Page 81 of The Wish List
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
ITWASNEARLYmidnight when Trinity’s phone pinged with an incoming text.
I have leftover dessert. Want to come over for a late-night snack?
Trinity’s gaze shot to the kitchen window that faced the neighbor’s property. Across the lawn, silhouetted by the glow of the light behind him, Ash waved from a window on the first floor of his mother-in-law’s house.
I have a baby with me, she typed and cringed a second after hitting the send button.
He’s invited, too, came the immediate replay. But I’m only sharing my treat with you.
Butterflies danced across her stomach.
What kind of dessert?
Peppermint bark cheesecake.
Sounds like my new favorite.
Come over. You and Thomas.
Trinity hadn’t been alone with Ash since he’d driven her to the hospital. Honestly, having a newborn took up way more time than she would have expected, which showed how unprepared she’d been.
Ever since Thomas had been discharged from the hospital, it felt as though she spent every waking moment caring for him. Not that she’d change anything.
She thought about saying no. Looking down at her fleece pajama pants and oversized sweatshirt, she wasn’t exactly feeling pretty or witty or like any sort of decent company.
But the first evening with May home had been strangely tense. Trinity would have liked to talk about things with Freya or Beth, but both of her sisters seemed closed off, just like she remembered from the past.
Their mom had been happy with the updates to the house and definitely seemed like a kinder, gentler version of herself. Unfortunately, she didn’t seem to realize or acknowledge that her daughters might have plans other than devoting their current lives to her care.
So the house that had been a refuge in the past few weeks suddenly felt confining. Trinity looked down at her phone to see three dots appear then vanish several times. Had Ash come to his senses and realized he could find a far better late-night companion than a new mom and her baby?
I have whipped cream.
She grinned when that message finally showed up on her screen, then wrapped the blanket more tightly around Thomas and headed out the door.
It was strange to walk across the lawn with only the glow of the moon lighting her way.
Ash opened the back door as she approached. “Fancy meeting you here,” he said, his voice deep and kind.
“What are you doing up so late?” she asked, then noticed he still wore his uniform. “Work,” she murmured.
He nodded, his eyes dimming a little. “We had a fatal traffic crash out on the state route, so I just got home.” He stepped back to let her into the house. It was warm and cozy and smelled like sugar.
“That’s so sad and right before Christmas,” she said, suddenly feeling nervous. He was strong and capable and dealt with more serious issues than lack of sleep from around-the-clock breastfeeding.
He shrugged. “Even in a town like Magnolia, bad things happen. I’m here to make sure we minimize the damage.”
“Serve and protect.” She repeated the words she’d seen emblazoned on the department SUV he sometimes drove.
“Yeah.” His smile widened again as he looked at the baby in her arms whose eyes were wide and bright. “Sometimes I have a hard time sleeping after a late night—too much adrenaline. It seems like I’m not the only one who’s wide awake.”
“He has his days and nights mixed up,” Trinity said with a sigh. “The pediatrician says it’s normal, but I’m hoping we get it worked out soon.”
“Can I hold him?” Ash held up his hands, palms out. “Freshly washed in anticipation.”
She transferred the baby into his arms, trying not to notice how good Ash smelled. Greer had held Thomas earlier, but it didn’t have the same effect on Trinity as seeing her son cradled in the police chief’s arms.
