And The Daddy Is… The Infertile Guy?!

Chapter 24

The words she had spoken hung in the air, leaving him with a slight discomfort in his chest. Who else had she deemed these “normal matters” suitable for?

Gwendolyn retreated to the sanctuary of her kitchen, catching her breath before she methodically placed the herbs into the mortar. She hesitated before tossing in an extral handful, a silent debate playing out in her mind.

Dragging a chair over, she propped her elbows on the table and rested her chin in her hands, musing over Howard’s bruised ego. She knew his pride was as fragile as the morning dew, and his reaction stemmed from the sting of embarrassment.

Mr. White had once told her that men often get irritable when dealing with personal ailments, which was up to the healer to show understanding.

Her phone buzzed insistently in her pocket. Fishing it out, she saw a flurry of messages in the class group chat, her name mentioned several times. Scott had issued an open invitation.

“Dinner’s on me at Palate Paradise. Let’s make it a night to remember,” Scott had announced, tagging everyone.

“Palate Paradise is the holy grail of Bayridge City dining. Scott, you’re pulling out all the stops! Gwendolyn is coming, right?”

“Scott is loaded and got his future all set after graduation. Envious is an understatement.”

Gwendolyn glanced at the screen, tempted to shut it off, but her old roommate Mamie had sent her a private message. “Come on, Gwendolyn, it’s our last hurrah before we all scatter. You’re not going to bail, are you?”

hesitation, Gwendolyn replied,

her phone aside, turning her attention back to the simmering concoction for a full hour before

Howard lounged with a book, soaking up the sun, his features a perfect blend of

tonic is ready.”

the light bitterness of the brew mingling with

on her before he closed his book. “Did you add the extra herbs?”

she confessed, her tone reminiscent of a child owning

caught her off guard, a sound as rich as the timbre of a well–played cello. With elegant fingers, he took the bowl and downed the contents in

14:18

Chapter 24

earlier fault. If the doctor said he was under the

the most. cooperative patient I’ve ever had. As a reward, I’d like you to make a donation in my

the half–million–dollar check into

the tail end of spring, but she was wrapped in a cozy white

know it was you, Mr. Chadwick.”

her life, the founder of the Stellar Crescent Foundation, the reason she hadn’t dropped out of