Page 38 of Sunrise & Serenity

Her lower lip protrudes, but Mia intervenes.

“Do you want to see inside Aunty Sage’s cabin?”

Between one blink and the next, Ruby’s frown morphs into a grin, and she nods.

“Do you want me to carry you, or do you want to walk?” I ask her.

She wriggles in my arms. “I’m going to run.”

Laughing, I set her on the ground. “Off you go.”

“Hold on,” Mia says. “Don’t forget your things.” She reaches into the back seat and pulls out a little green backpack, holding it so her daughter can slip her arms through the straps. The moment it’s in place, Ruby darts up the stairs and through the front door.

“When did she get so fast?” I ask as we wander toward the cabin. “I swear the last time I saw her, she was still toddling.”

Mia shakes her head. “She’s growing so quickly. Can you believe she’ll be five in a few months?”

“I really can’t.”

She smiles, then scans our surroundings. “It’s a shame things didn’t turn out the way we planned, but I must admit, this place is gorgeous.”

I nod. “I didn’t think I’d like it, but it’s beautiful.”

Once we’re inside, we find Ruby in front of the fireplace, trailing her fingers over the stonework the way I did my first night.

“Would you like a drink?” I ask her.

She shakes her head. “I’m not thirsty. What’s in there?” She points at my bedroom door.

“That’s my bedroom. The bathroom’s through there too.”

“Can I look?”

“You sure can. Just leave the door open, okay?”

With a nod, she runs off.

“Do you want a cup of tea?” I ask Mia. “I’d offer you coffee, but I don’t actually have any.”

She laughs. “I’m surprised you’re still upright. It takes me way too many cups to get through the day.”

“Holden brought me a thermos of coffee this morning.”

Her brows arch up. “That was nice of him.”

“Mmm.” The way she’s looking at me makes me squirm a little inside. “I guess it makes up for his general moodiness.”

“Do you think he was trying to make it up to you?”

The kettle whistles before I can respond, so I have time to consider my answer while I pour hot water over two tea bags.

“I think he was being practical. We were up early to go for a hike. He probably wanted to make sure I wouldn’t zombie-walk off a cliff and make his life harder by having to rescue me again.”

Griping about him doesn’t sit right. Not after our walk this morning, especially when he was nice enough to agree to give me riding lessons. But I also don’t want her to read too deeply into what was a completely innocent gesture on his part.

“Uh-huh.” She grins, her eyes sparkling.

Ignoring her reaction, I remove the tea bags, drop them in the trash, and head to the couch. Ruby’s already returned from her investigation of my bedroom and set herself up at the coffee table with a coloring pad and pencils from her backpack. She’s coloring a dinosaur, her tongue sticking out the side of her mouth.