Page 6 of Savage Secrets

At that moment, Kirsten came to her rescue. She took Rainie by the hand and led her out of the room. The pain lingered for a shaky heartbeat.

Opal shot Zach a glance. His deep brown eyes were soft with compassion.

She waved a hand. “That box is heavy. You’d better put it in the back of the truck before you break your back. I’m going to get to work!”

Each box she filled, Zach was there to take away. When he lingered close, waiting for her to seal a box with tape, she felt a pulse of awareness. He was over six feet and layered with muscle from hard work and ranch life. He was also what women often called dark and broody.

She’d never subscribed to any one type of man, but she had to admit that Zach had something that made her want to know more about his life.

And his past.

She finished taping the box shut and held it out to him. As he bent to take it from her hands, their fingers brushed. The warm, rough touch made her jolt.

To cover the moment, she looked away from him—but not before she saw the sheen of perspiration coating his tanned neck.

She quickly stepped away from him. “Thanks, Zach.”

His gaze roamed over her face for a beat too long. “No problem.”

Why did those words sound like he meant something…more?

* * * * *

Zach paused at the top of the hill overlooking the Gracey Ranch. Damn, this vista never failed to fill him with a sense of peace. Somuch had changed over the past few months—most of it for the worse. But that didn’t change his view of the land.

Dawn spread across the landscape, lightening patches of grazing land bit by bit. Before the tragedies that befell the Gracey family turned into a trainwreck, Zach considered this place home.

That was no longer the case.

Zach was hired to manage the ranch shortly after the owner, Sean Gracey’s, son enlisted in the military. Forest never wanted the ranch life for himself, but Zach always awaited the day when he returned and claimed his spot.

That never happened. Tragedy number one hit when Forest lost his life during a mission.

Shortly after that, things started falling apart. Or blowing up, depending on how a person looked at it. Zach’s opinion was jaded as hell, so he saw the shadows. The darkness.

Between attacks on both of Gracey’s daughters, Meadow and Ivy, a dead ranch hand and a terrible injury on another, Zach’s ability to focus on managing the ranch was damn near impossible.

A few of Forest’s friends showed up and pointed fingers at Zach, accusing him of stealing equipment so he could profit from it at auction. Now the ranch was about as warm and welcoming to him as the iron branding the cattle. At one time, his name carried weight. Now he was the outlaw.

Then came the biggest blow. This morning, Mr. Gracey had dropped a bomb on him.

Zach was no longer going to be managing the Gracey. Mr. Gracey decided Zach was going to help out at Springvale Ranch after the owner’s death.

Anger had been pulsing through his veins since that talk, but what could he do but follow the order?

With the owner dead, Springvale required protection. Now Opal and her young daughter were going to be living there, so they’d need protecting too. He’d be plenty useful to Opal, but lacking any choice in the matter really burned him up. It all boiled down to the new guys edging him out of the Gracey Ranch for the past few months.

Even if Mr. Gracey hadn’t given orders, Zach knew it was time to find another situation.

He didn’t shy away from the hard work ahead of him. The investor wasn’t wrong when he said the ranch needed work. The barn was wet in one corner where the roof leaked, and more fence was down than standing. Zach knew how to fix the issues. He could do some good there.

He could feel useful again.

In his hands, the leather reins were supple. The horse stomped, eager to be on the move.

Zach patted his neck, the hide warming under the rising sun. “I’m ready too, boy. Let’s go.” He spurred him into a canter. As they headed down the hill, they picked up speed until the wind ruffled the horse’s mane and whipped at Zach’s heavy coat.

Once they reached the bottom, he eased the horse to a walk. At the paddock, he dismounted and led the gelding into the fenced area. He turned him loose to graze and stood at the gate, watching the horses, aware that these may be the last moments he spent with them.

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