Page 16 of Icebound Hearts

Thankfully, the bartender finally has a free moment, so I put in the drink orders, trying not to inhale too deeply as Violet and I stand side by side to wait for them. Her scent, some intoxicating mix of almond and cherry, filled my nostrils when she wrapped her arms around me, and I have to fight back the urge to drag in another lungful of it.

When the bartender slides the drinks across the bar to me, I slap some cash down on the shiny wooden surface of the bar and then turn to Violet, giving her what I hope like hell is a normal smile.

“Thanks for the assist with the drinks. And—” I gesture with my chin in the direction where Scarlett disappeared. “With that.”

Violet smiles, and I notice for the first time that her lips tilt up a little higher on one side than the other, giving her smile an adorable quirk. “Anytime.”

We make our way back through the crowd, both of us holding several glasses, and when we reach the tables where my teammates have gathered, we’re met with raucous applause. We distribute the drinks, and when we take our seats, I’m careful to leave a bit of space between me and Violet.

I truly am grateful that she came to my rescue—and a little surprised that she picked up on my discomfort so quickly—but it’s messing with my perception of her even more. She doesn’t seem like just “Reese’s sister” anymore, and as much as I’ve been trying, it feels impossible not to be aware of her now in a way that I wasn’t before.

In a way that I never would’veallowedmyself to be before.

Thankfully, she ends up sitting at the opposite end of the table with Jake, Margo, and Noah, leaving me with Becca, Maxim, and Theo at the other. Before long, I get dragged into a discussion about our next game with my teammates, but not even our easy banter can distract me from the memory of what it felt like to have Violet in my arms.

And that?

That could be a very big problem.

Chapter 6

Violet

About an hour later, Jake rubs his eyes vigorously, and when his little fists drop, he barely stifles a yawn. A fond grin tugs at my lips as I watch him. He’s definitely getting tired. We’ve been at The Hideout for a while, and I swear he’s eaten half his weight in onion rings, so I’m not surprised he looks like he’s about to crash.

I check my phone for the time and see that it’s after eight, so it’s past his bedtime.

“You ready to go? I think Jake’s gonna pass out at the table,” I whisper to Sawyer. After Becca and Theo left half an hour or so ago, he finally moved closer to Margo, Noah, and me.

I might just be imagining it, but I almost feel like he’s been avoiding me ever since I pretended to be his girlfriend to get that woman—Scarlett—to back off from flirting with him. It seemed perfectly innocent at the time, when I impulsively decided to walk up to them, but now I’m wondering if it’s yet another awkward moment between us that will haunt me for the rest of my life.

What the hell is it with me around this man? I seriously never used to be this awkward.

Sawyer jerks slightly at the sound of my voice, as if snapping out of a daze. He glances at his phone and nods.

“Oh, yeah, it’s definitely his bedtime.” He shoves his chair back from the table, then looks at me, hesitating for a second before he says, “You’re welcome to stay out longer if you want. I’ll take him home and put him to bed.”

I shake my head quickly. “Thanks, but that’s okay. I’ll head back to your place now too.”

The three of us say our goodbyes to the remaining Aces team members who are still out celebrating, then Sawyer scoops up Jake, and we head out to our cars. I follow behind him in my car as he heads back to his house, and we arrive at almost the exact same time.

When I pull into the driveway, Sawyer is just hauling Jake out of the booster seat. The little boy is out cold by now, slumping over Sawyer’s shoulder.

He’s so gentle with his son, taking extra care not to wake him as he closes the car door and fumbles with his keys to open the front door. It’s a small gesture, one Sawyer probably doesn’t even think twice about, but it brings a smile to my face. I follow him inside quietly with my heart warming, and Sawyer drops his keys on the counter in the kitchen before heading to the stairs.

“Do you want me to put him to bed?” I whisper.

“Thanks, but I’ve got it,” he whispers back with a small nod of acknowledgement, then heads upstairs to put Jake to bed.

There isn’t anything for me to do, and I’m pretty tired myself after the excitement of the game and dinner afterward, so I follow them upstairs. As I tiptoe up the steps, I realize I still have the four leaf clover in my back pocket, so I fish it out carefully.

Jake’s bedroom is at the end of the hall, past both mine and Sawyer’s, and decorated with a mix of Bluey paraphernalia and hockey stuff. I make my way there, pausing outside the door. It’s only half closed, so I spot Sawyer sitting on the side ofJake’s bed, softly stroking his hair. He stays that way for several moments, watching his son sleep in the soft glow from the night light plugged into the wall by his bed, until I gently push the door open. It creaks a bit, and Sawyer turns, so I hold up the four leaf clover to him. He smiles and waves me in.

I set it on Jake’s dresser, where he’ll find it in the morning.

“Good night,” I mouth to Sawyer, then tiptoe back to my room.

After tugging on a pair of pajamas, I slip down the hall to brush my teeth and wash my face, then crawl into bed.

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