Page 54 of Sleigh My Heart

When he reached the kitchen, he paused. She was tying up the trash bag.

“Hey, you don’t need to do that.”

“I know, but it was full and I don’t mind. You were doing nighttime stuff with Ava.”

He pulled the bag from her hand. This woman baffled him. The old Mickey peeked through this tough as nails cop. Maybe? No.

“What? You have that look.”

He frowned. “What look?”

“You know. Like you are trying to figure out a puzzle.”

“You are a puzzle, Mickey. Always have been.”

She dropped her gaze to the trash bin. “Not really.”

He tipped her chin up with his finger. “Bullshit. You were to me.”

She shook her head. “Well, I hear mysterious women are hot.”

“I don’t know about other women, but you are.”

A blush swept across her cheeks. She busied herself by replacing the trash bag in the can. She mumbled, “Not hot enough.”

Nick dropped the bag he was holding and pulled her up by the shoulders. “Stop talking shit. I asked you to marry me and you shot me down.”

“I shot you down? Now I call bullshit.” She pulled back. Her hands fisted on her hips.

“I asked you to come with me. I could get housing.”

“That’s not a proposal.”

“Only married servicemen get base housing.”

“How would I know that? Besides, you hated the idea of me becoming a cop, and you knew that was my dream.”

“I still hate it. You know why.” Nick picked up the bag, opened the garage door, and dropped it outside. He’d take it to the outside can in the morning.

A hand rested on his back. He braced.

“Nick. I’m not your mother.” Her voice softened.

He turned. The emotions in her eyes had him wanting to shut this conversation down. They had it before and the end was always the same. What he wanted didn’t matter.

“Hey, don’t shut down on me. Not this time. This is overdue.”

“No, it’s old news. You didn’t want me enough to come with me.”

She stepped back. Shock on her face. “That’s what you thought?”

“That’s what I know.”

She turned her back to him. Her head dropped. “I should go.”

She probably should, but he didn’t want her to. He slid his hands over her biceps. “Mickey.”

Turning her head, her gaze connected with his over her shoulder.