Miles Ever After (Miles High Series)(30)

“I had a C-section.”

He frowns. “Why?”

“Long story, it was planned, I’ll be fine in a few days.”

“I bought you flowers.” He digs something out of his pocket and passes over a little pink gift box. “Open it later.”

“Don’t you want to see what Gracie bought us?” I smirk.

He chuckles. “You know me too well, Claire.” He takes a seat on the chair in the corner of the room.

“How is Gracie?” I ask.

“She’s leaving me.”

“What?” I frown. “What do you mean?”

“She’s bought a place in god knows where and has handed in her resignation. Her last day is on Friday.”

My face falls. “Well…did you tell her?”

“Tell her what?”

“That you’re hopelessly in love with her.”

He rolls his eyes. “Where do you come up with this shit? I am not in love with Gracie.”

“Yes, you are.”

“Why the fuck would you say that?”

“Because it’s true.”

He exhales heavily. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Yes. I do, I’ve seen the way you look at her. You’ve loved her for years.”

“Enough.”

“Well…you need to stop her from leaving.”

“I already tried. She won’t stay.” He puffs air into his cheeks. “It’s probably for the best anyway.”

I watch him for a moment, I know him, he would be really down about this.

“Anyway.” He sits up. “I just popped in for a quick visit, I have to go before the firing squad arrives.”

I giggle.

“Can you take a photo of me holding Summer to put on the front page of Ferrara News tomorrow?” He winks.

“Can you imagine?”

“Maybe I could be her godfather.” He raises his eyebrow mischievously.

“Tristan would have a heart attack.”

“That’s the point of it.”

“You are so bad.” I giggle. “Behave.”

The way Gabriel purposely baits the Miles brothers is next level. If we hadn’t been such good friends before I met Tristan, I wouldn’t understand it. But Gabriel’s different, he isn’t who they see.

I know the real him.

Mind you, I don’t blame them at all for disliking him. Tristan and I have had the biggest fights in our relationship over my friendship with Gabe, but he’s staying in my life. It’s nonnegotiable, he was a dear, dear friend to me after Wade died and at a time when I felt totally alone, he always had my back.

As much as Tristan dislikes him, I know he respects him because of how he’s protected me in the past. Not that he’ll ever admit it.

He stands and takes my hand in his. “Congratulations, bella, you deserve to be happy.”

I smile up at him as I hold his hand in mine. “So do you.”

He exhales heavily. “Maybe one day.”

“You hate that you like Gracie that way, don’t you?”

“I hate meddling friends more.” He kisses my cheek. “Call me when you can have lunch.”

“Thank you for coming, it means a lot.”

He disappears out the door and I turn back to my full-time position of Summer staring.

Sigh…. She’s so perfect.





“Here we are. Home sweet home.” Tristan smiles as he pulls into the driveway.

The boys are all lined up on the veranda waiting with a bunch of flowers each, I giggle. “How long have they been waiting there?”

Tristan throws me a sexy wink and comes around and helps me out of the car, the boys come rushing out and clamber around us.

“Thank god you’re finally home,” Patrick moans. “It’s been so long.”

Tristan goes to the back seat and unlatches Summer’s little carrier; he carefully carries her inside to hushed excitement of the boys.

Fletcher opens the door and Tristan carefully walks into the house with Summer, he stumbles and trips on a football boot, he goes careering toward a wall and just stops himself in time.

“Shoes in the foyer,” he hisses through gritted teeth as he looks around to the boys.

“Sorry,” Patrick whispers, he picks up the boots and opens the door and hurls them out the front door.

“Quite sure they don’t go there either.” Tristan widens his eyes.

“I’ll get them later,” Patrick replies. “Can I hold her now?”

“Let’s show Summer her bedroom first.” I smile.

To the excited whispers of the boys, Tristan carries the carrier upstairs and down to her bedroom. “So help me god,” he whispers angrily. “I’m going to kill that fucking cat.”

“Don’t swear in front of her,” Patrick cries.

We’ve been drilling into the boys about using appropriate language in front of the baby.

“What are you talking about?” I look around the room and then I see it and burst out laughing.

Muff the cat is curled up asleep in Summer’s cot.

Tristan passes me the carrier. “Hold this, darling,” he says a little too sweetly.