"Sometimes, I'd like to. I'd like to protect him and keep him safe. But, I don't want to treat him like a child."

She was acutely aware of how little he would appreciate that. And it wouldn't feel right, anyway. Longshot was more than capable of taking care of himself. The instinct was hard to squash, though.

"Longshot loves the snow. He'll play in it with Sadie and the kids enough for the both of us."