Page 85 of Spark
Which is exactly what he did up until six weeks ago, when his brother Leo had arranged his murder, and Simon bled out in a prison shower after being shanked by a fellow inmate.Runner had helped Capelli trace the hit back to Leo, which had added charges that moved the guy out of his lower-security prison and into a much nastier environment, but Leo’s only statement had been, “it was worth it.”
Runner had been restricted to house arrest, but her assistance in connecting the hit to Leo and in the case against both brothers in general had been pivotal.Even Capelli had been impressed with her skills, andthatwas saying something.Tyler didn’t know what kind of deal she and Tara and the D.A.’s office had made—apparently something very Top Secret involving a shitload of brass from the RPD and a few high-ranking officers of Remington’s SWAT team—but he owed her a lot.Without Runner’s help, he and Chloe and Esme could’ve been in a hell of a lot more danger.
Hell if that hadn’t saved his life in more ways than one.
“Tyler Gates, did you spoil your dinner with red velvet cookies?”came his favorite voice from over his shoulder, and he turned around, his smile impossible to cage.
“I sure did, Chloe Gates, and it was worth it.”
Laughing, Chloe walked across the living room floor in their new place and melted into his arms.“You know that’s a secret for a little while longer.”
“I do, but it’s fucking killing me not to tell the whole world you’re my wife.”
Going to Remington City Hall with only the Dempseys, Tyler’s mom, and Esme three months ago to tie the knot had been Tyler’s idea.He hadn’t wanted to wait another second to spend the rest of his life at Chloe’s side.They’d agreed to keep it a secret from everyone else—which really was killing him—until they could plan a giant event with all their friends and family next year.He and Chloe had moved into a townhouse closer to the Dempseys and his mom’s place a few weeks after, partly to be even closer to their families, but mostly to be essentially right around the corner from Esme.Officially, Lou and Carleen were still fostering her, although Esme spent the majority of her time with Chloe and Tyler.Although they’d had some bumps, she was thriving in everyone’s care.Because Leo Navarro had agreed to a deal on the Sal Brinkman murder, she hadn’t needed to testify, and with the support of the Dempseys and Chloe and Tyler at her back, she’d been able to put the case and all the fears that went with it behind her.She’d even begrudgingly agreed that Jane Austen was “okay, I guess”, which Tyler counted as a huge win.
But having her in his and Chloe’s life was even better.
“Esme’s going to be here any minute,” Chloe said, interrupting his thoughts.“Are you nervous?”
“A little,” Tyler admitted.
“Me too,” Chloe said, brushing a kiss over his mouth.“Only not a little.”
A knock sounded off on their front door, making Tyler’s heart leap.“Well, nervous or not, here we go.”
Grinning, Chloe answered the door, ushering Esme inside with a hug.“Hi, sweetie.Come on in out of the cold.”
Esme came in, giving Tyler a hug before handing over the red and green gift bags in her grasp and taking off her coat.“I made a present for Gary.Don’t tell him, but it’s a sweater,” she whispered with a smile.
Tyler laughed.“Oh, he’s going to love that.”While the cat was still grumpy AF with anyone else, he let Esme do whatever she wanted to him.
Chloe shot Tyler a look, and he met it with a nod, absolutely certain.“Speaking of presents, Tyler and I got you one, and we were thinking you might want to open it early.”
Esme’s brows creased.“There are still, like, four days to go before Christmas.”
“That’s okay,” Tyler said, trying like hell to keep his nerves off his face.“We can go for it now.”
“Okay,” Esme said, excitement lighting up her eyes.She went to sit down beside the Christmas tree they’d all decorated together a few weeks ago, giving Gary a scratch behind the ears before turning to Chloe, who handed over a small box.Chloe sat beside Tyler and took his hand, both of them shaking just a little, the beads on the bracelet he’d been hiding beneath his sleeve circling his wrist, steady and sure.
Esme pulled off the green and white bow and opened the box.She took in the bracelet there, her eyes moving over the silver chain and the lettered beads and flying wide as she saw that the word there was not her name.
Instead, it read DAUGHTER.
“I don’t…I don’t understand,” she said, looking at both of them.
Tyler held up his wrist, his leather-corded bracelet reading DAD right next to the best man bracelet she’d made him just before Ryan and Addison’s wedding.Chloe did the same, her bracelet identical to Esme’s except for the letters MOM draped over the top of her wrist.
“Tyler and I talked to Tom and the judge.It’s entirely up to you, and you can take as long as you want to think about it.But we were approved to proceed with adoption paperwork, so if you’d like to do that, we would very much like to be your family.”
“You guys want me?And I can come live with you, forever?”Esme’s eyes shone with tears, and Tyler’s throat tightened as he nodded.
“Yes, kiddo.We want to be your parents.Forever.”
“I want that,too,” Esme said, nodding and starting to cry happy tears that matched the joy bursting out of his heart.
And as he and Chloe folded their daughter into their arms and all the way into their hearts, Tyler knew that loving them both would be the easiest thing he’d ever do.
For the rest of his life.
