Page 70 of Better Together

Abby nodded and wiped her eyes.

Remi sat down with Abby in her lap and called Colt, putting the call on speakerphone and praying he would answer.

“Hello, princess.”

Abby perked up. “Are you okay?” she said in a shaky voice.

“I’m great. Fantastic. Wonderful.”

“What about Ben?”

“Ben, are you okay?” Colt asked.

Ben’s voice was far off, but they could hear his answer. “Yep.”

“Okay,” Abby said as she wiped her eyes on the backs of her sleeves. “Are you at home?”

“I’m at Jameson’s office.”

“Can we go home? And you too?” Abby asked.

“Sure, we’ll head that way.”

When the call ended, Abby stood from Remi’s lap. “I’m glad they’re okay.”

“Me too, sweetie.”

They hadn’t talked about how the kids had been given the news about their parents, but something in the tense news tonight had triggered something in little Abby.

When Abby had her coat on, she hugged the ladies and gave a round of night-night kisses. Remi carried her out into the dark night and strapped her into her car seat. They were unlikely to encounter any danger on the drive across the ranch, but better safe than sorry was Remi’s motto these days.

The back seat was quiet as Remi parked in front of the cabin. A peek in the rear-view mirror revealed a sleeping Abby. It seemed the shock of the evening had been an emotional overload.

She fired off a text to Jess asking about Linc’s condition and walked around the truck to get Abby. The little girl wasn’t heavy, but getting her out of her car seat was like hefting around a potato sack. With Abby finally resting with her weight against her chest and shoulder, she trudged inside. They’d beaten the guys home, and she prayed they wouldn’t storm in like a traveling circus.

With Abby tucked into bed, Remi snuck out of the room and back onto the front porch. The guys arrived a minute later, and she shushed them as they raced toward the front door.

“Shh. Abby is asleep.”

“I just talked to her on the phone,” Colt said.

Remi shrugged. “When she’s done, she’s done.”

Colt ruffled Ben’s hair. “Get ready for bed and sneak in quietly.”

“I wanted a song tonight,” Ben whined.

“Tomorrow. Think about which one you want.”

Ben huffed but got started brushing his teeth and changing into PJs. A few minutes later, he whispered good night on his way into the bedroom.

Remi arranged the kids’ shoes by the front door. “How did Ben do?”

“He liked the horses, but he’s still not talking much.”

“Did you try talking about cars?”

Colt leaned against the back of the couch and crossed his arms over his chest. “I know way more about cars than I ever wanted to know.”

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