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CHAPTER SEVEN
JUSTIN WISHED RILEY had let him pick her up from her place that morning. That way he’d have had an excuse to spend more time with her. As it was, she’d driven herself, and he needed to wait at Three Rivers Park, where they’d turned in their kayaks, until all the boys had been picked up by their foster parents or birth parents, whatever the case might currently be.
Knowing he’d be there a while, he’d expected Riley to leave soon after they’d unloaded from the old bus that had driven them back to their drop-off spot. But rather than rush off, she’d stuck around, talking to the boys and their parents as Justin and the guide unloaded the bus.
Kyle still stuck close to her and Daisy, showing the dog to his foster family and telling them about how Daisy had loved sitting on the bow of the kayak and how she liked him so much.
Justin wasn’t surprised when the boy threw his arms around Riley’s waist and hugged her goodbye. Nor was he surprised when she hugged him right back in a hug full of emotion that was easy for anyone to see.
Easy for him to feel because it hit him right in the gut.
Riley might not have spent much time around kids, but she was good with them, full of compassion and patience.
He liked that about her.
He liked a lot of things about her.
But then, he already knew that.
She’d liked the boys, too.
Ashley had never connected with them, never bonded with them. No matter how much Justin had tried to involve Ashley in this special part of his life she’d resisted, claiming to be too busy with her residency, and then with work.
It hadn’t been until the end that Justin had understood why.
His little charity, she’d called it.
Maybe because he’d been adopted, and viewed “family” as not just being bound by blood, he felt things she never had. Either way, the boys were so much more than his “little charity,” and having them in his life had been a deal-breaker. He knew firsthand what a group like his could make in a foster child’s life.
Ashley hadn’t understood that.
Riley did. After just one day with the boys she got it.
Justin had wanted to wrap his arms around her and spin her around in glee when she’d said she wanted to bring them all home with her. That was exactly how he felt. What he’d do, given the chance.
Which might be happening soon with Kyle, depending on what his birth mother decided. Would she let Kyle be adopted?
After he’d been loaded into his foster family’s vehicle, Riley came over to where Justin was strapping his kayak to the top of his Jeep. She’d changed out of her wet clothes into dry shorts and a T-shirt. They were a little tight, and accented her lush curves in ways that heated him more than the South Carolina sun.
She leaned against the side of the Jeep and smiled up at him. Good grief, she did a number on his insides. He’d kissed her, made love to her, and he wanted to do all that and more again. And she was smiling at him as if she was happy to be here with him.
Did he dare hope he’d finally gotten through to her that she was special?
“I think I’m in love.”
As he battled suddenly weak knees, Justin’s ears roared at her claim. Insides quaking, he grabbed hold of the Jeep to steady himself. Not that he thought she was talking about him. He knew she wasn’t. But her words had twisted his insides around, playing havoc with logic.
“I can’t imagine Kyle’s foster family not wanting to keep him,” she clarified. “I just met him and I adore him.”
Kyle. Of course she meant Kyle.
“They’ve been taking kids in for years.”
But he knew they had no plans to keep Kyle. He’d had multiple discussions with them when news of Kyle’s mother’s intentions had been made known.
“For some, that’s what they want to do. Give kids a safe place to go for a few weeks or months.” Thank God people like them existed, to give love and care so freely. “But many of the foster families don’t feel equipped to take on one kid or more forever.”
Thank God the Brothers family had. He and his siblings had gotten the cream of the crop when they’d been made official family members.
