Page 5 of Savage Secrets

He’d also run off that investor after the funeral.

Just thinking about Feldman spread an icy chill down her spine. She didn’t trust the man, and neither did anyone from the Gracey Ranch. He was after their land too. She didn’t know the details, but she planned to educate herself as soon as possible. If she was going to run a ranch, she needed to be smart about everything that went on.

The rumble of an engine vibrated the flimsy pane of the kitchen window. Opal glanced out to see a pickup pulling up behind Kirsten’s car. She recognized the sleek black truck and the logo of the Gracey Ranch on the side.

Kirsten came to peer out the window too. Two men climbed out of the vehicle. When Opal saw the black hat and wide shoulders of Zach, her stomach tensed.

She quickly swiped her fingers through her hair to smooth the strays that escaped her ponytail. She glanced down at her wrinkled top. She looked as grubby as Rainie.

What did it matter anyway? She ignored her appearance and went to let Zach and the other man in.

When she opened the door, a soft gasp escaped Kirsten, who stood behind her.

“Wow!” Kirsten whispered.

Hoping the guys didn’t hear her friend, Opal met each of their gazes.

“Hi, Opal.” The way Zach spoke her name always felt like he was rolling the syllables around his mouth, creating a drawl.

“Hi. I wasn’t expecting you.”

“This is Luke. New ranch hand at the Gracey.”

Luke looked to be about sixteen. But he thumbed his hat and offered her a wide smile that made her like him immediately.

“We’re your movers today.”

She blinked up at Zach. “Did Meadow send you?”

“No. I just heard you tell her the other day that you planned to move into Springvale today. We’re here to be your muscle.”

“Ohh!” Kirsten’s appreciative murmur was even louder than the first. It also didn’t go unnoticed.

Opal moved aside and swept a hand toward her friend. “This is Kirsten. She lives next door and is my closest friend.”

“Howdy.” Zach ducked his head in recognition, and Luke smiled like an eager puppy.

“Well, it’s really nice of you and Luke to come, Zach. I’m not finished packing, but there are some boxes ready to go.”

When the guys entered the house, they looked huge in the cramped mudroom. Before they got wedged between the walls, she led them to the kitchen.

Without a word, Zach picked up a heavy box and Luke did the same. “We’ll load the truck. You keep packing.”

He took a step toward the door, and suddenly Rainie jumped into his path. Her hair tie had come out completely, and her dark brown, almost black hair, hung down her back as she tipped her head to look up at the cowboy.

“Hey, Zach! Want to have a tea party?”

Opal was looking closely at his face. Was it her imagination or did he turn a bit green?

“Not today, pumpkin.”

“We can color!”

Opal slipped her arm around her daughter, drawing her out of the men’s way. “Not right now, Rainie. We’re packing our things. We’re going to live on the ranch, remember?”

She bobbed her head in an enthusiastic nod. “With Grandpa!”

A stone dropped into Opal’s throat. She couldn’t speak or breathe.

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