Fortunately, it didn’t take long for my legs to feel the burn of hiking uphill, distracting me from my fantasies. During the hike, we passed a few older members of the community, pausing briefly to chat with some of them. We weren’t in a hurry. The dip officially happened at midday, but people would be hanging around the tarn for a while before and afterward, although in keeping with tradition, no one would venture into the water before the clock hit twelve.

We rounded a bend that took us through a clearing in the trees. Up ahead, I spotted a familiar little girl with dark blonde hair that fell messily over her shoulders.

“Tess,” I called.

She spun around and smiled. “Hi, Uncle Liam.” She grabbed the arm of the kid beside her, who also looked over at us. “Look, Skye, it’s Uncle Liam.” Her eyes landed on Kennedy and widened, then she shrank back.

“Hi, Skye.” I glanced at the woman beside her, Skye’s mother, Nikkita. “Hey, Nikki. Are these two ragamuffins behaving themselves?”

“As much as they know how,” Nikkita said wryly. “Tess is fine. It’s my little munchkin you need to be wary of.”

“Mum!” Skye protested. She was the more outgoing of the pair, and Tess tended to let her take the lead. Her eyes narrowed at Kennedy. “I’ve seen you in a movie.”

“You probably have,” Kennedy agreed, giving her a little wave.

Skye looked intrigued, but Tess seemed to be trying to sink into the earth and disappear. What was with that?”

“This is my friend Kennedy,” I told them both.

Tess beckoned for me to come closer. I crossed to her side and bent so she could whisper in my ear.

“Daddy always says bad words when he sees her on TV. Is she a criminal like the ones he puts in jail?”

My eyes widened. Good old Nate and his hot temper. I could tell why Tess was concerned. She didn’t want to talk to Kennedy if it would make her dad angry.

“You know how sometimes you and Skye fight?” I asked her quietly. She nodded. “Well, your dad and Kennedy had a disagreement a really long time ago, but they’ve apologized and forgiven each other now, so you don’t need to worry.”

“Okay.” Her shoulders relaxed, and she sent Kennedy a tenuous smile.

I straightened and turned to Nikkita. “Want to walk with us the rest of the way?”

It wasn’t far from here to the tarn.

She shook her head. “Nah, we’re just taking our time. You go ahead, and we’ll see you there.”

“All right.”