bag out of the truck. “We’ll stash this in the tack room for a minute until we’re done.”

She followed him to the barn, and he gestured towards a room at the beginning of the stalls. “There’s hay in there. Pull off a flake…a section,” he explained, “and give two to each of the horses. I’ll check the sheep.”

He headed back out, and Amelia listened to the wind rattle at the windows as she began to pull hay off the bales, sneezing at the dust that swirled around her as she did so. The horses seemed unconcerned about the storm, nickering and stomping as she went from stall to stall, filling the nets. She quickened her pace as a gust of wind blew down the aisle of the barn.

Adam came back into the barn just as she was finishing up, pulling off his thick work gloves. “The sheep and goats are all settled,” he said. “All done?”

“I think they’re good,” Amelia said, patting the dark grey mare she’d just fed. “They don’t seem worried about the storm at all.”

“Ah, well, they’ve seen a few,” Adam said. “Let’s get inside, yeah?” He hoisted her bag over his shoulder, and they walked back to the house, heads bent against the wind.

“Do you mind putting the kettle on while I get a fire started?” Adam asked, setting down her bag just inside the door.

“Not at all,” Amelia replied, glancing at him.

“Thanks,” Adam said, flashing her a smile as he unbuttoned his parka, shivering a little as he headed towards the living room.

Amelia watched him go, admiring the long, muscular line of his body. After he disappeared from view, she filled the kettle. It was all very domestic, she thought, as she turned on the gas stove and set the kettle down. They seemed to have fallen back into comfortable familiarity with each other quickly, just like the Christmas night that she’d stayed over, the early part at least. Adam was quick to pull away, but also quick to get comfortable again. She didn’t know if that was a good thing or not, but she had to admit she liked the way things were just at this moment.

Amelia was pulling out the teapot and cups when he came back into the kitchen. He smelled of wood chips and smoke and she breathed him in as he bent to kiss her. She could get used to this, even though she knew she shouldn’t. No promises, he’d said. They only had the time they had and she would need to be satisfied with that.

They curled onto the couch in front of the fire, and Amelia tried to do some work on her laptop, but after about an hour she gave in. The crackling of the fire, mixed with the howling wind outside, and the soothing vanilla and bergamot of the tea, made her feel cozy and relaxed. She put her laptop aside and reached for one of the books she’d brought with her. She pulled the plaid wool blanket around her feet, and tucked them under the edge of Adam’s leg. He’d been reading a novel for the past half hour, and he glanced at her, smiling as she opened her book. “Not really a night for work, is it?” he said.

“That’s what I was just thinking.” Amelia poured them both another cup of tea, and then she settled back into the soft cushions of the couch, for the moment content.

The nights she had had here in Scotland, she realized, were some of the most peaceful she’d ever spent. In Chicago, the television would have been blaring in the background, even if they weren’t watching anything. There would have been noise from the street, cars and horns interspersed with people yelling. She missed the noise, a little, but not enough to wish herself back there. At least not yet.

Eventually, Adam set his book down. “Ready to go to bed?” he asked, glancing over at her.

Amelia yawned. "Yes. I’m pretty tired.”

Adam stood up, stretching, and then he leaned over to kiss her gently. “This is nice,” he murmured against her lips.

She watched as he banked the fire. Amelia couldn’t help but think of the last time she’d been doing just this, when their Christmas had ended abruptly with him telling her they couldn’t do this any longer, and she’d gone to sleep alone in the guest room. She wouldn’t be sleeping alone tonight, and was aware of how fast it had all turned around. Didn’t that mean it could flip back just as quickly? Did it even matter?

As she walked into the bedroom, Adam was taking his undershirt off, his flannel button-down already tossed on the bed. She watched the muscles of his back flex as he pulled it over his head, and she had a sudden urge to walk over to him and run her fingers down the divot of his spine. She knew that his skin would feel smooth and warm, and she felt a flush of heat at the thought.

He turned to look at her then, and she walked over to him, stretching up to kiss him, with her hands flat on the planes of his chest. The soft hair there tickled the tips of her fingers, and she felt him breathe in, his hands slipping to the small of her back. “How tired are you, exactly?” she whispered against his mouth, and she felt the corners of it turn up as he grabbed a handful of her ass, wrapping his other arm around her waist and picking her up so that her legs went around him.

“Wide awake. Very, very awake in fact,” he said, turning and tossing her onto the mattress with ease, his long body stretching over hers as she looked up at him.

* * *

She was awake, naked under the covers, feeling the soft vibrations of his snoring against the back of her neck. His arm was slung untidily over her waist. She could still hear the wind outside, but not as strongly as before. The storm was winding down, and she wondered what it looked like outside.

Amelia pushed back the covers gently, sliding out from underneath Adam’s arm. She walked naked to the window, pushing the curtain aside. The snow had stopped, and the clouds had parted just enough for the moon to shimmer through. The snow lay in thick drifts, pushing up against the side of the house, and covering the field. She put a hand against the cold glass, tracing a fingertip down the pane.

There were footsteps behind her, soft against the wood floor, and she felt Adam behind her, his hand touching her arm. “Can’t sleep?” he asked, and he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her against him. He was naked, too, and she couldn’t help but arch her back, feeling him press against the curve of her ass. “Come back to bed,” he murmured against her hair, and she shivered at the warmth of his breath against her ear.

“Okay,” she whispered, turning in the circle of his arms. The glimmer of moonlight was falling across his face, and she ran her fingers down his cheek where it touched him. He turned his head, kissing the tips of her fingers, and she sighed, melting into him. If only it could stay just like this, she thought as he backed her towards the bed, and she fell back onto the mattress, his hands sliding slowly down her body.