Page 114 of Five Alarm Love
“Super.Looks like the Athabascan Corporation wants me to train people in other villages to promote their unique locations for tourism and business development as well.”
“That’s great!”She paused.“Are you going to have time?”
“Between working for Yukon Valley’s Chamber of Commerce and the Koyukon village locally and adding the consulting work for the larger Athabascan region, no, I don’t have time.I’m about to be very busy.”
“Too busy for other things?”
He snagged her around the waist and dropped a quick, hot kiss on her lips.“Hey, Lou,” he murmured.“That depends.What did you have in mind?”
Even now, the act made her neck and face heat up like an oven.
“I love making you blush,” he said against her mouth.
“I love how you make me blush.But maybe not in public.”
He waved his hand.“No witnesses nearby.I checked first.”
Kissing him again, she smiled.“I love you.”
Tuli pulled back and studied her for several seconds.“You’ve got a goofy expression on your face.What’s going on?”
She swallowed.“Remember how we did all the paperwork and had a home study for adoption?”
“That was two years ago.”His brows furrowed.
“There was a baby born in Allakaket.The father passed away last spring, and the mother has significant health issues herself, as well as three other children.She wants the baby adopted.She had hoped for the baby to be raised in Allakaket village, but they didn’t have the resources.The Alaska Office of Child Services prioritizes placement with a native couple, and they passed along our information to the Allakaket court.”
He gripped her upper arms.“And?”
“They approved us!”
Tuli’s mouth dropped open, at a rare loss for words.He blinked and cleared his throat.“We’re going to be parents?”His voice still came out hoarse.
“I know we worked on this a few years ago but then gave up.”Her eyes stung.“Yes, we can adopt this baby.It would be an open adoption where the child knows their mother and family.But the baby would be our legal child.Are you okay moving forward?”
He whooped and picked her up, swinging her in a circle until her head spun.“Absolutely!When do we pick up our baby?What’s the process?We need a car seat.And clothes.Diapers!Toys!”He kissed her full on the lips, then set her down.“I’m so happy for us!”
Her grin matched his.“Me too.Child services needs to do an updated home adoption study in the next week, and if that goes well, we can fly out to Allakaket to pick up our baby.”
“Wait.Hold on.”
Her heart sank.Maybe this wasn’t the best time for him.With his new job and projects, he might not want this right now.
“What?”she asked.“Are you having second thoughts?”
“Huh?No way.This is great news.I just—”
“Yes?”
“Well.What are we having?Not that it matters.I am happy with any child that we are entrusted to raise.”
“Oh!We’re having a baby girl!”
“That’s amazing.”He hugged her again and pulled back, a smile plastered on his face.“This is the second happiest day of my entire life.”
“Me too.I love you, Tuli.”
“I love you, Lou.And I already love our family.”His brows shot up as something dawned on him.“Of course, you and I were already a family, but now our family is growing!”
