Page 14 of Deserving Ryleigh
“You think it’s safe to interrupt them?” Tonka asked. “Want to get these tots to her while they’re still semi-warm. Then get Jas back to The Refuge so we can check on all the animals.”
“You coming back here after?” Tiny asked, already knowing the answer.
“Of course.”
“Me too?” Jasna asked. “I don’t want to miss anything!”
Tonka chuckled. “You aren’t going to miss anything but crying and pooping.”
“Ew, gross. Don’t say poop,” Jasna complained with a grimace.
Tiny and Tonka both chuckled.
“You can muck out a barn without blinking, but talking about your sister pooping grosses you out?”
“Seriously, stop!” Jasna demanded.
Tonka was smiling so big, Tiny couldn’t help but stare at him in wonder. Tonka had always been the reticent one. But ever since marrying Henley, he’d definitely opened up. Still, he didn’t think he’d ever seen his friend so…carefree.
“All right. Come on, let’s go see your mom and sister. Then we’ll get some stuff done back at the barn, make sure you’re all settled with Alaska and Brick.”
“And you’ll have more pictures for me so I can show them to my friends at school next week, right?” Jasna asked.
“Of course. Come on, let’s go give these tots to your mom.”
Tiny followed the duo back into the hospital and down the hall toward Henley’s room. When they entered, Ryleigh and Henley were laughing about something.
“Yay! Tots!” Henley exclaimed when she saw her husband.
“Trade ya, Elizabeth for a large tater tot,” Tonka told her with a grin.
“Deal. Gimme!”
Everyone laughed.
The sight of the teeny little baby in Tonka’s arms made Tiny’s heart skip a beat. It wasn’t as if he’d thought about having children very often. He wasn’t even sure if heeverwanted any, but seeing his friend so besotted, so happy, made him feel all mushy inside.
“I’m gonna go,” Ryleigh told Henley.
“All right. Thanks for the talk. You belong here, Ry.Who else will teach Elizabeth how to be a computer genius like you?”
Ryleigh gave her a small smile, then an awkward wave—which Tiny found adorable—and headed for the door.
Since she’d arrived at the hospital with their friends, who’d already left, he quickly said his goodbyes as well and hurried to catch up with Ryleigh.
“What’s the rush?” he asked as he came up next to her.
“Oh…you didn’t have to leave just because I did,” Ryleigh said.
Tiny frowned. “You need a ride,” he told her, something she obviously knew.
“Yeah, but I was going to catch an Uber back to The Refuge.”
“Absolutely not,” he said with a shake of his head.
It was Ryleigh’s turn to frown. “I know you don’t trust me even a little, but I already told you that I’m not leaving yet. You don’t have to worry that I’ll hire a taxi to drive me to the airport or anything.”
Tiny sighed. “I wasn’t worried about that. But we’re going to the same place. I can take you home.”
