Beckett (Robinson Destruction #4) - Kathi S. Barton Page 0,32

things that are going to keep her in prison for a very long time. The nurse will have to serve time, as well. She’ll also be doing community work, under supervision, with the county. She’ll be working at the county animal shelter. Feeding the animals and cleaning their cages.”

“They’re having her work with animals? I don’t know if I like that any better than her working with kids. At least kids can tell on her.” Beck asked her what she would have suggested for her. “You mean besides killing her? I don’t know. Perhaps something along the lines of digging graves or even working in a fishery. I did that once. That is not a job I would ever want to repeat.”

“I’ll talk to Tru. She’s the one that asked the judge for her to have some sort of punishment for what she did to her nephews.” He watched her work through whatever was in her head. Beck loved to watch her at any project. “Want to tell me what has your forehead all scrunched up?”

“I was talking to Anna about her children. She said it was easy for them to adopt them because of the fact they’re Robinsons. We are too.” He said he’d been one for a long time. “Don’t be a dick. What would you say if I told you I’d like to adopt children? Not just babies—everyone wants them—but older children as well. I know firsthand how it is when you go week after week with people interviewing you and not be taken home. Four isn’t very old, but it’s painful to see babies get to have parents, and you don’t. That’s when self-doubting sets in.”

“So long as you’re happy, I’m happy. I would like to have children with you as well.” She told him that she would as well. “Do you know of any children that need someone, or actually us, to love them?”

“I do. They’re at the police station now.” He asked her why they were there. “The last home they were at, they had some issues and ran away. The older one is fourteen—his name is Conor. The younger, his sister, is twelve, and she goes by Stripes. I’m not sure why that is, but I intend to find out. Would you go with me to see them? Andrew called Tru when I was over working with them, and she told me about it.”

“Yes. Right now.” Beck was working out in his mind what it would take for them to bring home two teenagers but didn’t voice that to Allie. There were rooms set up for anyone that wanted to stay with them, but he was positive they would need clothing and other things. More excited than he’d been when they’d embarrassed his mom, he smiled at Allie. “This might be just the thing to get you out of the doghouse with Mom. And Dad will be over the moon to have a grandchild old enough to fish.”

“How much do you want to bet they’ve never had anyone take them fishing, Dad? I’ve never been either.” He was still standing there when she turned around at the car. “What?”

“I’m going to be a dad. You and I are going to be parents.” She told him not if he didn’t get his ass in gear. “Yes. All right. But if we don’t like them or they’re snarky, we’ll walk away.”

“Sure. I want to see you do that.” He had a feeling she was making fun of him, but he chose to ignore it. “I don’t know, but I’m sure this truck isn’t going to be big enough for two more people in it. Teenagers don’t like to touch each other.”

Allie filled him in on the kids as they made their way to the station house. They had been in seven foster homes since they’d been orphaned three years ago. They’d been raised by their grandma, who had died in her sleep one night. The parents of the kids were out of the picture.

“Rogen looked it up for me just in case we decided to go see them. What out of the picture means is that they’re both serving double life sentences for murder. No chance for parole, nor do they have visitation rights. The kids haven’t seen them since they were left at home the night they killed a family of four for their car.” He asked her if they’d had a hard life. “It didn’t seem like it, but there is no way