Page 154 of Thaw My Heart

“Mister and Misses Harlow,” Ryker muses.

“Shut it,” I snap, and he smiles.

Sadie’s vintage Ford truck pulls up, brakes creaking as she comes to a stop. My shoulders tense at the sound.

She jumps out of the truck with shopping bags balanced on her arm. A successful trip by the looks of it.

“You’re not going to believe what I got today,” she smiles with excitement. Soft caramel waves drape over her shoulders, brushing against one of my favorite flannels she stole.

“What did you get?” I ask as she approaches me.

She smirks, pulling out a red ensemble with see-through lace. “An outfit for later,” she winks at me.

Goddamn, I love her. I’m doing my best to stop my dick from tenting in my jeans.

“And this bubblegum flavored⁠—”

“Dude!” Ryker waves his hands, using one hand to cover his eyes. “I’m standing right fucking here.”

Sadie shoves it back in the bag. “Yes. Why are you here?”

Guess it’s my time to shine. I clear my throat. “I got you something.”

“Something fun?” she fires back with a glint in her eyes.

Fuck me, my hands are sweating.

“Well… I guess it depends on how you look at it.” I hand her the keys to her new truck. “Happy Birthday, Tequila,” I add with a smile.

She stares at the keys in confusion before making the connection that the blue truck sitting in between the pines is hers. Her mouth falls open in shock, taking it all in.

“Before you object, I⁠—”

“You bought me a truck!” she exclaims with glee, cutting me off as she runs full blast towards it. Opening up the driver’s door to examine the leather interior. “It’s absolutely gorgeous, Kit. How did you afford this?”

I come up beside her. “Don’t worry about it,” I smile. I’ve had money saved up for a while anyway, and the smile on her face is priceless.

She wraps her arms around me, kissing me intensely. “I love it so much,” she says in between kisses. “Thank you.”

“Well, go on, start it up,” I say.

She jumps in, throwing her shopping bags in the backseat before turning the key in the ignition.

Ryker comes up beside me. “I saw that going a whole different way.”

I chuckle. “Yeah. Me, too.”

“Oh,” Ryker murmurs, reaching into his coat pocket for his phone. “Alaska wanted me to show you these. I met her baby girl for the first time yesterday.” He shows me a photo.

“She’s so small.” The smallest creature I’ve ever seen.

“She’s just shy of seven pounds.”

Alaska gave birth back in March, but with calving season, needing special vaccinations and everything else… I haven’t had a chance to visit her yet. But I’m looking forward to meeting her. “How is she?”

“She’s good,” he nods. “Healthy, but tired.”

Sadie rolls down the window. The sound of the radio station fills the air. “And what are you boys looking at?”