Page 79 of The Christmas Eve Delivery

I hope he didn’t notice that I hesitated. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust him with our son. I simply loved holding the baby. He was so soft and warm and precious looking. I didn’t want to put him down.

“Have you settled on a name yet?”

“Not yet. I keep trying the names out, Chris, Yul, Noel.” I repeated the names yet again just to hear the sound of them.

“Chris Carlisle,” Miles said. “I don’t know. It sounds kind of rhymey.”

“That’s alliteration. Rhyming is when the end of the words sound alike. And, um, Carlisle? Really? What about the paternity test? Aren’t you going to make me wait until that happens?”

Miles shook his head. “That doesn’t need to happen. I was a fool to have ever considered it. I’m sorry about that, Lydia. I’m sorry I caused you pain.”

I put my fingers over his lips. “Carlisle is a nice last name, thank you. What do you think of Yul Carlisle?”

He shrugged.

“Noel Carlisle?”

“Noel Carlisle,” he repeated. “Sounds rather distinguished.”

“Did Evie come back last night?”

“No, but the phone lines started working again, and she managed to call. She did say she would try to come over this morning as long as the storm has settled down,” he told me.

“Where did you sleep? You weren’t in my room.”

“I took a room upstairs. I didn’t want to presume I would be welcome.”

“I guess that’s more of that conversation we need to keep having,” I said with a heavy sigh.

“Lydia.” He looked down at me. “We can keep having that conversation as long as you need.”

His entire body swayed gently as he held the baby, as if some natural instinct told him that the constant motion would soothe his son. “I will never stop apologizing for my part of the past few months.”

I opened my mouth to say something, but the words got stuck in my throat. I wasn’t sure what I needed to say to him. Did I tell him that I was madly in love with him and that his being back in time for the birth of our son was almost as good of a present as our son himself? Did I tell him I thought he was a rat bastard for how he had treated me?

“Can we just go forward from here?” I asked. “There’s a lot to process, and it will take me time. I’m glad you’re here. I want you here, and I want to just go forward.”

“I’d like that. I’d like that a lot,” Miles said.

Suddenly, I was very tired, and I yawned.

“I think I’m ready for my first nap of Christmas Day,” I announced.

I climbed off the couch and headed back toward my bedroom. Miles walked with me, carrying the baby.

“You’ve already been up for a while, haven’t you?” he asked.

“I woke up and the little guy was looking around.”

“You must have heard him subconsciously. You take all the naps you need. I’ll be here,” he said.

I climbed into bed and adjusted my pillows. Miles held the baby until I reached out my arms for him.

“Would you mind staying with us for a bit?” I asked.

He sat on the edge of the bed. “Of course, I’ll stay with you,” he said.

When I woke up a little while later, the baby was missing. I started awake and scampered from the bed, running out to the lobby. I found Miles gently walking with the baby, back and forth.