Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 77857 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77857 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
“You didn’t have to come all the way here to tell me that, Rory. You made yourself very clear on the phone, and there are certainly no hard feelings on my end.”
“I know that. I didn’t think there would be. If it weren’t for this other relationship, I really would be interested in dating you.”
“I understand. What brought you in, then?”
I chew on my bottom lip. “I think I might be pregnant.”
Davey smiles. “Did you end up going to another sperm bank?”
“No. The relationship I’m in, as I told you, is with a man, and…well… We got a little overeager one time—”
“I see. So you’re not on the pill, obviously, or you wouldn’t have come to a sperm bank. What do you normally use?”
“A condom. But we forgot it. And that’s not the worst part.”
“What’s the worst part?”
“I was ovulating at the time. I took one of those tests.”
“I see.” Davey nods. “I’ve been where you are.”
“But you didn’t end up pregnant.”
“No. But why would you assume that?”
“Because the last time I was in here, you told me you were inseminated here.”
“Right. I did.” She smiles and shakes her head. “I don’t tell that to all my clients. I felt a connection with you right away.”
“I felt it too. But believe me, I’m in love with this man. And I want a baby so badly. You were right last time. I haven’t thought this through. But now it might be happening.”
“So you’ve missed your period, then?”
“Technically not yet. It’s due in four or five days, give or take a little. But I’ve heard there are tests now that can…”
“Yes. The newest tests can detect pregnancy hormone up to six days before a missed period, so you’re well within the time frame. We have them here. I’ll be happy to give you one.”
“Davey? You’re a lifesaver.”
“You know you can get those tests at the drugstore, right?”
“Yeah, I know. I just wanted to talk to someone.”
“You can talk to me anytime. Just because we’re not going to date doesn’t mean we can’t be friends.”
“Thank you for being so understanding about this. I mean, I just barged into your day.”
“You’re lucky that I happen to be free”—she looks at her watch—“for about five more minutes. The test doesn’t take long. Wait here.”
I wait, sitting on the edge of my chair, while Davey leaves and then returns about thirty seconds later with the pregnancy test.
“The bathroom’s right around the corner.” She shows me as she hands me the test. “You know the drill. Pee on the stick and wait sixty seconds.”
“And if it’s positive…?”
“Then you need to talk to your boyfriend, but I can give you a referral to the best ob-gyns here in Grand Junction.”
“I’d appreciate that. And Davey?”
“Yes?”
“Thanks.”
“You’re very welcome.”
“I’ll be back,” I say. “Hopefully before your appointment gets here.”
I take the test, head through the door that Davey motions to, secure the lock, and sit on the toilet. Only to have stage fright.
“Really?” I say out loud. I get up, go to the sink, and turn on the faucet.
Yep, works every time.
Once the stick is sufficiently wet, I set the timer on my phone for one minute.
The longest minute ever.
Clocks seem to slow down to a crawl when you’re on edge, and I’m definitely on edge.
The seconds draw out, one by one, until—
The timer buzzes.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
BROCK
I work outside all day.
I should be in the actual office building helping my father, helping Uncle Bryce. I love them both, and I’d take a bullet for either of them, but I don’t want to see them today.
So I work outside. I do hard labor. Whenever something’s bugging me, this is where I end up—interacting with the land, the livestock.
I’m superfluous out here, of course. We have enough hired men and women to take care of everything, but still… Nothing takes the edge off like good old hard work—another lesson from the man who fathered me. The man I’m avoiding.
After six hours of hauling grain and tending to animals, I’m still tense, so I take off early in the afternoon. I shower, and then I walk the pathway between my guesthouse and my parents’ home. I head to the pool house, change into my trunks, and then execute a perfect dive into my father’s lap pool. He’s not home, of course. He’s at work, conversing with Uncle Bryce about God knows what.
Probably more secrets he can keep from the rest of us.
I cut through the water like a great white, my strokes in perfect form.
I swim and I swim and I swim. I lose count of how many laps I’ve done, and I keep going, keep going, keep going…
Until—
“Brock!”
My mother. My mother’s voice.
I come to the edge of the pool and bring my head out of the water. “Yeah? What is it, Mom?”
“What are you doing here?” She sits down at one of the tables by the pool, wearing a fleece jacket and jeans.