Page 45 of The Boss's Triplet Surprise

Dan stared at the words for a long time. He was immensely relieved, not to mention impressed, that Leah was holding up her end of the bargain. If she’d refused to come, he would have understood after their months of silence and what had happened at the twelve-week ultrasound. The fact that she was willing to come spoke to her character more than anything.

And perhaps lingering feelings for me?

Dan shook his head to clear away the unwelcome thought. Leah didn’t have feelings for him. And even if she did, it wouldn’t matter. Dan was still the same person he always was. The last four months of hard work had only proven that.

He replied to the message, letting Leah know that he would pick her up at two in the afternoon on Thanksgiving Day. Then he put his phone down and looked up. Somehow, while checking his message, he’d almost forgotten that he was sitting with a roomful of executives, all discussing new paths for RMA Pharmaceuticals in the new year. Luckily, the COO was presenting, so no one had noticed that Dan was distracted. It was yet another reminder than he couldn’t be objective or logical when it came to Leah, though.

Over the course of the next few days, Dan found his thoughts wandering to Thanksgiving dinner more than once. His parents always hosted Thanksgiving for the whole family. Dan’s sister, Jenny, would be flying back to Chicago with her husband, Louis. In the past, Dan’s grandparents had often attended as well, as had various neighbors and friends. This year, Dan had requested to keep things small so that Leah wouldn’t be overwhelmed, but that might have been a mistake. Leah could easily sabotage everything with a few misplaced words. Although she was a perfectly lovely person, Dan wouldn’t have been able to blame her if she harbored some negative feelings towards him after everything.

When the fateful Thursday finally rolled around, Dan dressed in his usual slacks and a sports coat. He spent a little extra time in front of the mirror, smoothing his hair. He’d seen Leah around the office, but this would be the first time they’d spoken in months. He drove to Leah’s apartment to pick her up and texted her when he was outside, then got out to open her door for her. A few minutes later, Leah emerged from the front door and Dan caught his breath.

He’d known that she was pregnant, of course. In passing, he’d kept track of her growing baby bump. Yet seeing Leah up close today still came as a shock.

She was wearing a festive dark red maternity dress with tights. In the dress, her bump was on full display, and Dan saw just how much she’d grown in the last months. Her hair shone in the weak late-fall sunlight, and her green eyes sparkled, as always, beneath her round glasses. She gave Dan a wary smile, then slowly descended the three stairs down from the entrance. One hand held the railing beside her, while the other rested on her baby bump.

Dan had known from his study of baby books that Leah would grow bigger during pregnancy. But nothing had prepared him for the way she seemed to glow. Motherhood already suited Leah. She looked gorgeous and feminine.

“Leah. You look beautiful.”

“Hello, Dan.” Leah’s tone wasn’t cold, exactly, just distant. She could have been talking to anyone. His heart stuttered. Even though he’d played an equal, if not larger, role in creating the distance between them, her tone hurt.

“The drive isn’t far.” Dan opened the car door. Leah approached carefully, pivoted, and slid into her seat. Her movements were slower and more considered now that her due date was approaching. Again, Dan’s heart hurt at the thought of her going through her pregnancy alone.

She was better off alone than with him, though.

“I remember.” Leah fastened her seatbelt as Dan got into the car. “Let’s go?” She sat back in her seat and turned her gaze to the window, a clear dismissal. Dan put the car into drive and off they went. As he drove, he couldn’t help remembering their last trip to his parents’ home. It had been early summer and they’d rolled down the windows and sung along to the radio as they’d driven. It had felt like the beginning of something.

This felt like the end.

The closer they got to Dan’s parents’ house, the more his worries grew. Leah was distant — and rightfully so. But if she refused to speak to him during Thanksgiving dinner, it would be obvious that something was wrong between them, and all Dan’s chances would be shattered.

He considered saying something, but held himself back. He’d asked enough of her. He had to trust that she would help him one more time.

When they arrived, Dan parked, then came around to open Leah’s door for her again. This time, she struggled a little with getting to her feet, so Dan held out his hands to help her up. The feeling of Leah’s hands in his sent shivers down Dan’s arms. It felt so right to be holding her hands like this and helping her. This was what he should have been doing all along.

But no. It wasn’t. Once Leah was on her feet, Dan let her go. He’d chosen not to be a part of this pregnancy, and for a good reason. That reason held now.

“Shall we?” Dan asked.

“Give me your arm.”

“Hmm?”

“It’ll look weird if you let your pregnant girlfriend navigate the stairs alone. Give me your arm.”

Dan held out his elbow, and Leah threaded her hand through. Again, Dan’s attention became completely focused on the small place where they were touching. Together, slowly, they walked up the driveway and climbed the stairs to the house. As soon as he rang the doorbell, the door opened and they were engulfed by his family. Richard and Jane pulled Leah into a hug.

“It’s so lovely to see you again, dear,” Jane said. “You’re absolutely glowing.”

“Thank you for coming,” Richard added. “It means a lot to us.”

“I wouldn’t have missed it for the world!” Leah smiled, transforming in an instant from professional and distant to her usual warm, bubbly, friendly self. “Dan has told me so many stories about family Thanksgivings. Is it true that you always put out a bowl of barbecue potato chips?” Apparently, Leah hadn’t forgotten the trivia they’d learned while preparing for their fake dating plan.

Jane chuckled and nodded. “It was the only food Dan loved when he was three, and we wanted him to feel included. Please, come inside. Hi, Dan. It’s nice to see you.” She pulled her son into a hug.

“I get second fiddle, I see,” Dan pretended to grumble.

“Well, excuse me for hugging Leah and my grandbabies first.”

---