Page 156 of Cold As Ice

“Did you wikes it?” Imogen asked once I was done.

“I did, thank you.”

“You don’t gots to pay for that one. Kayleigh said it’s on the houses. Whatever that means.”

Madison laughed softly but I kept my focus on her daughter.

“How comes it’s been so wong since we saws you Mr. Austins?”

“Well, I go to college and I’m a hockey player so I’m pretty busy.”

“Oh my Gods, Mommy. Mr. Austins is a hockey player just wike Scottie. I woves hockey, Mr. Austins. ’Specially when they all starts fighting.”

“Imogen!”

“Sorry, Mommy.”

“I heard you went to watch a game with Scottie and Harper. You know, Harper’s my friend too.”

“Oh, I wike Harper, and Rora. Harper gots me and Scottie ice cream.”

I debated telling her Rory was my sister, but something stopped me. Madison wanted to take things slow, and I already felt like I’d potentially messed up by coming here again.

“Yeah, I like Harper too.”I like your mom more though.

I bit the inside of my cheek to stop the words from tumbling out.

“Maybe we can all hangs out one time. Oh, oh, I knows. We can help Mrs. Owens with her cats. I wove her cats.”

Jesus. Imogen was something else.

I’d been terrified of meeting her officially, of crossing that line. But just like her mom, she made it so fucking easy.

“And I gots to thinking Mommy,” she went on, barely stopping to take a breath. “I know you said he can’t, but he gots me flowers and everything.”

Madison caught my eye again and smiled. But it quickly fell when Imogen’s next words landed.

“So, I think you should let Mr. Austins be your boyfriend.”

CHAPTER28

MADISON

“Immy, princess, that’s not—”

“You know Imogen,” Austin interjected, giving me a reassuring smile. “I’d really like to hang out with you and your mom sometime. How does that sound?”

She considered his offer, pushing her finger against her top lip. “Will yous be her boyfriend?”

“I don’t know about that, but I do know I would really like to be your mom’s special friend.”

Special friend.

Oh my God.

This was a freaking disaster.

And yet, there was something so endearing about the way Austin handled Imogen that my heart practically melted inside my chest.

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