Page 37 of Don’t Fall for the Billionaire

Chapter Thirty-Seven

THREE MONTHS LATER

Charlotte

I had been so exhausted lately that I could barely get out of bed. Trying to get The Cozy Crumb ready for the grand opening took everything out of me.

“Babe, it’s time to get up,” Ashton said, pressing his lips against my shoulder.

I glanced out the window and saw the snow lightly falling from the sky. Autumn had come and gone, and winter nestled its way into the city. The holidays had come and gone, and were celebrated in the best way possible.

“I think I’m pregnant,” I blurted out.

“What?”

“I think I’m pregnant, Ashton.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Because I’m exhausted all the time and feel queasy. Plus, my period never came last month, and I just realized it. I’ve been so busy with the shop and everything that I forgot about it.”

“Do you have a pregnancy test you can take?”

“No.”

The corners of his mouth curved upward as he placed his hand on my belly.

“I hope you are, babe. I want nothing more than to have a baby with you.” He leaned over and kissed my lips.

“So, you’d be happy?”

“Of course I would be. I love you. After we leave the shop, we’ll stop at the store and pick one up.”

“Okay. I’m scared, though.”

“What are you scared of? You’re a wonderful mother. Look at how you take care of Eloise.”

“She’s different. She just turned nine and is self-sufficient. I don’t have experience with babies.”

“You’re a natural, and it’ll come to you. Don’t worry. Let’s take a shower and get ready. There are still some things we need to do before tomorrow’s grand opening.”

The cute little bell above the door chimed as I pushed it open and we stepped inside. A mix of nerves and excitement fluttered in my chest as the scent of freshly baked pies from the night before still lingered in the air.

“Wow! It looks like a fairy-tale bakery.” Eloise beamed with excitement.

I stood in the middle of my pie shop. The Cozy Crumb was everything I had envisioned. The lighted marble display cases Ashton talked me into getting were the perfect addition and displayed my pies perfectly. This wasn’t just a shop. It was my mother’s and my dream.

The employees I had hired began to arrive, hanging up their coats and getting to work on making more pies for tomorrow.

The best part about the shop was hiring my cousin, Melissa, as manager.

They ended up selling their new home on Long Island before they even fully moved in due to the psycho neighbor next door who constantly screamed at them about various things she didn’t like them doing.

She came to us crying one night, and Ashton helped them out by purchasing the house from them for the same amount they had paid, remodeled the inside, and sold it for a nice profit.

So, they bought a nice condo in Gramercy Park.

Then the hammer fell, and she lost her job due to company cutbacks.

I spoke with Ashton, and we decided to hire her at the same salary she was previously earning at her other job, plus a raise in three months.

Ashton told her that she was family and we’d take care of her.

Another one of his qualities that made me fall even more in love with him.

He hooked his arm around me and pulled me into him.

“This is just the beginning, babe. And to think there’s possibly another new beginning in our future.” He smiled, placing his hand on my belly.

After we left the shop, Dominic pulled up to the curb of the drug store.

“I’ll be right back,” I said.

“I want chocolate!” Eloise said before I shut the door.

“Okay.” I smiled.

I grabbed a pregnancy test and a chocolate bar for Eloise. When I got back into the Escalade, I handed it to her.

“Thank you.” She smiled. “What did you buy?” She pointed at the bag.

“Uh, just some deodorant and toothpaste.”

I sat on the edge of the tub, my hands trembling as I stared at the unopened box on the counter. My belly was twisted into knots, and it had nothing to do with the nausea I’d been feeling all week. Ashton leaned against the doorframe, his arms crossed, and a boyish grin on his lips.

“You’re acting like this is the SATs,” he teased. I could see the eagerness in his eyes. He wanted this more than I did at the moment.

“It’s not funny,” I said, staring at the box. “What if it’s positive? What if it’s negative? Either way, everything changes.”

He stepped into the bathroom, crouched down in front of me, and placed his hand on mine, brushing his thumb over my skin.

“Whatever happens, it’s you and me. Okay? Nothing changes that. Nothing ever will.”

“You’re awfully confident for someone who isn’t the one about to pee on a stick.” I smirked, trying to bring some humor into the situation.

“I have faith in us and your ability to aim.” He grinned.

“You’re impossible.” I grabbed the box from the counter and opened it.

“Would you like me to hold the stick for you?”

“Absolutely not! I’d probably pee on you.”

“And?” His grin widened as his eyes grew hungry.

“Get out of here. You’re nasty! I’ll call you back after I pee. I can’t do it with an audience.”

“Okay.” He laughed.

I peed on the stick, set it face down on the counter, and yelled for Ashton to set the timer.

“Timer’s on,” Ashton said, holding up his phone. Three minutes.”

“Three minutes feels like three years,” I mumbled, my knee bouncing uncontrollably as I stood there.

Ashton hooked his arm around my shoulders, pulling me against him.

“I know you’re scared, babe. But whatever it says, we’ll be okay. I promise.”

When the timer finally buzzed, I froze. My hand wouldn’t move.

“Do you want me to look?” he asked.

I nodded, unable to breathe.

He flipped the stick over, and his expression was unreadable for half a second before his shoulders slumped.

“It’s negative.”

I let out a breath. I didn’t know what I felt—relief, disappointment, maybe both tangled together. Even though it wasn’t the best time to be pregnant, the fact that I wasn’t brought tears to my eyes.

“So that’s it?”

His mouth gave way to a reassuring smile, despite his eyes revealing disappointment.

“Hey. It just means not yet.” He brushed a strand of hair from my face. “We’ll get there when the time is right.”

“I want to have a baby, Ashton. It just isn’t the best time right now with the shop opening tomorrow and everything.”

“I know, sweetheart.” He pulled me into him.

“What’s wrong?” Eloise walked into the bathroom. “Are you okay, Charlotte?” She walked over and wrapped her little arms around us.

“I’m fine, honey.”

“Are you pregnant?” She pointed to the stick on the counter.

Ashton and I looked at each other.

“No. I thought I was, but it turns out I’m not.”

“It would have been cool to have a brother or sister.”

“Sweetheart, how do you know what that test is?” Ashton asked with concern.

“Mom used to take them all the time.”

“She would tell you that?” His brows furrowed.

“Yeah. She’d take me to the store, pick one up, and then tell me I might be having a brother or sister. But she never was pregnant.”

“Good God.” Ashton shook his head.