Page 48 of Cold As Ice

“Immy, we talked about this.”

“But I had a bads dream, Mommy.”

“You did, huh?”

“Yeah, I dreamed that you weft, and I was all alone.”

“Oh, sweetheart. Come here.” I scooped her up and carried her back down the hall to her room. “Let’s get you tucked in, and I’ll lie with you for a little bit. How does that sound?”

Imogen nodded, chewing on her fingers. She did that sometimes when she was anxious.

I made her comfortable, grabbing a couple of extra stuffed bears off her shelf, and laid down beside her, brushing her soft curls out of her face.

“You know Mommy will always be here for you. Always.” I bopped her nose. “I love you so, so much, sweetheart.”

She snuggled closer, gripping her favorite stuffed animal—a bunny Jeremiah had given her for her second birthday—between us.

With his torn ear and missing eye, Mr. Hopsy had seen better days, but she loved that bunny something fierce.

I stroked her hair, hoping she would fall to sleep quickly. But she murmured, “Mommy?”

“Yeah, baby?”

“Why don’ts I have a daddy?”

“You do have a daddy, Immy. You know that.” I managed to get the words out over the lump in my throat.

“So wheres is he?”

“Well, baby. He got sick and had to go away for a while.”

It was a lie mixed in with the truth, but we’d all decided she didn’t need to know that, not yet.

“Daddy loved you very much, baby.”

“What about you, Mommy? Did Daddy woves you? Cos Sierra says her daddy weft because he doesn’t woves her mommy anymore.”

God, she was four.

Four, and she had so many questions.

I wasn’t prepared for this—not so soon. But my girl was too smart for her own good, and we already had to watch what we said around her.

“It’s complicated, baby.” I pressed a lingering kiss to her head again. “All you need to know is that Mommy loves you very much. And Daddy loves you, too.”

Tears stung my eyes, but I blinked them away, refusing to cry. She was better off without him in her life—we both were. And one day, she would know that. She would know the truth.

But I’d protect her from that for as long as possible.

And when the day finally came when she was old enough, I would do everything in my power to make sure she knew her worth. That she knew she never had to settle for less than she deserved.

It was a promise I’d made to myself after I’d finally gotten us away from Warren.

She would not fall prey to the mistakes I did. Not if I could help it.

“I woves you too, Mommy. So, so much. The mostest in allll the land.”

“I love you too, princess.” I bopped her nose. “Now close your eyes and try to go to sleep, okay?”

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