Free Secrets & Seductions by Pamela Toth

secret buddy at the end of the session. The two pieces of leather were laced up incorrectly. She should have been paying closer attention, but the mistake could be corrected.
    â€œI think we need to undo this part,” she said after she’d studied the wallet for a minute.
    â€œI’ve ruined it!” he cried dramatically. “I knew I couldn’t do it right.”
    The other boys looked on with interest as Carlstamped his foot. His eyes filled with tears and his face flushed dark red.
    Emma immediately squatted down so she was at eye level with the little boy. Carl and his younger brother had been split up a few months before when a couple opted to adopt only one of them. Even though Carl insisted that he understood why he had been left behind, he’d been acting out ever since. His foster parents were at their wits’ end, hoping this break would be good for all three of them.
    â€œThe wallet’s not ruined,” Emma said softly as she pulled out the vinyl laces. “I’ll show you what to do, okay? The stitches were nice and even. You’re doing a good job, see?”
    It was hard to keep herself from scooping him into a hug, but she didn’t want to embarrass him further in front of the other boys. She contented herself with a grin and a wink.
    In a few moments she had undone the stitching and shown him where he went wrong. As soon as he sat down with a gusty sigh and went back to work, she checked on the progress of the other wallets and key cases.
    The sunny weather had been perfect all week, more comfortable than the muggy heat wave back in Portland. Ivy had complained about it when Emma had called last night to make sure her cat wasn’t pining away. After lecturing Emma about not doing anything foolish, Ivy reassured her that Posy was fine.
    As Emma sat at the table with the boys in her craft class, she tipped back her head and looked at the intensely blue sky through the tops of trees. The straight trunks of the Douglas firs seemed to go up for miles.
    â€œLook,” she said to Carl as she pointed. “I’ll bet that’s a hawk perched on that dead spar tree.”
    â€œYesterday we saw a pair of bald eagles,” he told her excitedly. “Jeff took us on a nature walk around the lake. He said eagles were endangered, but they’re coming back and that you can always recognize them by their white heads.”
    â€œWe saw some deer tracks, too,” added one of the other boys.
    â€œAnd rabbit poop!” shouted a third, which of course sent them all into paroxysms of laughter and made Emma smile.
    â€œDid you see any wildflowers?” she asked with an innocent expression.
    â€œFlowers! No way!” two of them exclaimed in unison.
    For a few minutes Emma asked them more about the various birds, animals and plants they had seen. The sun warmed her bare arms as an intermittent breeze blew through the dry trees.
    The sound of Morgan’s voice in the distance alerted Emma that he was back from town. She ignored the flutter of anticipation she felt.
    A little while later, he appeared on the path from the lodge wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap.
    â€œHow’s Mohammed?” Emma called out.
    At the sound of her voice, Morgan changed direction. Perhaps it was her imagination, but his expression behind the tinted lenses seemed to brighten as he came over to the table.
    â€œMo needed a few stitches, but he’ll be fine,” Morgan said, removing his shades as he glanced at the boys with her. “I suppose everyone heard what happened.”
    â€œIt was the hot topic at breakfast,” Emma replied. “Derrick said he sliced open his hand while he was helping Cookie. Derrick bandaged the cut, but he thought it needed stitches.”
    â€œDid he bleed in the food?” Carl asked.
    â€œOnly yours,” Emma told him, laughing.
    â€œWe wanted to make sure that Mo hadn’t damaged any tendons,” Morgan