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He set her down, knelt to her level “What you did isn’t okay, but we’ll talk about it e get ho on to Carrie’s hand, he stood “Thank you soher, Natalie”

Carrie gave Natalie a pleading look

“You’re welcome Can Carrie watch with me a few more minutes?” At Matthew’s look of complete confusion, Natalie added, “Please It would mean a lot if Carrie could watch Zoie’s first steps with me”

“Please, Uncle Matthew?” Carrie said, giving hi-eyed look “It would mean a lot to me, too”

He glanced down at the girl, tugged at the hair that poked out froet a say at theto be playing with that tablet co time”

Carrie hesitated at that, then cranked up the voluhed

“But, since we’re here, it would be a shame to miss Zoie’s first steps”

After Matthew had reassured his faain, bathed the child and put her to bed, he turned to the wo He’d expected Natalie to leave right after his arrival at the zoo, but she hadn’t

Probably because smart little Carrie had used her as a shield fro talk and the child had proain

“I’ve beento ask—how did you know she’d be at the zoo?” he asked when he went back into his living room

Natalie shrugged “After you left my office, I pulled my phone out and saw the alert that Zoie was about to be born”

“Thank God you did Anything could have happened to her”

“You have to admit, what she did was quite i to have your hands full when she hits her teenaged years” Natalie averted her gaze, then asked a question so soft he barely heard “I heard you talking to her in her room Did you mean what you told her?”

“About how foolish I was to think I could ever let her go live with anyone other than myself?”

Natalie nodded