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“Tell me about the day Mia was born.” He leaned back in his chair. “Were you alone?”
“Kristina was with me,” she said. “But there were a few times I wished she hadn’t been. Kris can be pushy and opinionated.”
He gestured for her to continue with the story.
Chloe thought back to the day Mia was born and grimaced. “I actually couldn’t have done it without my sister. She and Mark had me move in with them a week before I was due. Unlike me, she lives in a small city with a hospital. When the contractions started, she timed them. Mark drove us to the hospital, and Kristina stayed with me the whole time.”
“I wish I’d been there for you.”
The sincerity in his voice pulled at her heartstrings. He meant the words. She could tell. He would have held her hand, brought her ice chips, and probably intimidated the medical staff to make sure they took the best care of her possible. She wished he had been there, but she couldn’t afford to obsess over that. She didn’t want to break in front of him.
“What do you want to know about Mia?” she asked.
“Everything,” he repeated.
She rolled her eyes. “Ask for specifics. I can’t think of anything other than she loves to play with her dolls, and she hates to have her hair brushed.”
“We can start simple. What’s her favorite color? Favorite place to go? Favorite food?”
Chloe held up a hand to keep him from getting too far ahead. “Blue. Anywhere where there are dogs. Her favorite meal at the moment is chicken nuggets and fries. Her favorite sweet treat is animal crackers.”
“Not something you make? I would think she would love her mommy’s cookies and donuts and cupcakes.”
“Nope.” Chloe giggled at his surprised expression. “Well, she’s a kid. She loves anything sweet, of course, but animal crackers are her favorite. You will soon learn that Mia has a mind of her own. She gets her stubborn streak from you.”
He made a face. “You want to talk about being stubborn? I had to ask you out at least a dozen times before you said yes. Then I had to propose twice.”
“That story shows how stubborn you are. Not me. You were the one that kept asking.”
They laughed, and the tension eased. She felt so blessed that he wasn’t angry at her for keeping Mia a secret. He understood. On top of that, he had promised not to seek custody. She couldn’t help but wonder what he was going to want from her now. How much time with Mia would he demand?
She took a deep breath to steady her nerves. “I know you just found out about her. You haven’t had time to fully come to terms with it, but I need you to know something. I do not want your mom anywhere near her. I know she’s your mother, but—”
“I get it. You want to protect Mia, and so do I.”
“You can jump on your private jet and fly here to see Mia whenever you want. I won’t try to limit your time with her, and I won’t interfere in your relationship with her as long as you don’t interfere with ours.”
Silent, he seemed to be thinking over her offer.
He tossed a half-eaten slice of pizza into the carton. “Let me tell you how I want to do this.”
Chloe stiffened. “And how is that?”
“It’s true I haven’t had time to think beyond meeting her, but I do know I want to see her as often as possible. I also want to see you.”
“Me?” she squeaked.
Nik circled the desk to pull her to her feet. He cupped her face with such tenderness and adoration that it brought tears to her eyes. She just wished she could believe it was real.
“I want a second chance to be the man you deserve,” he said, his voice raspy with emotion. “My mother broke us up with her dirty tricks, but we can try again. If you want.”
Doubts filled her mind. She almost started to verbally list them for Nik. His lips touched hers, and her protests died. She didn’t want to resist. The fact was, she hadn’t stopped loving Nik. They deserved a second chance.
Mute, she nodded.
“Are you willing to give it another shot?” he asked.
“Y-yes.” Her brows furrowed as logic reared its ugly head. “But how do we date and get to know each other again when you live in Vegas?”
