Page 28 of Stay Wild Darlin’

A smile tugged at my lips, and I quickly attached the photo I’d snapped earlier of Cora. She’d been wide-eyed in the new carrier, looking like she was ready to take on the world.

Got this for Cora girl. Went shopping today. She loves it.

Use the money I put on the table?

Yes, boss.

Good. She looks happy.

She was.

For a moment, the conversation stalled. Then:

Thanks, Poppy. I appreciate it.

I stared at the words, that strange flutter of warmth returning. Weirdly domestic, indeed.

Good luck tomorrow.

The dots popped up again, making my heart skip.

Couldn’t do this without you.

I pressed my lips together, feeling a swell of something unexpectedly tender. I managed a simple reply:

Get some rest, cowboy.

13

Dalton

I parked in the driveway, heart thumping way harder than it should. Between bombing my ride this weekend and worrying about Cora twenty-four seven, my brain was fried. I practically sprinted up the porch steps and into the house.

“Poppy? Cora?”

Silence greeted me, along with a noticeable difference in my house.

It felt brighter, fresher. On the counter, a row of bottles sat drying on a towel. A big, leafy tree-plant thing in the corner almost made me question if I’d walked into the right place, and a green throw blanket was draped over the couch. I dropped my gear bag and realized with some color, Poppy was right. The house did look better.

A faint noise drifted in from outside. Curiosity piqued, I followed the voices as I stepped into the yard.

Poppy and Cora were spread out on a large blanket in the tall Texas grass like a scene from a fairy tale. Cora wore a tiny sun hat and was propped against Poppy’s leg, her wobbly baby posture a sure sign she was working on learning to sit. Poppy wore a light sundress, hair tumbling over her shoulders.

I paused, breath catching in my throat for a second. It looked, well . . . peaceful.

“Hey,” I managed, stepping off the patio. “Was starting to think y’all vanished.”

Poppy looked up, blinking like she hadn’t even heard me come in. “Hey,” she said, a grin on her face. “Didn’t know you were back.”

Cora was so busy gnawing on her little fist that she barely noticed me, but her eyes lit up when she finally did a double-take in my direction.

I walked closer, running a hand through my hair. “House looks . . . different,” I said, nodding toward the open door. “Kinda, I don’t know, actually nice?”

Poppy laughed, brushing some grass off her dress. “Just needed a little pizzazz, that’s all.”

I dropped down into the grass, folding my legs beside Cora as Poppy shifted over to give me space.

I really looked at Poppy. The sunlight highlighted golden streaks in her brown hair, her eyes glinting with warmth, her lips so plush they almost made me forget we weren’t alone. Even her skin looked a shade tanner than before, like she’d been soaking up all the rays with Cora.