Opal looked down the lane, expecting to see her father’s big, black SUV. He’d traded in his truck for something a little easier to get into, and now that her parents were leaving the harshness of the Wyoming winters, they didn’t actually need a pick-up.
They did need single-story living, with accessible entrances and exits. They’d been staying in the cabin where Tag had once lived while they’d been in Ivory Peaks previously, and theirhouse sat over around the bend from the stable where Gerty kept her rescues.
They didn’t want land of their own, but her parents had paid for the construction. They’d be closer to Mike and Gerty than Tag and Opal, and that was okay with her too.
She was just thrilled they’d listened to her and Mike and decided to move here. “Now, we just need Uncle Easton and Auntie Ali.”
Her younger brother lived and worked back East, and he and Allison had two children. Opal missed them, and she pulled out her phone and sent them a quick text, all with only the use of one hand.
Honestly, since Mari had been born, she’d gotten so good at doing everything with only one hand.
“Hey, honeybee.” Tag stepped out onto the front porch and swept his lips along her hairline. “They’re still not here?”
“Not yet.” Opal tossed another look down the lane. “You’re done already?”
“Gerty wanted to get back to the house to start dinner.” He sighed as he sat on the rocking chair opposite of her. “She’s really out.” He gazed fondly at their daughter, and Opal had never seen a more devoted daddy than Tag.
“Yeah.” Opal reached to un-strap the sling. “I’m getting hot. Do you want to go lay her down?”
“Sure.”
Opal passed the baby to Tag, who made no move to get up and take their daughter down the hall to her crib to finish her nap. In fact, he snuggled the baby and laid his head back, his eyes drifting closed as if he’d join Mari in her afternoon siesta.
Opal couldn’t be unhappy about that, and in fact, her heartstrings thrummed with pure love for her husband and daughter. She stayed in that moment for a few seconds, pure gratitude filling her for the good things God had given her.
Then she rose to her feet and swept her fingertips through Tag’s hair. “I’m going to go start the ice cream.”
His eyelids fluttered open. “All right, honey-darlin’.” He grinned up at her. “You want to kiss me first?”
Opal grinned at him. “I was hoping you would ask.” She leaned down and touched her lips to his, getting lost in the simplicity and perfection of her life.
She left them to snooze on the porch, and she went into the kitchen to get the ice cream base out of the fridge. She poured it into her electric freezer, plugged it in, and pressed a button to get it going.
It didn’t take ice or salt, but froze the bowl as it turned. She’d told Gerty she’d bring dessert to dinner that night, and then they’d all go over to the build site to see how the house was coming along.
She’d just put a sheet pan of blondies in the oven when the front door opened and the quick wail of Mari entered the house. Opal automatically looked that way and found her daddy holding and shushing his granddaughter.
Joy leapt into the back of her throat. “You’re here.” She quickly set the timer on the stove and went to greet her momma. “Mm, you’re later than I thought you might be.”
“Oh, your daddy had to stop for a hamburger.” She hugged Opal tightly, and tears pressed into Opal’s eyes for some reason.
Her hormones still felt a little out of control these days, and she told herself she was just so excited for her parents to be so close. She stepped back and smiled at her mom. “Is Hillie still there?”
“Yes,” Momma said. “And still a flirt.” She threw a glance over to Daddy, who paced in the kitchen, his mouth bent close to Mari’s ear as he whispered something to the baby. “Your dad eats it right up.” She shook her head.
“She wasn’t flirting with me,” Daddy said from the kitchen. He hadn’t even looked over to them, and Opal grinned at him. He wore his ten-gallon cowboy hat in his customary black, a pale yellow polo, and jeans.
Opal had never known her father as the power-suit who ran the family company as the CEO. To her, he’d always been super devoted to his family, present for everything, wise, and her biggest champion.
She moved over to say hello to him, and she found Mari’s dark eyes wide open, staring up at her grand-daddy. She sucked on her pacifier, and her calm, sometimes a little too quiet, demeanor reminded Opal so much of Tag.
He’d followed her parents into the house, and now he stood in the kitchen, looking at the stovetop. “Honey, this timer isn’t on.”
Opal’s gaze flew to him. “Shoot. Take it down a couple of minutes, and start it for me, would you?”
“Yep.” Tag started doing that, and Opal turned her grin on her father.
“Did you bring me anything from The Burger Babe?”
