Holidays on the Ranch (Burnt Boot, Texas #1)(57)

“Don’t mind the bird.” Verdie laughed. “He’s crazy as hell, but he entertains me. I hated him at first, but he grows on a person. I wish I’d gotten one like him years ago.”

Finn seated Callie first and then sat down so close to her that their thighs were plastered together. “Verdie?” Callie asked.

“Okay, I’ll introduce the bunch of you. I forget that everyone don’t know everybody else. This here is Amanda. She’s the lady from the social services in Gainesville. She’s the one who handles the kids staying with the Laytons. That’s Arlan Layton and his wife, Beth. Y’all know Orville. We’ve got ourselves a problem, and we can’t go no further until I get your opinion, Finn.”

Callie laid a hand on Finn’s thigh and squeezed. She’d known that this group of people had nothing to do with a church program.

Finn covered her hand with his. “It’s got to do with the kids, right, Verdie?”

“They are hiding out in Martin’s room right now. Probably been there since last night. Amanda drove out here on slick roads so she could take them to the group home, but she’s agreed to let the kids stay with us through the holidays if you are willing. It’s your ranch, so it’s your decision,” Verdie said.

“And after the holidays?” Callie asked.

“Then they’d still go to separate homes unless a qualified one opens up that would be willin’ to take in three kids,” Amanda said. “This is a special arrangement that normally I wouldn’t even consider, since you two haven’t been vetted, but Polly vouches for Verdie, and she does the same for you all. Polly was my supervisor for years, and I’d trust her with my life, so her word is gold in my book.”

“Could Callie and I talk about this in private for a few minutes?” Finn asked.

“Sure,” Amanda answered.

His hand on the small of her back normally would have melted her into a boiling pot of desire, but she was so worried about those children that she was quivering inside. Poor little darlings had walked for more than a mile in freezing-cold weather. Had Martin even managed to get food into the room for them that morning?

Finn shut the door to his bedroom, sat down in an overstuffed rocker, and pulled her down in his lap.

“Wind call, Brewster,” he said. “Give me the news fast because this is about to happen.”

“Lots of dust blowing. Wind looks like a tornado bearing down on us, and visibility is less than five feet, sir,” she said.

“That mean we should call it off? Or can you see past it to the target?”

She laid her head on his chest. “I can feel the fear of four little kids in that room, Finn. We cannot turn them away. I’d worry the rest of my life if they were split up because we didn’t do our best to keep them together. And Verdie has gone out on a limb for us, and…”

His lips found hers in a sweet kiss that stopped the words and eased some of the fear in her heart.

“Stop worrying, darlin’.” He broke away and gazed deeply into her eyes. “We’re going to take in three kids. Never was a doubt in my mind, but I would never make a decision like that without asking my partner.”

“Martin needs to be punished for not coming to us. I know he told them to come here and he’d hide them. I’m not sure how, but he did it,” she whispered.

“He will be. I had two brothers and a sister. He’s going to have to share that room, share the bathroom, and put up with a sister. It won’t be like playing with them at school. He’ll be instantly thrown into a sibling situation.”

“And after the holidays?” she asked.

“We’ll start the process to get certified for foster care. If they’re having trouble finding a suitable home, maybe they’ll get the ball moving faster.”

“You haven’t even met those kids,” she said.

“No, and I don’t expect every day to be perfect. It wasn’t where I grew up. But we’ll do the best we can with what we’ve got to work with that day.”

“You are amazing,” she said.

“We’re both guilty of taking in strays. And before you say a word, I know these kids aren’t dogs and cats. We might have to beg Verdie to stick around to help us with the new crew, but something tells me she won’t give us much sass about it,” Finn said.

He tipped her chin up, and his blue eyes drifted shut as his lips found hers in a harder, more demanding kiss. One hand tangled itself into her black hair; the other found its way up under her sweatshirt, making long, lazy circles on her back. He moved from her lips to her eyelids and her earlobe, where he whispered, “You think we’ve made them wait long enough?”

She giggled. “You didn’t bring me in here to talk, did you?”

“I knew what you’d say and what we’d agree on. I wanted to touch you and hold you, Callie, to reassure you that everything was going to be all right, and this was a perfect excuse.”

Her sudden intake of breath sounded like a faint sneeze. “You are a rascal.”

He stood up but kept his arms around her. “That would be the pot calling the kettle black for sure.”

His words made her knees go weak. “Now we’ll have four kids and Verdie in the house. You think we’ll ever have a moment to ourselves?”