Searching for Beautiful (Searching For 3)

Okay, now he was getting freaked out. "Guys, you're killing me. Can you just tell me what's going on?"

Sawyer pulled out a document. His finger tapped steadily against the blue folder, his leg shaking just a bit. Yep. A definite sign of nervousness from his usually controlled guardian. Had he done something bad with Purity? Gotten them in trouble? Sickness clawed at his gut.

"Remember that conversation we had years ago? When you were about twenty-one?"

Wolfe let out an impatient breath. "We had a ton of conversations. Is there a specific one you're referring to?"

"Your adoption."

He stilled. His gaze flicked to the paper, then back up at Sawyer's face. He tried to gather his thoughts, unsure where the whole dialogue was going. "Yeah. You wanted to legally adopt me, and we went to court a few times, but there were issues. Made my name change look like a walk in the park."

Sawyer nodded. Julietta twisted her fingers, nodding as if to encourage Sawyer to keep talking. "We didn't know what happened to your mother at the time. I was more concentrated on keeping your life stress free. Didn't want to bring up the past. So I got my PI to get all the information, and we've been working on this for a number of years." Sweat gleamed from Sawyer's brow. Wolfe took another sip of cognac, knowing the next few minutes were about to be life changing.

"We found out about your mother, Wolfe."

He ducked his head, needing a minute. Knowing the answer. "She's dead."

Julietta reached over and squeezed his hand. He returned the pressure. "Yes, sweet boy. She died years ago. We found where she's buried. You can go see her if you want."

"Was it an overdose?"

Another slight pause. "Heart attack. Could've been the drugs, but there was no autopsy."

Wolfe wondered why he didn't feel . . . more. In a way, he'd grieved over his mother's death since he ran away that fateful night. She'd been dead to him, and he'd struggled with the fact for so long, the confirmation just cemented the knowledge that she was never coming back. "I'm okay," he said slowly. "I kind of expected it, and I dealt with this a while ago."

Sawyer nodded. "That's what we hoped, but hearing it aloud sometimes brings back nasty stuff."

"I appreciate you finding out for me."

"After we were able to confirm what happened to your mom, other items fell into place. We tracked down some necessary documents, and it's been in the legal system for a while. But we have our answer."

Wolfe cocked his head, still confused. "What answer?"

"Your adoption. We can legally adopt you as ours, Wolfe. And we want to, if you'll accept us."

The simple statement pierced through the shield of his heart and buried deep. Raw emotion exploded within him. He glanced back and forth, seeing the hope on Julietta's face, the tension in the way Sawyer clenched his jaw. They were nervous? Nervous he wouldn't want them? The shaking began, beginning with tiny goose bumps and breaking into shudders that began to wrack him from the inside. He'd been nothing before them. They'd done him a favor, taking in a smart-assed street kid with issues, and they were asking him if it was okay?

"We love you," Julietta whispered. "But if you don't want to go ahead with this, we understand. We won't be hurt. You'll always be ours, in every way that counts, but this would make it legal."

Sawyer put up his hands. "You can think about it as long as you want. If it's a no, we won't talk about it again, and there's no need to feel guilty. Understood? Whatever you want is what we want."

The word stumbled over his tongue and shot out into the world. "Yes."

His almost-legal parents stared at him. "Yes?" Julietta choked out. "You want to be ours?"

Wolfe let out a shaky laugh. "Hell, yeah, you think I'm crazy? I had no idea you were still pursuing it. I've always thought of myself as your son, but to finally have the papers to back it up? Hell, yes."

Sawyer grinned, joy lighting up his face. "Hell, yes!"

Julietta hugged him, and Sawyer just kept grinning like an idiot, too overwhelmed to try and hug it out, which Wolfe was grateful for. No way did he want to bawl like a pussy. But inside, he felt . . . different. More whole.

He really belonged to a family now. Legally. They belonged to him, just as much as he did to them.

Hell. Yes.

Sawyer pushed the folder over with a pen. "There's a ton of stuff to sign, but the lawyers already looked over everything. You'll have to get used to your new name though."

"Wolfe Wells." He repeated the name. "Umm, yeah. Not the best, but it's not like I have to get through middle school anymore."

They burst into laughter.

And he signed the papers.

GEN LAY ON TOP of the covers, staring at the gorgeous ceiling with the painting of the Madonna and Child overhead. Probably not cool if you wanted to have dirty hot sex, but since that wasn't happening tonight, maybe she should say a rosary instead. Her mother would be happy. Kind of.

Ugh.

She'd been exhausted from the trip, but also sensed Wolfe needed some time alone with his family. After a nap, she was now wide awake and buzzing with energy. Didn't feel like reading. Her brain kept misfiring over the mixed signals Wolfe threw out. One minute he treated her like a buddy, bringing her on a trip to be nice and protect her from the big bad wolf. The next moment, he touched her and sexual electricity buzzed, and his eyes darkened with that hungry look as if he'd like to feast on her for hours in a really good way.

Unfortunately, he'd clearly set her up in a bedroom way down the hall from his. Like a sign he didn't intend to visit. Julietta and Sawyer obviously believed they were just platonic friends. Guess no benefits this week. Which was good. They'd decided to keep it open and flexible, even though she'd fallen in love with him.

A slight tapping echoed in the room.

She shot up from the bed and opened the door.

Wolfe stood in front of her, looking delicious in sweats, a tank top, and bare feet. His hair was mussed like he'd been dragging his fingers through the curls. He smelled like soap and a bit of liquor. "Did I wake you?"

"No. Can't sleep."

He shifted his feet. Those blue eyes flamed to life as his gaze raked over her, but he remained safely out in the hallway. "Wanna go for a walk?"

No. She wanted him to get naked, and get busy on her bed, but Gen nodded. "I'll change."

"You're fine."

She hesitated. Not expecting a late-night sex call, she'd sported flannel pants with pink flowers, and a matching pink V-necked T-shirt. Her hair was crazy from lying on the pillow, and she had no makeup on. Gen wrinkled her nose. "I'm a mess."

He reached over and linked his fingers with hers. The heat jumped like a live wire between them. She barely held back a hiss. "You're a beautiful mess," he said softly. "Just come walk with me."

She was such a sucker for this man. "Okay." She pulled on a pair of Keds and

followed him down the stairs and into the night.

It was pitch-dark, apart from the occasional streetlight and the glow of the moon. Wolfe led her firmly down the path, keeping her hand securely locked in his. Their feet slapped against the cobblestones, and the ancient buildings thrust into the sky, surrounding and protecting them like beautiful old trees. Even late at night with the shops closed, pedestrians lingered, sipping espressos and clutching large bags from one of the most famous shopping streets in the world, Via della Spiga.

Wolfe seemed to have no direction. He swung her arm back and forth, lapsing into a comfortable silence, and she relaxed. When he finally spoke, he told her the earth-shattering news as if it was the most natural thing in the world to share. As if he'd been sharing intimate details with her forever.

"Sawyer and Julietta legally adopted me."

She stumbled and he quickly caught her. Gen gasped and gripped his hand. "What?"

His slow grin lit up his features. Lord, he was sexy. Gorgeous. Sexy. "Yeah. That was their big news and why they wanted me to come visit. We tried years ago, but they couldn't find my mother, and the paperwork was a mess. Went to court a few times but nothing really came of it. I assumed Sawyer quit, but he's been working on this the whole time."

"What did you find out about your mom?"

The grin slipped. "She died."

"I'm sorry."

He nodded. "I lost her a long time ago. I can't even be sad. She wasn't my mother anymore."

His simple words tore at her heart. To have a parent break you in half and destroy the innate love and trust of such a relationship haunted her. But Gen knew he didn't want her sympathy or tears or pity. He wouldn't have them either. She looked upon him as the victor. He got away, rebuilt, and found a family to love and cherish him. "I hate what you had to go through," she said softly. "I'd kill her myself with my bare hands for hurting you. But you got to the other side. And even though a piece of paper is important, Julietta and Sawyer were always your family anyway. I just love that we can celebrate it's legal."

He gazed off in the night, as if trying to express his thoughts. "I can't believe they wanted me," he finally said. "I was a pain in the ass. I mean, of course I wanted them, but the idea they never gave up trying to adopt me blows my mind."