Page 48 of One More Baby for the Boss

Elijah couldn’t see any harm in that idea. “All right,” he agreed, taking his son’s hand so they could cross the street safely. “But only one thing, okay? We’re not buying up a bunch of snacks.”

“One thing,” Jack agreed, with a grin so broad that Elijah knew he was hopeful that it wouldn’t be just one thing at all.

He was so focused on shutting down Jack’s dessert hoarding ambitions that he almost didn’t see her. It was Jack’s gasp, followed by his cry of “Alex!” that brought Elijah to attention.

Alex stood behind the counter wearing a pink apron, a pastry box in her hands. When she saw them, she fumbled it and dropped it behind the counter.

“I want a clean box,” the customer in front of her said. “You have to throw that one away.”

But Alex paid no attention to her customer. She wasn’t even looking at Jack. Her eyes were fixed on Elijah, her face a mask of shock. He couldn’t read her response. He had no idea whether she was happy to see him again or not.

But he had found her.

That was a start.

CHAPTER 23

ALEX

At first, she could do nothing but stare. It was surreal. Could Elijah really be here, standing right in front of her? How had he found her?

He looked back at her, eyes wide, and Alex knew for sure that it wasn’t the case that he had known she would be here. He looked far too surprised to see her. He had walked into this donut shop with no idea of what he was going to find.

Alex didn’t believe in fate. She didn’t believe that the universe was watching over her, pushing her in the direction it wanted her to go. Her luck had been too bad in her life to allow her to believe something like that. If the universe was watching her, it must not like her very much.

But what other explanation was there for what she was seeing? Elijah, here? She had never expected to see him again, and certainly not walking into the donut shop on a Saturday evening.

He stood stock still, staring at her, and Alex couldn’t help wondering if he was going to turn around and walk right back out the door. He looked like he’d seen a ghost.

Maybesheshould be the one to run away. Maybe she should get out of here while she still could, before this turned into a full-on confrontation and she was forced to discuss things she didn’t even want to think about.

But could those things be avoided now that he had found her again?

Jack was bouncing around on the floor in front of her like he’d had too much sugar. She was used to seeing kids act like this in the donut shop, of course, but it was out of character for Jack, who had come to be so even-keeled during their time together. It made her wonder what things had been like for the two of them in her absence. Had Jack regressed, returned to the behavioral problems he’d had before she had arrived? Was he throwing tantrums again?

Maybe she’d been wrong to leave them. Maybe she had been thinking too much about what she needed and not enough about what was right for Jack.

But they had come after her. They’d found her.

No. They didn’t come after me. They weren’t looking for me.As much as she would have liked to take it that way, she couldn’t allow herself that luxury. Elijah didn’t care about her. He had come in here accidentally, that was all. He’d be leaving any moment now.

But the least she could do would be to greet Jack.

She shook off the shock of the moment and came out from behind the counter. Jack immediately flung his arms around her waist. “You’re here!” he exclaimed. “I didn’t think we were ever going to see you again! But you’re really here!”

“And you’re really here too.” Alex returned his embrace, then held him back at arm’s length. “You’ve gotten bigger, I think.”

“I have?” Jack turned in a circle, clearly delighted. “Dad, am I bigger?”

“You get bigger every day,” Elijah said, but his gaze was fixed on Alex.

She felt as if she was swimming in his gaze. Drowning in it. The floor seemed to be tilting beneath her. She wished she’d stayed behind the counter so that she could lean on it to keep her steady. She had forgotten altogether how intense and piercing his stare could be. And now she was remembering what it had been like to lie in his bed, to watch him on top of her, and she felt dizzy with sudden desire.

Jack bounced up and down on the tips of his toes. “Is this where you work now?” he asked. “I don’t think it’s as good as our house. But there are more donuts here. I guess you came here because you wanted donuts, huh? That makes sense.”

“What are you two doing here?” Alex asked slowly.

“We’re on a road trip,” Jack said.

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