Page 83 of Snowbound

But if he hurt her?—

“Let her go,” I growled. “Let her go, or so help me, we’ll have a fuckin’ problem, you and me.”

He stared at me. Took only seconds to process he was in over his head, but he let her go.

That’s all that mattered.

“Get your stuff. Get back to the house. Put some fucking clothes on,” he barked and stormed off.

Emma stood there in the mud, dripping, looking young and terrified.

Heartbroken.

“Don’t be listenin’ to him, Em,” I said, stepping closer. I put an arm around her shoulders, tried to warm her with my body.

“It was harmless,” I said. “You’re just my sister, right?”

I ruffled her hair and tried to make her laugh. Tried to make it not hurt.

“We were just swimming.”

“Yeah,” she whispered. “Just swimming.”

Why did she look so sad?

And now—

Now I wait to hear her scream. A gasp. A slap. Something. Anything.

But there’s nothing.

I finish drying my hair and glance at the mirror. My hair’s sticking up—just like it did that day by the creek, the last time we ever swam together.

I was hers that day, even if she didn’t know it. Hell—Ididn’t even know it. Not really. But I loved her then, and I love her now. I was so ready to tell my father off, to make a move… and then fuckingJake.

I brace myself to walk back out, expecting her to be gone.

But she’s not.

She’s on the couch, her legs tucked under her, the laptop closed. Firelight paints her in gold and red, shadows flickering across her skin.

She didn’t open it.

She lifts her eyes to mine—calm and trusting.

My god. What I wouldn’t do to keep that look in her eyes forever.

“I didn’t look,” she says.

My throat goes tight, but I just nod slowly.

“I trust you, Owen,” she says again, softer now.

“Come here, Emma,” I say, my voice is low and rough. I’m not asking.

She stands. Her bare feet whisper across the wood floor as she crosses to me, her body soft and warm from the fire.

That’s when I see it: She’s wearing my hoodie. It swallows her whole, draped over her like a claim I didn’t even ask for. And then she steps into my space, close enough I can feel the heat radiating off her skin.