Page 34 of The Boss's Triplet Surprise

Richard, meanwhile, had turned to clap Dan on the shoulder.

“Son. You’re going to be a father.”

“I am.”

“Do you understand what this means?” Richard asked. “It means it’s time to focus on the things in your life that are most important. And those things are almost never a late meeting or a long business trip or an extra hour of work. Those things are the woman you love and your child.”

“I understand.” Dan nodded.

“Good man.”

After the initial excitement, they sat back down to continue their lunch. Jane was full of questions for Leah about how she was feeling and when she was due. Richard seemed more than content to just listen to the conversation.

Dan did his best to listen and participate, but he was distracted. He’d never thought he’d find anyone or anything he cared about as much as his work, yet now he had. Leah. A part of him almost wished this whole afternoon was real. If Leah were really his girlfriend…

But those kinds of thoughts were dangerous. Dan knew that being in a relationship with Leah would never work. It was better that they were friends and co-parents for now. Maybe, in a few years, things could be different, but not now. Dan was at a pivotal moment in his career, at the verge of taking over the company. He was good at his work. He wasn’t good for Leah.

In the car on the way home, Leah was smiling and in a good mood. “I think that went well.”

“I think so too. My parents liked you a lot.”

“And they seemed okay with the pregnancy.”

“Okay?” Dan chuckled. “My mom practically danced with joy. And my dad was clearly thrilled too.”

“How are you feeling about the pregnancy?” Leah bit her lip. “It’s been a week now.”

Dan opened his mouth, then hesitated. The truth was that he felt surprisingly emotional at the thought of Leah carrying their baby — and a baby they’d conceived during a night of passion, at that. Yet he knew he shouldn’t say that.

“I’m glad it’s all going well.” It didn’t quite answer the question, and Dan could see that Leah was a little suspicious, but she didn’t push. For that, Dan was glad.

He was confused enough about how he felt without having to talk about it. Joy about becoming a father and affection for Leah mixed with worries about his career and concern that he was getting too attached to a woman who might not always be a part of his life. It was troubling.

CHAPTER 13

LEAH

Morning sickness had left Leah alone for the first part of her pregnancy, but in the ninth week it hit — hard. Yet, strangely, it wasn’t in the morning at all.

“I feel the worst in the afternoon,” Leah complained to her mom, Sharon, over the phone one day. Her parents had been a little surprised to hear that she was pregnant, but had also been overjoyed that their first grandchild was on the way. They were on the older side, Sharon had pointed out, and they hadn’t been sure if they’d have a chance to meet a grandchild at all.

Leah had played off Dan’s role with the same story they’d used on Moira — that they were good friends who’d decided to have a child together. Leah could tell that her mother was a little confused, but was glad that she didn’t push for more information.

“I felt the same way when I had you.” Sharon’s voice was full of affection. “I was all right in the mornings, but around lunchtime I’d start to feel terrible, no matter what I did. The good news is that my morning sickness was mostly gone by the beginning of the second trimester — so hopefully you won’t have long to wait.”

“I hope not. The thought of being this sick the whole pregnancy is not exactly appealing.” Leah took a sip of the ginger beer she kept on her desk to ward off her nausea. “I keep trying to tell myself that it’s a good thing, because it’s a reminder that I’m really going to have a child, but it’s not very fun.”

Sharon chuckled. “That’s understandable. Even I was unhappy with morning sickness, and I’d waited so many years to have you and wanted you so much.”

“Are you looking forward to being a grandmother?”

“Very much. I’m going to spoil your little one all the time. Are you going to find out the sex of the baby?”

“I always liked the idea of not finding out until birth, but I’m starting to think I might want to know now. We’ll see. Our next appointment will be the twelve-week scan, so for now I’m focusing on making sure the baby is healthy and developing well.”

“And how is Dan feeling about all this?” The question was innocuous enough, but Leah could tell that her mother was fishing for information. Leah couldn’t blame her. Her and Dan’s situation was a bit unusual, especially compared to her parents’ experience.

“He’s been wonderful.” Leah smiled to herself at how true those words were. Dan had been a little evasive about how he was feeling. Each time she asked, he mentioned how glad he was that Leah was feeling well and that everything was going smoothly, but he didn’t address his own perspective. Yet his actions had spoken more loudly than any words. “He’s asked me how I’m feeling every day and keeps telling me to rest and take it easy. He goes on long walks with me, which always help with the nausea. And after I told him that baby carrots and lemon sorbet are the only things I can keep down when I’m feeling sick, he’s been making sure I’m fully stocked on both.”

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