Page 53 of Angel's Share

Beside him, Jamie snickered. “Don’t miss that.”

Matt dropped a second stack in front of Jamie. “And for you, Mr. Eyewitness and consultant.”

Jamie’s face fell, and Aidan laughed out loud, earning an elbow to his side. He risked another one by slapping a pen on the stack as he took his own seat. “Better get going, Whiskey. I know how long it takes you to complete these.”

He sank into the chair beside him, a pout on his face and in his voice. “Did Izzy have this big a stack?”

“No,” Matt said. “I filled out most of it for her.”

Aidan cocked a brow. “Is someone trying to get his flirt on?”

Heat hit the agent’s cheeks, but he waved off the suggestion. “Nah, just trying to do a favor for a very busy mom with two kids under her roof, for now.”

Aidan had used every connection he had and pulled every string he could to get Beverly placed in Izzy’s care pending review of his and Jamie’s adoption application. Bev didn’t want to go back into the system, and none of them, Izzy included, wanted that for her either. At Izzy’s, Bev would be in a safe, stable, queer-friendly home that would allow her to finish out the school year in her current district. Aidan hoped like hell that would be enough time to push through their application and for Bev to visit San Francisco to meet the rest of their family. As much as they wanted her to be a part of their family, she had to want it too. Aidan also hoped it would give him and Jamie enough time to convince Izzy and Angel to move back to the Bay Area as well.

“And I’ve done a favor for you two,” Rooster said as he dropped another stack of paperwork between them.

Aidan leaned back his head, glancing up at the disconcertingly dressed-down prosecutor. “Please tell me by favor you mean it’s mostly filled out, otherwise we are never making that flight tonight.” He tipped his head toward Jamie. “I wasn’t lying about this one. Take the speed he drives at and go to the opposite end of the speedometer. That’s his paperwork pace.”

Rooster chuckled. “Yes, these are filled out already. You just have to submit them.” Aidan drew them closer, flipping through the official documents as Rooster explained. “Affidavits of support to go with your adoption application for Beverly, including ones from Angel and Bev.”

Aidan whipped his gaze back up, anger tickling the back of his throat. “You questioned?—”

“Your godson and future daughter cornered me in the hospital and demanded to make statements.”

“That tracks,” Matt muttered on his way out the door.

Beside Aidan, Jamie laid his head on his shoulder with a heavy, dramatic sigh. “We are gonna be so hosed when they join forces with Katie.”

Aidan smiled, imagining the holy trinity of terror. “I can’t wait.”

THIRTY-THREE

Two weeks later . . .

“So, like, what am I supposed to do?” Angel shifted side to side on his feet, the giant red blooms of the potted plant he held bobbing with the movement. “The last time I was here was for his funeral.”

They stood just inside the cemetery where Gabe and Tom were buried, to the side of the walkway so they weren’t in the way of others coming and going. Unlike when Aidan usually visited, the cemetery was relatively bustling today, friends and family visiting their late loved ones on Christmas Eve Day. In retrospect, he probably should’ve brought Angel on a less busy day, but visiting Gabe on this day was his tradition, and he’d wanted to share that with Gabe’s namesake. Wanted Angel to also have a chance to reconnect with his father now that some of the anger he’d held toward Tom had dissipated too.

“Do whatever you need to,” Aidan said. “Talk to him. Tell him why you haven’t been here. And be honest about it. Lord knows I railed at Gabe when I found out the truth. Get it out if you need to, if it’ll help you. But then also talk to him about how you’re doing. At home, at school, with your friends. Just don’t tell him about the high-speed car chase.”

Angel backhanded him in the stomach, same as his mother was fond of doing.

“Or just enjoy the peace of this place,” Aidan said, gesturing around the small cozy cemetery with its evergreens and giant tangled oaks. This time of year, the grass was green from the cool temperatures and rain, and the wintering birds sang as they hopped around the tree roots and mulch, hunting for food. “Do whatever you need to, Angel.”

“And put this on there?” he said, holding up the amaryllis.

“Your mom reminded me it was his favorite this time of year.”

Izzy had wanted to come with them today too, but her flight from Paris yesterday had been cancelled. She’d finagled her way onto today’s Paris to SFO flight instead, arriving later this afternoon, just in time for the Talley Christmas party. As for the kids, Jamie and Angel had flown the private plane down to pick them up on Friday evening.

“You could also tell Tom about flying on a private plane.”

“You know I’m ruined forever now, right?”

“Don’t tell your mother that.”

“Can you hire her?” he said, not missing a beat. “The English guy on the plane... what was his name?”

---