“I know, it’s the only thing that sounds good, and the only thing that doesn’t come right back up again. I tried eating your mom’s stew last night because it’s always my favorite, but I couldn’t stomach it.”

“Well, then chocolate chip cookies it is for now. As long as you’re eating something. And we’ll pick up some vitamins for you.”

“And chocolate milk.”

He looks down at me in surprise. “The baby wants chocolate milk.”

He laughs and shakes his head. “Then the wee one will have it.”

Chapter 17

~Izzy~

I’m just so tired. I could sleep standing up. Or anywhere, really. It’s been a week since I saw the doctor, and the symptoms are no better. I’m exhausted, can’t keep much down, and holy shit, do my boobs hurt.

But I’m starting to get a little more excited. I downloaded the book What to Expect When You’re Expecting onto my iPad the other night and started reading it. And in the morning, after I woke up, I lay in bed for a bit to look at baby room ideas.

Now that I know that Keegan isn’t only okay with the idea but also excited, I’m getting used to it all.

I still don’t want to say anything to anyone else for a little while, just to make sure nothing horrible happens.

It’s Friday afternoon, and I’m covering the lunch crowd at the pub so I can go upstairs early and get some sleep before I have to make the trip into Seattle to report the weather in the morning. The schedule is brutal, but I love the job so much that I don’t mind.

“It’s slow today,” I say as I set my empty tray on the bar and boost my ass into a stool.

“That it is,” Keegan says as he washes a beer glass. “Take a second to get off your feet, why don’t you?”

“Already doing it.”

When it’s just Keegan and me in the pub like this, I don’t have to work so hard to pretend that everything’s normal. Not that I’m a whiner, I just take more little breaks to sit and breathe, usually working my way through a wave of nausea.

But right now, it’s just exhaustion.

I rest my head on my arm and close my eyes for a moment. I can hear everything around me, but I’m in a nice, drifty place.

“Go up and go to bed,” Keegan says softly. “I can handle the bar until Maggie gets here in just a little while.”

“No, I’m fine.” I sit up and prop my chin on my hand. “I’m sorry, this is incredibly unprofessional. Please don’t fire me.”