Page 57 of Push

She gave me a little growl but sat down. “I’ve got a thousand things to organize. Daycare—”

“I can look after Noah.”

“You have a job.” Gwen rolled her eyes. “What’s your plan? Take a hundred sick days?”

“I was planning to bribe Judy into reworking my patient load, but sick days work, too.”

“You can’t just charm the whole world with brownies and dad jokes.”

I wiggled my eyebrows. “That’s what you think.”

There was no laugh from Gwen. She folded her arms. “Be serious foronce, will you?”

“I’m deadly serious.” My voice was soft, but Iwasbeing serious—for once. “How many days are we talking?”

“Tuesdays in the office are non-negotiable.”

“Okay. Done.”

Suspicious eyes narrowed on me. Gwen didn’t trust anything that came without a fight. “What happens if there’s a dental emergency? A broken tooth or an urgent root canal?”

I shrugged. “Someone else will have to handle it. Ian can step up for once. I’ve put my family last for long enough. Tuesday is now NoBo Day.” Thank hell, Gwen didn’t ask for Wednesday. The thought of admitting to her that I had my first appointmentto see the psychologist made my chest feel tight. “Does that help solve your worries?”

“I suppose. I’ll organize the rest of my work around nights when Noah’s sleeping—”

“No.” I was surprised at the sharp edge of my voice. She was, too. Her eyes went rounder than Noah’s saucepans. “Gwen, I won’t let you do that. You’ll burn yourself out.”

“What choice do I have? I’m doing this on my own. I’vealwaysbeen doing this on my own.”

“Not anymore. I’m not letting you grind yourself into the ground working day and night. I’m out of the hotel and have an apartment nearby. I can take Noah before work or after. If you think he’s old enough, I can have him for a sleepover. Or I can come over here while you work.” I touched a gentle hand to her knee. “And there might be other options. You mentioned daycare?”

“Daycareisn’tan option.Everywhereis booked out! I must have called twenty places!” Her words came out in quick, frustrated huffs. “The waiting lists are impossible.”

“Sounds like a job for a man who knows how to bribe people with brownies.” She was already gearing up to blast me, but I immediately reassured her, “Let me sort out daycare. I’ll scope out what’s available. Then we can check out some places together to make sure they’re right for Noah.”

“There’s not going tobeanywhere available. There arenovacancies.”

“Then we’ll come up with a different plan. A nanny. Something. But you working day and night isn’t an option, okay?”

Gwen’s fingertips dug into her knees. She hated uncertainty and definitely didn’t feel comfortable leaving the essentials for other people to sort out.

“Okay?” I prompted again.

She eventually answered with a reluctant nod.

“It’s going to be all right, doll.” I fought every urge screaming at me to drag her close and smack a kiss on her cheek to make it all better. “Things will sort themselves out. You’ll see.”

Gwen hated that. She straightened up and glared at me, her temper sparking but never fully catching fire. She deflated. I shifted uncomfortably on the stool. This wasn’t like her. Something still wasn’t right.

I gave her hand a soft, reassuring squeeze. It was more to stop my nervous fidgeting than anything else. “So, what are your plans for tonight?”

Gwen looked at me as if I’d suggested she climb Mount Everest. “Plans?”

“To celebrate your new job. Are you and Marnie going to party like you’re nineteen again? Sip mocktails and dance up a storm?”

Gwen pointed at the maestro still banging the pots. Her expression was easy to decipher:duh, baby duties.

I grinned. “Nah, that’s not a reason to miss out on having fun. I’d love to stay and look after NoBo tonight. We’ve been having a blast.”

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