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Before heading off to shower, he bent down and kissed her head. It was the sweetest gesture–something he’d do to the kids. She wasn’t innocent and worthy like they were, but Colt adored her anyway.

When Colt left her on the couch, drowning in her pity party, she stalked to the bedroom and closed the door. If she waited in the living room, she would be tempted to ask for more than she deserved.

Chapter24

Colt

Colt steadied the flowers in the passenger seat of his truck. No one told him buying a woman flowers also required the skill to transport them. The two vases swayed in the seat, threatening to topple at every bump on the path.

Parking at the south barn, he reached for the seat belt and buckled the vases in. “Stay right there.” The flower arrangements were worse at minding than the kids.

Jumping out, he jogged to the new barn. Ridge and Cheyenne had started up a youth learning program over the summer, and construction on a new facility was well underway. The old barn had seen its better days in the nineteen fifties and needed help holding itself up.

Two portable lights lit the inside of the new construction. The walls and roof were up but not much else.

“Uncle Colt!” Abby shouted as she ran down the breezeway with her arms open.

Colt met her halfway and twirled her in his arms. “Hey, sweetie. Did you have a good day with Ridge and Cheyenne?”

Abby grabbed the collar of Colt’s coat. “I did! Miss Cheyenne’s mommy has a cool carriage.”

Colt chuckled. “A wheelchair.”

“Yes. She let me put stickers on it. And Mr. Ridge let me use a hammer with some nails and some wood!”

Oh, boy. The thought of Abby with a weapon was going to cause some nightmares. “Sounds like fun. Did he put you to work?”

“No, silly. I put nails in the wood. Come on. I show you.”

“Quick because we need to find your brother and get going. I have a surprise in the truck.”

“A surprise! Ben! Hurry!”

That was one way to speed things up. Abby waddled off in her puffy coat.

Ben darted out of a room that would probably one day be an office. “What’s the surprise?”

Colt held out a hand for Ben to slap. “Does that question ever work?”

Ben shrugged. “It’s worth a shot.”

Ridge stepped out of the room and wiped his forehead with a rag. “Don’t forget your drinks.”

The kids ran off, and Colt greeted his old roommate with a firm handshake. “Were they good?”

“They were great, but does Abby ever stop talking?”

Colt laughed. “Only when she sleeps.”

Ben and Abby reappeared with juice pouches and zipped right past Colt toward the truck.

“Race you,” Ben said as he picked up speed.

“It’s not a race!” Abby yelled.

“Everything is a competition,” Ridge whispered.

“Tell me about it. I have a long-running losing streak. Thanks for letting the kids hang out this afternoon.”