Total pages in book: 32
Estimated words: 29132 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 146(@200wpm)___ 117(@250wpm)___ 97(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 29132 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 146(@200wpm)___ 117(@250wpm)___ 97(@300wpm)
Bruce grunted. “That is a little odd. Especially for Lonesome Point. People around here tend to be more traditional.”
“Exactly, which means the baby would be the odd kid out,” Noah said, knowing from experience that being odd kid out was no fun. He’d ditched his inch-thick glasses and nerd status years ago, but the memories of growing up on the outside looking in lingered. “Not to mention the fact that I do intend to move here someday and start a family of my own. I’m sure my future wife wouldn’t be too pleased to learn that our kids will have an older half-brother or half-sister running around town, even if he or she was conceived via sperm sample.”
“It would be scandalous,” Bruce said, dark eyes flashing. “You’d be small town famous. Great way to get your name out there and start meeting people while you’re new in town.”
Noah glared at him from the shade of his ball cap. “I don’t want to be small town famous. And I don’t want a child I’ll never know. I’m telling the woman no.”
Bruce nodded thoughtfully as he turned away from the field, pinning Noah with a hard look. “Then why are you meeting with her? If your mind is made up?”
“I’m already in town to arrange the transfer of the other samples, and she seems so upset by the whole thing.” Noah shrugged. “I don’t know. It just seemed like the decent thing to do. To meet her and try to let her down easy.”
Bruce clapped him on the shoulder. “You’re a good man. Are you sure Adrienne and I can’t convince you to move sooner rather than later? I know Lonesome Point is small, but the ratio of beautiful, intelligent women per capita is high, and I could hook you up with all the best gossipy matchmakers in town.”
Noah laughed. “Thanks, but no thanks. I’m having enough trouble in a metropolitan area with an endless dating pool. I think I’d better stay where I am until I find the future Mrs. O’Sullivan.”
“I understand, but—” Bruce was interrupted by a bleet from his jeans pocket. He tugged his cell phone free and frowned at the screen. “Damn. Looks like Peanut’s fever has spiked again.”
Peanut—AKA Carver, Bruce’s nearly three-year-old son, named after one of Bruce’s agricultural scientist heroes—had been feeling sickly since the morning Noah arrived in town. It seemed to be just a bug going around the local preschool, but Bruce and his wife, Adrienne, were keeping a close eye on their brown-eyed boy. They were devoted parents and Peanut was flat-out adorable, even when glassy-eyed and fighting a fever while ruling the DVD player with a sticky little fist. In the past two days, Noah had watched more Sesame Street than he’d realized existed and could now sing every word to “Pre-School Musical,” Carver’s favorite song, right along with the rest of the O’Sullivan household.
Seeing them all together had made Noah even more keenly aware that he was thirty-two and not getting any younger. He’d always assumed he would, at least, be married by now, but there was no potential Mrs. O’Sullivan on the horizon, let alone the start of that big family he’d always wanted.
Growing up an only child did that to a person, he supposed. Especially a person who had lost his father when he was fourteen years old and had felt the knowledge of how quickly life could pass you by hanging over his head ever since.
Bruce tapped out a message, murmuring in a concerned voice, “Adrienne wants me to run into town for more Children’s Tylenol and the ginger ale Peanut likes. Apparently, the brand I got yesterday tastes like soap in yucky bathwater. His words.”
Noah grinned. Damn, he loved that kid.
“Why don’t I go,” he offered, “if you have things you need to get done here. I have a few hours before I need to head into the city for my meeting with the sperm bank director.”
“No, I’m good. I’m just bummed that Carver isn’t kicking this bug.” Bruce took off his cap and ran a hand through his hair, squinting up into the morning sun. “Adrienne was hoping to take him to ride the kiddie rides at the festival tonight.”
“You’ve still got a few days,” Noah said. “Hopefully, he’ll be back to normal before the end of the week.”
Bruce nodded as he slipped his phone back into his pocket. “And at least, the fever isn’t too high. Adrienne and I get worried if we see anything over a hundred. You want a ride back to the house before I go?”
“I think I’ll finish the walk,” Noah said, gesturing toward the rest of the acreage ready for spring harvest. “It’s good to be outside after months of being cooped up in the office with that new program.”
Bruce nodded. “All right. Text me if you need a lift in later. It won’t take long for me to run to town and back.”