The Right Bride

Chapter Seventeen


SHE SAT ON the railing by the docks waiting for Cameron and everyone to arrive. The sun warmed her shoulders and head. The group walked toward her through the parking lot. Cameron carried a life vest for Emma, telling her she couldn’t go on the boat unless she put it on and kept it on. Emma did not want to wear the life vest and protested vehemently.

Shelly wore white shorts, a pink tank top, and underneath the thin covering a hot-pink string bikini showed through. The bikini barely covered her, nothing but a few strategically placed triangle swatches. Cameron and the other two men were getting an eyeful. Easy enough to see what Cameron saw in the woman. She had a great body. Too bad when she opened her mouth she spoiled all the beauty.

The two men with Cameron must be Jack and Sam, Marti assumed. Identical twins, right down to the way they walked. One wore a red polo shirt and the other a dark blue T-shirt. Both men wore cutoff jeans and boat shoes. They would do well on the ship. If they hit rough water, Shelly was going to have a hard time on those heels.

Cameron was dressed much like the other two men. Khaki shorts, a black T-shirt, and boat shoes. Emma had on a sundress and water shoes. She wouldn’t slip on the deck and she was pretty well covered from the bright sun. Cameron carried a large bag, towels poking out the top. It probably held other necessary items for Emma. His daughter’s well-being was his top priority. Marti liked him for it.

Shelly’s mesh bag held her straw sunhat, several magazines, and a bottle of tanning oil.

This is going to be fun.

“You have to wear the life vest.” Exasperation filled Cameron’s voice.

“You know, we can leave you with the driver.” Shelly snapped out. The way she said it grated on Marti’s nerves.

They all stopped in front of her, looking eager to leave. To break the tension, Marti went with a joke.

“Cameron, really, you shouldn’t have. I mean, you said you owed me, but twins? Wow. I know they say men have fantasies about twins. I have to say, I’m warming up to the idea.”

Both Sam and Jack cracked up with laughter.

Shelly ruined it. “They’re married, honey, to wealthy women. Hands off.”

Marti looked directly at Cameron and frowned. “Now that’s just downright mean. You bring me twins and they’re married. To wealthy women no less,” she said sarcastically.

Cameron smiled. “This is Sam, he’s married to Elizabeth from the restaurant.”

Cameron indicated the man in the red shirt. She shook his hand.

“Damn, he’s married to a wealthy woman, and she’s beautiful and can cook. Now how am I supposed to lure him away from her? You’re just mean, Cameron.”

“I like her,” Sam said with a broad smile. “Elizabeth said you were great. She was right, as usual.”

“Sure, rub it in. She’s smart too. And she bakes. Who can compete with that?”

Sam cracked up again.

Even Cameron laughed. He couldn’t help himself. She sounded downright disgusted he’d brought Sam and she couldn’t have him.

He recovered enough to introduce his other friend.

“This is Jack. He’s married to Jenna, my boss. They’re like brothers to me and uncles to Emma.”

“Let me guess, she’s beautiful in addition to being wealthy. What else is she?”

“A wonderful mother and can turn the meanest stallion into a puppy dog. She’s also the love of my life.”

She looked sad. “Well, damn. You didn’t hear that, Sugar Bug.”

She held out her hand and smiled at Jack. “It’s nice to meet you both. Now, take off your shirts, and I’ll see if I can tell you apart without them.”

She smiled and rubbed her hands together mischievously. They were both gorgeously well-built men. She’d like nothing better than to see them half naked, but most of all she couldn’t help but continue with the joke and seeing Cameron smile.

“Elizabeth was right, you really screwed up, Cam. Do you think Elizabeth would kill me for keeping her?” Sam put his arm around Marti and squeezed. He also took note of the killer look he got from Cameron.

“I guarantee it,” Cameron said. Elizabeth was right. He had screwed up, and now he was paying for it, painfully. Jack and Sam would make sure he knew it too.

Sam began the fun and games at his expense. “Maybe we should introduce her to my partner, Tyler. I think they’d hit it off. What do you think, Cam?”

“I think you should mind your own business,” Cameron said irritably. He didn’t want to see Marti with Tyler, or any other man. He rubbed the back of his neck and looked at Marti’s smiling face.

Marti figured she’d change the subject.

“Shelly, we were never introduced. I’m Marti. It’s nice to meet you.” She shook Shelly’s hand and hoped the show of goodwill loosened her up.

It didn’t. Shelly shot daggers from her eyes at Marti.

“Well, Sugar Bug, looks like everyone is paired up. You’re all mine, I guess.”

Shelly leaned in and whispered, “Don’t forget it, honey.”

So much for goodwill. She scooped up Emma and gave her a hug. As usual, the girl held her tight like she didn’t want to let go.

Marti put Emma down and looked at her very seriously. “Ready to go?”

“Oh, yes. Where’s the boat?”

Marti turned and pointed way out in the harbor where her anchored ship bobbed on the waves. Too big to tie at the dock, she left her black zodiac tied up a few feet away. They’d take it to the ship.

“No way. It’s a pirate ship.” Emma’s eyes went wide with excitement.

Everyone held the same stunned expression and started talking at once, telling her what a great ship, they couldn’t wait to go aboard. She looked down at Emma.

“Ready to be a pirate?”

“Yep.”

“Great. Pirates who don’t know how to swim and are five years old wear life vests at all times. Even on the ship, you have to keep it on. If you don’t wear it, we can’t go. Pirate ship rules.”

Marti waited for the little girl to decide. It only took a second. Cameron put the vest on her, silently mouthed thank you to Marti, and they all boarded the zodiac and Marti took them to the ship.

“Okay, Cameron, Sam, Jack, we’ll head toward the Farallon Islands. Let’s see if we can catch some salmon.”

She brought out the fishing poles and got a lot of oohs and aahs over the equipment. The ship was fully stocked, the equipment top of the line.

Shelly had taken note of everything on the ship, from the leather sectional and antique furnishings to the lavishly decorated cabins below. She didn’t have much to say about the stainless steel appliances in the galley, but she did take note of the elaborately stocked bar.

Impressed with the crew onboard, she had a good time ordering them to get her a drink, or move a chair on deck for her.

Pissed off, Marti put up with it for Emma’s sake. She’d probably have to give the crew a bonus for putting up with the snob.

She set Emma up with a fishing rod and made her stand next to Cameron. She was safe enough, but accidents happened and Marti didn’t want to take any chances with her.

They had a successful morning fishing. All the men pulled in a fair number of salmon. The fish were on ice and Marti had just put out lunch for everyone on the front deck. She made Emma a turkey sandwich, some fruit salad, and chips. Shelly insisted on taking her meal at the table below deck, so Cameron went down to eat with her.

It was a wonderful lunch with everyone talking and having a good time. She liked Jack and Sam. They were warm and kind. Even Captain Finn enjoyed the men’s company, and most especially Emma. He relished telling her a number of very tall pirate tales. They all listened and laughed. Emma was having a grand time.

“Sugar Bug, you stay with your uncles and Captain Finn. I’m going to see if your dad and Shelly would like some more lunch.”

“I’ll come with you, Marti. I need a word.”

Marti noted the concern in Captain Finn’s voice. “All right.”

They went below deck. Shelly and Cameron were not in the main living space. One of the cabin doors was closed and she frowned.

“What did you need?”

Sound carried on the ship, and he didn’t want anyone overhearing what he had to say. He’d watched her and the people she’d brought onboard. One thing was clear. She had a thing for Cameron, and although he’d brought the wench with him, he clearly wanted Marti.

He watched Marti when she wasn’t looking, and she did the same to Cameron. He’d overheard the wench say she was having Cameron’s baby and they were getting married. It bothered him, because he’d watched her to make sure she didn’t make any more rude comments or snide remarks to Marti. Every word out of her mouth pissed him off more.

He put his hands on Marti’s shoulders, pulled her to him, and whispered in her ear. She immediately put her hands on his arms to keep herself steady on the moving ship.

“That wench who came onboard with Cameron has been drinking. She’s half-crocked between the vodka-cranberry juice and too much sun.”

Marti studied Captain Finn and saw the serious look in his eyes. “You’re sure?”

“Oh, yes. I’m sure.”

“She swore to Cameron she’s pregnant.”

“I doubt it. If she is, she should be drowned. I’ve caught her three times sneaking down here to add vodka to her juice.”

He was still holding her and whispering in her ear when the door creaked open behind them.

Marti turned her head, eyes connecting with Cameron’s. Shirtless, guilt written all over his face, he slipped out of the cabin.

Shelly called, “Come back, darling,” in a sultry tone that made her heart shatter.

“Thank you, Captain.”

She let go of him and faced off with Cameron, her heart bleeding. “I see I didn’t have to come down and see if you needed anything. Shelly already made sure to take care of you.”

She shouldn’t feel hurt or betrayed, but she did. She also knew it showed all over her face. “I’ll just go back up and make sure Emma is okay.”

Cameron stood there and Marti disappeared up the steps onto the deck. Nothing for him to say or do to change things, not matter how much he wanted to. He didn’t belong to her. She’d never be his.

He rubbed his hand over the back of his neck and wondered how he managed to dig himself deeper and deeper into his own personal pile of shit.

He would never forget the pain on Marti’s face when he walked out of the cabin. He didn’t think he was capable of making someone hurt the way he’d seen Marti hurting when she saw him come out the door.

Hell, he’d spent the entire morning hard and throbbing, watching Marti in her bikini top and cutoff jean shorts helping Emma fish. She’d joked with everyone, been the perfect hostess, and kept the conversation moving from one topic to the next, engaging everyone. Thanks to her, everyone was having the time of their lives. She even included Shelly whenever possible.

Shelly didn’t make it easy. She was too busy cataloguing everything expensive on the ship, or making rude comments about Marti personally. It made him angry, but Marti let it roll right off her back.

And just how did he repay her for a great day out on her ship? He disappeared with Shelly, who tried at every turn to spoil Marti’s day, in a cabin on her ship. In the end, all her overzealous pawing and groping did was make him desperate to get away from her. He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t sleep with her. Not when Marti was the only woman he wanted. Going into that room with Shelly, well, he’d crossed the line. He might as well have slapped Marti. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t hide the fact he didn’t want Shelly. Not the way he wanted her. She wanted him too, and he’d thrown it in her face she couldn’t have him. Worse, he hadn’t corrected her assumption he’d been doing the nasty with Shelly.

Why should he feel so guilty? He was engaged to Shelly. He could sleep with her if he wanted. It shouldn’t matter what Marti thought. Except it did matter. It mattered more than he wanted to admit, because he’d made a commitment and a promise, and he owed it to his children to give them the life they deserved.

He sat on the couch and looked out the window at the sea. He didn’t pay attention to Shelly coming out of the cabin on less than steady legs. He sat brooding and wishing to go back in time and not walk into the restaurant and see Shelly who looked like Caroline. He wished to erase her and start with the day he’d met Marti, only this time he would be alone when George introduced them.