Page 73 of Love to Hate You

Speaking of which…I walk over and look down at the little munchkin who was up all-night squawking and who now is sound asleep when it’s time to go.Ah, well,I think, and lightly run a hand over her head covered with soft dark hair.

“Okay, I let him know,” Nash says. “How is she?”

“Sound asleep,” I say, voice full of irony.

“Of course, she is.” He chuckles. “Get here soon, okay? I want to see my girls.”

“On our way.”

“See you soon, baby,” he says and after we swap a couple of quick, I love you’s, I look down at Easton Morgan Beckett, the little love of our lives. Her name is our secret way of acknowledging East Bay Island as the place where we came together and promised our futures to each other. And when I learned Morgan is a family name that all of Nash and his siblings share, I insisted we keep the tradition going.

Our little girl just turned three months old, and it has been a joy having her in our lives. It’s also been a huge learning experience and sometimes I feel like we’re stumbling around in the dark, trying to figure things out, but luckily, we work well under pressure. And, eventually, we do figure things out. I already bundled Easton up in a pink little coat, mittens and scarf. She looks like a fluffy marshmallow, especially with those delightfully fat cheeks of hers, and I scoop her up into my arms. Her big blue eyes pop open and then she yawns.

“Oh, I bet you’re tired. You kept Mommy and Daddy up all night, sweet pea.”

With her cobalt eyes and coal-colored hair, she’s Nash’s mini-me. The resemblance always makes me smile.

As I cuddle Easton in one arm, I toss the diaper bag which weighs far too much over my shoulder, and somehow manage to snag my purse and keys. We take the elevator down and by the time I get into the back seat of the waiting car, I’m sweating. Having a baby is quite the workout.

“Good afternoon, Mrs. Beckett,” Lewis says.

“Hi, Lewis. I’m sorry about making you wait.” I sit Easton in the car seat and get her belted in properly before dropping down with an exhausted sigh.God.Just going from our apartment down to the car is tiring. It’s one of the reasons Nash insists on having a driver for me, especially during the winter. The roads are a slushy mess, and he doesn’t want me worrying about it.

At first, I told him it wasn’t necessary but I’m glad he convinced me. “You’re a godsend, Lewis,” I tell him, and he chuckles.

“Driving you and Miss Easton around is the best job I ever had,” he says.

“Well, we appreciate it.” I always make sure to tell Nash how much I love Lewis and how amazing he is which results in a lot of bonuses for the man. Especially around this time of year as Christmas approaches. It’s one of the perks of making lots of money– you can start giving it away to people and brighten their day a little more.

When we arrive at the office building, I thank Lewis, unbuckle Easton and grab all our gear. Nash is out the door the moment he sees us and grabs the diaper bag and my purse and kisses me quickly. “Hi, baby,” he says.

“Hi. You’re going to catch a cold.” He’s not wearing a coat and doesn’t even have his suit jacket on.

“I’m fine. Besides, I have to come out and help my girls, right?”

“Thank you,” I say as we hurry inside. It’s freezing out and the wind has really kicked up. We walk through the lobby and head over to the elevator bank.

“How’s my princess?” he asks as we step inside the elevator.

“She’s been sleeping since she was up all night.”

He chuckles. “At least she isn’t fussing.”

“Give her a minute.”

“And how are you?” he asks, leaning carefully over Easton and brushing his lips across mine.

“Mmm. Good now,” I say.

“Need me to warm you up?” he asks, blue eyes darkening.

“Always,” I murmur.

A bell dings as the elevator door glides open and we reluctantly move apart. The last six months living with Nash have been an absolute dream come true. He’s everything I could ever want and then some. Considerate, loving, kind, protective, understanding. The amount of love he shows me and Easton every single day is incredible. At night, when I curl up against him, I thank my lucky stars for bringing us together.

I know neither of us is exactly sure how it happened, but we are so damn lucky that it did.

Nash reaches for the glass door with a sign that now reads Beckett Technology on it. Ever since we took over together, things have changed for the better. The atmosphere is more relaxed and welcoming instead of so uptight and corporate. We’re family-oriented and have days when employees can bring their kids to work– human children or fur babies. We don’t discriminate and I think each is equally important.

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