Page 4 of The Boss's Triplet Surprise

“Yes, of course. Whenever you feel ready.” Richard put a hand on Dan’s. “Really, Son. If this girl is the one for you, you’ll understand why family is so important to me. And to RMA Pharmaceuticals. I know I sound like a rambling old man, talking so much about family when you’re already so successful. But believe me; no professional success can compare to the sight of your wife on her wedding day, or the laugh of your firstborn. You’ll see.”

“I think I’m starting to,” Dan lied.

Richard beamed. “I’m so happy to hear it. I need to tell your mother.” Richard hurried off to the kitchen, leaving Dan alone on the porch.

He was reeling. The lie had really spiraled out of control. Dan might have saved his reputation in his father’s eyes for now, but he also needed to produce a girlfriend — and fast.

He sank his head into his hands and rubbed his temples. Richard had a point that Dan hadn’t been on a date in years — and hadn’t had a serious relationship for a long time before that. At thirty-eight, Dan was as single as he’d ever been. He didn’t even have a list of women in mind who he could ask out.

Dan let out a muffled groan. Short of hitting the dating apps, he wasn’t sure what to do. Strangely, an image of Leah Adams drifted through his mind, but Dan quickly moved on. He admired Leah greatly, but there was no way he was going to ask her out just to trick his father into getting past his old-fashioned requirements for running a company.

“Dan!” Jane called from the kitchen. “Come in! I’ve heard that you have exciting news!”

With another muffled sigh, Dan got to his feet and made his way into the kitchen, braced for the onslaught of questions. Sure enough, he’d barely sat down before his mother was shooting questions at him. In her seventies, Jane was just as keen-sighted and sharp as she’d been when Dan was young, and he knew there was every chance she’d see through him if he tried to lie. Plus, he’d already dug himself into a hole with his claim that he was dating someone. So, Dan waved off every question with an assurance that they would meet his girlfriend soon when he brought her over for dinner and that they could ask her all the questions themselves then.

By the time Dan said his goodnights and headed home, he was beyond exhausted. Lying to his parents felt horrible, but he hadn’t been sure what else to do. And both Richard and Jane had been so thrilled that he knew he couldn’t go back on his word.

He was just going to have to find a girlfriend and introduce her to his parents. Maybe he could hire a local actress… Thoughts spiraled through his head until he was more tired and confused than ever. When he finally reached home, he fell into bed like a stone yet couldn’t sleep. Thoughts of his father, his mother, the company, and, for some reason, a fuzzy bride who looked a little like Leah, danced through Dan’s head until he finally fell into a restless slumber.

CHAPTER 3

LEAH

Leah woke in a good mood. It was Saturday, the spring weather was absolutely gorgeous outside, and her new drug was on a good path. Humming to herself, she put on her running clothes, pulled her hair back into a ponytail, and made her way downstairs into the fresh spring air. Around her, the trees were growing leaves, flowers were sprouting on every patch of ground, and there was a feeling of possibility and new beginnings in the air.

Leah began to jog. She wasn’t a big runner, but she knew the importance of fitness and was good at sticking to a routine and keeping healthy. She turned onto her usual three-kilometer route, which wove through her residential neighborhood and cut across a park before finishing back at home.

As she ran, she let her thoughts drift. Many of her friends ran while listening to music or podcasts, but Leah preferred her own thoughts. She found that she got her best ideas out in the fresh air.

Perhaps, now that Forenal was almost out of her hands, it would be time to start workshopping a new drug. If Forenal maximized a couple’s chance of conceiving in the first place, perhaps it was time to work on minimizing the chance of spontaneous miscarriage. Leah cycled through a few ideas about how to do this as she ran.

Yet, despite how exciting the thought of beginning work on a new drug was, Leah found that she wasn’t quite as invested in the idea as she’d been with Forenal. It felt hollow somehow, in a way that Leah’s work never had before. Perhaps, as she’d considered yesterday, it was time to invest a little more in her personal life and finally work on her dream of starting a family.

Leah picked up the pace. Although there were ways to become a mother without a man in the picture, she found herself struggling with the idea. Her parents were an amazing team who had always supported each other through their respective careers and through parenthood. Leah had always imagined that she might find that for herself one day.

So, perhaps it was time to start dating. Leah turned into the park, her stride stretching as her legs warmed up. The thought of dating was… not great. She had been on a few dates here and there over the years, but had never found anyone that she clicked with. Some men even seemed intimidated by her dedication to her career. Jumping into the dating pool didn’t seem like fun at all.

And then, Leah heard a child’s laugh. Her run slowed to a walk, then a stop, as she watched a little boy balance on a small bike without pedals. He was wearing a helmet that made his small head look comically oversized, along with a mismatched superhero T-shirt and shorts. He was probably around two years old. His face was open in a sweet smile, and his eyes were wide with joy as he zoomed down the sidewalk towards her.

She stepped out of the way. Her chest felt tight. The little boy flew past, followed by his mother, who gave Leah a friendly smile on the way by. Leah smiled back, but she felt heavy.

For years, she had worked tirelessly on a drug meant to give other people a better chance at having children. Now she worried that, in doing so, she might have missed her own chance.

Leah was strong and independent. She knew that a life without children or family could be beautiful and meaningful. She just didn’t want that for herself. She wanted to be a mother. She wanted to balance an important career with a family of her own.

She just worried that she’d discovered that too late.

After a few moments, she realized that she was standing in the middle of the path and that people were having to go around her. Embarrassed, she picked up into a light jog again. As she ran, she resolved herself — after the presentation next week, she wouldn’t throw herself into developing another drug as wholeheartedly as she had this time. Instead, she would take some time and figure out how to make her dreams of motherhood come true. With or without a partner. Probably without.

Leah finished her running route, but she felt more distracted than before. She was equally distracted as she took a shower and made herself a quick breakfast of toast with avocado and a cup of coffee. She was so distracted, in fact, that she almost forgot about her afternoon meeting with Dan to go over the presentation. At the last minute, she managed to throw on a spring dress and hurry out the door to the office. She wasn’t in her usual attire of either jeans and a lab coat or slacks and a blouse, but it was Saturday, after all.

As she hurried to the office, which was thankfully just a short bus ride away, Leah reached into her backpack for a hair tie to tame her red curls. She came up short, though. With a sigh of annoyance, she gave up the search. It looked like she’d have to have her hair down for the meeting.

When she arrived at the office, it was almost empty. Only a few cleaners and some particularly dedicated employees were here on such a beautiful and sunny Saturday. Leah rode the elevator up to Dan’s office, where she knocked on the door. A moment later, he opened it.

He seemed to have chosen a more casual Saturday outfit as well — he still had slacks on, but he’d rolled up the sleeves of his button-down and opened a few of the top buttons. He smiled at the sight of Leah and beckoned her in.

“Thank you again for making the time to work on this today.”

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