Page 55 of Icebound Hearts

I don’t think I’ve ever seen him angry like this, but part of me kind of likes seeing him getting worked up and protective of me. And it definitely makes me feel better about deciding to tell him.

“You have Jake and a career in the NHL to think about, so don’t go getting arrested over a lowlife like him,” I say and lift my hand out from under the covers to pat his.

“Fine,” he mutters. “But you deserve so much better than that. And you’re going to get it. You can’t let toxic people like that drag you down. That’s what I used to tell myself after I found out Miriam cheated on me,” he adds quietly, catching me off guard.

Before I can think twice about what I’m doing, my body sits up on its own and I wrap my arms around him, squeezing him tightly. What I went through with Elijah was horrible, but I can’t even imagine how awful it must feel to find out your wife and the mother of your little boy cheated on you after you gave her everything.

“I’m so sorry,” I whisper in his ear before I give him another squeeze and pull back.

His eyes flash in the moonlight as they find mine again, and we sit there frozen and staring at each other. My heart hammers in my chest, and my breathing turns jagged. With our guards down like this, tension crackles between us, all the unacknowledged energy that’s been swirling between us lately rushing to the surface to flood the silence.

Sawyer reaches for my face, and I swear he’s going to pull me in for a kiss, but his fingers find my hair instead and brush it behind one of my ears.

He swallows, his Adam’s apple bobbing, then murmurs, “You should get some sleep.”

I let out the breath I’ve been holding, both relieved and disappointed we didn’t kiss, then nod and lie back down gently. My head has been throbbing the entire time, but our conversation and the adrenaline still pumping in my veins has mostly blocked it out until my head hits the pillow again. Sawyer makes sure I’m tucked in, then stands and hovers over me for a second.

“Are you okay? Do you want some more water or ibuprofen or anything?”

“I’ll be okay, I think. Thank you though.”

“Of course. Good night,” he says and smiles quickly before he heads for the door.

“Sawyer,” I call as he rounds the corner with the door almost closed behind him. He stops and pokes his head back in. “Listen, I know you think the dating app thing is stupid, but someday, you’re gonna find someone who sees how amazing you are. And you’re gonna make that womansohappy.”

Sawyer hesitates, his mouth opening slightly as if he’s going to say something. But instead he just nods once and then closes the door.

Chapter 17

Sawyer

I step into the kitchen early the next morning and have to blink a few times to make sure I’m not seeing things when I find Violet already there, cooking breakfast with Jake.

“Daddy!” Jake exclaims and climbs down from the chair he’s standing on next to Violet at the stove to run over and give me a good morning hug.

Violet turns and smiles at me, looking mostly recovered from last night, thankfully.

“Good morning. How are you feeling?” I ask her on my way to the fridge to grab the large container of orange juice I keep inside.

“I’m good, thanks to an angel who came and held my hair back last night,” she says and shoots me a grateful look as I pour my glass of orange juice.

“Anytime, heartbreaker.”

Violet freezes at the stove, staring at me with her spatula clutched tightly in one hand like she can’t quite believe what I just called her—until Jake climbs back up on the chair.

“Ms. Violet, I think the pancakes are burning!”

“Oh, no, you’re right,” Violet groans and scoops the darkened pancake out of the pan and onto the stack already piled on aplate beside the stove. “I’ll eat that one. I like them a little dark anyway. Are you hungry, Sawyer?”

“I’ll eat anything my little man makes.” I ruffle Jake’s hair on my way by. Normally, I wouldn’t want him close to the stove like this where he could get burned, but I trust Violet with him, and he’s far enough away on the chair that nothing’s likely to happen anyway.

“I helped make the mix, Daddy!” Jake says, pointing at the mess of dishes in and around the sink. There’s pancake mix drizzled all over, but I’m not bothered.

“Yeah, I kind of thought you might have.”

Violet chuckles to herself while I start cleaning up some of the mess in the sink. But my phone starts ringing in my pajama pocket, so I dry my hands in a hurry on the towel hanging on the cabinet door under the sink and pull my phone out. My jaw clenches when I read the name on the screen.

“Who is it?” Violet asks.

---