Page 57 of Wish You Were Mine

“All right,” Grace murmured.

“She did so well.” Nate gazed over at her, awestruck. “She was incredible.”

“I’m sure she was.” I bent over the bed and kissed Grace’s forehead. “Hi, Mama.”

A smile curved her lips, weary but content. She’d always wanted to be a mother, and now she’d not only achieved that, but with the man she’d loved secretly for over a decade. No one deserved happiness more than her.

“Any lingering pain?” Max asked her as I moved closer to Nate and leaned over to get a look at my new nephew.

Grace sighed. “I feel like I was hit by a truck, but I don’t think it’s anything out of the ordinary.”

“No, that’s not unusual.” Max scanned her from head to toe, even though most of her was hidden by the covers. “A lot of people don’t realize how much of a full-body experience giving birth is. Every muscle in your body contributes.”

I met Nate’s eyes. They were slightly unfocused, as if he couldn’t quite believe what was happening.

“Can I meet my nephew?” I asked.

“Come closer,” he said.

I did, and he shifted the bundled baby so I could gather him in my arms.

“Be careful with him.” He watched like a hawk, so I stayed close, hoping to ease his concern.

I gazed down into a small, red face. Finn’s eyes were closed, but he had a little button nose and a thatch of brown hair.

“Hello cutie,” I whispered. “I’m your aunt.”

He gurgled and blinked open those massive blue eyes. My breath caught. He was so tiny and delicate, his life only just beginning.

I couldn’t help but wonder if, one day, I’d be holding my own baby like this. Did I even dare to dream?

27

ASHER

I double checked that Cookie had a full bowl of water and locked the cat flap, so she’d have to stay inside while I was away. I was still reluctant to let her out when I wasn’t around.

“Do you think this is a date?” I asked her. “I’m not sure.”

She meowed plaintively and snuffled in her empty food bowl.

“You already had breakfast. So, Cookie, date or not?”

Honestly, I don’t know which I’d intended it to be when I’d asked. The invitation had been out of my mouth before I’d thought it through, partly because of a desire to distract Summer from her theory about someone having poisoned Cookie and partly because I just wanted to spend more time with her.

But this wasn’t a traditionally date-like activity, so I didn’t know what to expect. No doubt she was experiencing the same uncertainty. At least I wouldn’t be alone in it.

Did I want it to be a date?

Kind of.

But we also needed to take things slow and figure out where this was going before we leapt into the deep end. Particularly when we had Liam to think about. My conscience insisted that it would be best if my best friend knew before I officially started dating his sister—if I did—despite the earful he’d no doubt give me about not being the steady, reliable man she deserved.

Cookie wound around my legs, purring. I squatted to pat her, stroking the length of her soft, furry body.

“Thanks for listening,” I told her. “I’ll see you later.”

I locked the back door, checked that the latch was firmly in place, and did the same out front before going to the garage. My cycle was already loaded onto a rack on the back of the car, and I opened the garage door and reversed out.

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