Page 87 of Abdominal Snowman

Her cheeks heated, and she gasped. “Oh my god, that’s not what I meant.”

Sage did not just accidentally suggest to someone she’d just met that she and Soren had been stuck on the mountain having sex. But she couldn’t exactly explain the whole… abominable storm making thing.

Shit.

Soren chuckled, the sound like a balm over her anxiety, and they dropped the subject.

“I am truly sorry about the SnowBnB. You know how it is.” Brian grimaced, his shoulders lifting in a shrug.

Yeah. Those pipes of his that busted were no happy accident.

Sage smiled. “Well, Brian, it’s just like you said in our conversation.” She glanced up at Soren. “I guess it was just fate that I ended up at Soren’s instead.”

Shaking his head, Brian sighed loudly. “Well, if you ever meet one of these fates, be sure to put in a good word for me.”

Brian and Soren chatted for a few minutes, and Sage squeezed Soren’s hand to hurry. She was cold, and she wanted to ice skate, dammit. They hadn’t even made it more than a few steps into the festival!

And she hadn’t found that slimeball yet.

“Well, all jokes aside, it’s nice to finally meet you, Sage. Take care of Soren here, he needs someone to keep him company in that cabin of his.”

“Trust me, I am more than capable of the job,” she said with a wink.

A question lingered in her mind, but she needed to get Brian alone for a second.

She turned to Soren and lifted a brow, motioning toward Brian as subtly as she could. “Soren, can you grab me a hot chocolate please?” Soren, thankfully, got the hint.

“Sure thing. I’ll be right back.” As he leaned closer and kissed her on the cheek, his smile was just short of monstrous as he said, “Let’s end this fucker.”

Then he disappeared into the crowd.

“It’s really nice to see him with someone. He’s been alone for a long time.” Brian watched Soren retreat before focusing back on Sage. “What’s going on?”

Sage grinned, appreciative of Brian’s ability to get right to the point. That was what she’d learned about him as she’d taken down his story and added it to her research. Brian didn’t mess around.

“I found something interesting, and I’m wondering if you know more about it.”

Brian grinned and pulled her aside to watch the ice skaters, and their whispered conversation was swallowed by the celebration surrounding them.

* * *

Sage stood to the side, nodding along with the big band that had set up in the pergola centered in the square.

Soren, however, was right in the middle of the floor, hand in hand with a group of young children and their parents, spinning and giggling in time with the booming bass lines. So much for staying under the radar.

The pure joy on his face twisted Sage’s heart into a knot. The only other time he’d smiled this much was when they were together.

The salt spread to keep the ice melted crunched under a pair of shoes, drawing Sage’s attention to her right. Her stomach soured as Tobin slid into place next to her.

“Hey there, city girl. Dragged him down from his hidey hole again, I see?” Tobin’s creepy grin slithered across her skin, and she repressed a shiver.

Sage hummed noncommittally, keeping her gaze on the party in front of her. On Soren.

She wouldn’t let her face show the anger raging inside of her, wouldn’t let Tobin get under her skin.

“I take it things are going well then?” he continued.

When Sage didn’t respond, he hummed. “Well… Soren, I’m sure, will be happy to follow you back to wherever it is you came from.” His smile was so smug she wanted to slap it right off his face.