That way if he did have a negative reaction, it wouldn’t be posted on every gossip blog known to mankind.
I forced myself to wait the full three minutes, watching the second hand on my watch make its slow circuit.
When the time was up, I picked up the test with trembling fingers and looked at the result window.
A clear pink plus sign stared back at me.
I was right the whole time.
I was pregnant with Nate’s baby and my life was about to change forever.
16
NATE
Friday afternoon dragged on in what seemed like an endless round of meetings.
I'd spent the morning with the surgical department, moved directly into a budget review with the finance team, and finished with a conference call about accreditation standards that had tested my patience.
By the time I returned to my office at four thirty, my shoulders ached and my brain felt sluggish.
But such was the life of the dean of medicine.
I loosened my tie and dropped into my desk chair, scanning through the emails that had accumulated over the afternoon.
Most of them could wait until Monday, but a few required brief responses that I typed out quickly, grateful the weekend was finally within reach.
A knock at my door pulled my attention from the screen and I looked up.
Ember stood in the doorway holding a stack of folders with a look of expectation on her face, eyebrows high.
"Sorry to interrupt," she said. "I have the updated schedules for the next month. Figured you'd want to review them before the weekend."
"Come in." I gestured to the small conference table near the window. "Let's go through them together."
She shut the door behind herself and crossed the room to set the folders on the table.
Then she pulled out a chair and sat down.
I joined her, grateful for the excuse to leave my desk and the endless parade of emails behind.
She opened the first folder and pulled out a printed calendar marked with color-coded events.
It was brilliant, the system she'd developed for keeping me organized.
"October's busy," she said, running her finger down the page. "We have the Halloween parade on the twenty-sixth, the toy drive planning meeting on the thirtieth, and three school visits scattered throughout the month."
"Three?" I leaned closer to read the dates. "When did the third one get added?"
"Yesterday. The committee coordinator called while you were in surgery.
Apparently, one of the elementary schools specifically requested us." She smiled. "The principal said her students have been asking about the Lightkeeper since the summer festival."
"That's kinda sweet." I grinned at the idea of kids wanting to know more about us. "What time?"
"Two in the afternoon. I already cleared your schedule for the rest of that day in case the visit runs long."
"You're so organized," I praised, and she sighed softly.
