5-minute romance

5-MINUTE ROMANCE When a winter storm blows through Kate Saylor’s town, she doesn’t know that it’s about to bring with it a new neighbor…and a chance at love

“As he reached out to take her hand in his, a shiver ran up Kate’s spine”

Snow crunched beneath Kate Saylor’s feet as she stepped outside her front door. The first winter storm of the year had dropped a foot of snow on her small Vermont town the night before, and as Kate grabbed her shovel, she couldn’t help but smile. There was something about the first snow that made her giddy. And as neighbors waved from their driveways, Kate realized that though she’d only lived in this town for six months after her divorce, it had already begun to feel like home. She paused to catch her breath, gazing over at the empty house next door. Any day now, the new owner would be moving in, Kate mused absentmindedly, noting the snow piled in drifts all around the property. “All that snow certainly won’t be much of a welcome,” she said to herself, heading to her garage for the snowblower. An hour later, Kate stood evaluating her work when suddenly, a moving van pulled up. A tall man with hair flecked with gray emerged, walking toward her, his blue eyes sparkling with radiant warmth. “You cleared my driveway?” His voice was deep and full of surprise. “I’d forgotten how nice people are in small towns.” “Don’t give me too much credit,” Kate laughed. “I haven’t gotten to the other side of the sidewalk yet.” A brilliant smile broke out on the man’s face. “You’ve done plenty. Thank you.” “Anytime!” Kate stretched out a mittened hand. “Kate Saylor. Also new to town and your new neighbor.” “Kate,” he repeated, his eyes meeting hers. “Nice to meet you. I’m Tom Sutton.” As he reached out to take her hand in his, a shiver ran up Kate’s spine that had nothing to do with the cold. Suddenly, she found herself tongue-tied by his slow smile. “Well, Tom, I know you’ve got a lot to do,” she stammered. “And I have a fresh batch of oatmeal raisin cookies waiting to go in the oven…” Tom’s eyes lit up. “Oatmeal raisin, huh? Those are my favorite!” “Oh,” Kate’s heart raced. “Can I interest you in some before you get started? I have hot chocolate too.” A half hour later, the two sat together at Kate’s kitchen counter, cocoa

in hand. “This is my favorite time of the year,” Tom grinned, biting into a cookie. “Mine too,” Kate admitted. “I love winter. Sledding, ice skating, skiing…” Tom’s eyes glistened mischievously. “And playing in the snow?” Kate blushed. “You saw my snowman?” “Great execution,” Tom chuckled. “I aim to please,” she teased. “Well, if these cookies are any indication, you certainly succeed at that aim.” Kate couldn’t help but stare at Tom as a wave of pleasure washed over her. She hadn’t enjoyed someone’s company this much since…she struggled to remember when. Suddenly, Tom frowned at his watch. “Wow, we’ve been here for two hours? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to talk your ear off.”

“Don’t be silly,” Kate said, meeting his eyes once again. “I enjoyed it.” A smile lit up Tom’s face. “Me too,” he said. “Really.” She handed him a plate stacked high with cookies and covered in foil. “It’s a sharing dish,” she explained, pointing to the platter. “You fill it with something special and share it to mark noteworthy occasions—like you moving in.” “I’ll take good care of it,” Tom promised. A few days later as Kate was checking her mail, she was delighted to see Tom walking toward her carrying her sharing dish. “For you,” he said, handing her the plate. Kate peeled back the foil and found two tickets underneath. “The Ice-sculpting Festival! I’ve always wanted to go.” She met his hopeful gaze. “Is this an invitation?” “It is. What do you say?” Kate smiled. “Yes! Oh, thank you, Tom.” “I should be thanking you,” he breathed, holding her gaze. “For the first time in a long time, I feel at home…and happy. And your sharing dish is really a great idea.” “It’s for celebrating special occasions,” she said softly, as his hand found hers. “Like meeting someone who likes winter as much as I do?” Tom said. “Exactly like that,” Kate smiled, as he took her hand in his. “And something tells me this will be the best winter yet.”