Colin Pierce came home to Glen Falls determined to put his skills to work where they could do the most good. What he didn’t count on was how quickly Nikki Star’s little girl, Daisy, would pull him into her orbit.
In this scene, Colin’s first meeting with Daisy at Heavenly Farm is anything but ordinary. Between Snazzy the llama, Daisy’s endless chatter, and Nikki’s quiet watchfulness, Colin finds himself swept into laughter, barnyard dust, and the unexpected sense of belonging he’s been missing.
Colin Meets Daisy
Ahead, a little girl appeared at the barn door, waving so hard her braids nearly took flight. “Mom! Look! Snazzy let me brush her neck and I gave her a treat and—”
Brown eyes wide with curiosity and the open friendliness only kids possessed took him in.
“Are you Mommy’s friend?”
Colin pulled at his shirt collar. Friend. Kids always called it straight.
Nikki kneeled beside her daughter. “This is Colin. He came with me to pick you up.”
Daisy processed the introduction for all of two seconds and then bounced on her toes. “Do you want to meet Snazzy? She likes people who aren’t afraid of mud.”
Colin glanced at Nikki, who shrugged, her lips quirking. “We’ve been warned.”
He grinned, dropping to Daisy’s level. “I’m not scared of a little mud. Especially if there’s a llama involved.”
Daisy beamed and tugged him over to the fence, where Snazzy, brown and impossibly fluffy, blinked at him with slow curiosity. Daisy offered the llama a handful of hay, her small hand reaching through the slats. Snazzy snuffled her palm, and Daisy’s giggle rang out—pure, full of promise.
The knot in his chest eased, slow and unexpected. What the heck? He was grinning like the verdict had gone his way before he’d even stood up. That hadn’t happened since he won the Kraemer case. Whatever he’d caught had missed Nikki. Worry still wrinkled her brow, but at least the edges had softened.
“Feel her fur.” Daisy piped up. “She’s soft. You can make sweaters from it. Do you knit?”
Daisy took his hand in her tiny one and rubbed it along Snazzy’s shoulder. “See how soft she is?”
When he glanced at Nikki, she was watching him. Her expression? Wistful? She was hard to read and he was good at reading people. Stil, he admired a person who didn’t rattle off every thought. Some lines should stay uncrossed.
He straightened. “Problem?”
“Just thinking.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “You’re a natural around kids. Where’d you get your practice?”
“Nieces. Paula’s got two girls. Lindsey is four going on twenty, and Elouise is two. They live over in Cape Girardeau.” He tapped his chest. “I’m Uncle Colin—the human jungle gym and snack supplier.”
Daisy turned to him, eyes wide. “Do they like llamas? Can they come here and play with me and Snazzy?”
Colin laughed, surprised at how much he liked the idea. “I bet they’d love that. Lindsey’s obsessed with animals—she tried to sneak a frog into Paula’s purse last month.”
“I like frogs. But llamas are better.” Daisy tugged at Nikki’s dress. “Can we have a playdate with Lindsey and Elouise? Please?”
Nikki shot Colin a look, caught somewhere between apologetic and amused. “We’ll see, Daze. That sounds like a big day.”
Colin snorted. Lindsey, Elouise, Daisy, and a llama? Sounded like chaos. And probably a blast. So what was with Nikki’s slight hesitation? Was she into a connection for her daughter, and herself. He rolled his shoulders, kind of liking the sound of a get-together. Unwise, but it could be fun. And dangerous. A smart man didn’t step without a net. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t schedule a visit with his nieces. He missed them.
“We’ll have to work on that.” He grinned. “I think we could all use a little more fun.”
“They’ll need to wear boots and work hard,” Daisy said, never taking a breath. “I helped scrub water buckets. Ms. Isles says I’m her favorite helper ever.”
Nikki ruffled her daughter’s hair. “I bet you are.”
Daisy turned to Colin, eyes bright. “Do you have any pets?”
“A cat named Snoop.” And for a second he wished he’d brought her along. She’d love to roam this place. “She’s not as big as Snazzy, but she’s pretty brave.”
Daisy’s face lit up with new possibilities. “Maybe Snazzy and Snoop could be friends! Or…maybe we could get a cat someday, Mommy.”
Nikki gave Colin a look—equal parts apology and humor. He just winked, the three of them caught in a quiet, gentle bubble of laughter and barnyard dust.
When it was finally time to leave, Daisy clung to Nikki’s side, still bubbling about llamas, cats, and all the things she wanted to show them next time. Colin held the truck door open, Daisy climbed in behind the driver’s seat and immediately launched into a minute-by-minute account of her afternoon.
He glanced at Nikki as she buckled Daisy in. “Does she ever run out of stories?”
Nikki shook her head, affection and exhaustion warring in her expression. “Never. Not once.”
From behind his seat, Daisy’s voice filled the cab—stories about Snazzy, about feeding chickens, about a frog she spotted by the water trough. Her chatter washed over him and the dark weight from the funeral receded, replaced by the bright, noisy, unstoppable tide of life.
He glanced at Nikki. She’d been watching him, her gaze softer now. Maybe she saw what he felt—a spark of hope, the faintest promise that things could still turn out okay, even after so much loss.
Daisy finished her story with a grand finale about saving a drowning bug. Colin applauded, genuinely delighted. “You had quite the adventure.”
Daisy beamed. “Can we come back soon, Mom? Please?”
“We’ll see, sweetheart.” Nikki’s voice faltered. “I have to check my work schedule and with Gramma.”
Colin breathed in the fields glowing in the late light. Considering the way the day started, he was feeling darned lucky. Daisy’s joy—relentless and contagious—had eased Jessie’s loss. A guy could get used to this. His life needed more noise, more hope, more reasons to look forward, instead of back.
Nikki had to be feeling it too. He glanced to the right, catching her profile in the golden light. An odd feeling settled in his chest—a slow, steady sense of home.