Page 46 of Tack’s Bounty

“Cal Tucker, as the only surviving blood relative of Destiny Tucker, she has you listed as the next of kin for Gabriella Tucker. If you’re agreeable, you would have temporary kinship guardianship as we evaluate your home and status. If you’re not agreeable, she goes into the system,” the social worker informed them.

Sophia wished she could see Shield’s face as he turned to the table where the baby car seat sat with the child in it.

Shield stared at the infant for a minute. “She looks so much like Destiny did as a baby,” he breathed.

He turned toward the social worker. “What do we need to do to make this happen?” he inquired.

Sophia smiled, with tears in her eyes. She’d known that Shield was a good man by how he treated the animals, but he hadn’t hesitated to take on his niece. Oh, they’d need to go shopping for him and the baby.

“Yes, we will. For tonight, we can move the crib in my house over, or he can stay in the house with us. I have plenty of bedrooms,” Ruthy said, with a grin.

Sophia joined the laughter around the table. Ruthy had been teasing Adley and Sophia earlier today that her house had plenty of rooms if they all wanted to have multiples to fill her house with grandbabies. It seemed that Ruthy was getting her wish since she considered Shield her family too.

Ruthy stood up and walked over to Shield. She slipped her arm around Shield. Sophia could see the tension melt from his shoulders. He wasn’t alone, and Ruthy had just reminded him about that.

Sophia stared around the clubhouse. She wished her dad and mom were here to see how things had changed in her life and her family. But this Christmas was full of love and family that she was thankful for.

And it was all due to a crazy old biddy calling the police over the great Kansas City Squirrel Abduction, which reminded her. She’d planned on giving those squirrels a special Christmas treat of sliced apples. She needed to remember to take them over tomorrow. She’d always be thankful how she and Tack met.

Tack walked back over after the officer and the social worker left.

“So, it seems we have an addition to the Saint’s Outlaws MC family,” he teased.

“He’s special. I want us to support him in any way we can,” Sophia insisted.

Tack smiled, leaning down to kiss her cheek. “We will. Love you, babe.”

He told her that every day — multiple times, but she would never get tired of hearing it.

“Love you too,” she said softly, sniffing as she watched Shield lift his daughter out of the car seat and cuddle her against his chest. Yep, he’d make an amazing father, just like her man would when their little one joined them.

The Saint’s Outlaws MC family was growing, and Sophia couldn’t wait to see what was next.