Breach of Honor by Naomi Porter

47 Miranda

LIFE WAS CRAZY busy and utterly blissful. As I drove through downtown L.A., I couldn’t help but smile. Will and I were us again, and Jason had backed off demanding Will’s attention. I couldn’t be happier with all the changes.

I also made some changes. I scaled back my schedule at LA Premier by hiring an event planner. Tessa Long was fresh out of college, bright-eyed and eager to learn. Out of twenty applicants, she had been the most enthusiastic and willing to be groomed to my expectations.

The hiring process had surprised me. All the people I interviewed seemed stubborn and unwilling to follow my lead. It didn’t make sense. Why else apply for an entry-level job if you weren’t going to adhere to your boss’s orders? However, it did make the elimination process easy.

Of course, none of this would have happened without Will’s urging. For a week straight, he talked about hiring an assistant planner, someone I could mold into what I wanted and someone I could trust to manage things when I was gone. He told me it would free up my evenings and allow for more trips to see my parents and to travel. Paris was at the top of the list.

How could I argue with that?

It didn’t take long to see what a godsend Tessa was to have in the office. Strangely, her presence calmed me. She shadowed me daily, learning the ins and outs of my working style and how to deal with fussy clients. We ate lunch together when Lily was busy with other things, and Tessa attended working dinners with me too.

Tessa wasn’t at all who I’d set out to hire. Physically she was an attractive woman, a bit on the plainer side but well put together. She wasn’t chatty like Lily or Gina but more like Viv and listened a lot more than she spoke. I appreciated Tessa’s quiet nature. I just hoped she could lead a meeting with our clients.

At times Tessa seemed a bit uptight, and when I asked about it, she mentioned her dad was a cop and had taught her to be vigilant. “You can never be too safe,” she had said. I hadn’t thought about it before, but I agreed with her.

Thanks to hiring Tessa, I was able to take off from work early to get my next birth control shot. I had forgotten to schedule my appointment last month, so I was late. It had just slipped my mind with everything I had going on. Then I received a reminder from my doctor’s office—oops!

By the way the nurse studied my chart on the computer, she didn’t look pleased with me. I felt my cheeks warm. Rarely did I ever miss an appointment. Just further proof I needed Tessa.

“It’s important to stick to the shot schedule, Miss Bradford,” the nurse said with a tart expression.

“Yes, and I’m so sorry. I won’t miss the next one.”

“Before I can administer the next shot. I’ll need a urine sample.”

“Why?”

“To be sure you’re not pregnant. That’s why it’s best if you keep to the schedule.”

“Yes, you said that already. But—”

“But you didn’t. It’s standard procedure to take a pregnancy test before receiving the shot when you’re late.” She handed me a plastic cup.

“Okay.” What else was there to say?

I left the room to do my business, handed the cup back to the nurse in the hall, and returned to the examining room. I partly expected a little talking-to for being late. What I didn’t expect minutes later was my doctor walking into the room.

“Hi, Miranda, how are you?” Dr. Lee asked.

“I’m good. Are you here to scold me? I know your nurse wasn’t thrilled that I was so late getting the next shot, but I’m here now, and I won’t forget again. Promise.” I could feel myself launch into ramble mode. “I’m not a fan of needles. My guess is I mentally blocked out the appointment to avoid getting stuck again, but no worries. I’m ready. Go ahead, stick me.”

I put on my tough-girl smile. The shot really was more convenient than the pill for me. I just hoped I’d get over my fear of needles.

“I’d be happy to stick you, but first, we’ll need to do an ultrasound. Do you remember the date of your last period?” Dr. Lee eyed me intently. Her face didn’t allude to much, but her black eyes sparkled as always.

“An ultrasound? I don’t understand.”

“To verify pregnancy. Your urine tested positive.”

Taken aback, I balked. “That’s impossible. I haven’t had a period since June. You said it might take a couple of months after the first shot for my periods to stop, and it did.”

“Yes, but you didn’t get the second shot on time in July. Don’t freak out. We just want to be safe. If you are pregnant, getting the shot could harm the baby.”

Baby.

“Come with me to a room down the hall. It won’t take long and then we’ll know what we’re dealing with, okay?”

I nodded, speechless. I felt numb through the whole process, barely registering anything the doctor said.

Pregnant.

I was so stunned I couldn’t even leave the parking lot after the ultrasound had confirmed the positive urine test. And I did get stuck with a needle alright when my doctor sent me down to the lab so they could draw blood. I nearly fainted. Afterward, I took my sea legs down to the pharmacy to pick up prenatal vitamins. They looked like horse pills.

I’m pregnant.

Four weeks and due in April.

My first instinct was to call Lily. Then I changed my mind. Will deserved to find out first, but not over the phone. I’d wait to tell him at home… after dinner.

Will and I are having a baby.