Her Christmas Pregnancy Surprise

by Jennifer Faye

  The door opened and Simon poked his head inside. “The nurse said I could come back.”

  Pepper sat on the edge of the paper-lined examination table. Her legs dangled over the edge. “I’m almost ready to go.”

  Simon stepped into the room and closed the door. “Everything okay?”

  She nodded. “I told you. It’s just stress.”

  He let out a sigh. “That’s good. You had me worried.”

  “You should have listened to me.”

  “So what are we waiting for?”

  “Your doctor. He’s the kind that likes to dot all his i’s and cross his t’s. I noticed he even has all his charts on paper still.”

  “He’s older. He’s set in his ways. But don’t worry, he knows what he’s doing.”

  She nodded in understanding. “He just has a couple of tests that he’s waiting on.”

  Simon rested his hands on his waist as he rocked from side to side. He looked about as comfortable as she did. They both just needed a distraction.

  “What would you be doing if you were at work today?”

  He glanced up with a surprised look. “You’re interested in my work?”

  She shrugged. “Sure. Why not?”

  He sighed. “I’d be working on the new chain of stores we’re prepared to open in the coming year.”

  “That sounds so exciting. I’ll just be happy to reopen the bakery by Valentine’s Day, if I’m really lucky.”

  “Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll be up and running in no time.”

  If only he was right. But she didn’t want to talk about the bakery. Not right now.

  She noticed he wasn’t smiling. In fact, he’d frowned when he mentioned the new stores.

  “What’s bothering you about the new stores?”

  He glanced at her. “Why do you think something is wrong?”

  “Just a feeling I get. Talk to me. Sometimes it helps to vocalize your concerns.” So long as the topic wasn’t about those test results.

  “Because there’s nothing to make the chain stand out.”

  “Won’t you have Ross Toys designed for pets?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, there you go. Ross Toys is world renowned. Pet owners will want only the best for their four-legged babies.”

  “Agreed. But I feel that we’re missing something. I just can’t put my finger on it. But I’ll know it when I see it.”

  “Wish I could be of more help—”

  Tap. Tap.

  The door opened and the doctor stepped inside. The moment of truth had arrived. And Pepper was pretty certain the doctor was going to confirm her self-diagnosis of too much stress.

  In fact, she was so certain that she said, “There’s nothing wrong with me, right?”

  The doctor smiled and gazed at her from behind his bifocals. “Not exactly.”

  “What is it?” Simon asked. “And when is she going to get better?”

  “I’d say in seven or so months.”

  “What?” Simon asked.

  Realization was dawning on Pepper. She’d been so stressed over the bakery and the messy breakup with Simon, not to mention the paparazzi, that she’d missed what was right in front of her face. All the pieces fell into place.

  “You’re pregnant,” the doctor said.

  He continued to talk and handed her information, but all she could think about was that she was pregnant with Simon Ross’s baby. When she finally gathered her wits, she glanced at Simon. He looked like his whole world had just blown up. She supposed in a way it had.

  As with the fire, she had no idea how to deal with this latest surprise.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  COULD THIS REALLY be happening?

  He was going to be a father?

  No words were spoken on the ride home, but it was a far from quiet ride. Rapid chaotic thoughts ricocheted in Simon’s mind. Pregnant? They were pregnant? He was going to be a father?

  How could this be? Well, he knew exactly how it had happened. In fact, he could replay the night of conception scene by vivid scene in his mind. And that’s how he knew it was possible.

  And here he touted himself as such a cautious man. A man who planned for things and didn’t take unnecessary risks. Long ago, he’d sworn to himself that he was never going to have kids. He couldn’t take a chance that he would mess them up as badly as his father had with him.

  And what had he done? Broken that promise to himself.

  He didn’t even remember the elevator ride from the underground garage up to the penthouse. He unlocked the front door and stepped aside to allow Pepper to enter.

  “Pepper?” When she turned to him with a stunned look still in her eyes, he said, “We need to talk.”

  She nodded before heading into the living room. She perched on the edge of the couch for a few seconds. Then she stood and moved to the window. She didn’t say anything, leaving it up to him to start this difficult conversation.

  “Did you know?” He wanted to think she hadn’t purposely been keeping him in the dark, but he had to know for sure.

  “Is that what you think? That I was keeping this great big secret from you?”

  “You kept refusing to go to the doctor. If you already knew you were pregnant that would explain it.”

  “No.” Her voice was adamant. “I didn’t know until the doctor told both of us. If I was trying to keep it a secret, do you think I would have asked you back to the exam room?”

  She did have a good point. But he wasn’t ready to accept that he was going to be a father. Not yet. “And the baby... You’re positive it’s mine?”

  Her gaze narrowed into a glare. “Unlike you, I don’t immediately jump from one relationship to the next.”

  He supposed he might deserve that comment. Until now, he’d never had a reason to remain in a relationship. But everything was changing rapidly and he was struggling to keep up.

  He raked his fingers through his hair, not caring what it looked like. “What are we going to do?”

  “We? When did you and I become a we?”

  “When your pregnancy test came up positive.”

  She crossed her arms. “I can do this myself.”

  He restrained a sigh of relief. On the ride home, he’d thought about their circumstances and he’d come to one conclusion. He was not under any circumstances following in his family’s misguided steps and getting married out of some misguided sense of obligation.

  His mother had been pregnant with him when she’d married his father. It had been the single biggest mistake of both their lives—at least that’s the way he saw it. His mother might have a different opinion. But no matter what, a baby would not change his stance on marriage—it wasn’t for him.

  “You don’t have to do it alone,” he said. “But I’m not getting married.”

  “Neither am I. Not a chance.”

  He had to admit that he was shocked at her adamant response. “I didn’t know you were opposed to marriage. Or is it me that you object to?”

  “Why does it matter? It’s not like you’re offering.”

  It was true. He shouldn’t care. He took off his suit coat and tossed it over the back of the couch. He paced back and forth. This bickering wasn’t getting them anywhere. They had to make a plan.

  He may not be into marriage, but that didn’t mean he was walking away from his obligation. He definitely wouldn’t do that. He wasn’t sure he was father material. In fact, he was quite certain he was a less-than-ideal candidate. But he could and would support both Pepper and the baby. It was more than his father ever did for him and his mother.

  The memories came flooding back. His father was a man with two faces. The smiling, charming man for friends and acquaintances. But behind closed doors, his father was a totally different man. Nothing was ever good enough f
or him. And if something was wrong, it was always Simon’s mother’s fault.

  Simon squeezed his eyes closed, blocking out the painful images. But there was one thing he couldn’t escape—his fear that lurking within him were the same traits his father had. What if he ended up hurting Pepper and, indirectly, their child? Not physically. He’d never ever raise a hand to a woman or a child. But emotionally, he had scars that he couldn’t move beyond.

  His blood ran cold. That couldn’t happen.

  He didn’t know what to do about his DNA. There was no way to run from it—to hide from the genes that made him. And then there were the things he’d seen and heard growing up. The yelling, the fighting—it was all he’d known. Could a person really change what had been practically stamped upon his DNA? He highly doubted it.

  The key to his child having a happy, loving home was Pepper. She was so full of goodness that it radiated from her. She loved life. She loved baking. She loved tending to her customers—including him.

  He’d never forget the morning when he’d gotten word that his childhood friend had unexpectedly died. He’d felt lower than low because he’d let distance grow in the relationship. His friend, Clay, had tried over the years to rekindle the relationship, but Simon had let his drive for business and his need to become someone totally different from his father be his sole focus. That gray drizzly morning, after hearing of his friend’s unexpected death, he’d strolled into the Polka Dotted Bakery. He’d been out walking aimlessly, as sleep had evaded him.

  And there had been Pepper. She’d been like a ray of sunshine in a dark, stormy sky. And he’d clung to that bright light. She’d never known how much her company had meant to him.

  Instead, they’d just sat there talking about the bakery and a bunch of trivial things. And yet that conversation was what he’d needed to survive his guilt—to keep putting one foot in front of the other as he’d attended the funeral, as he’d faced his own mortality.

  And then the next week, when he just couldn’t stay away, he’d made his way back to the bakery. He didn’t know if she’d be there. At the time, he didn’t know that she owned the bakery. Still, he’d had to go back if there was a chance that he’d see her again—talk to her again.

  If she could do that for a perfect stranger—make that much of a positive impact—he was quite certain she would make the perfect mother for his son or daughter.

  * * *

  Pepper turned her back to Simon.

  He wasn’t the only one caught off guard by this news.

  A baby changed everything. It meant opening her heart to another person for the first time in a long time. The thought stilled the breath in her lungs.

  She wasn’t ready for this. She’d lost so much already. The thought of caring for someone else, a little human counting on her for everything, was daunting. But the baby didn’t have a choice in these matters.

  And neither did she. Pepper moved her hand over her abdomen, imagining the little baby inside her. She loved it already. How could she not?

  With a baby to support, she’d need the bakery. If only the fire marshal would complete his report so she could get the repairs started.

  She glanced over her shoulder at Simon as he yanked his tie loose and unbuttoned the collar of his white dress shirt. For a man known for his coolness in some of the toughest business negotiations, he had certainly lost his cool when he’d found out he was going to be a father.

  But she had to wonder if he was planning to be in the baby’s life. After all, a baby wouldn’t actually fit into his glass-and-modern-art decor. But could he really turn his back on his own child?

  She sensed Simon stopping behind her. She turned to him and their gazes met. They couldn’t leave things like this. She had to know if she was in this all alone.

  He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry I’m not handling this better. I never thought I’d be in this position.”

  “I know you don’t want to get married. And neither do I. But I need to know if you’re planning to be in our child’s life?”

  “I’ll pay child support.”

  “What about partial custody or visitation?”

  He didn’t say anything.

  Pepper went on, because she had strong feelings about the subject. “I know fatherhood might not have been something you planned for your future, but now that it’s a reality, I hope you’ll be a part of the baby’s life.”

  His troubled gaze met hers. “You don’t know what you’re asking.”

  “I do know. I grew up never knowing my father. I always thought someday my mother would tell me about him. But then she was killed and my chance to learn about him died with her. I don’t want our child to wonder about you.”

  His gaze searched hers. “You want me to be a regular part of the child’s life?”

  She nodded. “It’s important not only for our child, but for you too. I know you, Simon. You’d never forgive yourself if you weren’t a part of our son or daughter’s life.”

  He shook his head. “There’s so much you don’t know about me.” He glanced away. “I’m not this great guy you think I am. I have skeletons in my closet.”

  “Everyone does. It’s what you do about them that decides what sort of person you are.”

  His gaze returned to hers. “You do know that you’ll never have to worry about money. I’ll make sure the baby has everything they could possibly want—”

  “Except you?”

  He shrugged. “I... I don’t know. I need to think.”

  It wasn’t a yes, but it wasn’t a no either. So she’d take it.

  “We were both caught off guard today,” she said. “It’ll take time to figure this out. But I hope you’ll keep an open mind where the baby is concerned.”

  He nodded. “I will.”

  “You should probably go to the office and deal with the upcoming store opening. I have a party to finish preparing for.” And then, realizing that the news of the baby might have changed their arrangement, she asked, “Is it all right if I still use the kitchen?”

  His eyes widened with surprise. “Of course. You’ll be here when I get home?”

  “I will.”

  He left for the office looking a bit disheveled compared to his normal clean-cut appearance. She couldn’t blame him. It had been quite a day and it wasn’t even lunchtime yet.

  Where did they go from here?

  CHAPTER NINE

  HE’D THOUGHT AND thought and then thought some more.

  The answers about the baby still eluded him.

  How was he going to be a good father when he’d never had one?

  The next morning, Simon sleepwalked through his usual routine. He’d been up most of the night tossing and turning. His thoughts halted as he opened his bedroom door. He inhaled the most delicious aroma. He followed it to the kitchen, where he heard Christmas carols playing and the sweet sound of Pepper’s voice.

  He placed his hand on the swinging door and pushed. He entered the kitchen to find Pepper in a black apron, pulling a tray out of the oven. She turned and placed it on the enormous island. Her gaze strayed across him and she pressed her lips together, silencing her beautiful voice. She didn’t smile, but she didn’t frown either. That was something at least.

  She moved to her phone and silenced the music. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to bother you. Sometimes I get to baking and totally forget about everything else.”

  “It’s not a problem. In fact, I like hearing you sing. You have a beautiful voice.” He didn’t come in here to flatter her, but he’d been moved by her voice. “Are you feeling better this morning?”

  She shrugged. “It comes and goes.”

  He glanced around at all the finished baked goods. “You must have been up for hours.”

  “I didn’t sleep well.”

  “Me either.” He walked over to take a closer look
at the gingerbread men on the kitchen island. “I’m glad to see you’re making yourself at home.”

  She arched a brow at him. “Are you?”

  She doubted him? But then again, he hadn’t been the most congenial host after they got the news about the baby. “I wasn’t myself yesterday.”

  Pepper placed another tray of cupcakes in the oven and set the timer. Then she turned back to him. “I want you to know that this pregnancy wasn’t planned.”

  “I didn’t think it was.”

  Pepper was the most honest person he’d ever known. And whether he wanted to admit it or not, she was good for him. She made him want to be a better person—to know that if he kept trying, he could overcome whatever stood before him. And his life was noticeably dimmer without her in it.

  Her gaze met his. “Do you mean that?”

  He nodded. “I do. And I’d like you to stay here, until your apartment is repaired.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “You’re better off here than in some motel. If you need anything, I’ll be here for you.” This was more important to him than he’d ever imagined. “And you can use the kitchen to continue doing as much of your work as you feel up to.”

  Before she could say anything, the doorbell rang.

  A frown pulled at his face. He wasn’t expecting anyone. He rarely entertained guests in his penthouse. He preferred to keep it as his private domain.

  “I’ll be right back.” He turned for the door.

  With a doorman, unannounced guests were limited to those who were preapproved. The list was quite short. But it could be a delivery for Pepper.

  He swung the door open and found his mother standing there, every dark strand of her pixie cut in place and her makeup perfectly done. She did not look like a woman on the verge of her sixtieth birthday.

  “Mother, what are you doing here?” He didn’t know whether to be more shocked that she was at his place or that she’d arrived at such an early hour.