Chapter 374

Ashton stood there, watching me with that same familiar gaze that felt almost achingly nostalgic. My heart gave a small, helpless tremor. When I finally found my voice, it came out tight, nervous without my realising. ‘You… what are you doing here?’ ‘I came to see… the babies,’ Ashton said. ‘Oh.’ So that was all he’d come for. ‘How have you been these past few days?’ I thought he was still asking about the babies. ‘Good,’ I said casually. ‘I’ve been eating and sleeping well. The babies are fine too.’ ‘That’s good.’ ‘Mm.’ We stood there facing each other, both at a loss for words. After a while, when the silence began to stretch too long, I looked up at him. ‘Would you come for a walk with me? I go out every morning for a bit.’ He nodded. ‘Take a jacket. It’s cold outside.’ I turned and went back inside, picked up some clothes and slipped into the bathroom to change. The morning air at The Copper Spur Ranch was wonderfully fresh. The path outside the ranch was lined with greenery, and e