Beneath Her Bastard Boss

Chapter 145

Nick stood just outside the NICU, staring through the glass. Luca was beside him, one hand lightly resting on his father’s back.

Sutton watched from inside the room, already scrubbed, her gown tied behind her back. She’d been sitting beside Miles for nearly an hour, skin to skin, his impossibly small head tucked beneath her chin, listening to the slow, steady rhythm of his breath. Her son. Her sweet miracle.

A nurse gave the signal and waved them in.

Luca pushed the door open, and Nick followed him in slowly, cautious courtesy in every footstep. His cane tapped lightly on the vinyl floor

The room was kept warm and dim for the babies. Monitors beeped softly, a mechanical heartbeat winding through wires and plastic tubing. Miles stirred gently in Sutton’s arms but didn’t wake.

Nick stopped a few feet away, clearly unsure of the space.

Sutton looked up and smiled. “He’s fragile,” she said quietly. “And he is small… But Luca will tell you he is a fighter.”

That made Nick smile faintly, eyes crinkling.

Luca crossed the room and gently helped him into a padded chair near Sutton’s. Not too close, but close enough.

For a moment, he just watched.

Miles’s face was still pink and a little wrinkled, like a face he hadn’t quite grown into. With his tiny fist resting against Sutton’s collarbone, he had the longest fingers. She adjusted the blanket around his back and murmured something to Miles. It was something she found she did a lot. Just talk to him. Her voice seemed to soothe him.

Then, she looked at Nick again.

“Want to say hello?”

Nick hesitated for a moment before he nodded.

Sutton adjusted Miles carefully and leaned toward him. Her arms moved gently until her hands brushed Nick’s, guiding them beneath the baby’s head, helping him cradle his grandson.

Nick’s eyes widened the second his hands accepted the bundle.

It wasn’t much. Miles barely weighed anything.

could see he had practice with babies… but

He just looked at the boy in

her fingers under Miles’s hat, her

hard. “He’s

just got a head start. The doctors are not concerned about his ability to feed, and his lungs are still developing; that’s why he still

moment, Nick glanced at Sutton. “You named

joke. But it felt right. To remind us this is a journey. Not a

again, his thumb brushing slowly

1/3

Chapter 145

maybe it’s a good thing you didn’t go full term,” he murmured. “Except the mouth.

Sutton blinked quickly.

shifted in his arms, just slightly. Sutton guessed he was reacting to Nick’s

said, “You

someone who didn’t

“I’m old, I can be as bold

her baby, still nestled against

his

where our son is still in the hospital. There’s time for a celebration when

nodded once… seeing that she would not

curtain and leaned over to whisper. “We’ll need to return him

when he seemed peaceful and his feeding schedule was tight. With a gentle

as he stood

to ruin the moment,” Luca said quietly, “but you’re already pale and pretending you’re not exhausted. Don’t

last look toward the incubator before letting

will see you

son’s back through the incubator’s porthole, watching him drift into sleep. She whispered something

Luca outside. He had come back for her

silence for a time, heading back toward

bed. She was looking forward to getting out of the hospital but, on the

watched Luca as he made sure she had everything she needed