Chapter 24: The Second Hook

Our daughter was born in May, at four in the morning, after eleven hours and one very rude word to my husband.

He said it was the nicest thing I had ever called him.

Three weeks later, I stood on the front step of the small brick house in Evanston with her asleep on my shoulder.

The key on its white ribbon was in my coat pocket.

I had worn it out to the car and back every day since the wedding, and I had not once hung my coat on the hook.

I had draped it over the back of a kitchen chair.

I had laid it across the arm of the couch.

I had told myself I was only visiting a very long time.

Nan was already inside, in the rocking chair by the window, with a cup of tea and her cane across her knees.

She had arrived at nine, unannounced, with a casserole and a sharp opinion about the curtains.

"You're late," she said.

"I'm three minutes late."

"It's the principle."

Miles came out of the kitchen with a dish towel over his shoulder.

He had taken the month off, which he had never done in his life, and he was a worse cook than he had claimed.

The whole house smelled of burnt toast.

"I'll take her," he said, and then stopped. "May I?"

"You don't have to ask."

"I like to."

He took the baby with both hands, very carefully, and she did not wake.

She had his chin.

She had my grey eyes, though they weren't certain what to look at yet.

Keep reading free with an account. Start The Billionaire Bride He Took for Granted from Chapter 1, then sign up free to read the rest of this chapter.