Chapter 433

Olivia

Nathan slept in his office that night. When I heard him quietly climb out of the bed around midnight, I had thought that he was just going to the bathroom or to get a glass of water. But he never returned, and it wasn’t until I woke up in the morning and saw that he still wasn’t in bed, that I realized he had spent the night working in his office once again.

He didn’t even take the time to eat breakfast, and all I could do was watch, my heart sinking, as Nathan rushed out of the house, coffee in hand.

And in his haste, he accidentally sloshed some of it right onto Aurora’s head, causing her face to twist up in confusion and discomfort.

“Seriously? Nathan!” I called after him, but he was already out the door, oblivious to the mess he had made.

Quickly, I grabbed a towel, gently wiping the coffee off Aurora. Thankfully, it wasn’t too hot, although her tears were beginning to flow already. “It’s okay, sweetheart,” I soothed, as she looked up at me with wide, surprised eyes. “Daddy’s just a little… distracted, that’s all.”

Once the twins were settled a little while later, my thoughts returned to Nathan once more. His relentless working was worrying me. He was stretching himself too thin, and it was starting to show. How long would it be before something really serious happened to him, like falling asleep at the wheel?

However, the day took a brighter turn when I received the first copy of the business pamphlet in my email. With the interviews having been finished, all that was left now was to put the blurbs and pictures together in a nice format, and then have them printed. My heart jumped as soon as I received the email from the graphic designer, and I opened it without wasting a moment.

“Oh my god,” I whispered as my eyes scanned the email.

It was even better than I had imagined. The vibrant photos of our local businesses and their stories filled the pages, beautifully pasted together to create a narrative that was a perfect representation of our little town. I quickly printed the pamphlet off, unable to contain myself any longer. It felt as though my first step into a career that meant so much to me had finally begun to come to fruition, and I couldn’t be more excited.

I couldn’t wait to show Nathan. With the pamphlet in hand, I made my way to his office, the twins in tow, all wrapped up in their warm winter clothes. I knew that Nathan would be thrilled, and that this would lighten some of his workload.

Bringing more tourism to our town was on his list, and I was certain that once these pamphlets were published both physically and online, that it would be a huge help for everyone.

“Hello,” I said to the secretary as I entered the Council building. “Is Nathan available?”

“Oh, Luna,” the secretary said, her eyes glinting with an expression that I couldn’t quite read, although it looked like excitement. “He’s in a meeting at the moment, but please, take a seat. I’ll let him know you’re here.”

I nodded and sat down in a nearby chair, pushing the stroller back and forth to soothe the twins. It wasn’t long before a rather official-looking man in an expensive suit strode quickly out of Nathan’s office, and then Nathan’s head popped out shortly after that.

“Liv, come here,” Nathan whispered, beckoning to me.

I furrowed my brow as I got up and pushed the stroller into his office, wondering what that could have been about. “Is everything okay?” I asked as he shut the door behind me.

“That was a representative from the Alpha association,” he beamed, his voice hushed. “Our wedding and the First Snow Festival got their attention. They’re intrigued, Liv!”

His enthusiasm was infectious, and I found myself wrapping him in a tight hug. “That’s amazing, Nathan!” I exclaimed, the weight of my earlier worries momentarily lifted. “So, what does this mean?”

“It means that they want me to have an interview in a couple of weeks,” Nathan said with a grin. “And if I play my cards just right, I might just be able to get onto the association.”

My eyes widened, and I took a step back, clapping my hand over my mouth. “That’s… That’s wonderful,” I stammered. “Nathan, after all of your hard work…”

“After all of our hard work,” Nathan said. “You put so much effort into the First Snow Festival and our wedding, Liv. I want to make sure that you’re recognized for your work, too.”

His words made me blush. He stepped back then, eyeing me expectantly. “So, what made you stop by?” he asked. “Just visiting, or…?”

I hesitated, suddenly feeling self-conscious about the pamphlet in my hand. It felt like such a small thing, but I supposed that that was just my low self esteem getting the best of me. “Oh, it’s just... I received the first copy of the business pamphlet,” I said, handing it to him.

Nathan took it, his eyes scanning over the pages. To my relief, his smile only broadened. “Liv, this is incredible. Is it ready to publish?”

“I think so,” I said. “I wanted you to look at it first, though. Let me know what you think.”

“I think…” He paused, lifting his gaze to meet mine. “I think that it’s perfect,” he said softly. “I can’t wait to publish these. It’s gonna be great for the town, and it’ll be great for the association, too. The timing couldn’t have been better.”

I smiled, feeling a sense of pride wash over me. “Thank you, Nathan,” I said. “I have to admit, I… I really enjoyed doing this. I’d like to do more projects like this.”

Nathan set the pamphlet down and closed the distance between us, taking my hands in his and planting a soft kiss on my forehead. “Don’t forget about that PR position that’s open,” he said. “I can tell that you have a real passion for this sort of thing. Maybe more than the bakery.”

I nodded, although the idea of filling a position that really should go to someone with a degree and experience felt a little wrong. “I’ll consider it,” I said. “But I’m not gonna give up on the bakery quite yet, either.”

Nathan furrowed his brow. “Oh? I thought you wanted to quit.”

“I’ve been thinking about it,” I said, “but I’m only apprenticing once a week. I don’t want to be a quitter, you know?”

For a moment, Nathan just looked at me, taking in my words. But then he nodded slowly, leveling me with a serious gaze. “Just don’t beat yourself up if you do quit,” he said gently, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “You don’t need to stretch yourself too thin.”

“Oh, you mean like what you’ve been doing?” I asked, giving him a more serious stare now. “You spilled coffee on Aurora’s head this morning.”

At my words, Nathan’s face paled. “I did?”

I nodded. “Nathan, I’m happy for you about the Alpha association, but you’re wearing too many hats. Promise me you’ll be careful… And that, once this is over, you’ll take a break.”

He paused for a few moments, his blue-green eyes searching my face as he seemed to consider my words. Finally, he nodded, shooting me a weak smile. “I promise, Liv,” he said.

“Pinky?” I asked, holding out my little finger.

Nathan’s smile grew, and he took it. “Pinky.”