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  The brunette woman looked tired and scared. “We got turned around and couldn’t find our way back to the resort. It was already dark when we found this cave, and we figured we could try our luck in the morning. We planned to only go far enough in to take shelter, but we heard a noise and panicked.” Tears rolled down her cheeks as she continued, “We were running when John tripped and twisted his ankle. He can’t put any pressure on it, and I’m not strong enough to carry him out. I’ve been doing my best to keep John’s leg elevated, but I’m not even sure if I’m doing it right.”

  “I can wrap your leg, Mr. Mortimer,” Aiden assured. “Then we can carry you out. Once we’re clear of the cave, the helicopter can meet us and airlift you both to the hospital to get checked out.”

  “Thank you,” John Mortimer said. “I don’t know what we would have done if you officers hadn’t shown up when you did.”

  “You’re welcome,” Aiden stated with a smile. “Now let’s get you guys out of here.”

  Aiden was glad the rescue was successful. He could pick Lindsay up and take her out to dinner knowing he had a good day at work. Their kiss from the previous night came flooding back into his mind. He wanted nothing more than to feel her lips on his once more.

  Five

  Alex’s head was bobbing in the backseat of Aiden’s convertible red Mustang. “Are we there yet?” he inquired in an antsy tone.

  “Almost,” Aiden answered with a grin. “You’ve got to have patience, Alex.”

  “He’s not the only one curious about where you are taking us,” Lindsay established. “Although from the looks of it, I’m guessing the Stockton's ranch.”

  Cooper barked in excitement as if recognizing the name. Alex had his arm wrapped around Cooper’s neck as they bounced down the dirt road on the outskirts of Clear Mountain.

  They passed by a house with a red barn and Lindsay stated in confusion, “Wait, we passed the Stockton’s property. Where are we going?”

  “Maybe I need to tell you to be patient too,” Aiden chuckled. “We’re almost there.”

  A few seconds later, Aiden was bringing the car to a stop in front of a rambling farmhouse with a small barn next to it. He jumped out of the car and hurried around to Lindsay’s side. He held the door open as Lindsay exited followed by Alex and Cooper.

  “Why did you bring us here?” Alex whined in an accusing tone. “What is this place?”

  “It’s our new home,” Aiden stated with pride. “The escrow closed this morning.”

  “What?” Lindsay asked with astonishment. “You bought this house?”

  “I sure did—for us. You always talk about how much you loved growing up on a ranch. I figured we could buy land and raise our own family here.”

  Tears formed in the corner of Lindsay’s eyes as a warmth spread through her from his kind gesture. “I can’t believe you did this.”

  “I hope those are joyful tears,” Aiden observed. “Aren’t you happy?”

  She nodded. “Yes, I’m just overwhelmed. This is a huge step.”

  “We need to have an established home for Alex while we are fostering him until we can adopt. This place is a far better option than my apartment.”

  “Well, I like it,” Alex yelled as he ran up the steps and stood on the porch, Cooper following him. “Can we look around?”

  Aiden pulled out a set of keys and dangled them. “You read my mind, Alex. I’ve been through it, but I want both of you to see it.”

  Lindsay and Aiden walked up the stairs to join Alex and Cooper. Aiden handed Alex the keys. “Why don’t you do the honors.”

  Alex slipped the key into the deadbolt and turned it. He did the same with the bottom knob, releasing the door from its frame, revealing a huge family room with floor to ceiling windows looking out onto snow-covered fields. Behind the main living room on the left was a large kitchen with a breakfast nook and a door that led to the dining room. There was a hallway on the right side off of the living room that lead to four spare rooms, two bathrooms and a master bedroom with an ensuite bathroom.

  “This place is massive,” Alex stated in astonishment. “I never lived in a house this big that wasn’t a group home.”

  “The previous family had four kids. We can beat them,” Aiden mused. “Do you agree, Lindsay?”

  “There’s enough room to make that happen.” She turned to face Aiden and threw her arms around his neck. “I love it.”

  “Wait, there’s more,” Aiden explained. “We need to head over to the barn.”

  “Ah, man, can’t I play here in front of the house with Cooper?” Alex begged.

  “Sure,” Lindsay said. “If you need us, you know where we’ll be.”

  The couple walked the short distance between the main house and the outdoor structure. “I know how much you love horses,” Aiden began as he opened the door, “And as a housewarming present, the Stocktons gave us a pair of their horses.”

  “That’s too generous of them,” Lindsay objected. “We can’t accept such an elaborate gift.”

  “John thought you might say something like that. He told me to tell you he’s getting older and can’t take care of as many horses as he did in his youth.”

  Lindsay smiled, knowing John Stockton was agile despite his age. As she looked at the horses, a deep desire to keep them flooded her. “I suppose it’s rude to return a gift.”

  “We get horses!” Alex shouted as he rushed into the barn, then danced around in excitement. “Yes. How awesome.”

  Aiden gathered Lindsay into his arms as they laughed, watching Alex and Cooper chase each other around the barn.

  “This is perfect, Aiden,” Lindsay murmured as she leaned her head against his chest. “We're so blessed.”

  Six

  Aiden glanced around the kitchen of the ranch house and made sure nothing was out of place. He had unpacked the last of his boxes the previous week with the help of Lindsay. Even though everything met the standards for the home inspection, he was nervous.

  Lindsay took his hand in hers and smiled. “Don’t worry, Aiden. We’ve got this. We already aced our interviews. They loved the fact you were a K-9 officer, and my social work background made me an easy pass. This won’t be any different.”

  “Are you sure? Did we miss anything?” Aiden inquired, his eyes darted around as he tapped his fingers on the counter.

  “I’ve never seen you this nervous before,” Lindsay observed. “It’s kind of cute.”

  He rolled his shoulders. “I wouldn’t describe it that way. I feel like a thousand-pound dumbbell is pressing on my chest.”

  “It’s ok. It’s normal. I know who is inspecting the place, and Jerry Price is fair and gives plenty of opportunities to fix any issues he finds.”

  Aiden’s eyes grew wide with apprehension. “I don’t want to get anything wrong and cause a delay. I want to get it right the first time.”

  Lindsay placed her hands on both sides of Aiden’s shoulders. “Relax. You’ve triple checked the list. You missed nothing.”

  A firm knock at the door interrupted their conversation. Aiden hustled over and swung it open. “Good afternoon, Mr. Price. My name’s Aiden O’Connell. Why don’t you come on inside?”

  “Thank you, Officer O’Connell,” the stout man with balding brown hair stated as he entered the house. He glanced passed Aiden and smiled at Lindsay. “It’s good to see you, Lindsay. I guess if we are being professional I should call you Miss Wright.”

  Lindsay laughed. “Please don’t. It makes me sound old. Lindsay is great.”

  “And you can call me Aiden while you’re at it,” Aiden offered, then added after second-guessing himself, “or you can call me Officer O’Connell. Whatever works best for you.”

  “You can relax, Aiden,” Jerry assured. “I’ve known Lindsay since she started working for CPS. This is more of a formality than anything else. I’m sure everything is in order.”

  “See, I told you,” Lindsay reinforced her point. “It’s all going to be fine.”<
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  Jerry walked through the house. He checked for operational smoke alarms and verified medications and household chemicals were locked up. He noted that Aiden’s firearms were secured in a proper safe, and an easily accessible fire extinguisher was present. The final item on the list was to check that Alex’s room was ready with a bed and supplies.

  “You guys did a great job. This will be a lovely home for Alex, and any future children you plan to raise in it. I will submit the paperwork tomorrow. Alex’s social worker will inform you when the house has officially passed inspection. Off the record, you passed with flying colors.”

  Once Jerry left, Aiden turned to Lindsay with a huge grin on his face. “What a relief. I’m so glad that’s over. You want to go out and celebrate?”

  “Sure, I was thinking, let’s get Alex and take him with us so we can tell him the terrific news.”

  “That’s a great idea. He will be ecstatic.”

  “He’s not the only one,” Lindsay said. “I’m so happy we'll be a family soon.”

  “Me too,” Aiden agreed.

  Cooper barked from his place on the couch.

  “Sounds like Cooper agrees,” Lindsay stated with a laugh before they headed out the door for the evening.

  Seven

  Everyone settled into their seats in the conference room as a tall, thin brunette woman along with a thickly built blond man entered. They made their way to the front of the room and took seats in two chairs facing the group.

  “Welcome to your second session of foster care training,” the woman greeted everyone with a smile. “My name is Teri Anderson, and this is my husband, Ray. We are here to answer questions you might have before you are certified to foster and/or foster-to-adopt here in Boulder County.”

  “Teri and I have two children we’ve adopted out of the foster care system and are adopting a third,” Ray explained. “We also work with prospective foster parents to get certified.”

  “So the floor is open for anyone who has questions,” Teri offered.

  A woman towards the back of the room raised her hand.

  Teri nodded. “Yes, what is your question?”

  “What is the most important part of fostering?” the woman inquired.

  “Your job as a foster parent is to provide a safe environment, support the child’s physical and mental health, and meet educational and social requirements,” Ray stated. “You need to love and help them in any way they need. Some things to think about is how often your child has moved or changed schools while in foster care. Does he or she still have a relationship with their extended family? What are your child’s favorite foods and games? What is the best way to comfort your child?”

  Lindsay knew all the answers to those questions being Alex’s previous social worker. She was grateful because it allowed them to focus on just being his prospective parents. They spent as much time as they could with him, assuring him that once the home inspection went through, he would move in with them after the wedding.

  “How successful are adoptions from fostering?” a man in the back inquired, bringing Lindsay back to the present.

  “Many are very successful, but parents need to have realistic and flexible expectations for their child. You should use post-adoption support for help with any learning, medical, behavioral, or emotional challenges that may arise,” Ray answered. “You can’t be afraid to seek help and realize that you’re not alone in this process.”

  Individuals asked several more questions before Aiden raised his hand. “What if I make a mistake? I worry about messing up.”

  Lindsay’s head jerked towards Aiden with shock. He never admitted to her he worried about failing as a parent. He always seemed so sure of himself. She was unaware he harbored such concerns.

  “What specifically are you worried about?” Ray probed.

  “How do I care for a child who has been through trauma? I don’t want to make his situation worse by doing anything wrong,” Aiden clarified.

  “You don’t have to be perfect to be a perfect parent,” Teri assured. “As long as you follow the guidelines you learn here, you’ll do a great job. I think you will find the training on working with children with a history of trauma will benefit you in this area. Also, remember, your social worker is always available to help you along the way. There’s national and regional post-adoption listings on the internet willing to help as well. You can also reach out to other adoptive parents or local adoption support groups. Even many employers are providing resources to help with the process.”

  “This wraps up our Q & A part of the night,” Ray stated. “Thanks everyone for being open and honest during this time. We'll take a short break and return to allow one of the social workers to go over how transitioning works when a child comes to live with you.”

  Afterward, when Aiden drove Lindsay home, she turned to him and probed, “Why didn’t you mention worrying about making a mistake once Alex lived with us?”

  Aiden’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. Several seconds ticked by before he answered. “I didn’t want to worry you. I convinced myself it was just nerves, but when the Andersons talked about the process, the jitters resurfaced.”

  “Have you changed your mind?”

  “No, of course not, Alex has just gone through a lot. He’ll need extra attention and patience and I don’t want to let him down or cause him anymore pain,” Aiden explained.

  “I understand that, but even the best parents make mistakes. The key is to turn to God and lean on Him to help you raise your kids. The best parents I’ve met have God as the center of their family.”

  “I guess it’s a good thing we both love the Lord.” He smiled at her as they pulled along the curb outside her apartment. “Do you mind praying for us before you head inside for the night?”

  “Certainly,” Lindsay agreed as she took his hands in her own. “Dear Lord, right now we ask for your peace. You can give us peace in all circumstances, so I pray for Your hand to be on all that is going on in our lives. From the fostering to the adoption process, to the wedding planning, Lord guide us and keep us in Your hands. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.”

  Aiden reached over and hugged Lindsay. “Thank you, I appreciate you doing that. I already feel so much better.”

  “Text me when you get up. I have an early morning at the office, but I always look forward to your texts in the morning while I’m getting ready.”

  “You got it,” he stated before giving her a kiss. “I love you and I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

  Lindsay got out of the car and headed inside, grateful Aiden confided in her. God provided a peace in her heart that He was working in both their lives to bring their family together.

  Eight

  The counter display for Sweet Sensation Bakery tempted Aiden to break his diet. Should he forgo his rule about carbs to avoid gaining winter weight? He wasn't often a sweets guy, but today the heavenly creations populating the multi-tiers beckoned.

  “I see you eyeing that chocolate cake, Aiden,” Lindsay observed with a smirk. “You told me you weren’t a sucker for sweets.”

  “I’m not normally, but every once-in-awhile, I get a hankering for something chocolate,” Aiden confessed.

  “You came to the right place,” Marilyn Prinn, the elderly grey-haired bakery owner, stated with a smile as she approached the couple with a book in hand. “I bake the best chocolate cake in all of Boulder County. You can sample any flavors you like, but I swear you'll settle on the chocolate.”

  “I guess we should get it then,” Aiden stated to Lindsay as Erica entered the bakery and joined them.

  “Hold on, fella,” Erica demanded. “You can have multiple layers on a wedding cake. A full sampling would be best before we decide anything.”

  “I was just glad I had an opening for your wedding date, considering it’s only three weeks away.” Marilyn nodded as she handed Lindsay a binder. “I will leave you with my look-book containing photos of the last several hundred cakes I've m
ade for special occasions while I go make up the sample tray. You can discuss what design you might prefer while I’m in the back.”

  The trio sat over at a table in the corner of the bakery.

  “Where’s Alex?” Erica inquired.

  “We invited him, but he said he didn’t want to come,” Lindsay explained.

  “Not surprising considering boys aren’t into planning weddings,” Erica observed.

  “Men aren’t either, but when you love somebody, you want to make them happy,” Aiden admitted as he reached out and wrapped his arm around Lindsay’s shoulders.

  “Then it’s huge of you to come,” Erica commended. “Hold on to this one, Lindsay, he’s a keeper.”

  Once they were comfortable, Lindsay flipped open the book. Inside, pictures of anniversary, birthday, graduation, and wedding cakes filled the pages. All types of cakes were represented from cupcake cakes, to multi-layered cakes with bridges and fountains, and even cakes with edible flowers and gold dust.

  “Oh, my,” Lindsay whispered in amazement.

  “I told you this place is amazing,” Erica stated with a hint of pride. “It’s the bakery I will use when I get married—if I ever get married that is,” Erica stated with a frown. “Today isn’t about my woeful dating life though. It’s about you two celebrating that you found each other in this crazy world. I refuse to be sad on such a wonderful day,” Erica finished, plastering on a massive grin.

  “You don’t need to fake it for us, Erica. Believe me, I know how hard the dating scene is. Do you remember my awful blind date with Bill from that dating website?”

  “Yep, that was my fault,” Erica admitted, shaking her head causing her brown bob to swish back and forth. “I should have never made you go on that date.”

  “If you hadn’t, I would've never bumped into Aiden though,” Lindsay defended, “That bad date led to us being here. Sometimes it takes dating a lot of frogs to find your prince.”