Page 6 of Finding Her Strength

“What are we talking about?” I ask, trying to catch up.

Cooper leans toward me. “Todd and Max are fighting over whether it’s legal to spit on the ground.”

“How the hell did they get on to that topic?”

“I found an old copy of Sonoma’s founding laws the other day.” Cooper is the police chief of Sonoma, and Todd is thedeputy chief. They usually have some hilarious stories, but this is a new one, even for them.

“You’re actually saying you could arrest me because I spit on the sidewalk before we walked into the bar?”

“Look it up! It’s an actual law in the town’s bylaws.”

“He’s right, Max. Not that we’d ever enforce it. I think it was originally created so men would spit tobacco in those pot things instead of anywhere they pleased,” Cooper adds.

Max shakes his head. “So fucking weird. Now I’m not going to be able to spit if I need to.”

“Is that something you have a problem with? Do you have a medical condition we need to know about?” I tease.

“No, asshole, but when I want to while I’m running or something, I’ll be thinking about breaking the law. Then what will I do?”

“Swallow it?” Todd suggests.

“That’s what she said.” I’m barely able to get the words out before we all descend into hysterics.

Max attempts to sulk, but the grin he’s fighting gives him away.

“Where’s Tucker tonight?” Todd asks. He and Max could be brothers with their dark hair and dark eyes. If you didn’t know them, they’d seem intimidating. Todd’s personality actually matches his looks while Max’s does not.

“He’s got Noah this weekend, so he wanted to stay home to hang with him and Natalie,” I respond. Natalie and Tucker are in the process of adopting Noah. Tucker—who’s a firefighter—saved his life when the group home Noah lived in burned down. They’ve submitted all the necessary paperwork to officially adopt him. Now they have to wait on the state to approve their application.

“Speaking of adoption, Meg and I have been approved for the foster to adopt program,” Todd says.

“For real?”

“No kidding?”

“Awesome, man!” we say in unison. I know they’ve been waiting for the right opportunity to come their way, and when Natalie and Tucker started the adoption process, Meg and Todd decided they wanted to do the same thing.

Todd grins at us, happiness shining through brighter than I’ve ever seen before.

“What does that mean for placements or who you can adopt?” I ask.

“Well, we’re on a list for when the state needs a home for a kid. If their case is open for adoption, we can apply to adopt while we’re fostering them.”

“You guys will be perfect foster parents,” Cooper says.

“We finally finished all the required courses and home inspections, and now we have to wait for the state to call us.”

“Good for you, man. This is great.” I’m truly happy for them. I know they’ve wanted kids for a long time, but Megan isn’t able to have them biologically. I can’t imagine a more perfect couple for children who need a good home.

“I’m going to grab another beer. Anyone else need another?” I ask.

When they all shake their heads no, I head to the bar, motioning at Cheryl for a refill. She nods in response while filling a different order.

“Hey, Levi.”

I turn toward the voice to find Stephanie Arnold standing next to me. I took her on a couple of dates years ago, but nothing came out of it.

The straw of her drink is resting against her smiling mouth. I think the pose is supposed to come off as seductive, but I’ve always found it a little weird.

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