Page 53 of Coast

Chapter Fifteen

Coast

“Jesus,mi esposa, my wife, you’re going to bounce out of your seat,” I said as I watched Mac nervously try to stay seated. Tracker and Paxton would be lucky if she didn’t latch on to them and not let go until they were old enough to leave the house.

It had taken two weeks to get the all-clear on fostering the two boys. They hadn’t been told who was fostering them, only that they had a family with room for two. It had worked out perfectly. They’d been at the temp foster home expecting to be moved into two separate places again until Mrs. Stone had visited them and told them a change had been made and they would be together.

My house had gone from just me to Mac moving in after we’d married. Now it would house two more. Their rooms were ready and filled with things to reflect their ages. Per my wife, because I’d thought it would be more efficient to buy two of everything and call it a day in the furniture store.

“I can’t help it. Things have gone so smooth, I keep waiting for one thing to come along and ruin it,” Mac said and looked toward the door for I know the hundredth time.

I placed my arm around her shoulder and pulled her into me. “You’re going to be a great mom.”

“Hah, see how much you know. I’m going to be a neurotic mess, and you are going to have to keep it together so the boys don’t run scared.”

“Anything for you.”

The door opened, and Mrs. Stone walked in with Tracker and Paxton carrying a trash bag with their stuff. It wasn’t even a large trash bag.

“Oh, Emery.”

“I see it. Those bags will be a distant memory by nightfall.”

Mrs. Stone walked passed us and winked.

I looked at Tracker. “Hey, how’s it going?”

“We’re being moved again. But this time we’ll be together, and I hope we can stay until we’re old enough to be on our own,” Paxton said and looked around the empty room.

“They’re not here yet, Pax,” Tracker said and sat down, dropping his bag on the floor to the side of him. Paxton followed his older brother and did the same.

“What are you doing here?” Paxton asked.

“Waiting to pick up two boys,” Mac said, and I wanted to laugh because if not for my hand on her thigh, I was sure she would have been out of her seat.

“They’re not here either. Bet you’re be cool foster parents,” Paxton said and sighed.

“Ya think so, huh?” Mac grinned.

“Uh huh, ‘cause you talked to us and you didn’t even have to.”

Mrs. Stone walked to the printer in the corner and pulled off the sheets that had come through. She flipped through them, then looked at us and nodded.

We couldn’t do anything without the official paperwork in hand.

“Since the family isn’t here to pick you up, and the boys aren’t here for us take home. I say we just go together,” I said and watched Paxton and Tracker actually think about it.

“I don’t think they’d let you do that,” Tracker said and sighed.

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