Not the Boss's Baby

by Sarah M. Anderson

  So just the thought of being back in this place that had barely kept her family above water was enough to make breathing hard. There was still something comforting about the familiar—Flo and her scratchy voice, Mom waiting tables. Serena’s world might have been turned completely on its ear in the last few weeks, but some things never changed.

  She smiled at Flo. “Thanks. How are the grandkids?”

  “Oh, just adorable,” Flo said, beaming. “My daughter got a good job at Super-Mart stocking shelves, so I watch the kids at night after I get off work. They sleep like angels for me.”

  As Flo went to make her coffee rounds, Serena pushed back a new wave of panic. A good job stocking shelves? Having her mom watch the kids while she worked the night shift?

  Yes, a job was better than no job, but this?

  She’d thought that she could never be a part of Chadwick’s world and he could never be a part of hers—they were just too different. But now, sitting here and watching her mother carry a huge tray of food over to a party of ten, Serena realized how much her world had really and truly changed. Once upon a time, when she was in college, a night job stocking shelves would have been a good job. It would have paid the rent and the grocery bills, and that was all she would have needed.

  But now?

  She needed more. No, she didn’t need the five-thousand-dollar dresses that she hadn’t been able to bring herself to pack up and return to the store. But now that she’d had a different kind of life for so long—a life that didn’t exist in the spaces between paychecks—she knew she couldn’t go back to one of menial labor and night shifts.

  A picture of Chadwick floated before her eyes. Not the Chadwick she saw every day sitting behind his desk, his eyes glued to his computer, but the Chadwick who had stood across from her in a deserted gallery. He had been trying just as hard as she was to make things work—even if those “things” were radically different for each of them. He had been a man hanging on to his sanity by the tips of his fingers, terrified of what would happen if he let go.

  In that moment, Chadwick hadn’t just been a handsome or thoughtful boss. He’d been a man she understood on a fundamental level.

  A man who’d understood her.

  But then Helen Beaumont had come in and reminded Serena exactly how far apart her world and Chadwick’s really were.

  Deep down, Serena had known she couldn’t carry on with Chadwick while she worked for him. An affair with her boss—no matter how passionate or torrid—wasn’t who she was. But hearing how Chadwick had neglected his wife in favor of his company?

  It’d been like a knife in the back. Were she and Chadwick only involved because they’d spent more time together in the past seven years than he’d ever spent with his wife—because, as Chadwick’s employee, she was the only woman he spent any time with at all?

  What if he was only with her because she was available? Hadn’t she stayed with Neil for far too long for the exact same reason—because that was the path of least resistance?

  No. She would not be the default anymore. Stability wasn’t the safest route. That’s what had kept her mother chained to this diner for her entire life—it was a guaranteed job. Why risk a bird in the hand when two in the bush was no sure thing?

  If whatever was going on between Chadwick and Serena was more than just an affair of convenience, it would withstand her not being his executive assistant. She was sure of it.

  Except for one small thing. He hadn’t called. Hadn’t even texted.

  She hadn’t really expected him to, but part of her was still disappointed. Okay, devastated. He’d said all those lovely things about how he was going to change, how she made him a better person—words that she had longed to hear—but actions spoke so much louder. And he hadn’t done anything but watch her go.

  She might love Chadwick. The odds were actually really good. But she couldn’t know for sure while she worked for him. More than anything else, she didn’t want to feel like he held all the cards in their relationship. She didn’t want to feel like she owed everything to him—that he controlled her financial well-being.

  That was why, as painful as it had been, she’d walked away from his promise to take care of her. Even though she wanted nothing more than to know that the man she loved would be there for her and that she’d never have to worry about sliding back into poverty again, she couldn’t bank on that.

  She was in control of her life, her fate. She had to secure her future by herself.

  Serena Chase depended on no one.

  Which was a surprisingly lonely way to look at the rest of her life.

  Her head swimming, Serena was blinking back tears when her mother came to her table. “Sweetie, look at you! What’s wrong?”

  Serena smiled as best she could. Her mother was not many things, but she’d always loved her sweetie. Serena couldn’t hide her emotional state from her mom.

  “Hi, Mom. I hadn’t talked to you for a while. Thought I’d drop in.”

  “I’m kinda busy right now. Can you sit tight until the rush clears out? Oh, I know—I’ll have Willy make you some fried chicken, mashed potatoes and a chocolate shake—your favorite!”

  Mom didn’t cook. But she could order comfort food like a boss. “That’d be great,” Serena admitted. She was eating for two now, after all. “Dad coming to get you tonight?”

  That was their normal routine. If he still had a car that worked, that was.

  Mom patted her on the arm. “Sure is. He got a promotion at work—he’s now the head janitor! He’ll be by in a few hours if you can wait that long.”

  “Sure can.” Serena settled into the booth, enjoying the rare feeling of her mother spoiling her. She pulled out her phone and checked her email.

  There was a message from Miriam Young. “Ms. Chase,” it read, “I’m sorry to hear that you’re no longer with the Beaumont Brewery. I’d be delighted to set up an interview. The Rocky Mountain Food Bank would be lucky to have someone with your skills on board. Call me at your earliest convenience.”

  Serena felt her shoulders relax. She would get another job. She’d be able to continue being her own stability.

  Mom brought her a plate heaped with potatoes and chicken. “Everything okay, sweetie?”

  “I think so, Mom.”

  Serena ate slowly. There was no rush, after all. Yes, if she could get another job lined up, that would go a long way toward being okay.

  Yes, she’d be fine. Her and the baby. Just the two of them. Tomorrow, at her first appointment, she might get to hear the heartbeat.

  The appointment Chadwick had offered to attend with her.

  She knew she’d be fine on her own. She’d hardly missed Neil after a couple of weeks. It’d been a relief not to have to listen to his subtle digs, not to clean up after his messes.

  Even though she’d only had Chadwick in her bed for a night, that night had changed everything. He had been passionate and caring. He’d made her feel things she’d forgotten she needed to feel. In his arms, she felt beautiful and desirable and wanted. Very much wanted. Things she hadn’t felt in so long. Things she couldn’t live without.

  Now that she’d tasted that sort of heat, was she really going to just do without it?

  As she ate, she tried to figure out the mess that was her life. If she got a job at the food bank, then she would be able to start a relationship with Chadwick on equal footing. Well, he’d still be one of the richest men in the state and she’d still be middle class. More equal footing, then.

  Finally, the rush settled down just as Joe Chase came through the door. “Well, look who’s here! My baby girl!” he said with obvious pride as he leaned down and kissed her forehead.

  Mom got him some coffee and then slid into the booth next to him. “Hey, babe,” her dad said, pulling her mom into the kind of kiss that bordered on not-family-friendly.

  Serena studied the tabletop. Her parents had never had money, never had true security—but they’d always had each other, for better or
worse. In a small way, she was jealous of that. Even more so now that she’d glimpsed it with Chadwick.

  “So,” Dad said as he cleared his throat. Serena looked back at them. Dad was wearing stained coveralls and Mom looked beat from a day on her feet, but his arm was around her shoulder and she was leaning into him as if everything about the world had finally gone right.

  “How’s the job?”

  Serena swallowed. She’d had the same job, the same apartment, for so long that she didn’t know how her parents would deal with this. “Well...”

  She told them how she’d decided to change jobs and apartments. “The company may be sold,” she said as both of her parents looked at her with raised eyebrows. “I’m just getting out while I can.”

  Her mom and dad shared a look. “This doesn’t have anything to do with that boss of yours, does it?” Dad asked in a gruff voice as he leaned forward. “He didn’t do nothing he shouldn’t have, did he?”

  “No, Dad, he’s fine.” She wished she could have sounded a little more convincing when she said it, because her parents shared another look.

  “I don’t have to work weekends now,” her dad said. “I can round up a few buddies and we can get you moved in no time.”

  “That’d be really great,” she admitted. “I’ll get some beer and some pizzas—dinner for everyone.”

  “Nah, I got a couple of bucks in my sock drawer. I’ll bring the beer.”

  “Dad...” She knew he meant it. A couple of bucks was probably all he had saved away.

  Mom wasn’t distracted by this argument. “But sweetie, I don’t understand. I thought you liked your job and your apartment. I know it was rough on you when you were young, always moving around. Why the big change now?”

  It was hard to look at them and say this out loud, so she didn’t. She looked at the table. “I’m three months pregnant.”

  Her mom gasped loudly while her dad said, “You’re what now?”

  “Who—” was as far as her mom got.

  Her dad finished the thought for her. “Your boss? If he did this to you, ’Rena, he should pay. I got half a mind to—”

  “No, no. Neil is the father. Chadwick wasn’t a part of this.” Or, at least, he hadn’t been two weeks ago. “I’ve already discussed it with Neil. He has no interest in being a father, so I’m going to raise the baby by myself.”

  They sat there, stunned. “You—you okay doing that?” her dad said.

  “We’ll help out,” her mom added, clearly warming to the idea. “Just think, Joe—a baby. Flo!” she hollered across the restaurant. “I’m gonna be a grandma!”

  After that, the situation sort of became a big party. Flo came over, followed by Willy the cook and then the busboys. Her dad insisted on buying ice cream for the whole restaurant and toasting Serena.

  It almost made Serena feel better. They couldn’t give her material things—although her proud dad was hell-bent on trying—but her parents had always given her love in abundance.

  * * *

  It was nine that night before she made it back to her cluttered apartment. Boxes were scattered all over the living room.

  Serena stood in the middle of it all, trying not to cry. Yes, the talk with her parents had gone well. Her dad would have all of her stuff moved in an afternoon. Her mom was already talking about layettes. Serena wasn’t even sure what a layette was, but by God, Shelia Chase was going to get one. The best Serena had been able to do was to get her mom to promise she wouldn’t take out another payday loan to pay for it.

  Honestly, she wasn’t sure she’d ever seen her parents so excited. The change in jobs and apartment hadn’t even fazed them.

  But the day had left her drained. Unable to deal with the mess of the living room, she went into her bedroom. That was a mistake.

  There, hanging on the closet door, were the dresses. Oh, the dresses. She could hardly bear to look at the traces of finery Chadwick had lavished on her without thinking of how he’d bent her over in front of the dresser, how he’d held her all night long. How he’d promised to go with her to the doctor tomorrow. How he’d promised that he wouldn’t fail her.

  He was going to break his promise.

  It was going to break her heart.

  Fourteen

  Serena got up and shaved her legs in preparation for her doctor’s appointment. It seemed like the thing to do. She twisted up her hair and put on a skirt and a blouse. The formality of the outfit was comforting, somehow. It didn’t make sense. But then, nothing made a lot of sense anymore.

  For example, she needed to leave for the doctor’s office by ten-thirty. She was dressed by eight. Which left her several hours to fret.

  She was staring into her coffee cup, trying to figure out the mess in her head, when someone knocked on the door.

  Neil? Surely he wouldn’t have come back. She’d done a pretty thorough job of kicking him out the last time.

  Maybe it was her mom, stopping in early to continue celebrating the good news. But, after another round of knocks, she was pretty sure it wasn’t her mom.

  Serena hurried to the door and peeked through the peephole. There, on her stoop, stood Chadwick Beaumont.

  “Serena? I need to talk to you,” he called, staring at the peephole.

  Damn. He’d seen her shadow. She couldn’t pretend she wasn’t home without being totally rude.

  She was debating whether or not she wanted to be totally rude when he added, “I didn’t miss your appointment, did I?”

  He hadn’t forgotten. Sagging with relief, she opened the door a crack.

  Chadwick was wearing a button-up shirt and trousers, with no tie or jacket. The informality looked good on him, but that might have had something to do with the grin on his face. If she didn’t know better, she’d say he looked...giddy?

  “I didn’t think you were going to come.”

  He stared at her in confusion. “I told you I would.” Then he looked at what she was wearing. “You already have an interview?”

  “Well, yes. I quit my job. I need another one.” She cleared her throat, suddenly nervous about this conversation. “I was counting on a letter of recommendation from you.”

  The grin on Chadwick’s face broadened. It was as if all his worry from the last few years had melted away. “I should have guessed that you wouldn’t be able to take time off. But you can cancel your interview. I found a job for you.”

  “You what?”

  “Can I come in?”

  She studied him. He’d found her a job? He’d come for her appointment? What was going on? Other than him being everything she’d hoped he’d be for the last week and a half. “It’s been ten days, you know. Ten days without so much as a text from you. I thought...”

  He stepped into the doorway—not pushing her aside, but cupping her face with his hand and stroking her chin with his fingertips. She shuddered into his touch, stunned by how much it affected her. “I was busy.”

  “Of course. You have a business to run. I know that.”

  That’s why Serena walked out. She needed to see if he would still have feelings for her if she wasn’t sitting outside his office door every day.

  “Serena,” he said, his voice deep with amusement. “Please let me come in. I can explain.”

  “I understand, Chadwick. I really do.” She took a deep breath, willing herself not to cry. “Thank you for remembering the appointment, but maybe it’s best if I go by myself.”

  He notched up an eyebrow as if she’d thrown down the gauntlet. “Ten minutes. That’s all I’m asking. If you still think we need some time apart after that, I’ll go. But I’m not walking away from you—from what we have.”

  Then, just because he apparently could, he stroked his fingers against her chin again.

  The need to kiss him, to fall back into his arms, was almost overpowering. But that emotion was in a full-out war with her sense of self-preservation.

  “What did we have?”

  The grin he aimed at her made her kne
es suddenly shake. He leaned in, his cheek rubbing against hers, and whispered in her ear, “Everything.”

  Then he slipped a hand around her waist and pulled her into his chest. His lips touched the space underneath her ear, sending heat rushing from her neck down her back and farther south.

  God, how she wanted this. Why had she thought she could walk away from him? From the way he made her feel? “Ten minutes,” she heard herself murmur as she managed to push him far enough back that she could step to the side and let him in.

  So she could stop touching him.

  Chadwick walked into her apartment and looked around. “You’re already moving?”

  “Yes. This was where I lived with Neil. I need a fresh start. All the way around,” she added, trying to remember why. Oh, yes. Because she couldn’t fall for Chadwick while she worked for him. And work was all he did.

  She expected him to say something else, but instead he gave her a look she couldn’t quite read. Was he...amused? She didn’t remember making a joke.

  As he stood in the middle of the living room, she saw for the first time that he was holding a tablet. “I had this plan.” He began tapping the screen. “But Helen forced my hand. So instead of doing this over a couple of months, I had to work around the clock for the last ten days.”

  If this was him convincing her that he’d find a way to see her outside of work, he was doing a surprisingly poor job of it. “Is that so?”

  He apparently found what he was looking for because he grinned up at her and handed her the tablet. “It won’t be final until the board votes to accept it and the lawyers get done with it, but I sold the company.”

  “You what?” She snatched the tablet out of his hands and looked at the document.

  Letter of intent, the header announced underneath the insignia of the brewery’s law firm. AllBev hereby agrees to pay $62 a share for The Beaumont Brewery and all related Beaumont Brewery brands, excluding Percheron Drafts. Chadwick Beaumont reserves the right to keep the Percheron Drafts brand name and all related recipes....

  The whole thing got bogged down in legalese after that. Serena kept rereading the first few lines. “Wait, what? You’re keeping Percheron?”