Page 7 of When Hearts Surrender

“Say thank you, Jeremy, and apologize for hitting the man’s equipment,” she says as she beams at her son.

The man next to me shakes his head and walks toward his wife before tugging her flush to his side. He presses a soft kiss on her hair and a small blush blooms on her cheeks as she melts into his embrace.

The spark of warmth douses in my chest, and in its place is a sharp twisting pain. My lungs rake in a shuddering inhale.

A happy family of my own. Little kids running down the halls of my mansion, their hands messy, toys all over the place, the woman I love shaking her head, trying to appear stern even as her lips twitch in a smile as she chases the little monsters.

It turns out I can’t have everything. But I’ve long made peace with this.

“Thank you, sir. And sorry for almost knocking over your art,” the little boy replies obediently.

He scrunches his nose and moves in front of the easel, his little finger jabbing at the canvas which has unrolled itself in the past few minutes. “You drew this? Wow.”

Another set of little feet scampers in front of me and I chuckle, the familiar ache from moments ago fading into the background again. Backing up, I make room for Jeremy’s little sister as she grabs the bottom of the easel and tiptoes on her feet.

“Careful there,” I murmur, holding the easel in place so it doesn’t fall down on the siblings.

“I don’t like it. It’s too scary,” the little girl whispers to her brother in the way little kids do, which essentially isn’t a whisper at all.

“Maddie! That’s not nice to say,” their mom admonishes, wincing in apparent embarrassment. “It’s a beautiful sketch.”

“It’s angry and scary.” Maddie shakes her head and backs away, but not before darting a glance at me. “Like those stories Jeremy reads to me at home before Halloween.”

“Okay, that’s it. Playtime’s over. We’re going to get hot chocolate and pancakes,” the man announces, and the two kids squeal in glee, their laughter sounding out of place in this gloomy morning.

He looks at me apologetically. “Sorry. Kids have no filter. I’m no artist, but that’s a damn good drawing. Missing something though, but what do I know? Ignore me.”

My lips twitch. I have a feeling Jeremy’s no filter is also inherited.

He takes his wife’s hand and leads them toward the parking lot. He turns back and waves at me with his free hand.

“Nice chat, man.” He cocks his head to the side and furrows his brows. “And you look familiar… You aren’t anyone famous, right?”

I freeze, my jaw clenching before releasing.Please don’t recognize me.I shake my head. “I have one of those faces.”

I’m probably the only Anderson left in the world who isn’t recognized on sight, and these are the last days of anonymity before the only thing I chose for myself—solace—will be taken away from me.

A lump forms in my throat as the beginnings of nausea curl in my stomach.

“Huh,” he mutters before shrugging. “Well, have a good day and stay out of the waters. You know the saying!”

He winks and chuckles before turning around and disappearing into the distance with his wife and two kids in tow.

The smile slides off my face as I turn back toward the lake.

Lake Superior does not give up her dead.

Too bad. The dead have never given me up either.

Chapter 2

Excited murmurs travel inthrough the double doors separating the staff corridor and the largest conference room inside the Kensington Hotel, one of the hotels under our Fleur Entertainment umbrella.

I’m standing with my phone to my ear, half-hidden in the shadows in the corridor. The public is waiting for their first glimpse of the frigid king, as they like to call me. The overhead lights dim and flicker, a signal from the staff that the crowd of reporters outside is growing impatient.

I pinch the bridge of my nose as a headache forms at the base of my skull. The sharp pain stabs me repeatedly, and I wince. I try to focus on the conversation on the phone.

“You sure you got this, Maxwell? You don’t need to force yourself if you aren’t ready yet,” Ryland, my fraternal twin, asks, his voice sounding faint over the phone.

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