Page 48 of The Marriage Pact
Kaitlyn couldn’t help but shed a tear. The sight of them together in the photographs brought with it the same feelings as he described. They’d been simpler days, but there was no reason why those days shouldn’t be theirs again. But first, there was something she had to tell him.
“I know, and it’s what I want too. But… something’s happened since I left,” Kaitlyn said.
He looked at her curiously, fearfully, even. “What is it? I’m sure we can work it out. Unless… someone else?” he asked.
Kaitlyn couldn’t help but smile at this assumption. There hadn’t been anyone else in years, and the thought of finding someone so immediately in a small town like Cedarhurst amused her.
“No, don’t be silly. There’s no one else. I appreciate everything you’ve said. It’s so sweet. And I want us to make a go of things. Looking at those photos reminds me of what it was like. Let’s go back to that. Let’s be like that again. But if we’re going to, then we’re going to be doing it with someone else, too,” she said, watching as his expression turned to puzzlement.
“I don’t understand,” he replied.
“I’m pregnant,” Kaitlyn said, knowing that with these words, everything would change.
CHAPTER 20
ALEX
Alex had meant what he’d said. He’d already told a shocked Hilary of her promotion and put in place the necessary means by which to fulfill it. He’d maintain a supervisory role, but the time had come to step back from the day-to-day running of the business. If he and Kaitlyn were to make a go of things, he had to concentrate on what really mattered — her. That’s why he’d come to Cedarhurst, and why he was now sitting on the couch with Kaitlyn at her mom’s house, right back where it had all started. But her words had come as a shock, a complete and utter shock, and it took a moment for him to realize what she was saying.
“Pregnant? Are you sure?” he asked.
It was a foolish thing to say, and he knew it because the look on her face told him it was true. But to hear her say so…
“I did two tests, and I can’t stop throwing up in the mornings.”
Kaitlyn telling him that she was pregnant was the last thing Alex had expected her to say, and yet there was no reason why it should come as a surprise, either. But to think he was going to bea dad. That they were going to be parents. It was both the most wonderful news and the most daunting news at the same time. And what about Kaitlyn? What did she think of it?
“Are you happy?” he asked.
Part of him feared she’d say no and that she intended not to have the baby. It caused his heart to skip a beat, but then a wave of relief spread through him at the sight of the smile breaking over her face.
“I am. Are you?”
Alex felt tears welling up in his eyes. He didn’t think he’d ever felt happier. It was the most extraordinary feeling, an elation such as he’d never known. All those years of business, all those profits, all those successes, and yet they paled into insignificance next to the joy he felt at sharing this wonderful news with the woman he loved.
“I… I can’t believe it. I don’t know what to say. I’m so happy, I could burst,” he exclaimed, throwing his arms around her.
Their lips met in a kiss, and it felt to Alex as though he was floating on air. He had so many questions. So many thoughts were going around in his mind. He couldn’t think straight. As their lips parted, he was smiling from ear to ear.
“I couldn’t believe it either at first. I was so worried about telling you. I found out when I got back here. I didn’t keep it from you before, in New York, I mean. But I wasn’t sure if you’d be happy or not,” Kaitlyn said. “It’s going to mean a big change for both of us. We’ve got to be absolutely sure about… us.”
Alex nodded. He knew what she was saying, and she was right. They had to be sure. But the thought of a baby, of a new life,changed everything for him. The business had always been his first and last thought each day. It had consumed him. And yet his focus on it had left him feeling empty. He’d nearly lost what was most important. Kaitlyn mattered far more than money and material success. The news of the baby only brought that more sharply into focus.
“And I want us to be sure. That’s why I want you to believe me when I say I’m going to step back from the business. Actually, I had another idea, even before you told me about the baby. I still can’t believe… Why don’t we come back to Cedarhurst?”
She looked at him in surprise. “But New York’s your life. You wouldn’t want to come back here,” she said.
But Alex shook his head. He’d already made up his mind. New York didn’t mean anything to him. He had no roots there, no ties, except the superficial. It was just a place. Cedarhurstmeantsomething. It held memories for them both. It was a special place. Alex now knew he wanted to make it a place in which to make memories again — as a family.
“But imagine it. We could do up the house. There’s a wonderful garden. Junior could go to the high school. My mom’s nearby for babysitting. This is where we met. I can’t think of anywhere better. I don’t want to go back to New York. Unless you do,” he said.
But the look on Kaitlyn’s face was enough for him to know she didn’t want to go back, either.
“You’ll hear no complaints from me. I could open a studio here. A gallery, even,” she said, and Alex nodded.
“That’s a wonderful idea. But what matters most is us being together. That’s right, isn’t it? You me, and…”
“Junior,” Kaitlyn said, laughing as she took Alex’s hand in hers and placed it gently on her stomach.
