The Right Bride

Chapter Twenty-Two


CAMERON SAT NEXT to the bed in the chair Jack vacated and waited for Marti to turn and face him. It took a minute, but she finally did. The tears had stopped, but her damp cheeks mocked him with how much he’d hurt her. His gut tightened and his heart tore painfully in two.

“I thought I’d lost you. You scared the hell out of me, sweetheart.” He took her hand from the bed and held it and savored the warm feel of her skin against his. He thanked God he could still hold her hand, and he hadn’t lost her forever. The bruises on her arm where she’d grabbed the rope to haul Emma and herself back onto the boat were black and blue. He gently traced them with his fingertips. She probably hurt everywhere from using so much effort to save his daughter.

“Which part scared you? When I jumped off the ship to save your daughter after Shelly left her alone? When I had to let a ship come barreling toward me and grab a rope or risk Emma and I being pulled under the ship? When I told you I want you and Emma to be mine? I’m sure that’s pretty scary for a guy,” she said sarcastically. “Or maybe it was when I apparently fell asleep for four days?”

“All of those things, except the part where you told me you want Emma and me. That part just . . .”

“Just what? Made you feel sorry for me. Poor Marti has no one in her life. She wants a man who is engaged to marry someone else because of a lie.”

“It isn’t a lie. She gave me the test results on Monday.”

He’d stared at the form for hours and the damning word spelled out in black and white: POSITIVE.

“She’s having my baby and I can’t turn my back on them. And I don’t feel sorry for you. It breaks my heart to know I’m hurting you. I feel the same way about you, and there’s nothing I can do about it.”

“There’s a big difference between not being able to do something and not being willing to do something.”

She held on to his hand. He pressed it to his cheek and leaned his head into her palm. The pain etched in the lines on his forehead and dark circles under his eyes told her how much he’d suffered the last few days. It helped ease the ache in her heart, but only one thing could make it go away. The one thing he refused to give her. She’d tried to give him every reason to see the lies Shelly told him and choose her.

With a deep breath, she put everything on the line and gave him the only truth that meant everything. “Cameron, please, I—”

Love you, died on the tip of her tongue. Shelly glided into the room.

“Darling, there you are. You can’t keep me waiting in the car forever, you know. If we don’t leave now, we’ll be late for our appointment at the bakery to pick out our wedding cake.”

Cameron released Marti, the pain in her eyes too much to bear. He loved this woman and every time he turned around he put that look on her face and broke her heart. It killed him.

“Oh, hi, Marti. I hope you’re feeling better.”

She really didn’t, but she’d say it to score points with Cameron. She didn’t like seeing him holding Marti’s hand and looking at her that way. He wanted Marti, but so long as she had the baby, she would keep Cameron. Once they were married, she’d have everything.

Marti choked back the tirade bubbling inside of her, ready to explode in a torrent of scathing words. She didn’t turn around to even acknowledge the bitch. Cameron had come to see her and brought Shelly with him. Her heart shattered even more.

“Get out, Cameron,” she whispered, barely able to get the words she didn’t want to say out.

“Marti, I . . .”

“Goodbye.” How could one word hurt so much?

“I’ll come back and see you later.”

“Don’t bother. I’m fine now. I’m sure they’ll let me go home soon.”

“We need to talk.”

“There’s nothing to say. Leave a few pieces. Please.”

He knew exactly what she meant. Leave a few pieces of her heart. He’d broken it enough. How much more damage did he expect her to endure because he couldn’t let her go.

“Marti, I . . .”

“Go pick out your wedding cake. That says it all, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, darling. Let’s go. Marti, I’m sure, would like her privacy so she can rest.”

Marti couldn’t let Shelly leave without a warning. She didn’t turn around, but the tone of her voice said it all. “Shelly, if I find out you hurt Emma in any way, it will be the last thing you ever do.”

Shelly gaped at Marti’s back. “Emma is a lovely girl. We’re going to get along just fine. Cameron, let’s go.”

Marti stared out the window, shutting him out. Cameron walked around the bed to follow Shelly out the door. He trailed his fingertips over Marti’s feet, not wanting to leave without one last touch. About to close the door behind him, he heard her sobbing. He would have gone back to her, but Emma and Jack were there, and he didn’t want to make things worse by having Shelly make a scene if he went back to Marti and didn’t leave to get the cake with her. He couldn’t let Emma know Marti was crying because of him either.

He closed the door softly and leaned back against it for a moment with his eyes closed, every painful sob tearing him to shreds.

“Want me to just punch you? It might take your mind off the other pain,” Jack whispered so only Cameron heard.

Jack couldn’t imagine what it was like to love one woman and plan to marry another.

“I’d rather you get Sam to just shoot me. I’m afraid I’ll feel this way for the rest of my life.”

“If you marry her, it will only get worse. Imagine what you’ll feel like when you hear Marti is marrying another man.”

“Thanks, you just put the bow on my present.”

“Speaking of presents. What should I get you for a wedding gift? Cyanide?”

“I couldn’t leave Emma behind,” he said self-mockingly.

“I meant for you to use on Shelly after the baby arrives.”

“Do you believe there’s a baby?” He kept an eye on Emma and Shelly standing together just down the hall, waiting for him by the elevator. He didn’t want either of them to overhear.

“It doesn’t matter what I believe. It only matters what Shelly can prove. Seems to me she hasn’t actually done that.”

“She gave me the lab report confirming it.”

“Anything can be faked. Ask Sam. It’ll be months before she starts showing. You’d be wise to wait until there’s an actual baby bump or you see an ultrasound before you actually do get her pregnant.”

“I already thought of that. I haven’t slept with her since she told me she’s pregnant.”

“You mean since you met Marti. Doesn’t that tell you something?” Jack glared. “Even you don’t believe Shelly one hundred percent. I think you’re a great dad and it would please you to no end to have another baby. Don’t lose the woman you love because you want a baby and not his mother.”

Jack decided to change the subject. Cameron had heard nothing but the same arguments against Shelly from him and everyone else over the last four days. None of them had gotten through to him.

“I’ll take Marti to George’s. The doctor’s going to release her tomorrow morning. He said she’d be fine with some rest and medication.”

“I wanted to take her home.”

“Home? Where? To the ship, to George’s, to your place? Where is home for Marti, who has no family or friends to come and see her in the hospital? We’ve all been here for her, but we’re new friends and she hasn’t learned to rely on us yet. You, on the other hand, she wants to build a life with and you’re going off to buy a wedding cake with your bride-to-be. I’d like to take her home myself and adopt her into the Turner family. Between Jenna, Sam, and Elizabeth, plus all the kids, we could be her family.”

“Are you going to keep rubbing salt in the wound? You’re as bad as Sam. He read me the riot act the other day.”

“We’ve decided to remind you of what an idiot you are and point out all your flaws until the day you marry Shelly. On that day, we’ll throw up our hands in defeat and pray the only person who gets hurt is you, and not Emma. I’m afraid it’s too late for Marti. You’ve already decimated her.”

Jack poked a finger into Cameron’s chest. “You asked if I was going to keep rubbing salt in the wound, don’t do that to Marti. She’s taken enough from you.”

“I can’t let her go.”

“You don’t have a choice, brother.” Jack put his hand on Cameron’s shoulder and shoved him away from the door and toward his waiting fiancé.

“Happy cake shopping.” Jack went in to see Marti. Cameron had made his choice and it didn’t look like any amount of arguing would change his mind.

Stubborn, single-minded idiot.