Page 28 of Baby Bombshell for the Boss

She swallowed hard, knowing that he was doing more than he’d strictly been required to do. “I appreciate that,” she said. “I’m glad to know this isn’t going to be contentious in any way.”

“Not at all,” he said. “You have my private phone number already, so anything you need for doctor’s appointments, anything for preparing for the baby, hospital stays — and once it arrives, I’ll set up an account to pay for everything the two of you need, and another for education. You won’t have to worry about expenses for the rest of your life.”

That thought made Ivy feel strangely uncomfortable. “You know that’s not why I’m telling you, right?” she said. “I’m not trying to get money.”

“I know that,” he said. “I didn’t think you were. But I do have a responsibility to you and the baby.”

The baby. Not our baby. He recognized his responsibility, but he wasn’t thinking of the baby as belonging to him in any way. He never would. The whole thing had the feeling of a business transaction, not an emotional moment between two people who were about to become parents together.

And it broke Ivy’s heart.

“All right,” she said. “Thank you.”

It was the most awkward thing to have said in that moment. Thank you. It felt like the wrong sentiment. It felt like the moment called for something much more meaningful than a simple thank you.

But how could it? Nothing meaningful was happening. He was offering her money, and that was all. Thanks were exactly what she owed him.

Suddenly, Ivy couldn’t stand to sit here in this coffee shop anymore. He had done more than he had been required to do, but it didn’t feel like anywhere near enough, and there was no way it ever would.

She got to her feet. “I should go,” she said.

“Will you be back to work soon?”

“Yes. Tomorrow.” The idea of facing him made her feel ill, but she couldn’t admit to him that she was so affected by all this, so hurt by his lack of desire for involvement in the baby’s life, that it was actually interfering with her desire to do her job. She had to finish what she’d started. As soon as the office was designed, she would be able to walk away and never look back. But until then…

Well, just like Elliot, Ivy had a responsibility. She had to see it through.

“Call me if you need anything, all right?” he said. “Don’t hesitate.”

“No, I won’t.” She wondered how much time would have to go by before it would feel natural to call him for a doctor bill or the price of a top-of-the-line car seat. It didn’t seem like something she would ever be comfortable doing, but she knew she would find a way eventually. She wanted her baby to have the very best of everything, even if asking for it did make her feel awkward.

She grabbed her purse and walked out of the coffee shop.

Once she was outside on the street, she felt herself begin to shake as her emotions finally got the best of her. She managed to hold back tears until she made it around the corner.

Thankfully, this was New York. Nobody stopped her to ask why she was crying. They didn’t care. They were too preoccupied with their own lives and dramas. You could always count on fellow New Yorkers to leave you alone.

Ivy hurried up the street toward her apartment, admitting to herself at last that she was crushed by Elliot’s response to her news.

It was good that he was going to help them out financially. Of course it was.

But it was miles away from what she had hoped for.

CHAPTER 13

IVY

“The window treatments are arriving,” Ivy said, leaning into Elliot’s office.

A week had gone by since she’d told him about the pregnancy, and in that time, things had grown very strange between the two of them. It was as if they had finally found the professionalism they’d each claimed to want from the very start of their working relationship. There was no more easy banter between them. There were no more nights in which they stayed late together to go over the plans for the rest of the project. If Elliot did stay past the time when the rest of his employees had gone home, he stayed in his office with the door closed, as if he was unwilling to risk any interaction with Ivy.

He was pulling away from her, and she hated that she had to come in here every day and watch it happen. But there was no getting away from it. There was no avoiding the fact that the relationship the two of them had once had was now forever altered.

Elliot looked up at her. “That’s good,” he murmured idly. “I assume you have it all under control.”

She did, of course. She didn’t need his help. That wasn’t why she’d come knocking at his door. “It’s in hand,” she said, hating herself, feeling like she was begging for scraps of his affection by doing this. “But I thought you might want to come out and see for yourself.”

Elliot shook his head. “I trust you,” he said. “I’m in the middle of going over some important paperwork, so I really don’t have the time right now. If you need any paperwork signed, the contractors can bring it in to me.”

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