Page 45 of Savage Secrets

When she whipped her head left and right, inspecting the other pumpkins she hadn’t checked out yet, her pigtails waved. “I want to see that one!”

She took off running again, and Opal laughed. “She just might wear herself out and sleep on the ride home.”

He sent her a sideways glance that had her insides clutching with need. She’d woken that morning from steamy dreams of Zach moving inside her. The tendrils of need hadn’t left her all day.

Now it seemed like every look he gave her increased that need, and she was left throbbing. If she tackled him in the field and demanded that he take her, would anybody notice?

Yes, and that someone is Rainie.

Rainie came running back as fast as her little legs could carry her.

“Momma! Zach! Comesee!” She took off again, leading the way to the next pumpkin.

When they approached it, Zach issued a chuckle. “That one looks a little lopsided.” It leaned far to one side.

“Can I get it? Can I?” She bounced around some more.

Opal pulled out her phone. “Let’s take a picture of it. We’ll look at the other pumpkins, and if you love this one enough to take it home, we’ll come back and get it. How does that sound?”

“It sounds like you want to tire her out by running around the entire field,” Zach said low enough for only Opal to hear.

A warm laugh bubbled in her throat, and she nodded before snapping a photo of the pumpkin.

They moved on, down one row and up another. Opal was so aware of Zach’s every move. The way he interacted with her daughter fed a part of her that she wasn’t aware craved such a thing. Seeing her daughter latch on to Zach’s hand and tug him around the field caused a stinging sensation in Opal’s eyes.

After Rainie’s biological father ducked out on them, she hadn’t given much thought to how another man might fit into their lives. For the past few years, she’d been content with motherhood, her work as a ranger and spending time with her own father. He filled a hole in Rainie’s life as the best grandpa in the world.

Opal’s eyes filled at that thought, and she blinked rapidly to clear them just as Rainie let out a squeal of glee.

She centered her attention on her child, who was running full tilt across the pumpkin patch toward another little girl who was barreling toward her.

They threw themselves into each other’s open arms with the total abandon that only kids seemed to display freely.

Opal smiled as she hurried forward to greet the parents of Rainie’s little friend from daycare.

“Ellie is going on the hayride! Momma, can we go too?”

Opal settled a hand on her daughter’s head, warmed from the sun on her dark hair. “Yes, we can.” She smiled at Ellie’s parents. “Hi there. I see our daughters found each other.”

“Ellie can’t stop talking about Rainie.”

“I hear plenty about Ellie too. Especially that she has a kitten.”

Zach’s head swiveled toward her and drew attention from Ellie’s parents.

“Zach, Ellie goes to daycare with Rainie. These are her parents, the McMasters.” She waved a hand at him. “This is Zach.”

The couple hesitated before responding, as though waiting for more to her introduction. Like a label for Zach.

Opal didn’t have one. He was her helper, her confidante, her friend…her lover.

Zach gave a single nod of greeting.

“Mommy! Can Rainie come to my sleepover with my cousins?”

Before the adults could respond, she continued, “And see my kitten? Rainieloveskittens!” Ellie was standing in front of her parents with Rainie jumping like a kangaroo beside her.

Ellie’s mother and father traded a look, that silent communication only couples with a history seemed to exchange.

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