Page 47 of The Boss's Triplet Surprise

“Oh, come on.” Jenny shook her head disparagingly. “This is a big moment. You guys can kiss.”

Dan began to shake his head, but Leah nodded slightly.

“It’s okay,” she said softly.

So, Dan leaned forward, slowly, and planted a soft, grazing kiss on Leah’s lips. They were only kissing for a split second — Dan didn’t want to make this any harder than it had to be — but in that second, all of Dan’s feelings came rushing back. He remembered that night he’d spent with Leah seven months ago. He remembered all the times they’d brushed hands or caught each other’s eyes. He remembered every hope he’d had and the joy of hearing a heartbeat for the first time.

Then they both pulled away, and reality came crashing back in.

The rest of Thanksgiving dinner was something of a blur. Leah was on point throughout the afternoon, making jokes and sweet comments, smiling, and being her usual charming self. Dan did his best to keep up, but he was distracted.

When they left, a little after darkness had fallen, Leah hugged everyone goodbye, then took Dan’s arm for the walk back to the car. He opened the door for her and helped her in, then crossed to his own side. Leah waved goodbye as they backed out of the driveway and turned onto the road. Once they were out of sight, though, she turned back to the window and fell silent. Clearly, she was planning to spend the drive home just as they’d spent the drive out — in silence.

After the conversation and warmth of the afternoon, the silence felt even more stark and cold. Dan couldn’t bear it.

“Thank you for doing this for me.”

“It was our agreement.” Leah paused, then turned to him. “Congratulations. You got what you always wanted.”

It was true. This was what Dan had always wanted. So why did his big victory feel so hollow? In his heart, Dan knew the answer. Without Leah, without their babies, every victory would feel hollow. If he wanted to do something about that, this was the moment. He needed to tell her how he felt. He needed to apologize for everything he’d done and ask for a chance to make things right. He needed to confess that he loved her and that he had all along.

If Dan didn’t speak up now, it would be too late. He might never get another chance to tell Leah how he felt now that their agreement was finished. They would be nothing more than colleagues after this. A vision of his future without Leah flashed through his mind. This afternoon with his family had reminded him of how much he cared about her and how perfectly she fit in with the others he cared about.

Dan opened his mouth. He wasn’t sure exactly what he was going to say, but he knew he needed to say something before it was too late.

“Thank you for all your help.” What? Dan had not expected those words, as professional and distant as they sounded, to come out of his mouth. “I couldn’t have done this without you. If there’s anything you need going forward, please don’t hesitate to reach out.”

“I don’t expect I’ll need anything else from you.”

They’d pulled up in front of Leah’s apartment block, and she reached for the handle of the car door and opened it. Dan quickly made a move to get out so that he could help her, but Leah held up a hand. “It’s okay. I can manage on my own.”

Although she was speaking about the car, Dan felt the words like a dagger to his heart. She could manage on her own, without him. Not just today, but in every aspect of motherhood and her future going forward. Dan knew that Leah was more than capable — but once again, the thought of her alone was impossible to shake.

Dan opened his mouth to say something, but it was too late. Leah carefully levered herself out of the car, caught her balance by placing a hand on the roof, and shut the door behind her. Slowly, carefully, she crossed the sidewalk and climbed the stairs to her building. Dan waited until she was safely inside. Even then, he wasn’t quite able to drive away. Once he left, he was closing the door on any possibility for a future between the two of them.

He sat outside of Leah’s home for a long time, wrestling with himself. But in the end, the logical part of him won out, and, with a heavy heart, he drove away.

CHAPTER 19

DAN

All RMA employees received the Friday after Thanksgiving off. Dan planned to spend the day at home, relaxing, but he found that he couldn’t relax. Not at all. He went for a long run in the morning, then returned to his quiet apartment. For the first time, he noticed what Leah had said when she’d seen his home — that it was bare and, in a way, soulless. It didn’t feel like anyone lived here.

Dan turned on the TV and tried to watch one of his favorite shows, but he couldn’t concentrate. He kept thinking about Thanksgiving the day before. Leah had said she was thankful for him. Richard had, too. They were the two most important people in Dan’s life, and he’d hurt them both without giving it a second thought. He’d lied to his father and used Leah.

Even worse than the memory of them saying they were thankful for him was the memory of Leah getting out of the car. It had been a struggle for her to get out by herself, but she’d preferred to struggle than to accept Dan’s help.

Dan felt like a fraud, now more than ever. He’d gotten what he wanted — full control of RMA Pharmaceuticals. But it didn’t feel all that important anymore. Not when he’d manipulated his father to get here. Not when he’d used Leah. Not when his babies were on the way and he would have no part in their lives.

It might be too late to fix things with Leah, but perhaps it wasn’t too late for Dan to come clean with his father. He shuddered to think of his father’s inevitable anger, but Dan knew he had to be honest with Richard. Otherwise, this would haunt him all his life.

He called his parents’ landline — another sign of their increasing age; they were the only people Dan knew who still had a landline.

Richard answered after the second ring. He sounded happy. “Hi, Son. How are you?”

“I’m all right.” Dan took a deep breath and steeled himself. “But I need to talk to you.”

“Sure.” There was a pause, then Richard’s voice came across, clearer and more serious. “Would you like to come over? Jenny and Louis are still here, and they’d love to see you again.”

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