At the sight of Wyatt’s tall frame standing on the bank and Astrid’s smaller one next to him, Greta nearly fell to her knees in relief. The tears she’d been holding at bay spilled over.

Wyatt was the first to glance in her direction. Astrid followed his gaze.

“Hi, Greta,” the girl called cheerfully. “I’m helping Wyatt catch fish for breakfast. I’ve already got one. Want to see it?”

Greta swallowed the need to cry and brushed the tears from her cheeks. “Of course I do.” Her voice was shaky, but she drew in a breath and crossed toward the two. Astrid explained how she’d caught the fish, reeled it in, and then helped to string it to the line in the shallow pool nearby with the fish Wyatt had caught.

“You’re becoming quite the fisherwoman.” Greta couldn’t keep herself from smoothing the girl’s flyaway hair, needing to touch her and reassure herself that Astrid was here, safe and happy.

“Someday I’m gonna be as good as Wyatt.” Astrid cast her line again, biting her lip in concentration.

She glanced at Wyatt, but he avoided her gaze. The faint dawn light revealed the haggardness in his face and the dark circles under his eyes. He hadn’t slept well. Certainly not as well as she had.

“I slept so soundly I didn’t hear you leave.” Greta once again glided her fingers through Astrid’s hair. “And I didn’t hear you coughing last night either.”

“That’s because I didn’t cough.”

That was impossible, but Greta refrained from saying so.

“I’m better now,” Astrid said, with a confidence that hurt Greta’s heart. “The hot spring water is helping me get better.”

The child certainly had looked better after her few days at the hot spring. Even last evening, Astrid had talked and played a game of checkers with Judd and helped with chores almost like a normal child. She’d tired easily and had gone to bed early. But she had much more energy than she’d had in a very long time.

“You really didn’t cough last night?” Greta studied the child’s face, noting fresh energy.

“Honest. I really didn’t. I slept so good that I woke up early. When I couldn’t fall back asleep, I saw Wyatt coming out of the barn and asked if I could go with him.”

Greta stared at Astrid, a new sense of wonder pushing away the despair. Was it possible Astrid could find some relief after all? From the hot spring?

While she doubted the spring had the ability to truly cure an illness, what if the water somehow contained medicinal properties? If bathing there could diminish Astrid’s symptoms, even just a little, then why not try it again? “I guess next time you start coughing, we’ll have to ride down to the spring again. What do you say to that?”