Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 96641 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 483(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96641 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 483(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
Violet plucked at a string on her jeans. “I have no idea, but I am excited. I do want to be adopted. But I knew a kid a while back, and he had to wait six months after living with his foster parents. That’s a long time for something to go wrong.”
I sat back. “We’re doing a private adoption, not one through the state, so there’s no six-month requirement.” I’d explained this to her once, but she had been flirting with a boy in the booth at the diner, so perhaps she hadn’t fully grasped everything. “I filed the documents showing the death of your parents as well as your great-aunt, and the adoption agency has already conducted two home visits with Yara and Buddy.” In addition, my aunt and uncle had submitted all relevant documents and easily passed their background checks.
“But don’t private adoptions cost a lot of money? We could go through the state,” she whispered. “I don’t want to cost Yara and Buddy.”
“I’m free, and the agency is very reasonable,” I assured her. “Plus, they owe me a favor, so we got a huge discount.” Actually, I’d agreed to provide services for them for free for a while, which was fine with me. I would’ve helped, anyway. “In Idaho, even in a private adoption, anybody over the age of twelve has to testify as to their wishes, which is why we’re having a hearing.”
Everything had gone smoothly and much faster than usual, but since Violet lacked any relatives anywhere, and Yara and Buddy were already on record as foster parents with excellent backgrounds, we should be able to do this quickly. “I can stretch it out more for you if you’d like,” I offered. “Or you can continue to be a foster kid here. They’ll love you just as much.”
She sucked in a shaky breath. “I’d love to be an Albertini. But what if something goes really wrong?”
Ah, the girl was afraid to dream. “Like what?” Instead of reassuring her, I wanted to know where this was coming from.
“I don’t know,” Violet said. “Sometimes, things that are too good to be true don’t happen, you know?”
I used to think that way, and then Aiden Devlin reappeared in my life. “It’s good you’re looking at all the outcomes.” Which was one issue I’d wanted to warn her about. “Even though we’re doing everything legally, it is very fast. There’s a chance a judge will want to give you more time to make sure this is what you want.” She’d lived with them for less than two months. “But there’s also a chance the judge will sign the papers.” I had no idea how the hearing would go—it was up to the judge. “If the judge requires more time, we’ll just take more time. Okay? It’ll all turn out perfectly.”
“Most things don’t,” Violet said softly. “Some people just aren’t lucky. Trust me.”
I understood that. “I think we make our own luck. Sometimes we don’t, and life kicks us in the teeth,” I admitted. “But when we have a chance for happiness, I think we have to jump at it.”
“Like you and Aiden?” she asked unerringly.
I grinned. “Yeah, like me and Aiden.”
“He seems to have stuck in there through some weird stuff. You remember when that finger showed up in the box at your office?”
“How could I forget?” It was a case that had gone south, but everything had eventually worked out. “Everybody who should be in jail is in jail, and you’re in a good place. I would never push you to do anything you don’t want to do. I know Yara and Buddy love you already and very much want to adopt you. But Violet, this is your decision.”
She took a deep breath and faced me directly. “I want to be a part of this family. I really do.”
“Wonderful,” I said, “it looks like we’re going to court on Monday.”
She paled again but kept eye contact with me. “All right, court it is.”
Chapter 4
I called Aiden after I left and passed through town, heading in the other direction along the river. It was already getting dark, so I flipped on my lights.
“Hey, where are you?” he asked.
Chunks of ice from what had to be a large truck were scattered across the road. “I just left Yara and Buddy’s. I’m going to see my folks before I drive back over the pass,” I said. “Did you get anything done today?”
“I think so. We set up the armory at the office. We should get several new cases on Monday, so we’re ready to go.” Aiden had purchased a building on Lilac Lake that he now rented back to the ATF. It was big enough for his entire crew of five, with a basement I believed he was turning into some sort of gym. The agency had signed a six-month lease, so I’d have him in town for at least that long, but then…I wasn’t sure. “How’d it go with Violet?” he asked.