Kenna tipped her head back to look into my eyes. “I wish I had your fearlessness.”

“You do. I see it in you every day.”

Kenna had no idea just how much strength she had at her fingertips. How much that internal fire could feed the fearlessness she hungered for. She just had to let all the rules and walls she’d set for her life fall away.

Doubt flickered across her features. “I guess I just need to grab hold of it a little more firmly.”

“You will. Now, what do you say we hike back down and go visit Zoe?”

Kenna grimaced. “I want to see Zoe, but going down this mountain might kill me. My butt is going to be so sore tomorrow.”

“I’ll massage it for you if you ask real nice.”

She snorted and shook her head. “Just do me a favor and don’t start massaging in public, okay?”

My hands slid down to her ass, kneading the muscles there. “There’s no one around now…”

Kenna shoved at my chest. “If you think I’m having sex with you on the side of a mountain when anyone could come along or we could get carried away and roll off, you’re crazier than I thought.”

“What happened to wanting to be fearless?”

“That doesn’t mean I have a desire to get dead or arrested.”

I released my hold on Kenna but grabbed her hand, leading us away from the cliff’s edge and back towards the trail. “Aw, Brown Eyes, you never want to have any fun…”

31

Kenna

I took a long drink from the glass of water Ingrid had given me. “I can’t keep up with those two, they’re putting me to shame.”

Ingrid laughed, turning her eyes back to the soccer scrimmage Crosby and Zoe were engaged in. “She’s something to behold. I finally got her connected with one of the rec teams.”

I eased into one of the patio chairs, fighting a wince. I would be in pain tomorrow. “That’s great. Is she liking it?”

“Zoe loves playing. She’s still a little unsure about the other kids, but I think that will ease over time.”

It would be impossible for Zoe to be anything but unsure. Her life had been turned upside down repeatedly in her nine years on this Earth. “Is she letting you in?”

Ingrid turned towards me, raising her sunglasses so they balanced on the top of her head. “It takes time. I’ve gotten peeks at the little girl under the armor, but she hasn’t let me in yet. That’s okay, though. We have all the time in the world, and I’m patient.”

“She’s really lucky to have you.” I let out a whoop and a cheer as Zoe dodged Crosby and shot the ball into one of the mini-nets Ingrid had set up. “Go, Zo! You show him!”