Murder Likes It Hot
Page 26
Rainbow swallowed. “Oh.”
“What do you think?”
“If it’s what you guys want.” She stared down at her hands. “I hear adoption can take a long time, especially if you want a baby.”
“Sometimes. But in this case I think the process will go pretty fast. Dale knows a great adoption attorney who’s prepared to draw up the papers whenever we want. It could be final in a couple of months.”
Rainbow nibbled on her bottom lip, took a deep breath in, then blew it back out again. “I know we agreed that I’d go to Orcas when the baby came, but I don’t want to. I like Dharma and Dale, but it would suck to change schools again right before senior year. I love this school, and I’ve been working hard. I’m back on the honor roll.”
“I know. Michael and I are proud of you.”
“And I can pay rent. Unless I screw up finals, I’ll have a 4.0 GPA this year, which means I can access the trust fund money again.”
My heart fell. She was suggesting that she become an emancipated minor. “That’s not a good idea, Rainbow. You’ll need that money for vet school. Besides, do you really want to live on your own?”
“I wouldn’t be living alone, though.” She held up her hands. “Hear me out. I’ve only got a year of high school left. Sam and Rene have a huge house. If I rent a room from them and help with the twins … ”
Rainbow kept talking, but my ears refused to listen. I’d been mistaken. Rainbow didn’t want to move out on her own. She wanted to bribe Sam and Rene—my two multimillionaire friends—into letting her live with them. They’d never take rent money from her, of course. The idea was preposterous. Living with Rainbow was a gift. The fact that she didn’t realize this broke my heart into a million pieces.
No wonder the houses she drew were representations of chaos. She’d lived with Michael and me for over seven months and she still didn’t feel stable. How could she? She was beginning to believe she didn’t deserve stability. For the first time, I realized how truly selfish Michael and I had been. We’d deluded ourselves that we were doing Rainbow a favor by allowing her to live with us temporarily. We never fully considered how much emotional damage the uncertain living arrangement was causing.
That ended. Today.
“I’m sure Sam and Rene would love to have you, but I’d rather have you stay here.”
Confusion clouded her pretty face. “But you won’t have enough room once you adopt a ba—” Confusion disappeared, replaced by a slow, dawning clarity. “You mean you guys want to adopt me?”
“Yes. If you’ll let us, that is. Michael and I want you to be part of our family. Legally. It’s what we should have done in the first place. But I need you to know something before you decide. Your home here is secure. Even if you don’t want to be adopted, you can live with Michael and me until you’re a hundred and three.”
Michael’s off-key singing trickled in from the kitchen, carrying with it the scents of yogurt, chickpeas, and honey. Rainbow’s favorite dinner: falafels with tzatziki, lemon potatoes, and rich, honey-covered baklava.
I reached out to touch her hand, forgetting that my fingers were entering my semi-feral cat’s territory. Mouse hiss-spat at me, but for once she didn’t draw blood. I’d take my victories where I could get them. “What do you think?”
Rainbow didn’t answer, at least not verbally. Then again, she didn’t have to. Her smile left no room for doubt.
“Let’s go tell Michael,” I said.
We walked hand in hand toward the kitchen, leaving behind the room that used to be my office. The room that I’d hoped would one day be my baby’s nursery. The room that was now what it had always been destined to be: my teenage daughter’s bedroom.
I’d wanted to make a baby with Michael so much that my soul hurt. But deeper than that—more importantly than that—I’d wanted to create a family. I’d wanted to leave a legacy. A permanent mark that said, You were here. You were important. You made a difference.
Whoever was in charge out there—God, the universe, or maybe plain old Mother Nature—had a different plan, and I was finally okay with it. As a famous rock star once asserted, you don’t always get what you want. Sometimes—some amazing, wonderful times—you get something better. Sometimes you get exactly what you need.
And isn’t that more important?
the end
About the Author
Tracy Weber is the author of the award-winning Downward Dog Mystery series. The first book, Murder Strikes a Pose, won the Maxwell Award for Fiction and was nominated for the Agatha Award for Best First Novel. Murder Likes It Hot is her sixth novel.
A certified yoga therapist, Tracy is the owner of Whole Life Yoga, a Seattle yoga studio, as well as the creator and director of Whole Life Yoga’s teacher training program. She loves sharing her passion for yoga and animals in any way possible. Tracy and her husband, Marc, live in Seattle with their mischievous German shepherd puppy, Ana. When she’s not writing, Tracy spends her time teaching yoga, trying to corral Ana, and sipping Blackthorn cider at her favorite ale house.
For more information on Tracy and the Downward Dog Mysteries, visit her author website at TracyWeberAuthor.com.