Page 38 of Keeping Her Safe

“I knew it!” Molly replied happily.

As they started finding the ingredients for the pancakes, Della said, “I am sorry about my sisters. They are a little much sometimes.”

“That’s okay. It was fun to see siblings getting along.”

“We do get along, now. Do you have any siblings?”

“Almost once, but no, I’m an only child,” he answered, thinking of the woman upstairs.

“There’s a story behind that ‘almost,’ I think,” Della said as she let the girl dump ingredients in the bowl.

“Not a good one. I’m adopted, and my father almost adopted a girl once. It didn’t happen.” Zachary tried Zephyr’s method of telling the truth but not saying much.

“That’s too bad it didn’t work out. My two are adopted. I don’t even want to think about what would’ve happened if it had fallen through.” He watched as she kissed the top of the girl’s head.

“Did you always want to adopt?” He had to know. She had been twenty-four when Kate had died, old enough to have taken in Zephyr at twelve.

“Yes and no. I wasn’t going to have children of my own for medical reasons, but I never really had the urge to go out and adopt. I don’t know how to explain it. I wasn’t even thinking about the possibility when the girls ended up orphaned, and I was asked to raise them by their grandmother. I knew I had to do it. I knew they were my future.” She smiled at the thought.

“I understand. It was like an opportunity you never thought about pursuing until it was in front of you, and you grabbed it.” Like if they had dropped Zephyr into her life.

“Yeah! It was just there in front of me, and I took it. It was the best decision I ever made.” Della started to fry the pancakes.

“You always say your best decision was marrying Max Valentine. He’s my daddy.” The little girl piped in.

“Life is full of decisions. Some are best; some are worst. And some are worst for you and best for someone else.” With the pancakes made, she put a plate in front of Zachary.

“Sometimes, a decision is made that changes everything for good or for bad. But either way, lives have been changed.” He stared at the counter, wondering if his father had ever thought to contact the sisters, who were now adults. Seeing this woman in the kitchen with a child she chose to raise made Zachary realize that she probably would have jumped at the opportunity to raise Zephyr. It was in her nature.

How much better would Zephyr’s life have been if she had come here at twelve? She would have been raised by a sister who loved her. She would have had a family. She would never know the fear of being alone. Zephyr deserved that.

Della had made enough pancakes for Zephyr for when she woke up. As Della and Molly walked to the door, she stopped and asked, “My husband would like to know if you would like to play poker today. The guys need a fourth.”

“Sure, as long as it can be here. Zephyr will probably want to work.”

“He will be happy to hear it. In about an hour, I think.”

“Okay, I’ll be ready.”

“Zachary?” She turned to him. “Whatever happened to the girl your dad was unable to adopt?”

Zachary smiled and said, “I married her.”

CHAPTER 16

A card game was in full swing in the dining room when Zephyr walked down the stairs. There were three men sitting around the table with Zachary, and they looked to be having a great time. If her stomach hadn’t been growling, she would have holed up in the bedroom until they left, but she needed something to eat.

Today she had chosen a dark green sweater and brown pants. Though she felt comfortable with her outfit, she was not comfortable with all the men in the house. They were all strangers, she noticed, all except Max from next door.

Then there was Zachary—what was he thinking? She had woken up alone and naked. Was he regretting what happened? Did he want to do it again? She wanted to know, and at the same time, she didn’t ever want to know.

Her heart did a flip in her chest when she saw his eyes were on her as she came into view. When she made her way through the dining room to the kitchen, he threw down his hand and jumped to his feet. Putting an arm around her, he steered her through the room and into the kitchen, leaving the men to make comments about Zachary’s attention to her.

Once they were through the swinging door to the kitchen, he pulled her to him and kissed her. Her only response was to melt into him and return the kiss. Being in his arms was as good as she remembered, with his mouth on hers.

“Good morning … afternoon,” he whispered into her ear when he had pulled his mouth from hers.

“Good afternoon, Zachary,” she said breathlessly.

---