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I handed the positive pregnancy test to my bestie, Mercy. Her mouth slowly gaped, and her blue eyes went wide.
“I can’t believe this. After working twelve hours, why did I think doing this was a good idea?” I was flippin’ exhausted and in no mood to deal with the life-altering result.
And… I wanted to smack myself for being so damn stupid.
“I knew it.” The compassion in Mercy’s baby blues nearly made me drop onto my knees and beg Jesus for a miracle. He’d made a blind man see and a cripple walk. Making me not pregnant should be easy. “You haven’t been yourself for weeks, and you stopped drinking coffee.”
The smell of Columbian dark roast made my mouth salivate—and not in a good way. Fried foods sent me running for the toilet. I had noticed the changes going on with my body but refused to believe I could be the P-word.
“I’m overworked like you.” I massaged my temple, feeling a headache coming on. “This isn’t happening. It’s a false positive.”Please, Jesus. Let it be wrong.
“You know it’s usually the other way around with a false negative. Plus, you’re exhibiting other symptoms.”
“Really? You couldn’t let me have a smidge of hope? Now, what will I do?” I pinched my face tight, not wanting to hear her reply.
“Sorry, babe.” She lowered her gaze to her shoes, then raised them. “Do you know who the father might be?”
“Yes.” I gave her a giant eye roll. We’d just seen the father two days ago.
“Who?”
“Come on, Mercy. You know I haven’t been with anyone since the biker.” A week after my rendezvous with Hustler, I went on the graveyard shift. I hated working twelves. Loved the extra pay, but it felt like all I did was sleep and work. I hadn’t been interested in going out or hooking up with anyone.
Stop lying to yourself. No man had ever made you feel incredible like Hustler.
Shut up, conscience.
“Well, I wasn’t sure. Doctor McHottie is always sniffing around you. Thought maybe he’d had a taste of what you have to offer.”
“Oh, please. He has not. Even if he was, I have standards.” Not many standards, but hooking up with a doctor every nurse in the building had sucked off was beneath me. At least those were the rumors floating around about the hot resident. I had no proof, nor had I caught him with his pants down and a nurse on her knees.
“Some days, you surprise me.” Mercy laughed on her way to the sofa. She stretched out on her back and yawned. “And I don’t listen to the gossip. McHottie is a genuinely nice guy.”
“Why did I steal the test?” I swiped the stick out of her hand and went to the kitchenette to make a cup of ginger tea. Guilt made my stomach uneasy. Served me right for my dishonesty and thievery.
“Because you couldn’t put off knowing the truth. If you feel that bad, pay for it.”
“You always have an answer for everything, don’t you?”
She smiled and shrugged.
“It has been three months since I last saw the biker, then he appears out of thin air acting like he missed me. He should’ve forgotten about me by now.” I filled my mug with hot water. Getting a whiff of his leather and cologne had messed with my head. I couldn’t get the stupidly sexy scent out of my nostrils, no matter how many times I blew my nose or smelled unpleasant things at work. It was annoying as hell.
“I know you’re scared, Hope. But you’re a wonderful, caring person. The best nurse in Fargo. You’ll be a great mom; I just know it.”
“Now you’re only being nice.”
“No, I’m not. Despite what you think of yourself, you would protect your kid and give them everything they need.”
“You think too highly of me.” I dunked the teabag into the cup, avoiding her gaze.
Helping strangers was easy. There weren’t any emotions involved. Mercy was right about me being a good nurse. I could be kind and caring, do my job to the best of my ability, then go home at the end of the day and not think about my patients.
“Hope,” she sighed, saying my name. “I know who you are, despite the image you try to portray.”
“What image? I am, who I am.” Why had I started this conversation? I didn’t want the spotlight on me. I didn’t want to explain why I preferred to keep people at a distance, why I could only trust myself, and why everyone in my life was a mere acquaintance—except Mercy.
“Fine. I’m not going to argue with you, so what are you thinking?”
