Summer Nights (Fool's Gold #8)

She glanced down at the baby in her arms, then looked back at Dakota. “I’m thinking of adopting and I wanted to talk to you about that.”


Dakota touched her daughter’s shoulder. “Okay, that’s surprising, but in a good way. I think adoption can be wonderful, but I’m biased.” She tilted her head and tucked her shoulder-length blond hair behind her ears. “Have you been thinking about adopting for a while?”

“A few weeks. For a long time I didn’t think I wanted a family. Kids, I mean. I thought I was one of those people who just never had any desire to be a mom. But lately, I’m feeling different about the subject.” She wanted to belong. To be important to someone, to be there, no matter what. She wanted the connection, the responsibility, the joy.

“Not to get too personal, but there are more traditional ways to have a baby. I assume you know where they come from.”

Charlie grinned. “I’ve heard, yes. Storks.”

“If you put in your reservation early…” Dakota looked at her. “No man in your future?”

“I don’t think so.”

Because she couldn’t imagine being with a man that way. Not after what had happened. Besides, you couldn’t miss what you’ve never had, right?

“What if you fall madly in love? That’s what happened to me. I was so sure that I would never find the one. I moved forward on my own and look what happened.”

“If I meet some guy, that’s okay, too,” Charlie said, figuring the odds were slim.

Dakota studied her. “This is about your past.” She wasn’t asking a question. “You’re not worried you won’t find someone and fall in love. You’ve already decided you don’t want to try.”

Charlie gently rocked the baby. “Your psychology degree can be annoying.”

“You’re not the first person to tell me that. I’m not prying.”

Charlie looked at her. “You can’t pry. I came to you. I’m not mad. I just…” She looked past her to the flowers reaching for the sun. The garden was beautiful. Alive. Safe.

“I want to be like everyone else,” she murmured. “You know. Normal. But that’s not going to happen. I’m not that girl. Which means I look for alternatives. Like adoption.”

She glanced back at her friend, half expecting Dakota to scold her. Instead the other woman smiled.

“Makes sense. You’ve always been the type to take charge of your destiny. This is one more way of doing that. There are a lot of considerations when you’re adopting a child.”

“I know,” Charlie said quickly. “My work. I’m gone twenty-four hours at a time. That’s going to be tough. But I’m already talking to people about day care. I’d get someone to live in. Or take the baby to someone’s house.”

Dakota grinned. “Okay, I was actually talking about the reality of a single woman adopting. But sure, dealing with day care is important too.”

“You adopted when you were single.”

Dakota smiled at her daughter. “I did. I went international because I thought I’d have more luck. I have information on the organization and the orphanage, if you want it. One thing to consider is age. Do you want an infant or an older child? If you want a child over five or six, I would suggest you look in this country first. There are a lot of kids available to adopt. The odds go up if you’re not picky about ethnicity. You could also start as a foster parent. You know, for practice. In addition, there are private adoptions. However, I think you’ll have more trouble competing directly with couples.”

“I’ve thought about that, too,” Charlie admitted. “I hadn’t thought of an older child.” That might be better for her. Once a child could walk and talk, he or she would seem less breakable. Plus, the kid could tell her when she was messing up. That could be good.

“I need to think about this more,” she said, staring down at Jordan Taylor. “It’s complicated.”

“But worth it,” Dakota told her, hugging Hannah. “Aren’t you, baby girl?”

Hannah squealed and fell back into her mother’s arms. They tumbled onto the grass, Dakota tickling her daughter, who shrieked with delight.

Charlie watched them and knew she would figure out a way to have a family of her own. And if that family didn’t include a man, that was going to be okay, too.

* * *

ANNABELLE HUNG ON TO the saddle and did her best not to scream. “I can’t,” she said, hoping she didn’t look as scared as she felt.

“You’re perfectly safe. You’re not going to fall.”

“Easy for you to say,” she told Shane. “You’re standing on the ground. I know. We’ll trade. You sit up here while Khatar stands on his back feet and I’ll watch. Then I for sure won’t fall.”

Shane turned away, but not before she saw him smile.

“You think this is funny?” she demanded. “It’s not. Nothing about you trying to kill me is funny.”

“I’m not trying to kill you. I was giving the dance a fancy finish. I thought the crowd would like it.”

“No. What the crowd would like is me cutting out your heart. Let’s practice that.”

“I’m not your male sacrifice.”