Her Christmas Pregnancy Surprise Read online

  Pressing the phone to her ear, Pepper said, “Hello?”

  “Pepper. Oh, good.” It was Simon’s voice. “We mixed up our phones this morning in the kitchen.”

  “Oh. Sorry.”

  “If you can let me know where you are, I’ll swing by and we can exchange them. I’m really lost without mine. I didn’t realize how much information I store on it.”

  She didn’t want him to have to go out of his way. “I can stop by your office.”

  “No need. I’m still in the car.”

  She gave him the address. He promised to be there in a few minutes.

  “Did I hear correctly?” Stephanie asked. “Simon is coming here?”

  Pepper nodded. She wasn’t sure how she felt about having him here at the shelter. She knew it shouldn’t be a big deal, but with every day that passed, it was like another part of her life was revealed to him. Soon he would know everything about her.

  “I’m going to go visit Daisy while I wait.” Pepper got to her feet and moved to the back of the building.

  Daisy was isolated from the other adoptable dogs, but wouldn’t be for much longer. When the puppy saw her, her tail started to wag. Pepper wanted to believe it was her the dog was excited about and not the little dog biscuits she’d started baking and kept in her pocket.

  “Hey, girl. You look happy today.” Pepper opened the crate. “Let’s go stretch your legs.”

  Daisy wiggled around excitedly while Pepper tried to attach the leash. “You are a wiggle tail.”

  The leash attached, Pepper placed Daisy on the floor and off they went, strolling along the back of the building. It was taking Daisy a while to be leash trained, but she was finally taking to it.

  “Pepper?” It was Simon’s voice.

  Daisy stopped in her tracks. And the teeny tiny puppy let out a really big howl. Pepper didn’t know such a large sound could come from something so little.

  Pepper knelt down and picked Daisy up. She ran a hand over Daisy’s short fur. “It’s okay, girl.” When Daisy continued to howl, Pepper decided to distract her with a biscuit. It worked.

  And then to Simon, she said, “We’re over here.”

  When Simon stopped in front of her, his gaze moved from her to Daisy and then back again. “I didn’t know you worked here.”

  “She doesn’t.” Greta stepped up to Simon and extended her hand, with her long, polished deep red nails. “I run this shelter. And you would be Simon Ross.”

  He turned a blank expression to the woman. He hesitated for a brief moment before shaking her hand.

  “So what brings you here?” Greta’s dark eyes glinted with interest.

  Pepper stepped forward. “I think he’s here for—”

  Greta stepped between Pepper and Simon. “I’ve got this.” The woman never took her eyes off Simon. “Pepper, don’t you have something to do?”

  Pepper gaped at the back of the woman’s head. Had Greta really just dismissed her from speaking to the father of her baby? How dare she?

  Just as Pepper was prepared to set Greta straight, Daisy started barking. While Greta was distracted, Simon signaled for her to let this woman dig her own hole.

  “Pepper, take that little monster back to her cage.”

  She was tempted to ask the woman if she was referring to herself. Instead, she quietly walked away.

  * * *

  Had that really happened?

  Simon was so relieved to have disentangled himself from Greta. For some reason, he thought people that headed up animal shelters would be kind and generous. Obviously, that wasn’t always the case. But since the shelter meant so much to Pepper, he’d minded his manners and not told the woman exactly what he thought of her rude and pushy tactics.

  Simon caught up with Pepper and Daisy. “Does that woman really run the shelter?”

  Pepper nodded. “No one can figure out how she got the job.”

  “She certainly doesn’t like animals.”

  “Not at all.”

  “But she does like money. She hit me up for a very large donation.”

  Pepper’s cheeks grew pink. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Don’t be. I wasn’t giving that woman anything.” When he realized that might have come out wrong, he added, “But if you were to ask, that would be a totally different matter.”

  “I might take you up on the offer. The shelter is hurting for money so badly that they’re starting to turn away animals.” Worry reflected in her eyes. “We’ve tried everything we can think of to raise money, but it never seems to be enough. But that isn’t the reason you’re here.”

  He made a mental note to have the shelter looked into. He was more than willing to make regular donations, but first he wanted to make sure where his money would be going. And he didn’t want Greta to take credit for the shelter’s turnaround.

  “I have your phone.” He held out the phone to her, and with her free hand she removed his from her pocket.

  “And here’s yours.”

  Daisy started to wiggle, so Pepper put her back on the ground. “Would you like another treat?”

  Arff! Arff! Arff!

  “I’d swear she knows what the word treat means.”

  Daisy barked again.

  Pepper pulled another treat from her pocket. She held the biscuit out to Simon. “Would you like to give it to her?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t think so. I don’t know anything about dogs.”

  “Well, then you and Daisy will get along fine. She doesn’t know much about people, but she’s learning.” Pepper placed the little biscuit in his hand. “Place it on the flat of your hand and hold it out to her. She’ll do the rest.”

  Simon crouched down and did as Pepper said. Daisy was hesitant, but couldn’t resist the treat. He couldn’t help but smile at the eager look on the puppy’s face or the thumping of her tail. She was really cute—not that he was a dog person.

  When he straightened, she said, “Maybe you want to look around and adopt a dog. Or perhaps you’re more of a cat person. Or maybe one of each.”

  He shook his head. “Not me. I’m not good with animals.”

  “Daisy might disagree. Huh, girl?”

  Simon glanced down as the little dog crunched on the biscuit. “She really likes that treat.”

  “She does. I’ve been working on perfecting them.”

  Simon glanced at her. “Perfecting?”

  Pepper nodded. “I’ve started making treats for the dogs. At first I was just playing around, trying something different. But with the shelter hurting for money, they can’t afford extras for the animals. So I’ve been making as many treats as I can and bringing them into the shelter. The dogs seem to really like them.”

  He paused as a thought came him. “These treats... You’ve developed your own recipes?”

  She nodded. “I figure if I can make cake recipes, it can’t be much harder to make pet-friendly recipes.”

  This was what his Pet Playground stores were missing—the personal touch. They needed something that wasn’t mass produced. They needed Pepper’s treats. But how would he make it possible to have fresh baked treats in each store of a chain that eventually would extend from coast to coast?

  “Simon?” Pepper looked at him with a look of concern.

  “Sorry. I just had a thought about work.” He thought back to their conversation. “Is there anything you can’t do?”

  Her cheeks pinkened. “Lots of things. I don’t know how to fly a plane or create the hottest toy of the year. I heard on the radio that your company has one of the most sought-after toys for Christmas. Your miniature robo ball is wildly popular.”

  A smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. “It’s sold out. We’re checking to see if we can get more produced and shipped before Christmas, but it’s going to be close.”


  “Then it sounds like you’re a hit.”

  “Not me. The toy.” He glanced down at the phone in his hand as it buzzed. “I should be going.”

  He leaned forward to kiss her goodbye. It seemed so natural. So right. And then he spied the wide-eyed surprise on her beautiful face.

  He pulled back. “I’ll, uh, see you at home.”

  “See you there.”

  And with that he walked away. He couldn’t believe he’d almost kissed her. It hadn’t been anything he’d planned. It just seemed like the right thing to do in the moment.

  Things were changing between them. Quickly. But he wasn’t ready to examine the implications.

  He was a man on a mission. He pulled out his phone to contact his assistant. He wanted meetings set up for the rest of the day with various departments. There was no time to waste.

  He knew it was far too late to implement the homemade biscuits and treats in the grand opening, but he wanted to be able to announce it at the grand opening. It was the perfect time to grow a swell of interest. And it would be the perfect thing to help Pepper now and in the future. But would she agree to sell him her recipes?

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  HOW HAD THINGS gotten so comfortable?

  Three days later, Pepper moved around Simon’s enormous kitchen in her bare feet as though she’d lived there for years. The gleaming white tiles were cold to the touch, but with the dual ovens going, the air was quite warm and the coolness of the floor felt good to her.

  She glanced up to find Simon in the doorway, staring at her with a smile on his face.

  “What?” she asked, feeling self-conscious. “Do I have batter on my face?”

  He shook his head. “No. You just look cute in your jeans and apron. Maybe instead of being called the polka-dotted baker, we should call you the barefoot baker.”

  She glanced down at her holly berry dazzle nail polish. She wiggled her toes, letting the recessed lights catch the sparkles and make her toes twinkle.

  She lifted her head and smiled at him. “You like them?”

  “Actually, I do. And with that red ribbon around your ponytail, you look like you’re ready for a Christmas party.”

  “Hardly. I’m a mess.”

  He stepped up to her. He stopped just inches from her. “If this is you looking a mess, I like it.”

  He was flirting with her? Heat swirled in her chest and rushed to her face. She wasn’t sure what to say. When he was looking at her like she was a cherry that he was eating up with his eyes, her thoughts scattered and her ability to make quick comebacks utterly and completely left her.

  But knowing that she had to get this order done in the very near future, she said, “You know, instead of standing around talking silliness, you could be helping.”

  “It’s not silliness.” His voice lowered as his gaze caressed her face. She could feel the way his gaze moved over her just as surely as if he’d reached out and touched her. “You are beautiful. Don’t ever doubt it. Both inside and out.”

  “Thank you.” Now her face felt as though it were pressed against the hot oven. A trickle of perspiration ran down her cleavage. She resisted the urge to fan herself, but if Simon didn’t move away soon, she was afraid her entire body would go up in flames.

  “No need to thank me. I’m just stating a fact.” And still he stared at her with a smile on his face.

  He had no idea how much she just wanted to toss aside the bowl of batter and melt into his embrace as her mouth sought out his. But that wasn’t part of their arrangement. They’d agreed to this living arrangement just until she completed her Christmas commitments. By then, her apartment over the bakery should be deemed safe to move back into.

  Until then, she had so much to do. And then she realized that Simon was home early—earlier than normal on a Monday. “Why are you here?”

  His dark brows rose. “Am I not allowed to leave work early without suspicion?”

  She shook her head, swishing her ponytail over her shoulder. “Sorry. That’s not what I meant.”

  “It’s okay. I was just giving you a hard time.” He stepped away from her and suddenly she missed having him so close to her.

  “I thought you had some important meetings today.”

  He rubbed the back of his neck. “I did. But I rearranged them and got them done earlier than I had originally planned.” He glanced around the kitchen. “Looks like I wasn’t the only one busy.”

  She followed his gaze, taking in the sight of bowls, pans, spoons and numerous other kitchen items dirty and in need of cleaning. “Sorry. I just had so much to do today that I couldn’t keep up with the cleaning, baking and decorating.” She glanced at the timer. She didn’t have long until the current batch of cupcakes came out and the new batch went in, if she wanted to get all of this delivered in time for the party. “I’m sorry. But I have to get back to work.”

  “Don’t let me hold you up.”

  She turned to the kitchen island and continued to fill each cupcake liner three-quarters full. She struggled to keep her attention on the task at hand and not on the way Simon had been looking at her. Things were definitely changing between them. The thought sent a shiver of excitement through her.

  In the background, she heard water running. She wondered what Simon was up to. She desperately wanted to turn and check him out, but she denied herself that privilege. She had a deadline and she needed to keep her attention focused on her work.

  Yeah. Like that was going to happen.

  She tilted the bowl up and moved to the next empty cupcake liner. She reminded herself that just because there was obvious chemistry crackling between them, it didn’t mean they should forget what they’d agreed to. Roommates. Nothing more. Because soon she’d be going back to her apartment—if the fire marshal would release the scene so she could start the repairs—and she had to keep her attention on the bakery.

  When the tray of cupcake liners was filled and the dribbles wiped clean, it was ready for the oven. Pepper turned and placed the bowl on the counter. It was then that she spotted Simon. He had his sleeves rolled up as he worked in a sink full of soapy water. With the top buttons of his dress shirt undone, he looked totally adorable as he hand-washed a pan for her. What in the world had gotten into him? Whatever it was, she liked it.

  Still, she should tell him to stop. This wasn’t his responsibility. Part of their agreement was that she would see to the upkeep of the kitchen. But with the soapsuds on his arms, he looked utterly irresistible. Some woman was going to be very lucky when she landed him.

  Pepper didn’t know where the thought had come from, but it totally dampened her mood. The thought of him cooking and cleaning in the kitchen with another woman made her stomach sour. She dismissed the thought, shoving it to the far recesses of her mind.

  Now more than ever, she needed to get him out of the kitchen. As sweet as he was to help her without her even asking, he was that much of a distraction. And tonight’s party was very important. She couldn’t mess things up.

  The apartment phone rang, which usually meant it was the doorman. Simon dried his hands before answering it. She couldn’t make out what he was saying.

  Pepper looked up from where she was pouring batter into the cupcake pans. “Are you expecting guests?”

  He shook his head. “It’s the fire marshal.”

  Immediately, concern coursed through her. “What do you think he wants?”

  “I guess we’ll find out.”

  She still hadn’t gotten past the part where the fire captain had mentioned arson and then looked at her like she was guilty. If this was going to be more false accusations, she wasn’t going to stand by and take it.

  Just then the timer for the other oven went off. She sighed.

  Simon glanced over his shoulder at her. “It’s okay. You take care of things in here and I’ll get the doo
r.”

  She didn’t have any choice but to nod in agreement. The last thing she needed was to ruin a batch of cupcakes, or worse, fill Simon’s penthouse with smoke while the fire marshal was there.

  Pepper swapped the finished cupcakes for the unbaked ones. She’d just set the timer when she heard Simon call out her name. She slipped the timer in her pocket, as she didn’t have time to make another batch should these ones accidentally stay in the oven too long.

  She headed for the door, all the while preparing herself for more false accusations. When Pepper approached the foyer, she found the two men having a relaxed conversation. She wasn’t sure how to react.

  When the fire marshal’s gaze caught hers, he said, “Ms. Kane?”

  She nodded. He stuck out his hand, giving hers a brief but firm shake.

  “I’m Inspector Hayes. I’ve just completed a total review of the fire at your bakery. I know you and Mr. Ross have been very interested in the results.”

  Interested? That was an understatement. When you’re accused of arson, you want your good name cleared as soon as possible.

  A denial of any wrongdoing hovered at the back of her mouth, but deciding that it would just make her look guiltier, she held back. Instead, she said, “What have you found?”

  He lifted a black leather binder and flipped it open. His gaze scanned the page. “I noticed that you’ve recently had the bakery remodeled. Is that correct?”

  “Sort of.” She wondered if everything she said to him was about to be used against her.

  As though Simon was reading her thoughts, he asked, “Is this something she should have an attorney for?”

  The fire marshal’s head lifted and surprise filled his eyes. “Oh, no. I’m sorry. I should have started with the fact that the fire has been ruled an accident. There was some faulty wiring in the kitchen.”

  “Oh.” It was all Pepper could muster as the relief hit her.

  The fire marshal flipped back to the top sheet. “I just have a few questions that I need answered before I can finalize the report.”