“I’m not and even if I was, it’s not your business. I’m an adult who lives on her own. I completely support myself and youhave no right to tell me what I can and can’t do. Besides, there’s no way to stay away from him, even if I wanted to. In case you haven’t noticed, we’re stuck here on top of this mountain, all together.”
Jerome’s eyes narrowed. “Sawyer’s just using you and you’re too bloody blind to see it.”
“Using me for what? He hasn’t asked anything from me. He didn’t even ask for me to start talking to him. I finally saw through your blind hatred,” Gwen said passionately. “You would know that he’s a good person, too, if you’d give him a chance.”
Crossing his arms over his chest, Jerome growled. “"I don’t need to give him a chance. I already know what kind of person he is. He's no different from the rest of his family."
“His family are great people. Sawyer has done a lot to help everyone out here, including you. You’re just too stubborn to see it and admit it.”
Jerome’s expression didn’t change. “He just needs to feel important. He’s using this situation to make himself look like a hero. People like him always want to be the center of attention.”
Gwen shook her head. “No, Dad. He does it because he cares and because he’s a good man.”
“He’s got you snookered and you’re going to end up getting hurt,” Jerome snarled and walked away.
Sighing heavily, Gwen looked over at her mother. For a moment, they locked eyes. Gwen’s heart skipped a beat, hoping for some kind of support. But her mother only shrugged, a sympathetic look on her face, and gave a soft sigh.
“I wish I could say something different,” her mother said quietly, “but you know how your father is.”
Gwen’s stomach sank as her mother turned to join Millie, Tessie, and Elsie at the table, where they were setting up for a game of cards. She felt like she was fighting a losing battle. She stood in the hallway for a minute, feeling a little lost.
Zaid and Emilia were sitting in the parlor near the fire. Gwen looked at Zaid and noticed that he had lost some weight. His face was pale and he had dark circles under his eyes.
“How are you doing?” she asked him.
“Fit as a fiddle. I can’t wait until my leg heals and I can get out of this chair, though. I will never take walking for granted again.”
Gwen thought about asking about the infection but decided not to. “Is there anything I can do for you?”
Zaid reached for Emilia’s hand. “No, thank you. Emilia, Sawyer, Millie, and Tessie practically wait on me hand and foot. If I didn’t know better, I would think that my chair was some kind of royal throne.”
Just then, Brent walked up and tapped her on the arm. “Can you teach me how to snowshoe? Oliver says he has a pair I can use.”
“Of course. I can use the fresh air.”
Brent was a fast learner and soon, he was snowshoeing like an expert. They clomped around for a while, never losing sight of the lodge. Brent had learned his lesson.
As they were heading back into the building for lunch, he asked, “Are you going to marry Sawyer?”
Startled, Gwen said, “What?”
“Are you going to marry Sawyer? You seem to like him a lot.”
“I do like him a lot,” Gwen confirmed. “As a matter of fact, I love him. He’s a pretty amazing man.”
“I love him, too,” Brent said. “He always treats me like I’m a grown-up. Sawyer asks what I think about things and actually listens to me.”
“He is a great listener.”
“If you guys do get married, can I come live with you?”
“Sawyer hasn’t said anything about getting married. Besides, there’s a huge problem with that.”
“Grandpa,” Brent said. “But you don’t live with him, so you don’t have to talk to him.”
“Good point,” Gwen said. “I’ll have to think about that.”
Brent looks up. “Look at those clouds. Is it going to snow again?”