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A splash and Abby’s loud laugh came from inside. Found them.

Remi laughed too, and the sound sent a tingle from Colt’s head to his toes.

He leaned closer to the door. “What’s going on in there?”

“Come back with a warrant!” Remi shouted.

“Yeah! Come back later!” Abby shouted. In a quieter voice, she asked, “What’s a warrant?”

Ben darted out of his bedroom and looked from the door to Colt. “What’s up?”

“Abby’s still in the bathtub.”

“So, I don’t have to take a bath?”

“You’re not getting out of it. You smell like a foot.”

Ben threw his head back. “Can I at least have a snack?”

Colt shooed him toward the kitchen. “Whatever keeps you awake until the mermaid gets out of the bathtub.”

Remi’s and Abby’s laughs echoed in the closed room, and Colt looked at his dirty wedding band. A month ago, he’d been praying for this life, but even his dreams paled in comparison to this.

Chapter21

Remi

Afrigid chill raced down Remi’s back as she zipped Abby’s coat up to her neck. “Keep the hood on, please.”

“Okay.” Abby patted her ears through the hood. Little pink mittens covered her hands.

The first snow of the season had come softly–just enough to cover the leaves on the ground in a thin layer of white–but the bite in the wind promised more to come. Despite the harsh weather, the kids begged to see the creek. They’d brought an afternoon picnic to the clearing on the bank last week when the weather had still been tolerable, but today, they might not last more than a few minutes in the clearing without trees to break the sting of the wind.

“Race you,” Ben called over his shoulder as he darted toward the water.

“Wait!” Abby wiggled out of Remi’s grasp and shot off after her brother.

Colt cupped his hands around his mouth. “Both of you, slow it down.”

Remi slipped on her gloves and tightened her coat around her neck. “I don’t want them getting to the creek before us either.”

“Yeah, Ben will be in it if we’re not careful. That kid thinks he’s indestructible.”

The kids slowed to a walk, but neither of them were headed in a straight line. The anticipation of getting there had them both running in circles and doubling back just to be able to move faster.

Remi tucked her hands into her coat pockets. “I should have put two layers of pants on them.”

Colt chuckled and pointed to the kids on the trail ahead. “I don’t think they’re bothered by the cold.”

“Well, I am.” She shivered, and her teeth chattered. “This is my least favorite time of the year.”

“Why don’t you ever head south for the winter?”

Lots of the ranch workers in Wyoming took seasonal jobs in Texas in the off-season. Half of the horses would take a ride down south, and with no guests to accommodate in the harsh winters, the cowboys went too.

“I thought about it a couple of times, but I… I didn’t want to mess up what I have going here.”

She didn’t want to lose her progress. At least, that was the reasoning in the beginning. She’d done well in her recovery here, and she wasn’t sure if the friends or the ranch itself was to thank. Whatever it was, nothing in Texas was worth a relapse.