“I love you too.”
------------------------------------------------------------------
“That sounds like something out of a movie,” Kim whispered when Beth finished.
Beth chuckled. “It felt like a movie.”
She leaned back with a soft sigh, eyes shining. “Honestly? I’ve never been happier.”
The month that followed their honeymoon brought a few more minor disagreements, but they worked through them in a biblical way, strengthening both their relationship with each other and their individual walks with God.
Life settled into a rhythm. Mornings were spent on the deck reading their Bibles—sometimes together, sometimes separately, but always close.
Work was filled with camaraderie and stolen kisses between rounds. The nurses were once again kind to Beth, Bryce suspected Crystal had something to do with that.
Their days off were spent outdoors—hiking, mountain biking, or running together. Bryce even bought Beth a pregnancy harness so they could start rock climbing with friends.
They made cooking and eating together a priority, and most Tuesdays, they ran the Jack Quinn’s 5K downtown. Like many newlyweds, they wrestled with balancing intimacy inside and outside the bedroom.
They decided to wait until after the first trimester—or at least until Beth started to show—before sharing their pregnancy news with anyone. It was especially hard for Beth not to tell Kim, but for now, she just wanted to enjoy being a newlywed.
Beth loved her role as Mrs. Bryce Jensen—or as Bryce teased, Mrs. Dr. Handsome.
In September, they began their first week working the same schedule at the hospital. As had become their new normal, Beth spent her lunch breaks in Bryce’s office.
Though morning sickness hadn’t been an issue, Beth felt better—and her energy levels stayed more consistent—when she snacked throughout her shift. Bryce had a mini fridge in his office, but she always kept her food with her instead of sending it with him—because anyone who’s worked in an emergency room knows a true lunch break is a luxury, not a guarantee.
CHAPTER 43
On the first Saturday in September, with lunch in hand, Beth arrived at Bryce’s office door only to find it closed. Husband or not, she would never walk in without knocking and risk interrupting a confidential meeting with a patient. Knocking softly, she didn’t have to wait long before Bryce opened the door.
Standing next to him were two men in expensive suits. The shorter, balding man Beth recognized immediately, but the taller man, sporting neat cornrows, was unfamiliar.
Seeing Beth, Bryce’s face split into a wide grin. He reached forward, pulled her to his side as the men exited, and kissed her temple.
“Allow me to introduce my wife. Beth, I’m sure you remember Rodger Brix, the hospital board president.”
Beth smiled, shaking Rodger’s hand. He was roughly her height, and though his suit was expensive, it strained across his midsection.
“Of course. It’s nice to see you again, Mr. Brix.” Beth said sweetly as she reclaimed her hand from his plump grasp and turned to the man beside him.
“And this,” Bryce said, nodding toward the man who dwarfed them all, “is Mitchum Ford, one of the hospital’s donors and a former Boston Celtics player.”
Beth shook Mitchum’s extended hand. His grip was strong and confident. Beth’s gaze traveled up from his hand to his handsome face, noting his broad chest and powerful build. She couldn’t help but notice how attractive he was for a man in his late forties. Mitchum’s smile was warm and welcoming, a sharp contrast to Rodger’s forced, businesslike expression.
“It’s very nice to meet you, Mrs. Jensen. During our meeting, your husband mentioned several times how wonderful you are—and now I can see why he’s so smitten with you.” Mitchum’s voice was as rich and deep as his skin tone, carrying a slight Boston accent. “Thanks for letting us steal him away for a few days. My wife hated when I traveled right after we were married. Bryce here assured us you wouldn’t make him sleep on the couch tonight because of this last-minute trip.”
Mitchum chuckled, and Beth raised a questioning brow at Bryce, prompting Rodger to speak.
“Doctor Gibson’s son landed himself in juvenile detention, making Doctor Gibson unable to attend the conference he wasscheduled for, so we’re taking Bryce with us instead. Now, we’ve spent enough of our Saturday dealing with this mess, and since we have a tee time at two, we need to be on our way. Bryce, we’ll see you at the airport first thing in the morning. Beth, always a pleasure.”
With that, Rodger walked away without waiting for farewells.
Bryce shut the door and leaned against it, pulling Beth into his arms as she stared up at him with wide eyes.
“You’re going to Boston? What happened to Dr. Gibson’s son?” she asked.
“I’ll answer all your questions, but first—” Bryce cupped her cheek and kissed her full lips. Pulling back, he sighed and rested his forehead against hers. “Thanks, I needed that, Mrs. Jensen.”
