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“Same for me. I like it here. Why would I leave? Plus, the view is nice.”

Remi looked up at him, and he gave her one of those heart-stopping winks. It was ridiculous how charming he could be, and as much as she wanted to act like a full-grown adult, his powers held full sway over her at this point.

Colt picked up his pace as he watched the path ahead. “Abby, where are you going?”

Sure enough, the kid was veering into a side path with her chin tucked to her chest. “I’m just going wherever my little feet takes me.”

Remi covered her mouth and chuckled. “Ain’t that the truth.”

“It’s her world. We just live in it,” Colt said with such affection that Remi’s whole body warmed.

“I wish I could see the world the way she sees it,” Remi admitted. Her childhood wonder hadn’t been the same as Abby’s. Was it coveting for Remi to wish for a peace that wasn’t meant for her?

“I wish you could see the world the way I see it.”

Her attention jerked to Colt. He looked at her the same way he looked at Abby and Ben. If she could see his devotion to the kids, why was it so hard to believe he held the same fondness for her?

Because she wasn’t an innocent child. Never had been. Her childhood was survival, and her adolescence was wreckage. There hadn’t existed an in between until recently, and even now, it felt unstable and likely to be ripped away from her in an instant.

Colt’s gaze held firm as his pinky brushed against hers. When their hands passed close to each other again, he linked his finger with hers, connecting them by the smallest, yet strongest link. That single touch held the power to kickstart her heart, and in that moment, it was alive and as bright as the sun.

They reached the creek, and Ben jogged toward them. Colt released her finger and held out his hands for whatever Ben carried.

“What ya got?”

Ben opened the pouch he’d made with the bottom of his coat. “Rocks. Which ones of these will skip?”

Leaning down, Colt pulled out a few more jagged rocks and tossed them out of the pile. “You want the flat ones.”

Abby crouched near the creek, and Remi walked over to check on her. “What are you doing?”

“Looking for the perfect rock. I need the bestest one.”

Remi picked up a dark stone that was flat and oval. “For skipping?”

“No. For wishing.” Abby reached for one with layers of light and dark brown. “This one.”

“Wishing,” Remi whispered to no one. Apparently, Wolf Creek was now a wishing well or a fountain. She looked back at Colt who was making his way down to the bank with Ben.

Abby squared her shoulders and closed her eyes. “I wish Miss Stella would teach me how to sew. And I wish Miss Vera would make me that blackberry cobber I like.”

“Cobbler,” Remi whispered.

“And please let me ride a pony soon, and I want to go to school. I’m just as big as Ben, and I can learn too.”

Colt halted Ben before any of the stones were tossed, and they waited while Abby continued her laundry list of a wish that had morphed into a prayer.

“And please, God, let Mommy and Daddy be okay. And I want a kitty for Christmas. Amen.”

Remi covered her mouth and glanced at Colt who was smiling at Abby. Neither of them knew what to make of Abby’s list of wishes, but she seemed to know what she wanted.

Abby gripped the rock in her fist and threw it as hard as she could. It sailed into the air and landed with a soft thump on the other side of the creek bank. Her little body sagged into a heap in the grass, and she hung her head. “My wishes never come true.”

Remi had Abby in her arms in an instant, hugging her tight enough to feel the little girl’s heartbeat against her own. “Sweetie, it’s okay.”

Colt settled beside them and brushed a hand over Abby’s head. Soft whimpers drifted up as she buried her face in Remi’s neck. If only she could take the sadness away. She’d gladly carry it herself to save Abby from the heartache.

Colt whispered, “It sounded more like a prayer than a wish.”