Once Upon a Sure Thing by Lauren Blakely

Author:Lauren Blakely [Blakely, Lauren]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lauren Blakely Books

Chapter 17

Ally

* * *

In the cab, Chloe yawns majestically but still details her plans for Christmas Eve. “We’re going to order Chinese food, go to church, and make cookies for Santa.”

“Gingerbread, I hope,” Miller says as the cab swings down Broadway, dodging past cars and buses.

“His favorite, of course.” She lets loose another epic yawn as her eyes flutter. In a heartbeat, her head sinks onto Miller’s shoulder.

“Don’t forget carrots for the reindeer,” he says softly, patting her hair.

“We never forget the reindeer.”

Somewhere south of Twenty-Third, a faint snore rumbles from my girl.

I smile at Miller, who’s become her pillow. He grins back, and as I regard the tableau they make, my heart expands like a water balloon. It’s too big for my chest. I’ll need a new place to store this organ soon.

But it’s precarious too. It’ll pop any second.

When we reach my block, a quiet stretch of Sixteenth between Seventh and Eighth Avenues, the taxi stops, and I swipe my credit card to pay. Once the transaction is complete, I turn around to find Miller has lifted Chloe out of the cab, and she’s still sound asleep in his arms.

It is one of the sweetest things I’ve ever seen, and as I shut the door to the cab, I mentally record the image—him holding her on a cold and quiet Manhattan street, with a hint of snow in the sky. In this tender moment, something shifts inside me.

Something unnamed, but something swollen with potential, with hope. This brand-new thing rattles around, both scaring and thrilling me.

I want that.

Right there.

Him.

My heart glows as I flash back on the sweet and silly ways Miller has come to take care of Chloe.

Checking out her photos.

Helping her with projects.

Joining us for dinner.

It’s too much, the flip, flip, flip of images—Miller supporting Chloe. Chloe laughing with Miller. The moments. The days. All the times it’s been the three of us. Everything aches inside me with a terrifying new longing. I’ve resisted closeness and eschewed intimacy because most of the men I’ve dated didn’t want my baggage.

Miller has embraced it.

As a friend, I remind myself. He’s a friend to you and to Chloe.

Grabbing a mental broom, I sweep those images of him and her out of sight. If I don’t, I won’t be able to make it through the next few minutes without flinging myself at him.

“You can set her down. She’ll wake up long enough to make it upstairs,” I say softly.

“I’ve got her,” he whispers, and that’s my cue to zip into action.

I scurry to the front door, unlock it, and hold it wide open for him. Then I race to the elevator and hit the up button. The lift arrives instantly, and we step inside, Chloe still slumped on his shoulder, slumbering. When we reach the third floor, I scramble down the hall to open the door to my apartment.

Miraculously, she remains in the land of nod. He carries her to her room and gently lowers her to the bed. I take off her glasses, set them on her nightstand, and tug off her boots.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.