Page 33 of Thaw My Heart

“Oh, it’s been too long,” she says as she embraces me. The smell of orchids and roses fills my nose. She steps back, looking at me as if she’s checking for any ailments. “Have you been taking care of yourself?”

“Yes, Annie,” I chuckle.

She smiles, patting my arm. “Breakfast is almost ready.”

“Come sit down, son.” Cole gestures to the wooden stool next to him.

Cole is in his early sixties, with dark hair the color of charcoal, still in fit condition from his many years working on a cattle ranch. He has a smile that makes you feel like you’ve known him your whole life. Which, in my case, I had. Cole and Annie have been there for me when life was the hardest. At thirteen, Cole became a sort of father figure that I never had after my mom died.

If they hadn’t stepped in to take care of me, I honestly don’t know where I’d be.

I tuck my hands into my jeans. “I’m actually here to talk.” They pause, turning their attention towards me. “Cash is in town,” I continue, staring at the old, cracked tile, wishing I had better news. Slightly distracted by the distress of the room. “Saw him at the bar last night.”

“We know,” Cole sighs. “He came by.”

Annie turns back to her pan, nodding solemnly.

With a sigh, I plop down next to Cole. “So, what does he want this time? Another fancy suit? A pony?”

Cole snorts a laugh, finding amusement in my words. “We’re not sure yet.” He sips from his coffee mug, but he’s hiding something.

I’ve known him long enough to know the subtle expressions on his face, and something about him seems wrong… distant. Dark circles cling to his eyes, and rigid lines form on his face. He’s stressed about something, and I’ll bet it’s because he knows exactly what Cash wants, but why isn’t he telling me?

“So, how are you and Sadie getting on?” he asks with a smile, all the rigid lines vanishing in a second.

I frown. “We get on well enough.”

He nods. “Sounds about right.”

“Well, there are many here that seem to think there’s more going on between you two,” Annie teases, serving up eggs on a glass plate and then setting them in front of us.

“Like who?” I narrow my eyes, but Annie just smiles, like she’s intent on keeping it a secret. “There’s nothing going on between me and Sadie,” I grumble, clearing that ridiculous notion out of their heads.

Although tequila aside, I think Sadie was serious about her offer last night—and fuck, I almost let her. Call it a moment of weakness, but the thought of her lips wrapped around my dick is an image that’s now branded on my mind.

“She’s very pretty, Kit,” Annie says.

“Hard worker, too,” Cole adds with a smirk.

“Hard worker,” I mutter, leaning back on the stool. It’s not like I could deny that she’s attractive, but still. “Are you both in on this?”

Their complete silence frustrates me to my core.

“Unbelievable,” I stand, not wanting to talk anymore about Sadie. Especially not on a morning after she tried to take the length of me in her mouth. I’m already confused enough about being so attracted to someone I really don’t like.

“We’re just worried about you,” Annie murmurs. “You’re always alone in that house and⁠—”

“Well, not anymore. Thanks to him.” I point a thumb at Cole. If they were that worried, they could’ve found a more accommodating person, surely. Someone who was mute and less distracting.

“Why her?” I turn to Cole.

“There’s just something about her,” he muses. Morning sunlight catches in his irises, brightening up his blue eyes with something like mischief lingering there. “Give it time, Kit. You’ll see,” he grins, going back to his newspaper. “I’ve got an eye for these things.”

Annie nods and agrees.

My stare burns into them. “You two should be ashamed of yourselves. Getting a bit old to be meddling in my business, don’t you think?”

It’s like I was thirteen all over again.