Total pages in book: 44
Estimated words: 42379 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 212(@200wpm)___ 170(@250wpm)___ 141(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 42379 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 212(@200wpm)___ 170(@250wpm)___ 141(@300wpm)
Without a word, he tugged the clipboard from her hand and started filling it out for her. When he reached a section he didn’t know, he asked her questions quietly.
“Beau, I don’t think I can do this.”
“Why?”
“It’s scary. What if they find something?”
“Then we deal with it. Together.”
“I’m not really very courageous.”
“That’s okay. I’ll be courageous for you.”
“Are you really going to stick around?”
“Yes. And I want you to stick around, too,” Beau told her directly.
“Ms. Woodson?” the nurse called her name.
“Need me to go back with you?”
“No. Just stay here,” Maisie requested, taking the clipboard from him.
“I won’t move an inch,” he promised.
Fifteen minutes ticked by quickly. Beau kept an eye on the clock, not knowing how long it would take but feeling more tense with every second that passed. When Maisie walked out, he stood quickly and walked to the desk where she checked out.
She linked her fingers with his as they walked out the door and squeezed. “They’ll take a final look at the films, but this place is amazing. I could wait for the radiologist to take a preliminary view, so I didn’t have to worry. He came in and talked to me personally.”
“What did he say, sweetheart?”
“I’m okay. There wasn’t any sign of something to be concerned about. I’m supposed to come back every year, earlier if I feel anything suspicious.”
“That’s great news. Thank you for going.”
Maisie stopped by the car and turned to look at him. “No. Thank you for making me go. I had a million excuses that all covered up me being scared. You didn’t let me hide.”
Beau pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight. “That’s what Daddies do,” he whispered into her ear.
“Now, I’m starving. How about a celebratory cinnamon roll to replace the breakfast you couldn’t eat?” he proposed.
“That sounds amazing.”
CHAPTER 12
Her phone buzzed next to her. Maisie knew exactly what the message would say. Turn off the computer and come to eat. She set a stack of printouts on top of the device to muffle it.
“Maisie, it’s late. Don’t you think we should knock off now?” one of her think tank coworkers asked.
“Let’s just go fifteen minutes more. I think we’re close to a breakthrough,” she urged. “Look at line 25746.”
A cool breeze wafted over her and she turned around to see Beau walk in. “Hey. I’ll be out in a minute.”
“Is everything saved?” he asked.
The team behind her chimed in, “Yes!”
“Is the world going to end if you stop for the night?”
Again, a chorus spoke from the speakers, “No!”
“Thanks,” Beau said to the display of faces on her screen. He lowered the screen, cutting off the camera and putting her computer to sleep.
“Hey! You can’t waltz in here and do that. You may be my Daddy but you’re not in charge of me while I’m working,” Maisie said, feeling every hair on her body bristle in anger.
“I’m not. You’ve been online for over twenty hours. You need a break, and your team needs a break.”
“They were ready to focus for another hour,” she protested.
“What’s the square root of thirty k times the number of electrodes in a kerosine atom?” he asked.
“What? Why do you want to know that?” she asked when her brain farted out completely.
“That tells me you’re too tired to be effective. You know it. Your team knows it.”
“You don’t get to decide that.”
“Think of it this way. I saved you from mutiny.” Beau reached out his hands and waited for her to put hers on top of his.
“Fine!” she stated belligerently and slapped her palms onto his.
Without reacting, Beau pulled her from the gaming chair she used for work. A groan poured from her lips as her stiff body rebelled against being in one position for too long. The shift in balance made her remember she’d needed to go to the bathroom—an hour ago.
Racing past him and down the hallway as fast as she could, Maisie dashed into the bathroom and relieved her aching bladder. When she walked out, Beau leaned against the wall. She held up a hand to staunch his lecture.
“I know. I push myself too hard. But I know we were this close to figuring out the problem.”
“You can’t force your brain to work any faster, Little girl. Human biology isn’t a computer. You need fuel, rest, and…”
“Time away from my office,” she parroted back to him.
“Sassing your Daddy will make your butt difficult to sit on tomorrow.”
“If I can just figure this one piece out, we can all take a couple of days off. I really want to go back to my nursery,” she confessed.
“Then we’ll get there. Or we’ll create a space in our bedroom for a mini nursery,” he suggested.
“It’s not the same,” she said sadly.
“I know. Come and eat.” Beau guided her gently into the kitchen and to her usual spot at the island.