“Ten minutes before our wedding, I heard my fiancé tell his sister, “Don’t worry about daycare anymore. Natalie will take care of all three kids starting Monday.”

# PART 1 — THE WEDDING## Chapter 1 — Ten Minutes Before the Wedding

Ten minutes before our wedding, I overheard my fiancé telling his sister, “Don’t worry about daycare anymore. Natalie will take care of all three kids starting Monday.”

All three of her children were younger than six. I had a full-time job and had never agreed to care for them regularly.

Seth laughed.

“Once we’re married, she won’t have much choice.”

Standing in the church hallway with my wedding gown gathered in my hands, I struggled to reconcile those words with the man I’d loved for three years.

Seventy guests were already seated.

That morning, Mom had cried when she saw my dress. My best friend Paige had spent twenty minutes arranging my hair. Fresh flowers scented the church, and someone nearby was practicing our processional music.

The day was meant to be perfect.

Only five minutes earlier, my greatest worry had been a loose hook on my gown.

I’d left the bridal room searching for Paige, who’d gone to find a safety pin, when Seth’s voice reached me through the partially open fellowship-room door.

I hadn’t intended to eavesdrop.

Then he mentioned me.

“Are you absolutely sure?” his sister Heather asked.

“Of course I’m sure.”

“Because it’s a lot, Seth. All three of them, five days a week.”

“She loves the kids.”

“Loving them isn’t the same as keeping them all day.”

For an instant, I appreciated Heather’s concern.

Then Seth implied marriage would leave me no choice.

I stepped nearer.

Heather had three children: five-year-old Maddie, Ben, who’d recently turned three, and eighteen-month-old Owen.

I genuinely adored them.

I’d taken them to parks, made pancakes together, and occasionally watched them on Saturdays when Heather needed assistance.

Last Christmas, Maddie had drawn enormous purple flowers with my name written above them. Her picture still hung on my refrigerator.

But occasional babysitting was nothing like becoming their full-time caregiver.

I was thirty-four and had worked nearly seven years at a dental practice near Columbus, Ohio.

Three days earlier, Dr. Bennett had offered me the office manager position.

It was a promotion I’d pursued for years.

Yet my future husband apparently believed my career was irrelevant.

“What about her job?” Heather asked.

“She’s leaving the dental office.”

I gripped my dress more tightly.

“She told you that?”

“We’ve talked about it.”

We absolutely hadn’t.

Seth and I had discussed buying a home, eventually having children without rushing, vacations, retirement savings, and replacing his aging truck.

Never once had we discussed me abandoning my career to raise his sister’s children.

Heather sighed.

“I just don’t want Natalie to feel like I’m taking advantage of her.”

“She won’t.”

“Because I know how much she likes her job.”

I heard irritation enter Seth’s voice.

“Heather, we’ve been over this. She’s going to be my wife. We’re going to make decisions based on what’s best for the family.”

After a pause, Heather continued.

“And she’ll start Monday morning?”

“Seven-thirty. Same as we discussed.”

Monday morning.

My staff meeting began at eight.

Dr. Bennett planned to introduce new billing software for the following month, then discuss my promotion afterward.

Seth knew about both appointments.

I’d told him over dinner, and he’d replied, “Sounds exciting, babe.”

Now he’d assigned my Monday to someone else.

My pulse pounded in my throat.

I considered leaving to find Paige and gathering myself before confronting him.

Then Heather spoke.

“I wish you’d let me thank her properly before today.”

“Don’t make a big deal out of it. She’s already nervous about the wedding.”

“I suppose.”

A brief silence followed.

Then came the revelation that changed everything.

“I hope this works out. Because I already canceled their daycare two weeks ago.”

Seth showed no surprise.

“I know.”

“Their last day was yesterday. The director said those spots have already been filled.”

“Then it’s a good thing we have Natalie.”

I stared at the doorway.

This wasn’t an innocent misunderstanding about helping for a few days.

Three children’s childcare arrangements had been canceled because of a commitment I’d never made.

And the man responsible was about to become my husband.

I opened the door.

## Chapter 2 — The Job I Never Agreed to Quit

“Who told you I was quitting my job?”

Seth spun around, nearly colliding with a folding chair.

Heather stood beside a table of wedding programs, wearing a navy dress that complemented my bouquet.

Neither spoke initially.

Then Seth smiled.

It wasn’t his usual expression. It was the reassuring smile he used when customers complained about electrical repairs and he wanted them to believe everything was under control.

“Natalie. Hey. You’re not supposed to see me before the ceremony.”

“Answer my question.”

His smile vanished.

Heather glanced between us.

“Did you not know about the daycare arrangement?”

“What daycare arrangement?”

Seth approached.

“Let’s not do this right now.”

I avoided his hand.

“Heather, what exactly did Seth tell you?”

She swallowed.

“He said you wanted to take some time off after the wedding. That you were thinking about leaving the dental office.”

“I never said that.”

“He told me you’d be watching the kids while I worked.”

“For how long?”

She looked toward her brother.

“Until next summer.”

My stomach sank.

“Next summer?”

Seth rubbed his neck.

“It’s not as bad as it sounds.”

“Three kids. Ten hours a day. Five days a week. For almost a year?”

“Natalie—”

“Is that what you promised?”

His hesitation answered me.

I faced Heather.

“I haven’t quit my job. I haven’t even considered quitting my job.”

Her expression shifted.

“But Seth said you’d talked to your boss.”

I retrieved my phone from the satin purse Paige had given me that morning.

My hands trembled so badly that I entered the wrong passcode twice.

Finally, I opened Dr. Bennett’s email.

Its subject read: Office Manager Position.

I showed Heather the screen.

“This came Wednesday. Dr. Bennett is offering me a promotion. I’m supposed to give her my answer Monday.”