Page 105 of The Ranger
Dear God.
My heart stops as I try to remember our last conversation.I thought she said she was joking.Is it the drugs?
She smiles, glancing up at me, and around me the nurses and doctor chuckle.
“You are joking.Right?”
Scarlett's eyes fill with tears.“Name your daughter, Cole.”
I blow out my breath.
Every single step feels like a monumental moment these days.I’m barely over her being kidnapped and here we are, greeting our daughter.Naming her.
Falling madly in love with her.
And she’s just given me this incredible honor.
Fuck.
I am not going to cry.
I am not...a tear slides down my face, and I’ve never felt more like a man when I smile down at my daughter.
“Welcome to the world, Zara.My sweet, beautiful girl.”I palm her tiny head and note how my hand looks like a giant’s.
“Zara Margaret Zimbardo,” Scarlett whispers, giving my daughter my mother’s name.“Perfect.”
THE NEXT MORNING myneck is stiff after sleeping in the chair, and the hospital room is full of visitors.
“She’s so beautiful,” Cassy sighs as I place Zara in her arms.
Josh slaps me on the back and shakes my hand.“Congratulations, brother.”
I grin.“Thanks.”
I’m a dad.
Oh my god, I’m a dad.How I slept at all last night I don’t know.The chair was uncomfortable, and every thirty minutes or so I kept bolting upright, worried Zara wasn’t breathing, or Scarlett had some residual issues after Chen took her.
Chen.
He’s still on the loose.
“Any news?”I ask.
Josh shakes his head.“We have a couple of witnesses, so between our team and the authorities we are doing all we can to find him.”
Are they working together?
Aidan and Briar step in with a double stroller.The twins are asleep.I’m suddenly aware of the world I’ve stepped into.Going to Lamaze classes earlier in Scarlett’s pregnancy did kick that off, but standing here with an actual baby...well, that’s a whole different level of reality.
“Let me see her.”Briar joins Cassy.
“Welcome to the no sleep brigade.”Aidan yawns.“We can text in the middle of the night.”
I chuckle.
“He thinks I’m joking,” Aidan deadpans.
