Page 139 of Thaw My Heart

He would do anything to keep me safe, and ignorance is bliss, or so they say. If I didn’t know what happened, I couldn’t feel guilty about it. And Markus did not deserve an ounce of guilt from me.

Whatever Kit did to him, he deserved it.

When I wake the next morning, I can still feel the tremors of the past rolling through me, lingering in the bruises and scars he left on my skin. Reminders that I’m not sure will ever fade. Maybe when the divorce papers are final, the fact that he’s gone will feel more real, or maybe it will just take time to heal—time to forget all the harm and pain he caused.

The night Kit tended to my wounds, I felt a wave of relief wash over me, knowing I could trust him with the deepest parts of me. The way he gently washed blood off my face and gave me an ice pack for my bruises. The way he fed into my marshmallow addiction while he cooked a healthy dinner for us. Ending the night with his big, strong arms wrapped around me.

I’d fallen in love with him all over again.

But saying the words… well, that’s going to take time.

Kit is up early the next morning, getting ready to head into town, for what I’m not sure, but he claims it’s a big surprise. Except surprises aren’t really my thing. “Kit, I’m not a fan of surprises.”

“You’ll like this one,” he smiles, pulling me in for a soft kiss. “I’ll be back in a few hours. Tell your brother I said hi, and that I can’t wait to meet him.”

Calling Jaxson is a task I’ve been avoiding for weeks. Even now, I’m stressing about it as Kit makes his way to his truck in the snow. There’s so much that he doesn’t know. Heck, he still thinks Kit’s name is Kyle. And he isn’t going to be happy with me when he finds out I lied to him.

“You sure you don’t want to switch places?” I call out as he opens the driver’s door.

He laughs. “You’ll be fine, Tequila. I love you.”

My cheeks burn bright. “I—” But the words won’t come out, stuck in my fear and past trauma. “I expect you back at a reasonable hour for our date, Cowboy.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he smirks, hopping in his big silver truck.

Watching him drive away makes my gut twist with worry and unease, but perhaps it’s just nerves for my phone call.

Foxie and Bandit join me on the couch as I dial Jaxson’s number. My furry emotional support team. Jax picks up on the first ring, thinking something is wrong, but I’m happy to say that things are finally going right in my life. I open up about my relationship with Kit, rectifying his real name.

At first, he’s hesitant and concerned about the kind of man he is, but after I tell him how Kit protected me from Markus, he changes his tune very quickly.

The bitterness turns to newfound appreciation.

In all honesty, I think my brother and Kit would get along quite well. I can’t wait for them to meet someday. If Jaxson could ever get some time off work, that is. Something he’s still not hopeful for.

Strong gusts of wind blow snow flurries across the fields as I ride in on Sugar, ready to start the workday. Besides the chill, it’s quite peaceful, giving me time to sort through my messy thoughts. The whole Markus fiasco, filing for divorce, finally opening up to Jaxson, Kit being a complete cowboy dream… and then there’s Averie, who decided to go to Nashville for Christmas instead of spending it together. Leaving a bitter taste in my mouth when I think about why she left.

At least he wasn’t physically hurting her, or so she told me, but mental abuse can be worse in so many ways. Still, I miss her. I miss our girl dates and the easy friendship we shared.

Sadie:

Kit has some kind of big surprise for me tonight. I’m not sure how I feel about it.

Averie:

Surprises can be fun.

Sadie:

I don’t like surprises.

Averie:

Maybe he’s become addicted to marshmallows and doesn’t know how to break it to you.

Kit doesn’t covet sugar the way I do.

Which is good for the relationship, honestly. There’s more marshmallows for me, and Kit’s perfect rock-hard abs would remain intact.