Page 23 of Innocent Princess

"Yeah." He nods, understanding laced on his face.

It all sinks in. He found my birth parents.

Oh, my God.

I launch myself off the window and into his arms. I don't feel the floor under me, only Ryker's arms as he catches me. I pull him into me while I laugh, which is uncontrolled excitement mixed with shock. He's laughing too, most likely at my erratic behavior. I'm hugging him as if my life depends on it. Just as I start to worry that maybe I'm going overboard, I feel him hugging me back just as tightly.

I lean back, bringing us face to face. I gaze into his eyes. "Ryker. You have no idea how happy this makes me." I'm fearful my smile may split my face in two.

"Oh, I think I can guess, Blondie." He doesn't let me go. We just stand there, well he stands there, me in his arms, nearly nose to nose, smiling at one another.

His gaze drops to my mouth, and I bite my bottom lip on impulse. I want to kiss him so badly. I start to lean in just as my phone pings with an incoming text.

How such a tiny noise has the ability to break such a massive moment between us, I don't know, but his grip lightens as I slide down and out of his arms.

I ignore the alert on my phone. I'm way too interested in what he has on my parents to care. I take a few steps back and lean against the window.

"So, tell me everything." I pull a piece of wayward hair from my braid and twist it around my finger.

"Their names are Fred and Anna Corners. They live in Golden Springs, Texas."

I repeat their names, trying them out for the first time.

Ryker continues, "It's about a fifteen-hour drive from here."

Fifteen hours, that's so close yet so far away.

"They also know about you."

I straighten at this. "I would hope so, but explain." I motion with my hand for him to go on.

"I reached out to them. I needed to make sure it was the right Fred and Anna. So, they know you were looking for them."

"What... what does that mean?" I stumble over my words.

"It means they want to meet you." His voice is soft, but I can read the underlying tone. He's concerned.

I chew on my lip. They want to meet me.

Meet me.

This is nearly information overload. My overactive thinking is interrupted when Ryker clears his throat.

"Are you mad that I contacted them before I told you?" I slide my gaze to his worried face.

I think about it for a moment. "No, I'm not mad. I'm not sure I would have been able to reach out to them had you put the ball in my court. So, thank you."

He lets out a relieved breath and starts to say something just as Cameron walks through the door. He doesn't hang out with me a lot up here, but he occasionally does. I'm guessing he might have been the one texting me moments ago.

"There you are. I was waiting for you." He stops, then looks between Ryker and me. "What did I just walk in on?"

"Ryker found my parents."

"Shut the front door!" Cameron walks to the table and plops down on top of it, his feet on the chair.

"Fred and Anna Corners. They want to meet me," I tell him. I sneak a peek at Ryker, he looks right back at me, but he looks slightly uncomfortable.

"Wowzers," Cameron mutters then asks, "When?"

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