Page 10 of Icebound Hearts

“Like Bugs Bunny!” he says, looking thrilled at the connection to the cartoon.

“Is Chewy his name?” I ask, pointing to the stuffed animal.

“Yeah, because he likes to chew on carrots,” Jake says and motions like he’s chowing down on one himself.

Sawyer chuckles, shaking his head as he takes the makeup bag from Jake. “He’s such a goofball sometimes.” He nods toward the set of stairs by the entrance. “Your room is upstairs. Follow me, I’ll show you.”

He climbs the stairs effortlessly, and I can’t take my eyes off the muscles flexing through his t-shirt as I follow him. When we reach the second floor, we take a right and head down the hall to a mostly empty but spacious guest room.

“The bed’s a queen. I hope it’s big enough for you,” Sawyer says as he flips the light switch with his elbow. There’s a small nightstand on the left side of the bed, a dresser against one wall, and other than the fan built into the ceiling, that’s about it. But it’s more than enough for me.

“Are you kidding?” I grin, glancing around. “This room is bigger than my entire studio apartment back in Chicago. This is an upgrade.”

One corner of his mouth curves upward slightly. “Well, good.”

He crouches down carefully to set my box and the makeup bag on the floor. I set mine next to it, and Sawyer’s dark brows pull together a little as he gazes down at them.

“What?” I ask.

“Oh, nothing. Your boxes just look like they were packed in a little bit of a hurry,” he says, toying with one of the pieces of tape that’s flapping off the top.

I bite my lip, scrunching up my nose. “Yeah. I guess I was pretty ready to get out of Chicago. And packing has never been my forte.”

“Well, I guess we all have our strengths and weaknesses.”

“Good thing for me one of your strengths seems to be your… well, strength,” I joke, gesturing to him and then to the box he just set down.

A chuckle rumbles in Sawyer’s chest, and he flexes a bicep. “Perks of being a hockey player,” he says with a wink.

I know he’s kidding around, but I have to force myself not to stare at the way the veins in his forearms pop. Sawyer’s arms are amazing, his biceps stretching the fabric of his t-shirt just a little in a way that makes my mouth go dry.

Fortunately, he doesn’t seem to be expecting a response to that. Rapping his knuckles on the doorframe, he leaves the room, heading for the stairs again. I follow him back to the living room, but when we reach the front door, he turns to face me.

“You know what? I’ve got this. If you just want to hang out with Jake for a bit, I can bring in the rest of your things.”

“What? Are you sure?”

He lifts a shoulder in a casual shrug. “Strength, remember? Besides, you’re supposed to be a nanny, not a mover.”

I laugh, holding my hands up and grinning. “Alright, if you insist.”

“I do.”

“Then… thanks.”

He gives me a little salute, then heads outside. I’m not at all disappointed about not having to work up a sweat hauling all of that stuff into the house, but I do feel a bit guilty about letting him do all the work. Still, I can’t deny that I’m grateful for his help. I didn’t have anyone to help me pack up my things when I left my apartment in Chicago—most of my friends there were people I knew from work, and a lot of them abandoned me after things turned sour at my job. Just another reason why I needed to put that city in my rearview.

Brushing my hands over my jeans, I turn and settle onto the couch next to Jake.

“Guess it’s just you and me for a bit,” I tell him with a grin.

“Can we watch TV?” he asks excitedly. “I can show you my favorite show!”

I purse my lips, tugging them to one side. “Hmm, I don’t know. We should probably ask your dad first.”

I have no idea what Sawyer’s TV policy is for Jake, and I’d rather get the full rundown on that before I say yes or no. I want Jake to like me, but I’m not looking to score “cool nanny” points by helping him break any rules his dad might have set.

Jake shrugs, thankfully unbothered. “Okay.”

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