Oh, wow. That was…wow.It’s good news, though, right?It was the outcome she’d hoped for. But Christmas was only a week away, and they had so many plans for the girls.
She set aside her scissors to respond.
Hailey: Should we go now or after—
She stopped typing. They should definitely go after.Delete.
Hailey: I guess we’ll—
She got rid of that one, too. Something about the situation made her uncomfortable. She started again.
Hailey: Has he contacted them?
“Not yet.”
Her body jerked at the sound of that deep, sexy voice, and she swung around. “You scared the crap out of me.”
“Sorry.”
“No, it’s okay. I’ve just been alone for a couple of hours.” She stood up, smoothing her hands down her jeans. “What do we know about the family?”
“Nothing, really. Just that they’re in Driggs.”
“Where’s that?”
“Idaho. It’s on the other side of the mountain, about forty-five minutes away.”
“So, if they live so close, why didn’t Lindsay know them?”
“I don’t know.”
“Well, it’s a red flag, for sure. Before we reach out, we should find out more about them. See if there’s a reason Lindsay didn’t know them.”
“Maybe she did. Maybe her mom had a falling-out with someone.”
“I think she would’ve told me. We used to talk about everything.” There was no need to rush. They’d just gotten the information. The family would still be there after the holidays. “Let’s put this on hold. We can talk about it after Christmas.” What was that terrible tug, that unwillingness to let the girls go?
“Hailey?” The gentleness of his tone didn’t match the size and musculature of this big, badass hockey player. “We have to give them a chance. You know that, right?”
Caught out, she tipped her head back and laughed. “God, Cole. I do. I’m just—”
“Reluctant to let them go. I get it. I feel the same way. But that’s what we’re here to do. And I’m not sure we should wait. What if they’re good people? What if the girls could have a real family holiday with cousins, grandparents, aunts, and uncles… If that’s what’s waiting for them, don’t we need to give them that?”
“Oh, fine.” She sounded like a petulant child. She was joking, of course. But also, she wasn’t. Because now that the possibility existed, it no longer seemed like a slam-dunk solution. Now, she could see the problems. “I just need to meet them. I’m sure I’ll feel better about everything when I see that they’re kind, loving people.”
“I’m not sure we’ll get to know them that well from one meeting.”
He was so damn patient with her. So understanding. And that was what allowed her to fall apart just a little. “Then, we’ll need to spend more time with them. We can’t just hand them over. Not until we’re sure we’ve found the right home.”
Coming close, he held her face in his hands. “We don’t have to hand them over at all.” He gazed into her eyes, absorbing her fears, her worries, and her doubts. “We’ll tell them we’re there to let them know Lindsay passed away, and that’s it. We’ll only mention the girls if we like what we see.”
He was so calm, so in control. So steady. “Okay, that works.” While she was a hot mess. “Look at me. I don’t know why I’m reacting this way. I’ve only known them a few days.”
“It’s been a pretty intense couple of days. And we’ve been given a big responsibility here. We have to do right by Darren and Lindsay.” He reached for her hand and intertwined their fingers. “Hey, it’s okay. We’re just going to meet them. Nothing more.”
“I know. I think I’m just as scared we’ll find the right family as I am that we won’t. And believe me, I know that doesn’t make sense because neither of us is in a place to become parents.”
“I know I’m not. But if you’re good with it, then I’ll tell my guy to go ahead and set up a meeting sooner than later. And I’ll ask him to dig a little deeper, too, okay?”