Chapter 21

Miranda hung up the phone just as Ash came out from behind the machine. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop." "I didn't see you there." Ash's eyes dropped to Miranda's hand, where a distinct ring mark was still visible. "Is your ex-husband still trying to win you back?" Miranda thought about her conversation with Lucas and said with certainty, "No, he's just trying to get a live-in nanny whom he doesn't have to pay for." He probably thought she'd come running home without a second thought the moment she heard Jake was hurt. "It's easy for housewives to end up in that kind of position," Ash said. "People talk a big game about love and respect, but at the end of the day, they still expect women to handle all the domestic stuff. They know they're loved, so they act like they've got a free pass." Miranda nodded, feeling like she'd just been schooled in something important. "It wasn't until after the divorce that I realized I'm capable of more than just running a house and raising