Page 44 of Dream Weaver

Abby glanced at me, then Ingo, pursing her lips. Then she nodded and stood to see Claire and Pippa off.

“See you tomorrow, Cooper!” Claire waved.

I grinned, waving back. “See you tomorrow.”

Pippa leaned in, and Ingo met her in a long, lingering kiss.

Abby rolled her eyes. Claire chuckled. I did my best to keep my bear from imagining that kind of kiss with Abby.

Which made no sense, but…

It’s like Mom says,my bear rumbled cheerily.Love doesn’t have to make sense.

Love huh?

Destiny,my bear hummed.

The more time I spent with Abby, the more I felt sure about that. But where was destiny leading us?

I watched them file out. Abby would be back in a minute, but my heart still followed her. I gulped as the door swung closed, then remembered Ingo.

I turned back quickly, catching him eyeing me.

I grabbed my drink, half hid behind it, and waved toward the door. “Claire’s a sweet kid.”

“The best,” he murmured, still studying me. Then he chuckled. “At first, I couldn’t believe she’s related to Abby.”

Same with me, but my heart still panged with sorrow.

“Yeah. Abby is kind of…” I faded out there.Surly? Impatient? Unable to cooperate?

But the adjectives I might have used a week ago seemed harsh and judgmental now.

“A tough nut to crack,” I finally said.

Ingo laughed. “Yeah, if nuts were made of steel. But she’s okay once she lets you in. Unlike Pippa, she had it pretty rough as a kid, so…” He waved vaguely.

My ears jumped to attention. “They didn’t grow up together?”

He shook his head. “Their mother took off when they were little, leaving each dad alone to take care of his daughter. Pippa’s dad is Greg Martin — remember him, the chief of the Dakota Creek crew?”

I nodded. Was that the grandfather Claire referred to?

“Erin’s dad is great too. But Abby’s…” Ingo’s sour expression spoke volumes. “I guess she wasn’t as lucky.”

I glanced toward the door, slowly putting it together. All the rescued animals Claire had mentioned. The haunted look Abby got sometimes. The way she wolfed down food…

I made a mental note to tell my parents how much I appreciated them.

“She’s a great mom, though,” Ingo finished on a brighter note. “I have the feeling she would have been like Claire if things had been different.”

“She is great,” I agreed. And not just as a mom.

But, damn. Her own mother had abandoned her?

I leaned in to whisper. “Is their mother a witch?”

Ingo laughed dryly. “She’s a real piece of work, but no, not a witch. A dragon shifter.”

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