Page 21 of For Your Consideration

“He involved at all?” His voice had a little extra rumble to it and I wasn’t sure exactly what he was mad at.

“Nope. I asked him if he wanted to meet her after she was born and he made it clear he wanted no involvement. Plus, at the end of my pregnancy I was pretty sick and then Sophie was born premature. I spent some time in the NICU, so I was a little distracted.” I reached over, careful not to touch Asher, as I brushed my hand over Sophie’s head.

“That why she’s so small?” he asked after a moment.

“Yeah, but she’s all good now.”

Our eyes met over her head and there was something so intense in his gaze. Yet I couldn’t look away.

The phone rang, breaking our trance. I smiled shyly at him as I moved around the desk to answer. He folded his massive body to gently put Sophie on the blanket I had laid out. He looked at her for a moment, his eyes warm, before he walked into Quinn’s office and returned moments later with a manila envelope.

He didn’t wait for me to get off the phone, just waved once and then was gone. I tried not to be disappointed.

Clearly Sophie was feeling the same since she let out a little cry for the first time all day.

On Monday, Iris was thankfully feeling better so she was able to keep Sophie. I’d spent all weekend making her soup and ensuring she took her cold medicine so she could sleep. It was nice that I could help her for once, give something back to the woman who had taken us in as her own. And not working on weekends was something else. I soaked up the quality time with Sophie.

We went for walks and I put her in the swing at the park and took videos of her laughing. We made dinner together and read an extra book at bedtime. I sat in the rocking chair with her way longer than I needed to once she fell asleep, just watching her little breaths and her eyelashes fluttering against her checks. Once I’d put her down, I’d gone into the bathroom and cried looking at baby pictures of her.

I loved her so much and it was nice to be able to enjoy these moments with her. She was already growing up too fast.

Quinn was still out of town and with fielding her calls, the first hour of the day had flown by. The front receptionist called to let me know a delivery was coming back for me to sign but I had no idea what it might be. I hadn’t ordered anything.

“Delivery for Miss Bennett.” A man came up to me with a clipboard. Three men were behind him carrying boxes.

“I’m sorry. I don’t believe we ordered anything.”

He smiled pleasantly at me. “We’re from Coastal Babies.” His tone made it seem like that was going to explain it.

If anything, I was more confused. I’d been in that store when I was pregnant and shopping around. I had taken a look at one price tag and walked out trying to hide my shock. I may have more money now but I wasn’t dropping it in a place like that.

“No mistake, ma’am. You are Sutton Bennett, correct?”

“I am but—”

He shoved the clipboard in my face. “Sign, please. We were instructed to unbox and leave the items in the storage closet in the office of one Miss West. I’ve been told to give you a note once you sign. I’m also not allowed to take no for an answer.” I raised an eyebrow at him, but the polite customer service smile didn’t leave his face. “I have other deliveries to make but I will wait around.”

Since I was confused and the guy looked determined, I signed the delivery notice and pointed him to the storage closet that I knew was empty since Quinn had told me she should find spare shoes to store in there.

I watched over their shoulders as a pack and play, toys, blankets, and even an electric baby swing were unpacked and loaded in the closet. Once that was done, the delivery man passed me a note, nodded his head, and made his way out.

The note had a number and Asher’s name written underneath.

Not much of a note.

I sat in my chair and dialed before I could think too hard.

“Asher Lawson,” he answered in a gruff voice.

“Sutton Bennett,” I repeated back to him.

“You got my note.”

“Why did you do this?”

“If you need to bring Soph to work you shouldn’t have to lug all that shit back and forth.”

“You shouldn’t have done this, Asher.”