While We Waited (Smuggler’s Hideaway #3)

Chapter 9

Enough – not applicable when it comes to pregnancy tests

Nova

M y alarm goes off and I groan. Usually, I don’t need my alarm to wake me. I’m a morning person and proud of it.

But my limbs feel tired and heavy. I want to snuggle into my covers and go back to sleep until I don’t feel tired anymore.

If I’m being honest, I’ve been feeling tired a lot lately. The days are getting shorter and the weather is cooling down, but I don’t usually have problems with the seasonal changes.

I normally love how cozy the autumn can be. Wearing thick sweaters and leggings while drinking pumpkin spice coffee and eating some pumpkin treats from Pirates Pastries is joyful. I do love my pumpkin.

This season is different. I’m tired all the time. Last night I went to bed before nine. And I’m still tired. It’s crazy.

I roll to my side to get out of bed and my stomach protests. It gurgles and bile forms in my mouth. Oh no.

I rush to the bathroom and manage to flip the toilet lid open in time to throw up. When my stomach is finally empty, I collapse on the floor of the bathroom.

What in the world did I eat to cause this?

I wait to make certain my stomach is not on the verge of losing its contents again before standing and rummaging in my medicine cabinet. I know I have some stuff to calm an iffy stomach in here somewhere.

I push my tampons out of the way and freeze. I haven’t needed these in a long while. When was the last time I had my period?

I’m not one of those women who keeps track of her period on an app, so I have no way of checking. Have I had my period since I had sex with Hudson? Am I pregnant?

My emotions war against each other.

Ecstasy fights for top billing. A baby. A family. Everything I’ve ever wanted since Mom died.

Fear is not to be outdone. I can’t have a baby with a man who hates me. But I could go it alone. Mom did fine raising me after Dad died.

I push those thoughts away. I would never keep a baby secret from Hudson.

Hold on. There might not even be a baby.

I need to find out for sure before I have a complete meltdown. But I can’t go to the pharmacy and buy a test. In a town the size of Smuggler’s Rest on an equally small island, everyone will know I’ve bought a pregnancy test before I can make it home to actually take the test.

I need to go to the mainland where no one knows me.

I dig out my phone and dial Maya.

“Hey, Nova. Running late today?”

“Yeah,” I croak out. “I don’t think I’ll make it in today at all.”

“You’re sick? Do you want me to get you some crackers and ginger ale? I can be at your house in thirty minutes.”

“No!” I clear my throat and try again. “I mean no, thank you. I have everything I need in the house.”

Except pregnancy tests because I wasn’t exactly planning on getting pregnant with my one-night stand. I shake my head. I don’t know if I am pregnant.

My periods have always been erratic and having an IUD placed didn’t help regulate them. I’m probably stressing about nothing. It wouldn’t be the first time.

“Okay. Let me know if you need anything.”

Maya rings off and I blow out a breath in relief. She didn’t question me. Maya never would. It’s why I contacted my shy friend instead of anyone else.

Sophia and Chloe would badger me with questions. As would Paisley. Her questions would be out of concern, though, whereas Sophia and Chloe are just plain nosy.

I hurry to get dressed and ready to go outside. Time to figure out if I’m panicking for nothing.

It’s thirty minutes to the nearest town on the mainland but I continue to the next one. It would be just my luck to bump into a fellow smuggler at a pharmacy off the island. I don’t want to chance it.

I arrive in the next town after an additional fifteen minutes. I cruise slowly down the main drag until I notice a pharmacy.

I park in front of it and slip on my sunglasses before stepping out of the car. I scan the street for any familiar faces. When I don’t notice any, I rush into the store. The bell rings over the door and the cashier glances over at me.

She raises her eyebrow at me and I realize I’m standing with my body plastered to the door while wearing sunglasses inside. So much for not drawing people’s attention.

I grin at her before removing my sunglasses and stuffing them in my purse. I grab a basket and begin throwing random stuff in it. Shampoo, toothpaste, tortilla chips. I stop when I come to the aisle with pregnancy tests.

I read a few labels. Test early and often. Over 99% accurate. 6 days sooner. 3 ways to test. Early result.

I have no idea which one is the best to use. I grab one of each.

My basket is overflowing when I set it on the checkout counter. The cashier begins emptying it.

“You do know you can buy the pregnancy tests without buying any other items?”

My cheeks warm. I don’t know what I was thinking. I can’t disguise the tests from her. She literally has to scan them. Maybe I should have gone to a big store with self-checkout.

“I need the other items,” I claim.

She holds up a box of tampons. “Really?”

I shrug. “Maybe I’m not pregnant.”

She chuckles. “In my experience, when a woman of your age comes in here and buys twenty pregnancy tests, she’s pregnant.”

Of my age? I’m thirty not sixty.

“I didn’t buy twenty.”

“Shall I count?”

My cheeks are now on fire. “No.”

She begins ringing up my purchases. “You have two of this brand.” She sets one to the side. “And three of these.”

“The packaging was confusing.”

She pats my hand. “I understand.”

She finishes ringing up my purchases. I pay and she hands me two large bags.

“You can take the tests in our restroom.” She points to the back of the store.

“I don’t know how much time I’ll need.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

I thank her before scurrying to the restroom. I lock the door behind me and empty my bags out on the counter. I separate out the pregnancy tests and shove everything else back into the bags.

Ten minutes later, I’ve peed on countless sticks and washed my hands several times. I should have bought some hand lotion.

Ten pregnancy tests are lined up on the counter. My alarm goes off.

I don’t want to look but I have to. I have to know. Is this another one of my hypochondria attacks? Am I going overboard again? Or am I…

I read off the tests.

Pregnant.

Pregnant.

Pregnant.

Pregnant.

Pregnant.

Pregnant.

Pregnant.

Pregnant.

Pregnant.

Pregnant.

I squeal. I can’t help it. I’ve wanted a baby ever since I can remember. Long before Mom got sick. Maybe even before Dad died.

I’ll deal with the other issues – being a single mom, telling Hudson he’s going to be a father – later. There’s nothing I can’t handle.

I let excitement rule.

No one’s raining on my parade today.

Not even the baby’s father.