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Jordan fumbled with the flip phone trying to get it open, "Oh crap, give me a second—hey Nige, what are you doing up?"

"I've been trying to reach you for hours! I got some news on your James Rivers bloke." Nigel quickly ran through his latest finds as Jordan rushed him to get to the point, afraid they'd lose their connection. Her dismissal, though he understood it, just made him more anxious.

"Thanks, Nige."

"Jordan?" Nigel broke off his pacing in the middle of Trace, worried she was about to hang up, "You—you alright, luv?"

"Yeah, I'm good."

Nigel tried to swallow his jealous, "W-we alright?"

He could hear her smirk through the phone, and he knew he was caught, "What, don't you trust me?"

"I do, it's just…" He leaned against the counter, trying to sort his thoughts, "You know how it goes, ex-almost-lovers stranded in a snowy, romantic B&B with only one bed and what-ifs and what-might-have-beens swirling about."

"That's it, I'm putting an adult block on the Hallmark channel." She laughed, always finding it easier to joke about serious topics.

He sighed, letting the silence draw out as he fidgeted with the phone.

"Nigel," Jordan turned her back from her gathering audience, trying not to let Woody's smug grin get to her.

It wasn't that Nigel had anything to worry about, but Woody had been testing the line a bit too much for Jordan's liking since they had arrived in Littleton. She was this close to wiping that look permanently off his face with the rubber ax in the parlor.

Jordan thought about earlier when Woody had called dibs on the left side of the bed and then flirtatiously inquired about which was her preferred side. He was completely undeterred when she replied that she always slept curled up to Nigel's side so sides didn't really matter.

Now, Jordan and Nigel hadn't broadcasted the news by any means, it really wasn't anyone's business but theirs anyway, but they had both let it be known the past few months that they weren't checking the single box anymore. Most everyone had been thrilled by the news. Everyone, that is, except the detective, who seemed more interested now that he knew Jordan was off the market.

"We're good." She smiled into the phone.

She could hear his sigh of relief, "Good." The trust in his voice soothed her heart like nothing else ever had.

Courage stirred and she worried her lower lip, "Um, Nige?"

"Yeah, luv?" She could just picture him, casually leaning against the table and futzing with his hair like he always did.

"I…I love you."

The smile erupted in his voice, "I love you too."

"I—I'll be home as soon as I can. Till then, no more Hallmark movies!"

"Aye, aye, Captain."

Jordan forced herself to end the call and pressed the small cell against her mouth, happily replaying the entire conversation through her head again and again just as Nigel did 40 miles away in Boston.

Sometimes, when you know, you know.

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