by Chloe Lang
“I love you, too.”
Chapter Sixteen
Brock and Coop got out of the car at the Boys Ranch. He held the ring and Coop carried the roses. This was the most important day of their life.
“You nervous, buddy?” Coop asked, adjusting his tie.
“More excited than nervous. How about you?”
“Me, too. I sure hope she says yes.”
She has to say yes. “I’m not leaving until she does.”
Coop smiled. “We are on the same page then.”
He looked up and saw Michael heading their way. “Here comes one of our boys.”
“Hey, guys.”
“Where’s your shadow?” Coop asked. “You two are never apart.”
Michael loved Joey and was a great influence on the boy, as well as the other orphans at the ranch. He’d become quite the leader.
“Joey is finishing his homework. I’ve been helping him with math and he’s doing great.”
“And what about you, young man?” Brock smiled. “Don’t you have homework, too?”
“A little, but I just had a session with Dr. Summers. It went very well. Our best yet. Just ask her.” Michael’s eyes widened. “Why the suits? I thought we were playing basketball at two.”
“We still are,” Brock told him.
Michael glanced down at the roses in Coop’s hand. “I’m sure those flowers aren’t for me.”
“You’re right,” Coop answered with a smile. “They’re not.”
“That’s quite a bunch.” Michael leaned forward and inspected the flowers. “At least a dozen?”
“Right again,” Coop said.
“What’s with the two blue roses? I didn’t know roses came in blue.”
“We didn’t either.” Brock wanted to avoid answering Michael’s question about the two special roses. He and Coop had to talk to Grace first. “The florist says all it takes is white roses and a little food coloring.”
Michael grinned. “I’ve got it. The two blue roses represent you guys. One for each of you.”
He and Coop didn’t answer. Michael was getting too close to the truth.
Michael slapped his hands together. “You’re proposing to Dr. Summers, aren’t you?”
Brock looked at Coop and saw the same shock on his face that he felt inside.
They turned back to Michael.
“You’re too smart for your own good, mister,” Coop said.
“Yes, he is.” Brock looked directly into Michael’s eyes. “You better keep it a secret from the other boys.”
“I can’t keep it from Joey. He and I have a pact. We tell each other everything. It’s a promise I can’t break.”
He understood. The boys were so like him and Coop. “You better make sure he doesn’t slip up and tell anyone then.”
“I promise.” Michael hugged them both. “This just makes me so happy.”
When he’d arrived at the Boys Ranch, Michael had been so walled up inside. Now, he was warm and loving and open. Still a teenager, so they never knew when he might show affection. But whenever it did come around, it warmed their hearts.
“Remember, only you and Joey can know,” Coop said. “Grace might not even say yes.”
“Oh, I know she’s going to say yes. Nobody knows her as well as I do.”
Brock shook his head and laughed. “I hope you’re right, buddy. We’ll see you and Joey and the other boys at two for basketball.”
“Good luck.” Michael ran to the dorms, no doubt in a hurry to tell Joey the news.
“I still can’t believe the change in him,” Coop said. “Grace had a big part in turning him around, but so did you.”
“We all three did.” He glanced at the two blue roses. They didn’t represent him and Coop, as Michael had suggested. They represented the two boys that he loved with all his heart. One for Michael. One for Joey. The future he dreamed about hinged on Grace saying yes. She’s got to say yes.
Cooper placed his hand on his shoulder. “You ready for this?”
“I’ve been ready for a very long time. Let’s go.”
They walked down the path to Grace’s office. They went inside and saw Grace wiping her eyes with a tissue.
He and Coop ran to her. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”
“You okay?” Coop placed his arm around her.
She smiled as tears streamed down her cheeks. “These are happy tears. I’m so proud of Michael. I love him so much.”
“We do, too,” Coop said. “He told us you two had a great session.”
“We did.” She kissed each of them. The feel of her soft lips on his was heaven. “Our best yet.”
“Michael’s exact words, too. He’s a wonderful kid. And we love him and Joey just as much as you do.” Brock knew he was jumping ahead of what he and Coop had planned.
She took a deep breath. “They both deserve to have a family, guys, but they have to stay together.”
“I totally agree, baby. Michael and Joey are brothers, just like Coop and me.”
“Amber and I are trying to find the right family that would be willing to take Michael and Joey. We just can’t split them up. It’s going to take time. Most people want to adopt newborns. The families willing to adopt older children normally only want one, not two. But I’m confident Amber and I will find a home for them. Eventually.” Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. “But how will I ever be able to let them go?”
Like a mother, Grace loved Michael and Joey with all her heart. She needed them in her life. He and Coop also loved the two boys, and they wanted to be their dads. Hopefully today we’ll become a family.
Brock grabbed her hand.
Coop took her other one. “Why do we have to let them go, sweetheart?”
“I don’t understand.”
“First things first, Coop.” Brock got down on one knee.
“You’re right.” Coop knelt down next to him.
Her eyes welled up. “Is this…I mean…really?”
“I love you so much.” He squeezed her hand. “Will you marry me and make me the happiest man in the world?”
“Oh my God. Yes. Yes, I will marry you.”
Coop held up the ring they’d chosen for her. “You’re the woman of my dreams, Grace. Will you marry me?”
“Of course I will marry you. I will marry you both.”
Coop slipped the ring on Grace’s finger.
She gazed at the diamond for a few seconds, before looking back at them. “You’ve made me the happiest woman in the world. You two are what I’ve dreamed about my whole life.”
He and Coop drowned her in kisses.
“Now there’s one more thing we need to ask you,” Brock said.
Coop held the roses in front of her. “You’re right. One more thing.”
“Anything. Anything.” Her excitement pleased Brock so much. “Just ask me.”
Brock pulled out the two blue roses from the bouquet and handed them to her. He gazed into the eyes of the woman who had changed his life. “How do you feel about starting our family right now with two amazing boys?”
“Are you serious? Both of you?”
“We are.” Coop smiled. “Brock and I want to adopt Michael and Joey with you. We’ve already got the initial paperwork ready with Ethel’s help. All you have to do is say yes.”
“Yes. Of course. I didn’t think I could be happier, but I am.” She kissed them both. “Happy tears. These are happy tears.”
The door flung open and Joey rushed in, sobbing. “No. No. No.”
Grace swept him into her arms. “Sweetie, what’s wrong?”
“I don’t want to lose you.” Joey held on to Grace with both hands, burying his head into her. “I don’t want to lose you.”
Michael ran into the room, visibly shaken. “I didn’t know it would make him cry. I thought he’d be happy.”
Joey wiped his eyes and then stared at him and Coop. “Don’t take her away from me. Please.”
Brock grabbed the little cowboy�
�s hand and smiled. “We’re not taking her away, buddy.”
“B–but Michael said you’re g–getting married.”
“That’s right.” Coop put his arm around Michael. “But that’s not the end of the story, Joey. We have a question for you and Michael.”
“You do?” the two boys said in unison.
Brock grinned. “Yes, we do. Grace, Coop, and I love you two boys so very much. Would you like us to be your mom and dads? There’s nothing more we want than for you to be our sons.”
Joey looked at Grace and then turned to him and Coop. “Does that mean we can come live with you?”
“Absolutely,” he and Coop said in unison.
“Do you mean legally?” Michael asked.
“Absolutely,” they said again.
Grace squeezed Joey and took Michael’s hand. “Boys, I love you. We all do. What do you say? Shall we start our new family together with Brock and Coop?”
Joey clapped his hands together. “Yes. Yes. Yes.”
Michael shook his head. “Hold on, Joey. You and I need to talk this over first.”
Brock’s gut seized for a moment, until he saw the devilish grin on Michael’s face.
“Just kidding, Dads. Of course it’s yes.”
“Looks like we have our hands full with this one,” Brock said. Dads. God, I love that he called us that. “But we couldn’t ask for two better sons than you and Joey.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
They all hugged.
Brock realized the darkness of the past was gone. Ahead was only light and brightness with his new wife, his best friend, and his two boys.
THE END
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chloe Lang began devouring romance novels during summers between college semesters as a respite to the rigors of her studies. Soon, her lifelong addiction was born, and to this day, she typically reads three or four books every week.
For years, the very shy Chloe tried her hand at writing romance stories, but shared them with no one. After many months of prodding by an author friend, Sophie Oak, she finally relented and let Sophie read one. As the prodding turned to gentle shoves, Chloe ultimately did submit something to Siren-BookStrand. The thrill of a life happened for her when she got the word that her book would be published.
For all titles by Chloe Lang, please visit
www.bookstrand.com/chloe-lang
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com