Page 60 of Tin

I smile. “I’ll tell her.”

“Thank you.” He moves the takeout boxes out of the way and leans over the table. “Now then, how about dessert?”

“What did you have in mind?” I ask, even though I already know the answer. A lot has changed over the years, but one thing is exactly the same way it’s always been. We still can’t seem to get enough of one another.

He doesn’t answer out loud, but I follow his eyes with mine and land on the railing facing the ocean.

“Dessert with a view. I like it.”

He chuckles, and my stomach still flips back and forth from the deep sound of it.

He leans forward, about to kiss me when he stops short. “You hear that?” He pulls back, leaning his head toward the house. “I think it’s your phone.”

I reach for his shirt and bring him toward me again. “So what?”

He smirks, and his lips softly sweep mine. And then he stops once more. “Seriously. I hear it again. Someone is trying to get ahold of you.”

“It’s probably just Kirsten,” I whine.

He laughs. “Well, then you should definitely go answer it. We both know she won’t stop until you do.”

I groan. “Ugh. Fine. But don’t you move!” I untangle myself from him and hurry inside to find my phone.

When I finally locate it, it’s not ringing anymore, but I have seven missed calls from Devyn. Before I even have a chance to hit return on my screen, she’s making her eighth attempt.

“What the hell is going on?” I’m instantly freaked out. Devyn doesn’t call back to back unless it’s serious. She’s no Kirsten.

“I should ask you the same thing. Answer your damn phone, woman!” She sounds out of breath, like she’s on the move. “I have an opportunity for you, but you have to decide right now if you want it or not.”

“What?” I walk back out to the deck. “What are you talking about?”

“A baby.”

Silence.

My mind draws a complete blank, and I can’t think or move, or breathe, for several seconds.

“A what?”

“A baby. One of the lawyers in my firm was handling a private adoption. A beautiful baby girl was born three hours ago. She’s healthy andperfect, but at the last minute the adoptive parentsbacked out. And now... her mom can’t keep her. And she’s too emotionally fried to go through the whole process again right now, so DCF will have to be called. Unless...”

Riker is standing right in front of me. His hands are softly moving across my skin, his face full of concern, but he doesn’t interrupt.

“Unless what?” I don’t want to assume. I definitely don’t want to guess.

“Unless you guys want her. I already called Judge Hanson. She’ll sign off on the adoption herself. I’ll handle everything else.No onecould get in the way of this.”

I’m a felon. I was convicted of manslaughter. A violent crime. I’m not exactly a prime candidate for adoption agencies looking for potential parents, and forget the foster system. Honestly, Riker and I’d given up hope we’d ever be more than just us.

“You’re sure?” I breathe into the phone. “They would let me be her mother?”

“I promise. I wouldn’t be calling you if I had any doubts about this. I know what it means to you. What it means to both of you. Trust me.”

I wipe my eyes. I didn’t even realize I was crying. “I do trust you. Tell them we want her. Tell them we can’t wait to meet her. Tell them we’re on our way. Tell them thank you. Thank you. Thank you!Oh my God, Devyn.Thank you.”

“I’ll tell them.” Her voice is just as choked up as mine is. “Call me when you land. I’ll pick you up.”

She hangs up, and I just stand there. Shaking. I can’t believe this is happening.

---