Her Christmas Pregnancy Surprise

CHAPTER ONE

Seven weeks later...The Polka Dotted Bakery

THERE’S ONE THING about fairy tales...

They don’t always have a happily-ever-after.

Not even a happy-for-now.

Pepper glanced out the decorated storefront window and didn’t see any paparazzi. She took an easy breath. It was the first time in weeks. Seven whole weeks plus one day of being hounded for photos and comments.

And she was tired. Tired of it all.

But at last, there was peace.

In the end, she’d done nothing wrong. Nothing, except for letting her defenses down with a man that she’d thought—Well, it didn’t matter what she thought because she’d been wrong about him, about the evening together, about them. And now, the paparazzi wanted a comment.

She’d been counting off the days since their night of passion turned into a morning of regrets. It had been fifty days since she’d found herself in the arms of Simon Ross. Forty-nine evenings since she’d spent the most glorious night with him. And seven long weeks since her life had felt like her own.

And a lifetime since she’d last seen him.

Not that she missed Simon...at all. Not a bit.

The very next morning after her fairy tale had begun, her life had spun into some sort of soap opera. One photographer had spotted her leaving Simon’s building in the wee hours of the morning. How he’d known she’d come from Simon’s place, out of all the condos in the high-rise, was beyond her. Perhaps it was the doorman, or maybe it’d been a nosy neighbor anxious for a quick payoff, or possibly someone had spotted them kissing after Simon’s big announcement.

Then Simon had phoned. The first words out of his mouth had been an apology.

Her heart sank down to the tips of her cotton-candy-pink painted toes. It was obvious he regretted their night together, and everything that she’d thought was happening between them had been nothing more than a figment of her imagination. But then he’d sent her a link to a website with a picture of them kissing after the party, and it became clear what he was apologizing for.

Billionaire Bachelor Interviewing New Love Interest!

The headline was outrageous. How had their brief relationship been leaked to the press?

It was then that she knew she had to end things before he did. She told him that they’d just gotten caught up in the moment and it should end right here and now. He hadn’t said a word. He obviously agreed. That was it. No discussion. No nothing. The night before, they’d made love, and the next morning, it was over.

Until that moment, she’d never appreciated her freedom to move about the city basically anonymously. For the most part, no one knew her and didn’t pay attention to what she did. From that day forward, it was like everything she did had to be analyzed for the world to read and to figure out what, if anything, it had to do with Simon.

A single photographer had quickly turned into a gaggle of them. Keeping them out of the bakery had become a full-time job for her staff. With her apartment above the bakery, there was no getting away from them.

One morning, she’d glanced out her apartment window to find a photographer hanging from the tree. Seriously. He’d just been hanging there like he was part monkey, with a camera in hand. She’d closed her mini blinds and then drawn her curtains. She’d never felt more invaded in her entire life.

But then they’d started dissecting her life, from her mother’s death to her life with her grandmother. She’d felt naked and exposed for the whole world to see. She didn’t know how Simon lived in the spotlight. And then they’d sought out people who had known her in school. Every insecurity she’d ever had in her youth came rolling back.

Little did the paparazzi know that it’d been nothing more than a brief fling with Simon. She thought of telling the photographers that they were wasting their time, but her wounded pride and the prick to her heart kept the words locked deep inside her.

From One Night to Wedding Bells!

Honestly, who came up with these outrageous and totally false headlines?

Her friends commiserated with her. And told her to look on the bright side—business at the bakery had never been better. They were right. She was doing a booming business.

And then the next headline came quite unexpectedly.

Billionaire Bachelor Moves On...

One minute the paparazzi had them picking out wedding venues, with a photo of two people who were quite obviously not them, and the next they had him moving on. Although this time the photo was most certainly Simon. He’d been spotted the following week with his arm around a leggy blonde as they attended a Broadway show opening. As Pepper stared at the photo, she resisted admitting to the sharp piercing pain.

So much for their special evening meaning anything to him. Her back teeth clenched together. Lucky for him, he hadn’t been back for his weekly order. He might have ended up wearing his coffee.

And the part of her that missed his bright smile and his flirty ways that made her feel like the most beautiful woman in the world? Well, she shushed it right up. He wasn’t worth missing. Simon Ross lived up to his reputation as the uncatchable bachelor.

It didn’t help that she hadn’t felt great for the past few days. She had a slight headache and she blamed that for her queasy stomach. It wasn’t enough to stop her though. Whatever it was, it would pass.

It was no wonder she didn’t feel good, aside from the mess with Simon. She had competition. A new bakery had just moved in on the next block. And her business took an immediate hit. Customers strayed to the new place, eager to see what they had to offer.

To that extent, she supposed her friends were right and the coverage about her and Simon wasn’t all bad. People had visited the bakery to meet her, but she made sure to stay busy in the back. Still, while they were there, they bought her products. They bought a lot of products. If things had ended better with Simon, she might be inclined to thank him. But as it was, she didn’t think she’d ever speak to him again.

The new bakery was pulling out all the stops with big ads, radio spots and every other promotion they could think of. The bakery was part of a national chain that could afford to undercut their prices to drive the competition out of business. Then once the competitors were out of business, they’d jack up their prices. The nerve of some people.

But Pepper refused to let them drive her out of business—not without a big fight. She’d sunk everything she had into making this bakery a success. It was a dream of hers—a dream that she refused to let die, even if it meant doing things that she wouldn’t otherwise have done, like working round the clock if she had to. The chain couldn’t keep up their deep discounts forever. At least, she hoped not.

In the meantime, she was taking every Christmas party she could cram onto her calendar. It was exhausting, but her grandmother had always told her that nothing worth having came easily. This bakery definitely wasn’t going to be easy.

She worked from the time she woke up, which was hours before the sun decided to rise, until she fell into bed early in the evening utterly exhausted, sometimes still in her work clothes. And so far, it was working. She was keeping her existing clients and gaining new ones. Things at last were looking up. Her clients recognized true quality and not frozen mass product.

Now that Christmastime was here, it was time to sparkle. Pepper loved Christmas above all other holidays. And that was saying something because they all had a special place in her heart. But she not only loved Christmas, she really loved it. It was magical and it brought out the best in people. People were a little nicer to others, holding doors, sharing a smile or a nod. If it was possible, she’d have Christmas all year round.

It was almost time to open up for the day. She loved this early morning hour. In her mind, each day was a new beginning with new possibilities. And she had a feeling something big was going to happen. Maybe they’d be hired for the wedding of the year. Or perhaps she’d meet a big client at the holiday party she was catering that evening. A smile pulled at her lips as anticipation put some pep in her step.

She moved to the stereo system and turned it on. Over the speakers came the deep timbre of Michael Bublé’s voice as he sang “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.” She glanced out the window as the flurries swirled through the air. This really was her favorite time of the year.

Yesterday had been Sunday, the only day of the week the shop was closed. She’d taken advantage of the downtime to get out the holiday decorations. It took all day to exchange the Thanksgiving fanfare for the homey Christmas look, but that was because she’d baked and crafted a lot of the decorations herself.

She paused next to the glass display cases and glanced around at her handiwork. On the brick wall where floating shelves normally displayed an array of antique dishes, she’d replaced them with gingerbread figures, from a giant gingerbread man to a gingerbread train. There were also red ribbons, greenery, pinecones and a poinsettia bloom here and there.

She loved gingerbread. Not only did it taste delicious, but there were so many things to do with it. And so she might have gone a little overboard this year with gingerbread. It was even in the store window.

Looking around at all she’d accomplished, she realized she’d done it all alone. As much as she loved this bakery, she’d give it up to have her family once more. The joy the bakery brought to her life just wasn’t the same as having her family by her side, especially during this festive holiday season.

Walking through life alone was not how she’d envisioned her future. And yet that’s exactly what she was doing. Because each and every person who meant something to her had been torn from her life.

She’d learned to close her feelings to others little by little, and her grandmother’s death had been the last straw. That was it. The protective walls had fully encased her heart. She was done with loving and losing.

Pepper moved to the front door and turned the lock. She smiled as the first rays of sun lightened up the inky sky. Beneath the streetlights, a light coating of snow was detectable. It had fallen last night, coating the grass but leaving the street clear.

“It’s going to be a good day. A very good day indeed.” If only wishes came true.

“What did you say?” Charlotte asked from behind the counter.

Pepper shook her head. “Nothing important.”

Charlotte arched a brow. “Talking to yourself again?” When Pepper shrugged, Charlotte continued, “You keep that up and I’m going to start worrying about you.”

Pepper moved behind the counter. Her gaze strayed across the little stuffed dog she’d had since she was a girl. When she was young, they’d lived in an apartment—a small apartment—that didn’t allow pets. And she’d wanted a dog in the worst way. Every birthday and Christmas, when anyone asked her what she wanted, she would tell them a puppy.

Her mother felt so bad that she gave Pepper this designer stuffed beagle and a promise that someday when they moved to a bigger place that allowed pets, she would get her a dog. But that day never came.

She’d lost her mother at the tender age of eight, after a car had run a red light and struck her mother as she’d crossed the street. Pepper had gone to live with her grandmother, who was allergic to animals. Bugles McBeagle had come with her.

She sighed as she ran a finger over the dog’s plush fur, promising herself that someday she would have her puppy. Just not today.

The business phone rang. Pepper rushed over to answer it. “Hello. This is the Polka Dotted Bakery. How may I help you?”

“Pepper, this is Mike. I’m sorry to do this, but I quit.”

“Quit?” Not again.

“I just couldn’t say no.”

“No? To what? To whom?” She had a sinking feeling she knew who he was talking about, but she had to hear him say it. She needed the confirmation.

“The other bakery. They approached me when I was leaving work yesterday. They offered me a lot more money. And with the baby on the way, we need all of the money I can make. Pepper, if it wasn’t for that, I swear, I wouldn’t be leaving. Honest.”

She liked Mike. He’d been with her since she’d opened the shop. And even though she didn’t want to, she understood he had to put the needs of his family before his loyalty to her and the business.

She wished him well and hung up. So now she was short a baker and she had a party to prepare for...alone.

Not wasting any more time, she got to work.

CHAPTER TWO

THIS COULDN’T BE HAPPENING.

How had he let this slip through the cracks?

With the tinted rear windows of the car, no one could make him out. Simon was free to stare at the passing buildings and people hustling along the crowded sidewalk. The Polka Dotted Bakery was a place he’d thought of often in the past several weeks. He tried to tell himself that it was the fragrant and rich coffee that he missed, but it was something more than that. An image of Pepper laughing flashed in his mind. He recalled how her lush lips would part, lifting up at the corners, and her pinkened cheeks would puff up. But more than that, her eyes would twinkle and the green of her eyes reminded him of gemstones.

And then a much more somber memory rushed to the forefront—his last conversation with Pepper. There had been no smiles, no friendliness. She’d dumped him, dismissed him, had no use for him. That was something he was not used to, at all. He was the one who always ended relationships. Not the other way around.

“Pull over here,” he said to his driver.

He didn’t normally have a driver, but seeing as he was headed for the bakery and parking could be quite limited at this time of the day, he’d decided it would be prudent. He’d considered calling her on the phone, but he didn’t feel right about it.

Simon opened the car door and immediately the distinct nip in the air assailed him. The holidays were here and so was the winter season. He tugged at the collar of his black wool overcoat and pulled it close to his neck to keep out the chilling breeze. Not even the midafternoon sun was enough to warm him.

There had been so many times over the past several weeks when he’d wanted to swing by the bakery. He told himself that it was the cherry turnovers that he craved—not staring into the green eyes of the very beautiful baker.

And it didn’t help that when he suddenly stopped bringing the mouthwateringly good baked goods to the office it was noticed by his employees. When he got questioned enough about the lack of treats, he started going to the new bakery, though the service wasn’t nearly as friendly and the turnovers—well, they were dry and overly sweet. And though his staff didn’t say much, the number of leftover pastries at the end of the day said it all.

Though everything in his body wanted to turn around, he kept putting one foot in front of the other. The streets were decorated with garland and on each lamp post was a large wreath with a great big red bow. Shop windows had holiday displays. Some had Santa figurines and others Christmas trees. Everything to put the passerby in the holiday spirit—except for Simon.

However, when he reached the large picture window of the Polka Dotted Bakery, he slowed down. How could he not? The holiday-themed display was literally a work of art—all made out of baked goods.

It was a wintery scene, with a white tree with gingerbread ornaments trimmed with white frosting suspended from it. And beneath the tree was a gingerbread house. Not just four walls and a roof of gumdrops. Someone had gone all out, detailing not a one, not a two, not even a three, but a four-story house decorated with white and pale pink frosting. He didn’t have to guess. He knew it was Pepper’s work. She was quite talented, making the window shutters out of white frosting, and there was even a chimney.

He drew in a deep breath, straightened his shoulders and opened the glass door of the bakery. When he stepped inside, he found it empty. Not one single customer. Sure, it was a little past three in the afternoon, but from what Pepper had told him, there were usually customers streaming in and out of the bakery all day long.

He stepped further into the shop to find the display cases completely full, as though none of the goods had sold that day. How could this be? Pepper, by far, had the best pastries in the city.

“I’ll be right with you.” Her voice was light and friendly, just the way he remembered it before things had spun out of control.

He turned to her, bracing for Pepper’s onslaught of angry words. She knelt down, placing something in the glass display case. When she straightened—when she saw that it was him and when she heard what he’d come here to tell her—he was certain her tone would change drastically.

And then she straightened with a smile on her face. Her beautiful long auburn hair was pulled back in a twist, pinned to the back of her head. When the lights hit her hair, the deep red highlights shone. Her bangs fell to the side of her face and a few wispy curls fell around the nape of her neck. Was this the real reason he’d come here? To have one more look at her—to drink in her beauty?

As recognition flashed in her eyes, her friendly demeanor vanished in a heartbeat, replaced with a distinct frown. “You.” Her green eyes widened with surprise. “What are you doing here?” Then she held up a hand as though stopping him from speaking. “Never mind. I don’t want to know. Just leave before someone sees you here.”

“Pepper, we need to talk.”

She shook her head. “If anyone spots you here, the press with be back. I can’t deal with them. Just go.”

He knew how bad the paparazzi could be when they were chasing what they thought was a story. “I’ve taken precautions so no one knows I’m here.”

She didn’t say anything for a moment. “They’ll still find out. They even dug into my past. My past! People I never thought I’d speak to again were giving interviews about me. Do you know how that invasion of privacy felt?”

“I do. And I’m sorry.” His whole life had been aired in the papers since his business took off. It had been hard, but he was somewhat used to it now. “Just hear what I have to say and then I’ll go.”

She placed her hands on her waist. If looks could vaporize a person, he would be nothing more than mist. Wait. How did she get to be so angry with him? She was the one who had dumped him.

Not that the night would have led anywhere. He didn’t do relationships—not even with the very sweet, very tempting Polka Dotted Baker. He wasn’t cut out to be someone’s boyfriend, much less someone’s husband or worse yet, a father.

Still, she glowered at him. He didn’t move an inch. If this was a struggle of wills, he would win. He’d come here for a purpose. He thought he was doing a nice thing. Now, he was having second thoughts. Still, he was here. And he wasn’t leaving until he’d had his say.

She stared deep into his eyes. “Make it fast.”

“Where are all of your customers?” He sensed something was very wrong. “And why does it look like you haven’t sold anything?”

“Things have changed. I don’t have time to chat. I have work to do.” She moved past him, leaving plenty of room between them so their bodies didn’t touch.

She stepped up to the front door and flipped the sign to Closed. He couldn’t help but notice her craning her neck to gaze up and down the walk, as though checking to see if anyone had spotted him in her shop. As far as he could tell, his ball cap and dark sunglasses had kept his identity under wraps.

“There’s something important I need to tell you.”

She shook her head. “How about we just go back to pretending we don’t know each other? Life was so much easier back then.”

He wished he could rewind time. “It’s too late for that.”

She didn’t say anything as she moved past him and kept going toward the back of the bakery. What he didn’t understand was her hostility. If he’d dumped her, he’d get it. But she’d been the one to end things. Sure, he’d been getting ready to do it, but she’d beaten him to the punch.

He followed her because he still hadn’t told her the reason for his visit. She led him to a small office. The room had vacant white walls, which surprised him after getting to know Pepper’s lively personality and her penchant for decorating. A solitary desk in the room was buried beneath a mountain of paperwork. She grabbed a small quilted backpack with a red-and-white pattern, as well as a digital notebook.

When she turned to the door, she practically ran into him. She glanced up as though she’d gotten lost in her thoughts and had forgotten him. His ego was taking hits left and right. He still wasn’t sure why she was so steamed with him.

She glanced at her wristwatch. “If you came here to talk about the past, don’t. It was a stupid mistake. It won’t happen again.”

If he’d had any doubt about her sincerity, he had his answer. She wanted nothing to do with him. That was a first for him. She certainly was different than everyone else in his life.

And this was why he’d been drawn to Pepper in the first place. She wasn’t a pushover. She wasn’t out to see what he could do for her. She was her own woman, who took life on her own terms.

She placed her things on the counter. After washing her hands, she set to work. Pepper continued to move about the kitchen as though he weren’t even standing there.

“Why are you so mad at me?” He stood at the edge of the large kitchen with all its gleaming stainless surfaces. “As I recall, you’re the one that dumped me.”

Her cheeks filled with color. “I didn’t dump you.”

She added sugar into a saucepan and placed it on the gas stove. She kept her back to him as she adjusted the temperature. He was in absolutely no mood to be ignored.

“I’m pretty sure you did.” His bruised ego could attest to it. “So why all of the hostility?”

She spun around. Her gaze clashed with his. “I’m not hostile.”

He arched a disbelieving brow and waited for her to explain herself. He didn’t mind taking the heat when he deserved it. But in this case, he didn’t do anything wrong. Thoughts of nipping the relationship in the bud didn’t count. Pepper might be good at figuring out people, but even she wasn’t a mind reader.

She sighed. “You’re right. I’m taking my frustrations out on you.” She paused as though choosing her words carefully. “I... I’m sorry.” Her gaze met his briefly, but she turned away before he could read her thoughts. “Things at the bakery haven’t been going well.” She took the saucepan and stirred as the sugar began melting. “But you didn’t come here to hear about my troubles.”

At last, she was beginning to sound like the Pepper he’d gotten to know and trust. “Would you believe I missed your cherry turnovers so much I couldn’t stay away?”

She tilted the pan, letting the melted sugar roll across the bottom. She didn’t say anything, concentrating on what she was doing.

And that was why what he had to say next was that much harder. He wasn’t so sure he wanted to have this conversation while she was distracted, but she wasn’t leaving him much choice. She took a spoon with a long round handle and began to drizzle the caramel onto it. All the while, she turned the handle so the caramel would make a corkscrew shape.