Page 94 of Yolo

I found those voices in the kitchen.

Lea was at my counter making coffee. Ruben was at my table reading a paper.

And then there was my girl, feeding all of the dogs.

“How much longer will you get to keep Rufus here?” Ruben asked as he looked toward his daughter that was running her fingers through his hair. “That lady going to get him back?”

“No,” I answered for Bindi. “As of last week, it was decided that Delphine would no longer be a K-9 officer with our department. She’s going back on regular patrol as of today.”

“Good.” Ruben looked toward me. “You got a kid?”

“No.” I chuckled. “This is my brother’s son, Glades. Glades is grumpy right now because he woke and didn’t have immediate attention.”

“Glades is not a grumpy boy.” Bindi laughed. “Mom, come meet Glades. He’s the sweetest, cutest, most gorgeous baby you’ll ever meet.”

“You don’t even know what he looks like,” I countered. “How can he be all those things?”

“Because his mother told me.” Bindi laughed again.

I grinned and did the handoff with Bindi who held out her arms for him.

She guided herself to the seat at the kitchen island and climbed up, careful not to disturb Glades who was almost done with his bottle.

“She looks good with a kid.”

I blinked, surprised to find Ruben so close to me. “She does.”

“I want that for her,” he said.

I looked over to Ruben and said, “I’m going to give it to her if you’ll let me.”

“Is that a question?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“You know, she’ll always be a handful, blind or not.” He chuckled. “Are you sure you can handle her?”

“Handle her? Probably not. But I sure do want to try for the rest of my life,” I admitted.

He slapped me on the back. “You have a ring?”

I shrugged. “Kind of. I have one in mind at least.”

“Ask her while we’re here. Then my wife can help her pick out a dress before she goes home to start packing up our house,” he said.

“You’re moving here?” I wondered.

“How long do you think that my wife will let our daughter stay here without her when she’s happy, and married, and possibly could have a grandchild at any moment?” He chuckled. “That’s the good thing about doing mobile welding. I can work from anywhere. And my wife’s already establishing a relationship with a hospital here. Plus, it hasn’t felt like home since she moved.”

I imagined that it didn’t.

Any time she decided to stay at her own apartment, it felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest.

“I guess I can see your point,” I said as I watched Bindi pull the bottle free of Glades’ mouth and prop him up on her shoulder. She gently started tapping his back, and this overwhelming wave of need rocketed through me. “I want that.”

“Then have it,” Ruben suggested. “It’s all within your reach.”

An hour later, I was driving Ruben with me to Bindi’s place to gather some of her clothes and a package that she’d had delivered.

---