Page 61 of Sin Bin

She rolled her eyes in disgust. “Pig.”

“Aw, don’t be jealous, Jupe.”

“Jealous?” She snorted. “Hardly.”

He grinned. “So you won’t mind if I slide into her DMs and ask her out?”

“Of course I won’t mind. I want you to go out with her. That was the whole point of me telling you about her. Duh.”

That knowing gleam returned to his eyes.

When she realized that he’d been trying to make her jealous, she was seriously tempted to kick him in the balls.

But then he trailed a finger down her cheek and murmured disarmingly, “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For being here.” His voice stroked her with tenderness. “For being you.”

She swallowed hard. Her heart was doing strange things in her chest. Scary, reckless things.

“We should go,” was all she could say. “You have an early flight.”

He gave a small nod.

Together they folded up the blanket, which Logan tucked under his arm.

As they walked back to his Harley, he took her hand, linking his fingers loosely with hers. His palm was big and warm and callused. The feel of his skin against hers made everything inside her melt.

When he winked at her, her heart skipped too many beats to count.

Getting involved with a cocky, manwhoring hockey player was the last thing she needed in her life right now.

So why was she suddenly thinking about white picket fences, six kids and a frolicking dog?

Chapter Eleven

MEADOW

For the past eight years, Meadow had volunteered for a nonprofit agency called The Adoption Connection. She’d helped with fundraising and adoption events, worked the hotline, advocated for adoptive families and mentored older kids in foster care.

The day she returned home to Vegas, she called the agency’s executive director to thank her for the glowing job reference and let her know that she’d accepted the position at Gamenetic. Lois congratulated her profusely and told her she would be sorely missed, which brought a warm rush of tears to her eyes. She’d forged so many important relationships during her time with The Adoption Connection. It was hard not to feel tremendously sad about closing this chapter in her life.

Two days later when she showed up at the center to say her goodbyes, there was a large crowd gathered under a banner that read to infinity and beyond! We’ll Miss You, meadow! in bright red letters surrounded by drawings of planets and asteroids.

“Surprise!” everyone yelled, blowing noisemakers and tossing confetti at her.

“Oh my God. You guys…” Meadow looked at the sea of beaming faces and promptly burst into tears.

The crowd rushed forward, showering her with hugs and kisses. Just about everyone who mattered was here—staff members, fellow volunteers, foster kids she’d mentored, their adoptive families and caseworkers.

“You should have seen your face,” teased fourteen-year-old Zari, who’d spent most of her childhood bouncing between her drug-addicted mother and foster homes before she was adopted by a loving family. “We got you so good.”

“You sure did.” Meadow shook her head, looking around in amazement. There were space-themed balloons and streamers everywhere. “I don’t even know what to say. This is too much.”

Lois grinned at her. “You didn’t seriously think we’d let you go without a proper sendoff, did you?”

Meadow smiled at the older redhead and whispered earnestly, “Thank you.”

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