Page 3 of The Complication with the Best Man

Then I panic.

I dig my phone out from my purse and pull up my health app to see when my period is due.

Motherfu—

I’m late.

My period was due two weeks ago.

Finn’s handsome face flashes in my mind again.

No.

No, no, no, no, no…

I quickly type out a text to Maven that something came up and rush out of the floral shop, walking steadily down the street, only smiling and waving, not allowing anyone to stop me. I climb into my car.

I’m a fast driver normally—just ask the sheriff—but this time when I pull away from the curb, it’s as if I’m racing out of the pits with my number one rival right behind me.

two

HARPER

By the time I drive to Winterberry Falls, pick up a pregnancy test, and get back, it’s already dinner time, which means there’s a good chance Maven is home. She probably has questions.

The entire drive to the neighboring town, I ran through my options if I am pregnant. The first thing is to keep it out of the gossip that fuels this town. Which means this has to be kept close to the vest.

There’s no way I am though. It must be the stress. I’m so careful. Always. I’m on birth control, and I always make the guy wear a condom. No exceptions. This is all just me panicking over nothing.

My fingers wrap around the steering wheel as I make my way down Main Street, gripping so tightly, they’re white. There’s no sense in freaking out when I don’t even know that I’m pregnant. My throat pinches closed with that nauseous feeling again, and I try to put it out of my mind.

If I can’t go home and take this test, I’ll go to Palmer’s house, which is the next best place.

They say you can’t choose your family, but I would have chosen Palmer. She’s my cousin and my best friend. If I am pregnant, I’m blaming her and Hudson for having such a hot, single, eligible guy for a best man. I mean, how’s a girl supposed to resist something like that, especially after a few glasses of wine?

I plow into her driveway faster than I should and slam on the brakes behind both Palmer and Hudson’s cars. I would have preferred only Palmer to be home, but that’s okay. I’m here all the time, and Hudson won’t be suspicious. There’s nothing to be suspicious about anyway.

I climb out of my car and rush to their back door that opens into their kitchen, hoping to slip into the bathroom and get this over with so I can see with my own eyes that there are not two pink lines on the stick. Then I can move on with my night.

Of course, they’re all in the kitchen. Palmer, Hudson, and their daughter, Adley.

“I gotta go.” I wave and beeline to the bathroom, shutting the door behind me. Let them think I have explosive diarrhea.

I strip my pants and underwear down and sit on the toilet before pulling the box from my purse. My family would probably be surprised that this is my first time ever taking a pregnancy test. I carefully read the instructions, which seem easy enough.

I pee on the stick and set it on the counter, starting the timer on my phone. I wipe, pull up my underwear and pants, wash my hands, and sit on the toilet to wait.

And wait.

And wait.

After the longest two minutes of my life, my phone vibrates in my palm. I inhale one final breath before picking up the stick. My stomach drops out.

Two pink lines.

Two very bright pink lines.

There’s no debating this result.

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