Chapter 60

“He looks so much like you,” Caroline said softly.

She was right, Nicholas acknowledged, but he said nothing. Caroline gently reached out and carried the sleeping child in her arms, then she turned to him, holding up the baby. “Would you like to hold him?” she asked.

“Of course.” Nicholas replied. But, looking at the baby, he suddenly felt as if he were facing a firing squad. What did he know about babies? He’d never held one before. Nicholas had been an only child, and he’d never exactly been the sort of man to ooh and ah over the children of friends. “How breakable is he?” he asked.

“If you don’t drop him, we won’t find out.” Caroline replied. Then she smiled. “You won’t drop him, so don’t worry. Here.”

She passed Charlie to him. Feeling nervous, he gathered his child from Caroline’s embrace and held him awkwardly underneath the arms. The baby moved…as if uncomfortable. Having expected something light and noticeably fragile, it was a relief to feel his son’