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Sheer determination was the only thing that drove her body from the edge of the bed to the closet, where she had some shopping bags and her clothes. She made sure to only take the ones that she’d paid for. She didn’t do charity and she didn’t want to feel any more obligated to Simon than she already did.
Knock. Knock.
“Pepper, can we talk some more?”
She glanced down at the bed, where her clothes were scattered, awaiting their turn to be folded and placed in the shopping bags. “Now isn’t a good time.”
“Pepper, this is important.”
She knew she was delaying the inevitable. The best thing to do was to get this over as quickly as possible. As her grandmother used to say, it was like ripping off the bandage—quick was the best.
Pepper moved to the door on wooden legs. Dread filled her. She didn’t know how Simon was going to react to the news. But it isn’t like he should mind all that much. She was just beating him to the punch.
She opened the door and stood there. “I don’t think you need to say anything else. The fact is—”
“You’re leaving?” He gazed over her shoulder to the bed.
She nodded. “Yes.”
A distinct frown marred his handsome face. “And what about the baby?”
“I won’t keep you from him or her. I’m sure we can work out a reasonable schedule.”
She returned to the bed and continued placing her belongings in the shopping bag. And then she realized what he was waiting to hear. Her thoughts were a chaotic mess or she would have thought of it sooner.
She placed a pair of jeans in the bag and then turned to Simon. “Thank you for everything. You’ve gone above and beyond for me. I will pay you back. It might take some time, but I will do it.”
“And that’s it?”
“Yes.”
With a grunt, he turned and strode away.
That was the last she saw of him. When she went to leave that evening, he was not in the kitchen nor was he in the living room. She had no idea if he was even in the penthouse. She dropped her keys next to the door. With Daisy in one arm and her meager belongings in the other, she walked out.
Her heart ached for the love that was not reciprocated. How could she have been so foolish? They might have had their special moments in the mornings over coffee and a cherry turnover, but that didn’t translate into a life together.
Still, they did have this little one. Her hand cradled her tiny baby bump.
“Don’t worry little one. We’ll work this out. Somehow.”
She hoped.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
HE’D CALLED OFF work Monday.
And Tuesday.
Simon found himself utterly alone in his great big penthouse. It was Christmas Eve. And the office was slated to work a half day followed by a catered lunch and the distribution of Christmas bonuses. Handing out the much-anticipated envelopes was a job he took on every year—but not this one.
Today was Pepper’s birthday. He wondered if she had any special plans. He had presents for her—kitchen items he’d heard her mention, some brightly colored nail polish because he knew she liked painting her nails, and a diamond necklace because it was beautiful just like her. But with her gone, he didn’t know what to do with the packages.
Simon moved from room to room. He’d never felt more alone in his life. He even missed Daisy running around, practically tripping him because she was so excited to be taken outside in the morning.
As he ambled into the kitchen to get some coffee, he paused at the kitchen counter, lacking its usual clutter of recipes, Pepper’s phone and the dog leash. He rubbed his hand over the heavy stubble along his jaw. The kitchen was back to its spiffy cleanliness. It felt strange and foreign somehow. It also lacked the homey, delicious scents of Pepper’s baking. He missed seeing her move barefoot through the kitchen with a touch of flour on her face and clothes.
Most of all, he missed her smile. It wasn’t just any smile. It was a smile that could light up the darkest day. It would warm him from the inside out. It filled him with happiness and the feeling that if he be
