Page 25 of Luke

He turned when he heard Bryce sit on the sofa, soothing Leah as she fed her. Luke smiled at the sight.

“She sure acts like she hasn’t eaten, doesn’t she?” he remarked.

Bryce nodded with a chuckle. “She makes me look bad.”

“That’s not possible,” he murmured. At her startled look, he quickly added, “I’m sorry, that was out of line.”

She grinned. “No problem. It’s nice to get a compliment, especially when I’m sure I look a mess.”

Luke smirked. “No, you don’t. You just had a baby, and you look happy.”

“Thank you. I appreciate it.” She sighed contentedly as she gazed at Leah in her arms. “I can’t get over how much I love her.”

“What’s not to love?” Luke asked with a smile.

Bryce laughed and nodded in agreement. “True.”

“I’m going to try to get some sleep. I want to try to get to the office later.”

“I don’t think you’ll be able to go anywhere. You’re welcome to stay, Luke, for as long as you need.”

“We’ll see how the weather is tomorrow, well, later today. I can always walk to the office.”

“In that snow?”

Luke shrugged. “It’s not that far. I have a case to work on.”

“Okay, but let’s wait and see how bad it is.”

“Yes, ma’am. I’m off to bed.”

“Alright. Once she’s done, I’m going back to bed too. She’ll have me up in a few hours.”

“Get some sleep, Bryce.” Luke smiled, then walked along the hallway to the bedroom. He entered the room, closed the door, and after removing his jeans, he crawled into the bed and hoped he could sleep for a few more hours.

****

Bryce’s breath caught in her throat as Luke left the room, his muscular frame disappearing from view. She couldn’t help but stare at his chiseled chest and six-pack abs, feeling a tingling sensation in her stomach. It was hard to resist the allure of his perfect physique.

But she quickly scolded herself for those thoughts. Luke was the last thing she should be thinking about right now. Mick, on the other hand, was someone she couldn’t stop thinking about, for all the wrong reasons. The thought of him finding her and taking her daughter away terrified her. Knowing that he had more money and resources only added to her fear. She didn’t even have a job anymore.

As a tear rolled down her cheek, Bryce looked at Leah sleeping peacefully in her arms. She couldn’t bear the thought of losing her daughter, no matter what it took to keep hiding. And she knew that Mick would never give up searching for her; not just for his own satisfaction, but to appease his demanding wife. Though he had lied about being divorced, it seemed he’d do anything for his wife, even going so far as to track Bryce down and getting custody of a baby he didn’t want in the first place.

Wiping away the tears, Bryce carefully placed Leah back into the bassinet and tucked her in with a soft blanket. She thenmade her way to bed, exhaustion weighing heavy on her heart and mind. As she lay down, she prayed for a few hours of rest before Leah woke again, and for protection from Mick and his relentless pursuit of custody.

Chapter Four

Bryce stood by the window, watching the bustling street below with a shake of her head. The snow from last month must have given everyone cabin fever because there seemed to be an excessive amount of people out today. As she observed them walking along the sidewalk and entering and exiting shops, she couldn’t help but smile. She longed to be out there too, but she knew it wasn’t possible with Leah in this freezing weather. It had been over a week since she’d last seen or heard from Luke, and although she was slightly disappointed, she understood that he had his job to do and didn’t owe her anything. Still, she missed having him around to talk to and have an actual conversation with.

As she walked to the sofa, her phone vibrated from the coffee table. She picked it up and smiled when she saw a text from Luke. Speak of the devil.

Hey, are you doing alright?

I am. How are you doing?

I’m freezing.

Are you outside?

---