Suddenly, there was a crunching sound behind me, and I turned around. The car moved backward with the tires flattening the icy snow as it rolled down the slight incline ofNoelle’s driveway. But the screams coming from inside the vehicle made my heart jump.
“Help!” Faith cried out repeatedly.
“Sweetheart!” Logan yelled with horror on his face.
Logan stood rigid. He didn’t move a goddamn muscle while Elle ran for her daughter. Her hair flew in the wind.
“Oh my God, Faith!” Noelle cried out with desperation.
I leaped into action. Two strides ahead of Elle because a patch of black ice slowed her down while I somehow caught my balance and slid down the frozen path. I stumbled once my boots found the pavement and collided with the hood of the car. Frightened sweet brown eyes caught mine in the passenger seat, and my adrenaline reached an all-time high.
“Mr. Timber! Help me!” Faith cried out with tears streaming down her cheeks.
Quickly, I hurried to the driver’s side and flung the door open. I hopped into the seat and pushed down on the brake as the tail end of the vehicle hit the street. The engine cut, my hand shook, and I couldn’t stop my rapid breathing.
“Jesus, kiddo...” I turned to Faith. “You scared the shit out of me.”
Faith flung her arms around me.
“You saved me. Thank you,” Faith whispered in my ear.
“Anything for you, kiddo,” I said as I hugged her right back and carried her out to safety.
Elle scrambled to our side.
“Faith! Oh gosh, sweetheart!” Elle grabbed her daughter’s face in between her hands. “Are you okay?”
“I’m okay, Mommy,” Faith whispered.
I handed Faith straight over to her worried mother. Panic lines creased Elle’s face, and she couldn’t take her eyes off her child. She put Faith down as her hands shook while she frantically inspected her body, and when she didn’t find any injuries, she hugged her close. Her eyes locked on mine over her daughter’s shoulder.
“Thank you,” Elle mouthed at me.
“I got into the front seat like Daddy told me to. Then I didn’t want you to be mad at me, and I changed my mind,” Faith explained with tears in her eyes. “I went to get into the back seat, but my foot must’ve slipped and hit something. The car started moving, and I... I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you, Mommy.”
Faith burst into tears while Elle consoled her. Logan came over and reached out to touch his child, but Elle picked Faith up into her arms. His daughter was no longer within reach.
“Christ, Elle, let me—” Elle shoved Logan in the chest.
“How could you, Logan?” Elle interrupted with a stone-cold glare. “I warned you not to be careless with Faith, and you didn’t listen.”
Elle walked past Logan and headed straight for her house.
Logan stood there frozen in shock. He blinked several times while he watched them go, and he didn’t run after them. Goddamn bastard didn’t deserve to. His actions must have stung him with the harsh reality of Faith being hurt.
“I didn’t know,” Logan mumbled repeatedly.
The dirtbag had the goddamn nerve to turn to me.Fucking prick.
Without warning, I grabbed Logan by his fucking expensive jacket that he appeared to care about more than his damn kid, and I sent him flying backward. Heaved his sorry ass right up against the side of his car with a hard thud, and I went right after him. Logan reacted. He went to move, but I stopped him with my hand pushing against his chest, and he couldn’t budge.
“You could’ve hurt Faith,” I snarled with my upper lip twitching at the thought of that innocent little girl in a hospital bed, and I clenched his coat. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“Me? You’re the asshole sleeping with my fiancée and—” I shook Logan.
“Ex-fiancée,” I hissed.
Logan rolled his eyes and rambled on. “Spending far too much time withmydamn child. I’m her father! Not you!”
