Chapter 24
BAILEY
“It was me again,” I said, hovering at the counter. “Sorry. I forgot I should probably make an appointment first. Whatever. I promise it was important.”
She looked at me over her glasses, unimpressed. “Let me guess. Life or death matters. You mention your name and he would definitely want to see you.”
“Err… yes?” I grimaced. Why did she always give me that look every time I was here? I had to admit, she was exceptionally good at her job. A ruthless gatekeeper, scrutinizing anyone who dared approach her boss.
“I am sure it is, Ms. Carter,” she said coolly. “However, you will need to wait a few minutes. He gave strict instructions not to be disturbed. He is handling something very important at the moment.”
“Wow,” I muttered. “Working through lunch break. He was really a busy man, huh?”
I attempted a smile. It died instantly under her unamused stare.
Then a thought hit me and my stomach dipped. “Oh gosh. Do not tell me he is inside with his fiancée.” I fumbled over my words as heat rushed to my face. “I should probably leave them alone and come back later. After they finished whatever they were doing in there. You know what I mean.”
The mental image alone was enough to haunt me.
“Sit down, Ms. Carter.”
I was already halfway turned to flee when her sharp command stopped me cold. I dropped onto the couch without thinking. She stepped away from the counter and disappeared down the corridor, leaving me staring at the wall, helpless and overthinking everything.
A few minutes later, she returned and stood in front of me.
“He is free now. You may go in. His secretary is out for lunch, so go straight to his office.”
“Oh. Thank you,” I said quickly, scrambling to my feet.
“Ms. Carter,” she added calmly, already turning back to her desk. “It is now ex fiancée. And no, he was not with her just now.”
I froze, completely speechless.
She did not spare me another glance, already picking up the phone that had been ringing nonstop, leaving me standing there with a flushed face and a head full of thoughts I had not asked for.
Ashton’s office sat at the top of a five storey building, which meant an elevator ride spent staring at my reflection in the mirrored walls, trying to calm my nerves. True enough, his secretary was nowhere at her desk when I stepped out. The entire floor felt unusually quiet.
His office door was slightly ajar. I pushed it open, expecting to find him behind the desk, but the room was empty.
Then I heard it. The sound of running water.
A moment later, Ashton appeared from a hidden door on the left.
I froze.
His hair was wet, droplets clinging to his temples. His shirt was unbuttoned, sleeves pushed up, as if he had just stepped out of the shower. My mind stuttered, my breath hitching before I could stop it.
Who took a shower in the middle of the day?
Unless of course he had just—
No. Do not go there, Bailey. Stop it.
I scolded myself, desperate to rein in my spiraling thoughts. Taking a shower in your private bathroom, in your own office, was normal. Perfectly normal.
He was probably hot and exhausted from work. From the construction site. From hours spent overseeing the town’s development. After all, he was deeply involved in it.
Still, I could not seem to look away.
“Do not just stand there, Bailey. Take a seat. Or make yourself a coffee.” His firm voice cut through my thoughts. “You did not get to finish last time when you were here.”
The command startled me, snapping me out of my daze and dragging me back into reality. For a moment, I forgot why I had come at all. Then I felt the weight of the document in my hand.
“I already read the agreement,” I said, lifting my chin. My voice was steady, almost proud. It felt like a small victory, but a victory nonetheless.
I had help. Sissy’s husband, Adam. He might not have represented billionaire clients, but thank goodness he knew his way around the law. More importantly, he knew people. Good lawyers who were willing to give their opinions without judgment.
I had shared the documents with him, listened carefully, and finally decided on my next move.
Ashton picked up the phone. I could hear his voice clearly as he spoke to the receptionist.
“Bridget, do me a favor. Once my secretary is back, inform her to clear my schedule for the rest of the day. That includes my meeting with the town mayor. I do not want to be disturbed.” He paused, then added, “And arrange some refreshments. Book dinner at the usual place for two. Understood? Thank you.”
I blinked.
He was really canceling his meeting with the mayor.
“Look, Ashton,” I said quickly, unease creeping in. “This should not take too much of your time.”
He turned to me, his expression unwavering. “When it comes to our son, I did not delay. Even if it took a whole week. He was always my priority.”
“Right,” I murmured. “It was all about our son. Of course.”
The bitterness slipped out before I could stop it. Jealousy followed close behind, sharp and unwelcome. The realization stung.
There was someone else in my son’s world now.
And he mattered just as much.
I took a slow breath and placed the document on the table between us, but I did not push it toward him yet.
“I had thought about this carefully,” I said. “Not just as a mother who wanted to protect her child, but as someone who understood what it meant to lose time you could never get back.”
Ashton remained silent, watching me closely.
“Our son should stay with me,” I continued, choosing each word with care. “Michigan was where his school was. His friends. His routine. His sense of safety. I would not uproot him and drag him into another life just because the adults around him were still figuring things out.”
His jaw tightened, but I did not stop.
“That did not mean I was cutting you out. You would still be very present. Extended visits. School holidays. Long stretches during breaks. He would know you. He would have time with you that was not rushed or stolen between obligations.”
I met his eyes. “Stability mattered, Ashton. Especially at his age.”
“That made me a visitor,” he said quietly.
The words landed heavier than an accusation.
I hesitated, then added, “It made you his father who showed up consistently, without turning his life upside down.”
The silence stretched.
“There was another option,” I said finally, softer now. “One I did not expect you to like.”
His eyes lifted.
“You could come to us,” I continued. “Spend significant time where he already lived. You had the resources. Remote work. Temporary arrangements. I was not asking you to give up your life, but if someone had to bend, it should not always be the child.”
His expression hardened, not with anger, but something deeper.
I finished speaking and waited.
Ashton studied me for a long moment before he finally spoke. “You keep saying you were protecting him,” he said quietly. “But every option you offered kept him with you and left me in fragments.”
“That was not true,” I replied.
“It was,” he said. “Holidays. Breaks. Long visits that ended with goodbye. You called that stability. I called it absence with a schedule.”
I stiffened. “I was trying to do what was best for him.”
“And I was asking to be part of his everyday life,” he said, his voice tightening. “Not a visitor. Not a memory he packed away when the holidays ended.”
He leaned back, exhaustion etched into his face. “Tell me how your plan taught him that his father truly belonged.”
The silence that followed was heavy.
For the first time, I did not have an answer.
He leaned forward, his gaze locking on mine.
“Bailey, I was done asking,” he said. “We were getting back together. We were going to be a family. For him. And for us. No more half measures. No more waiting. This ended now.”
I froze, my heart hammering. “What… what were you saying?” I managed, my voice shaking.
“I was saying I wanted us,” he repeated, stronger this time. “Together. As a family.”
I glared at him, cheeks burning, furious and flustered. “Like hell I would ever trust you again.”
He did not flinch.
Slowly, deliberately, he leaned closer until his eyes locked onto mine. Fire burned in them. Certainty. Resolve.
Before I could react, he closed the distance and pressed his lips to mine.
The world disappeared.
Breathless, my hands clutched his shoulders as his mouth claimed mine again, deep and insistent, forcing every thought, every argument, every fear from my mind.
“I had been holding back that kiss,” he murmured against my lips, “ever since you stepped back into my life.”
He did not stop.
And for one dangerous moment, neither did I.