“You’re not jealous at all?”

 “Nope.” Willa couldn’t miss the amused twinkle in Rider’s own eyes.

 “It’s a sad day when a woman refers to me as brotherly.”

 “I’m sure you’ll recover,” Willa mocked.

 “I might be heartbroken … You just don’t know.” Rider’s mouth twisted mischievously. Before she could react, he brushed his mouth over hers in a brief kiss. Raising his head, he stared down intently at her. “Nothing?”

 “Sorry, but no.”

 “Woman, you’re heartless,” Rider groaned. “I guess it’s the haunted house after all.”

 “Don’t get lost,” Willa teased to his retreating back, not missing the one finger salute he turned and flipped her.

 “Ready?” Willa took Chrissy’s hand, helping her down the bleachers before going in search of the other two children.

 She found Charlie coming out of the haunted house and Caroline helping Winter at the fish pond.

 “Leaving?” Winter asked.

 “Yes, I need to go home and get started on tomorrow’s orders.”

 “I would tell you to take a vacation, but I think the town would lynch me.”

 Willa always felt a spurt of pride about her baking skills. It was the one thing she did well.

 “I see you went to the duck pond.”

 Willa’s hand went to the blue beaded necklace around her throat. “Yes, and the photo booth.”

 “I’m glad you had fun. Where are the pictures?”

 “Pictures?” Willa stared at her blankly.

 “That is what the photo booth is for. I should check and make sure it’s working if you didn’t get photos.” Winter frowned. “No one has complained…”

 “I forgot to look. I’m sure it’s fine. I’ll go check, and if anything’s wrong with the booth, I’ll text you.”

 “I would appreciate it. I can’t leave the table right now.”

 “I’m happy to help.”

 Willa hustled the children away, dismayed she had left the pictures for anyone to see. She would die of embarrassment if anyone saw her and Lucky kissing, and she didn’t imagine he would be any happier.

 When Willa found the slot where the pictures came out empty, she even looked around the floor to make sure they hadn’t fallen out.

 “Can we take a picture?” Charlie asked.

 “All right.” Willa lifted the curtain, hoping against hope that it wouldn’t work.

 She smiled as the camera flashed, the children all making silly faces.

 When it was over, Charlie jumped up. “Let’s get the pictures.”

 Willa lifted Caroline and Chrissy off her lap, praying the slot would be empty. The children eagerly waited for the thin strip of pictures to emerge, and she swallowed hard when it did. Charlie picked them up, showing them to his sister.

 “I guess it’s working fine. Let’s go home.”

 As they left, Willa felt as if everyone’s eyes were on them yet knew it was a figment of her imagination. Her last hope was that someone had seen the pictures were left behind and thrown them away. She was tempted to search the trash can closest to the photo booth, but she knew it would look ridiculous.

 “God, could you please, please destroy those pictures? Maybe make sure that one strip didn’t develop? Or a tiny, little fire?” she mumbled.

 “What did you say, Willa?”

 “Nothing, Charlie. I was praying to find something I lost.” That tiny strip of photos in someone’s hand would be humiliating if they surfaced.

 “I’ll pray, too.” Charlie climbed into the backseat when Willa opened the car door.

 “Me, too,” both girls chimed in as she buckled them into their car seats.

 Willa shut the sliding van door before getting in behind the steering wheel.

 “How about we all pray?” Willa said fervently.

 She was so upset over the pictures that the actual kiss didn’t register until she was about to go to bed. Could it be that Lucky was as attracted to her as she was to him? A spark of hope was lit deep inside.

 Willa sat down on the side of her bed, stunned at the thought. Maybe her life was going to make a change for the better.

 “It certainly couldn’t get any worse.” Willa wanted to take the sentence back as soon as she uttered it. She had learned long ago never to tempt fate. Even the Devil would laugh at her believing Lucky was attracted to her.

 “Miracles happen.” Willa fell back against her bed, staring up at the ceiling as a fragile hope began to grow. Maybe, just maybe … all her prayers were about to be answered.

Chapter 9

 Lucky found Viper in the kitchen, sharing a bottle of whiskey with Shade.

 “I need to talk to you.”

 Viper used his foot to push a chair away from the table. “Take a seat.”

 Lucky sat down at the table.

 “You need me to leave?” Shade asked, lifting the bottle as he began to stand.

 “Stay.” Lucky reached for an empty glass, raising it for Shade to fill, and the enforcer lifted a brow as he filled it.

 “What’s up?” Viper asked, motioning for Shade to refill his glass, too.

 “I want to go to Ohio for a while.”

 “Why?”

 “With Moon here, there really isn’t anyone to keep the brothers in Ohio in check. I can stay there until Moon comes back. Besides, I’m ready to leave Treepoint, been here too long as it is.”

 “You’re needed here. It’s been nice to have all the club business off my shoulders.”

 “Moon is just as good. If any trouble comes down, I’m only a few hours’ ride away.”

 “You’ve made your mind up?”

 “Yeah.”

 “Then I won’t stop you. I was going to send Train, but he doesn’t want to leave.”

 “This solves both of our problems, then.”

 “What problem of yours does it solve?” Shade butted in.

 Shade wasn’t going to trick him into revealing more than he intended, though.

 “Me wanting to dust off Treepoint.”

 “Lily’s going to miss you.” Shade lifted his half-filled glass, drinking it in one swallow before placing it back on the table.

 “I’m not Lily’s pastor anymore. She needs to find someone else to get spiritual guidance from. I’m certainly not the one to give it to her anymore. I never was.” Lucky stood, the chair scraping against the floor.

 Stori and Bliss came into the kitchen.

 “Going to Ohio in the morning,” he told them. “You girls want to be the ones to give me a send-off?”

 “Hell yes.” Stori eagerly twined her arms around his neck.

 “You’re leaving?” Bliss’s quiet sentence had Lucky putting an arm around her, drawing her close to his side.