The sun dipped lower into the afternoon sky and Cecily snuggled closer to Chase’s sleeping body. He’d thrown an extra blanket into the picnic hamper and used it to cover their earlier exploits from prying eyes. Like it wasn’t obvious what the naked couple underneath the tartan were up to.

Trying not to disturb him, she kissed his broad back and then reached for her underwear, wiggling them on along with her camisole. Once decently covered, she slipped out from beneath the blanket and tied her skirt around her waist, retying the knot at her hip.

Neither had eaten a crumb since they got to the lake, and since then the ice had all but melted in the cooler. She pulled a dripping water bottle from the slush, and then opened the wicker basket for a sandwich. Grabbing a family-size bag of chips from the hamper, she walked toward the water, settling on a tufted piece of grass.

Cecily unrolled the grilled chicken Caesar wrap from its foil wrapper and took half in her hand, taking a bite. The sandwich was an explosion of flavor, and she closed her eyes. Chase wasn’t lying. He had skills. She grinned, suddenly pleased with herself, and plopped another piece of chicken in her mouth. Good in the bedroom and in the kitchen. Win-win. Especially since she hated to cook.

She had no idea what time it was, nor did she care. For the first time in ages there was no meeting she needed to attend, no emails that needed answering, and no phone calls she needed to return. She hadn’t felt this relaxed in, well, ever. Even at school there was always something pressing, but right now the only thing pressing on her was Chase’s big cock.

With a satisfied wince, she shifted on the tufted grass, partly because her nether regions were sore to the touch and partly because the thought of Chase’s body made her clit throb for more of him.

With a sigh, she took another bite and chewed. This was what happy felt like.

“Can I have some chips? Please?”

At the sound of the thin, reedy voice, Cecily swiveled her head around. A little girl with dark, flyaway curls stood about five feet from where she sat. The child wore a cute red and white flowered romper. It was smeared with dirt and when Cecily looked down, the girl’s legs and feet were as well. The poor kid’s white socks and sneakers were soaked and dirty, too.

“Where are you parents, sweetie?” Cecily asked. The little girl looked no more than five years old.

The little one didn’t answer, simply pushed her hair from her face and smiled. “I lost a tooth. That makes two.” She held up two fingers and pointed to her two missing bottom teeth. “One fell out last week, and the other one when I brushed my teeth yesterday.”

“I see that. Did the Tooth Fairy come?” Cecily asked, trying to find out about her family without scaring her.

The little girl nodded. “She gave me a dollar.” Her toothless grin spread even wider. “Wanna see?”

Cecily smiled. “No, that’s okay. What’s your name?”

The child bent to pick a dandelion, twirling it absently in her hand. “Daisy. What’s yours?”

“Cecily. But my friends call me Cecy.”

Daisy angled her head, almost as if considering. “Chips are hard to eat without my two teeth. Are they hard for you?”

Cecily shook her head, pulling the chip bag open and holding it out to the little girl. “Nope. You want some?”

Daisy plopped down next to her on the grass and put her hand in the bag, pulling out a tiny fist full. She munched slowly, crunching them to the side of her mouth.

“Daisy, where are your mom and dad? Do they know you’re here by the water?” Cecily tried again.

The little girl stopped chewing and looked a Cecily. “I don’t know. I think they’re lost.”

“They’re lost, huh.” Cecily chewed on her lip, considering the child. “Daisy, do you want me to help you find them?”

The girl nodded, her little lips trembling without warning. “I’ve been looking for them all day, but I don’t know how to find them.”

The child’s distress was sharp in Cecily’s nose, so she slipped her arm around her narrow shoulders. “It’s okay, Daisy. You don’t have to worry, sweetie. We’ll help you find them. My husband and I won’t leave you alone until we do.”

The little girl blinked her wet lashes and two tears escaped, each leaving a clean streak down either cheek. “You won’t?”

Cecily shook her head. “Nope. We’ll help you all we can, but you have to promise to be brave, okay?” She watched immediate trust bloom on the girl’s face, and silently thanked God she ran into her and Chase and not some predator. “Daisy, do you know your last name?”

She nodded. “Alves. Mommy made me memorize it.”

“That’s good, honey.” Smoothing the girl’s hair from her face, Cecily gave her a soft smile. This close it was clear the little one was part shifter. No wonder she wandered off. Mountains like these were irresistible to full grown shifters, let alone juveniles too young to understand the dangers.

“Do you know your mommy and daddy’s names, too?” Cecily asked.

Daisy blinked, confused. “Mommy and Daddy.”

The simple innocence of the answer broke Cecily’s heart, and as if the child could sense it, tears threatened again. Cecily shook her head, wiping the child’s face with a napkin. “Ssh, that’s okay, honey. I thought you might know what other people call your mommy and daddy. You know, like what your grandma might call them.”

Daisy’s eyes widened, and just like that her tears vanished. “Oh! I know! Grandma calls Mommy Linda!”

A huge smile spread on Cecily’s face. “Good girl. Can you stay right here while I get my phone? I want to see if I can get someone to call your mommy.”

Daisy nodded, but a small frown creased her forehead. “Can I keep the chips?”

Cecily laughed. “Of course, honey.” She pushed herself up from the grass, and just then she heard a commotion of voices in the near distance. She shielded her eyes from the sun to see, and then glanced down at the little girl happily munching on potato chips. “I don’t think your mom and dad are lost anymore.” She pointed to the people running toward them.

Chase. Shit! They last thing either of them needed was a set of worried parents finding their lost daughter with her and her naked husband. She whirled around and nearly knocked Chase over.

“Way ahead of you, babe,” he replied with a small laugh.

Cecily let out a breath. “Thank God. I had visions of having to call Malcolm for bail money.”

He pulled his shirt the rest of the way over his head as Daisy’s parents came into view with the others helping them search. “I have a feeling people would understand. This stretch of lake belongs to the cabin. It’s secluded, and technically we are on our honeymoon.” He pressed a kiss to her temple.

“Daisy! Oh, thank GOD!” A thin woman with sandy blonde hair rushed forward, scooping the little girl in her arms. “You’re okay. You’re really okay!”

“Mommy, you’re squishing my chips,” the little girl said in her mother’s panicked embrace.

The woman was a flood of tears and emotion, all she could do was smooth the child’s hair and face over and over. The others followed on her heels, all of them obviously relieved. A man rushed past the others to squat beside the woman, his face a mask of relief and adrenaline.

Daisy looked at her ruined sneakers. “I’m sorry, Daddy. I know you said not to leave the porch, but I had to follow the butterfly. The next thing, you and Mommy were lost.”

At the innocent words, every ounce of the man’s bravado was gone, and he choked back tears as he comforted the child. “You’re safe now, Daisy, and that’s all that matters. Don’t ever do that again, okay? When Mommy and I tell you to stay put, you have to stay where we say.”

He wiped his eyes on the back of his hand and snaked his other arm around his wife as she snuffled another quiet sob.

Daisy held the bag of chips to her father and nodded. “Here, Daddy. Mommy didn’t squish all of them. You like chips. They’ll make you feel better.”

He laughed, wiping his eyes again. “I do like chips, sweetheart. Where did you get them?”

The little girl pointed to Cecily standing with Chase as the poignant scene unfolded. “Cecy gave them to me. She was gonna help me find you.”

The man stood, keeping his hand on his wife’s shoulder. “We can’t thank you enough.”

Cecily gave him a small smile. “You’re very welcome.”

At the catch in Cecily’s voice, Chase slipped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her into a side hug.

“I’m Dan Alves. This is my wife, Linda, and of course you know Daisy. How did you find her?” he asked.

Cecily glanced at Chase before answering. “We didn’t. She found us, or more likely she found our chips. I’m Cecily and this is my—” she hesitated, sparing a glance for Chase. “—my husband, Chase Villarreal.”

The woman stood as well, a lopsided smile on her wet face. “Then we’re grateful you had them. That brand is her favorite.”

Dan chuckled, his relief palpable. “Are you two staying in one of the cabins?”

Chase nodded. “The small one on Precipice Ridge.”

The man and his wife exchanged a glance and he looked back with a grin. “They call that Lover’s Leap. It’s usually for honeymooners.”

Chase grinned. “Because of the view, right?”

“No, because it’s so damn small. You two are on your honeymoon, right?” Dan shook his head.

Chase spared a glance for Cecily before answering. “Well, actually—yeah. How’d you know?”

The man chuckled. “The way your wife hesitated when introducing you. It takes some getting used to.”

Cecily raised an eyebrow. “What does?”

“Getting used to referring to your spouse as your husband or wife. I can’t tell you how many times I introduced Linda as my girlfriend in the first couple of months we were married.” He stopped and looked at his wife again. “Listen, we know you’re on your honeymoon and all, but we’d like to thank you properly. We’re hosting a small bonfire on Saturday and would love it if you two could join us. Just a couple of the locals, if you can call us that. Please say you’ll come.”

Cecily hesitated but then nodded. “We’d love to. Can we bring anything?”

He shook his head. “Just you and whatever you like to drink. The kiddies will be with grandma, so it’s grown-ups only.” Dan paused for a moment, a question in his eyes. “Puma?” he asked.

Chase cocked his head, his gaze moving between the two.

“Uhm, yes,” Cecily replied, sparing a quick glance for her husband. “And you?” She inhaled. “Wolf?”

Dan grinned, nodding. “After today my guess is every shifter on the mountain knows my scent.” His eyes darted to his wife and daughter. “Linda and I split up the search to cover more ground. She searched the neighborhood perimeter with our friends, and I took to the woods.” He glanced between the two, his eyes wet again. “You can’t truly grasp how much your life changes when you have a child until you’re actually a parent. It shifts your whole perspective.” He chuckled, running a hand through his hair. “Still, I wouldn’t change a single thing.”

Cecily didn’t reply, but Chase’s arm tightened around her waist.

“Listen to me ramble like a wizened old dog, long in the tooth. You two are on your honeymoon, so kids are the last thing on your mind.” He winked. “But practicing can be fun, eh?”

“Dan! Leave them be or they’ll think we’re sex weirdos or swingers or something, and not come Saturday,” Linda scolded, hiking Daisy higher on her hip.

“Now you have to come, or I’ll never hear the end of it.” He rolled his eyes, soft with laughter. “Eight thirty, then? You can help us stack the logs.”

Chase nodded, shaking the man’s hand. “Sounds like a plan.”