Page 29 of Snowed in With My Small Town Billionaire

After what seemed like an eternity, they saw the lights of the lodge, but it didn’t seem to get any closer no matter how many footsteps they took. Finally, they stumbled onto the front porch. Gwen opened the door and Sawyer carried Brent to the couch and laid him down.

Lucas pulled Sawyer’s coat and gloves off. Sawyer sat on the bench and managed to pull his boots off.

He rushed over to Brent. Samantha had already unwrapped the blanket and pulled off Brent’s outerwear. His sweats were wet, so Gwen grabbed him a dry pair and held a blanket over him while Sawyer pulled off his wet britches and helped him get his new ones on. Brent had trouble grasping the waistband.

Oliver took his temperature. “Eighty-two degrees. I think you guys found him just in time.”

Sawyer checked him for frostbite but didn’t see any signs of that, even on Brent’s nose, which had been exposed to the cold for a long time.

Millie rushed over with a cup of hot chocolate. “Drink this slowly, Honey. It will heat you up from the inside out.”

Brent drank the hot chocolate and managed to eat a couple bites for dinner. Then, he passed out on the couch from sheer exhaustion.

“Should we take him to bed?” Gwen asked.

“No. Leave him here on the couch. The fire will keep him warm and he’s wrapped in the blanket,” Sawyer said.

Jerome knelt down by Brent and touched his forehead. For a second, Sawyer thought he saw a soft side come out.

Then, the man turned to Sawyer and snarled, “I guess you think you’re some kind of hero, don’t you?”

Sawyer stood up straight and looked him in the eye. “No, Sir. I think I’m a decent human being.”

12

C H A P T E R

Gwen

Gwen stood by the window of the lodge, staring out at the snow-covered mountain. She rubbed her face. Everything seemed so surreal. They got here, they ran into Sawyer, she twisted her ankle, the avalanche, Zaid broke his leg, and to top it all off, Brent got lost.

She turned around and saw her father sitting on the couch next to Brent, staring off into space.

He looked at her and shook his head. “Why are you hanging out with that Johnson kid?”

Rage boiled up inside of her. She glared at him.

“You’re being a complete jerk,” she blurted out, her voice louder than she intended.

His head snapped up and he looked at her in disbelief. “What did you just say to me?”

“You heard me,” Gwen said standing in front of him with her hands on her hips. You’ve been nothing but a complete buttto Sawyer since the moment you saw him. Why? Even if the Johnsons had done something to hurt us, which they didn’t, Sawyer’s not even a part of the ranch. That is Lane, Colton, and Willow. He left the ranch to go to med school and become a doctor. He saved our lives by digging us out of the snow, even though we treated him awfully. If it had been me, I would have left us there. He went out tonight, risking his life to save your grandson, and you didn’t even have the decency to say thank you.”

Jerome’s face turned bright red and his eyes darkened with anger. “You don’t understand. I lost everything. I lost the farm that had been in our family for generations and I lost my son.”

Gwen took a step closer. “I do understand. We all lost something. I lost my home. I lost my brother, whom I adored. But that wasn’t the Johnsons’ fault.”

His jaw clenched and he growled, “You just don’t get it.”

“Yes, I do. We all lost Kyle, but it was he who made the decision to drink and he who decided to get into that car.”

Her father was quiet for a minute and for a split second, Gwen thought that she might have gotten through to him.

“You just don’t get it,” he repeated.

“You’re right, I don’t. I don’t understand why you insist on holding onto the hate. All you’re going to do is push everyone away and then you won’t have anyone.”

She walked away before she said something she would regret and couldn’t take back. Gwen knew that Sawyer had to be exhausted. It wasn’t easy carrying a heavy kid all the way back to the lodge. Before he took care of himself, he made sure that Brent was okay.

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