Page 90 of Daddies on Ice

Despite everything, despite the anger and resentment, Trent has always been my safety net. The thought of losing that, of losing him, makes my chest tight with panic.

“You don’t mean that,” I whisper.

“I do.” His voice is steady now, resolved. “I’m done enabling your bad choices, Tish. It’s time for you to grow up and face the consequences of your actions.”

Before I can respond, before I can even process what he’s saying, the front door bursts open with such force that it slams against the wall.

Cold air rushes in, along with a flurry of snow, and Ash is standing in the doorway.

31

TISH

The cabin door explodes inward with such force that it bounces off the wall, and Ash fills the doorway like some avenging angel.

His chest heaves with each ragged breath, his blonde hair disheveled as if he’s been running his hands through it.

But it’s his expression that stops my heart, a volatile mixture of fear and fury that makes his brown eyes darker than normal.

“Tish, I heard—” His words die in his throat as his gaze lands on Trent, who’s still standing too close to me, his face flushed with anger.

The confusion that replaces Ash’s initial panic is almost comical, his brows drawing together as he tries to process the scene before him.

“Trent, I didn’t know you were coming here.”

Trent scowls and snorts. “Apparently.” His voice is full of disapproval.

“What the hell is going on?” Ash’s voice is low, dangerous, and I can see the tension coiling in his shoulders beneath his red flannel shirt.

A small sprig of mistletoe clings to his sleeve, probably picked up from one of the many decorations scattered throughout the lodge.

Trent’s reaction is immediate and explosive. “You!” He whirls around to face Ash, his finger jabbing accusingly through the air. “This is all your fault!”

“Trent, please,” I start, but he cuts me off with a sharp gesture.

“No, Tish! I’m done pretending this isn’t happening.” His voice rises with each word, and I can see the vein in his temple throbbing. “My sister was supposed to be off limits to you. You were supposed to protect her, not seduce her!”

The words hang in the air like icicles ready to fall and shatter.

Ash’s face goes completely blank, that careful mask he wears sliding into place, but I catch the flash of something raw in his eyes before it disappears.

“I don’t know what you think,” Ash begins, his voice carefully controlled.

“I know exactly what I think!” Trent’s voice rises to a near shout, his face flushed with anger. “Those pictures, Ash! Those goddamn pictures of my sister and YOU!”

I watch Ash’s expression shift from confusion to something darker, a mixture of fear and fury that makes my stomach clench.

His jaw tightens as he processes Trent’s words, and I can see the moment understanding dawns in his brown eyes.

“What pictures?” Ash asks, but his voice has gone dangerously quiet.

“The ones someone sent to my office,” Trent snarls, taking a step closer to Ash. “The ones showing Tish in…compromising situations. With you. With Jake.”

“Trent, please,” I try to interject, but my brother whirls on me.

“No, Tish! I trusted him!” He points an accusatory finger at Ash. “I trusted you to look out for her, to protect her. Not to-to seduce her!”

Ash’s hands clench into fists at his sides, and I can see the muscle in his jaw jumping. “You think I would hurt her?”