The Right Bride

Chapter Twenty-Four


LIVING IN CAMERON’S home without him there was strange. She’d spent all day Monday begging Emma to drink some broth to settle her stomach. By Monday night, the little girl was finally feeling well enough to sleep without waking several times during the night. Marti had slept little Sunday or Monday herself.

The doorbell to the penthouse rang and she set her morning coffee down on the marble countertop.

She didn’t know who to expect, but Shelly certainly wasn’t high on her list.

“What the hell are you doing in my fiancé’s house?”

Here to cause trouble, of course Shelly knew Cameron was out of town. The bitch wanted to mark her territory.

“I’d invite you in, but Emma is sick. We wouldn’t want you and the baby to get sick too,” she said and looked pointedly at Shelly’s flat stomach. “How far along are you?”

“It’s very early in the pregnancy. That’s why Cameron and I are getting married so fast. He wants me to be thin and beautiful on our wedding day.”

“I’m sure that’s his first concern about your wedding.”

She blocked the door, refusing to allow Shelly in. Spiteful, but something small to repay her for all the unkind things she’d said and done to her.

“Let me in.”

“No. Cameron isn’t home, Emma is sick, and I don’t want to talk to you.”

Shelly was losing her patience. She wanted to get into the penthouse while Cameron was away, a perfect opportunity to look around alone and decide what changes she might want to make, how she’d like to redecorate. She also wanted to see all the lovely, expensive things Cameron had in the house.

“I’m Cameron’s fiancé. If I want to come into his house, I can.”

“If he wanted you here when he wasn’t, he’d have given you a key.”

“Things have happened so quickly for us, he overlooked it. He didn’t want Emma to be confused by my coming and going.”

“Cameron has good sense when it comes to his daughter. Like I said, she’s sick and needs to have quiet so she can rest. Cameron will be home tomorrow night. I’m sure you already knew, however.”

“Of course I did.”

“What are you doing here now, when he told you he didn’t want you coming and going and confusing Emma?” She used her sweetest voice to irritate Shelly even more.

Marti got a sweet sort of satisfaction watching the woman steam outside the penthouse door. She was sure at any moment her head would explode. Her ears went red with rage.

“I want to come in and look around before we hold the ceremony in a few weeks. I need to make sure there’s enough room for everyone.”

Marti couldn’t help herself. She glanced over her shoulder at the huge living area and decided a hundred guests would fit comfortably.

“They’ll be plenty of room,” she said.

About to close the door in Shelly’s face, she took a determined step toward her and braced her hand flat on the door.

Down the hall, another door opened and a beautiful brunette woman came out and walked down the hall. Two twin little blonde heads peaked out the door before Jack grabbed them.

“Hi, Jack.”

“Hi, Marti.” He scooped up his little boys and took them back inside.

The amazing Jenna Turner was about to make her introduction. Marti heard a lot about her from Jack, Sam, and Cameron while they were on the ship and over the last few weeks.

“Marti, I’m desperate,” Jenna said and looked Shelly up and down, making it clear she didn’t approve. “Could I borrow a cup of sugar?”

Marti choked back a laugh, didn’t so much as crack a smile. “I’m sure you know where Cameron keeps it. Please, help yourself.”

When Jenna reached the door, she passed Shelly without so much as a hello and stepped past Marti into the penthouse.

“If you’ll excuse me, I have company.” Marti closed the door on Shelly’s gaping face.

Marti assumed Shelly knew just who the woman was who entered the penthouse. Shelly couldn’t make a scene in front of Cameron’s boss and she knew it.

Ah, revenge is very sweet.

Marti turned from the door. Jenna sat in the chair in the living room facing her. She looked regal with the bank of windows behind her.

“She’s probably pissed you know where the sugar is and have been inside Cameron’s house and she hasn’t.”

“I have no idea where the sugar is, but I have been in here a lot. My boys love to play with Emma. We often swap play dates when one or the other has another appointment or engagement. I’m Jenna, by the way. Jack’s wife.”

“I know. I’m Marti. It’s nice to finally meet you. Thank you for coming over to rescue me. I think she was ready to shove me out of the way to get in here.”

Marti sat on the sofa nearest Jenna and smiled.

“I find it interesting Cameron had you come to stay with Emma and not Shelly.”

“Tell me about it. I love that little girl, but sometimes I want to ring her father’s neck.”

“We’re all feeling the same way lately. I understand why he doesn’t want to trust Shelly with Emma after what happened on the ship. It makes me wonder what he’s going to do once he marries her.”

“I don’t know. At that point, I won’t have the ability to protect her. The only reason I’ve stayed involved this long is because of Emma.”

“The only reason?” Jenna saw exactly what Jack meant. Marti was beautiful and had a good heart. She’d heard the exchange in the hallway with Shelly and thought poor Marti had put up with a lot over the last few weeks.

“No, not the only reason. I’m sure Jack told you I’m in love with Cameron, and he’s in love with me.” She shrugged and got more comfortable on the sofa. Jenna was easy to talk to, and she needed to talk to someone about this mess.

“I’ve tried to convince him, the rest of you have, Shelly is using him. He’s convinced he has to marry her for the baby’s sake.

“I think letting him go would be easier if I truly believed there’s a baby. And if he cared deeply for Shelly. If I knew for sure she’d be a good mother to Emma and the baby.”

“That’s a lot of ifs,” Jenna said. “Shelly is manipulative and deceitful. She’ll do everything she can to make sure this wedding happens.”

“Cameron is just as determined to see it through.”

“You know about Emma’s mother? She died having Emma.”

“I know. Cameron harbors a lot of guilt. He thinks he can alleviate the guilt over losing his wife and leaving Emma motherless by giving the new baby both a mother and father and providing Emma with a mother at the same time. Shelly is no kind of mother at all, and it makes me angry. It breaks my heart to think in a few weeks, I’ll have to leave Emma to Shelly’s care. I won’t have a choice then.”

“None of us will. Jack, Elizabeth, Sam, and I will all have to accept Shelly as Cameron’s wife.

“I can only tell you the rest of us will do our best to watch over Emma. I wonder what will happen if he marries her and finds out later that she isn’t pregnant.”

“I’ve wondered the same thing. I can only say it’ll be his problem. We’ve all tried to tell him.”

Marti didn’t want to talk about it anymore. “Cameron said you and Jack went back to Colorado.”

“We did. We go back and forth between here and the ranch. I came back because I promised Cameron I’d take over the charity benefit he sets up every year. It’s the night before ‘the wedding’ and he doesn’t have time to plan both. I need to line up some artwork to display and an auction. The auction is the easy part, Cameron collects things from all over the world all year for the auction.

“I’ve contacted several museums and private collectors to see if I can borrow some art. I wanted to find an artist who is well known and will draw a large crowd, but also has a set of paintings themed around children.”

“Why children?”

“The benefit is for his foundation. He raises money for the neonatal unit at the hospital where Emma was born. She was premature, and they saved her life. He’s had a benefit every year since, and donates all the proceeds to the hospital. The foundation is called the Emma Shaw Foundation.”

“Wow. Very admirable.”

“Yes, and just one more reason he won’t give up on the baby Shelly is carrying. If she’s carrying.”

“Have you had any luck at all getting some art?”

“Lots of people want us to display their work. It’s just, this is a big event in San Francisco, and I’d like to have something spectacular, something that will draw a huge crowd. You know, the kind of crowd with lots of money to donate. Cameron works so hard and travels so much, he can only do this once a year. Whatever he raises now will have to be enough, until he can do it again next year. The hospital would like to update some of their older equipment and hire two more full-time doctors. If we can raise enough money, they can do those things and more. Whatever is left over, Cameron rolls over to the children’s cancer ward.”

“You’ll find what you’re looking for soon.” Marti would make sure of it.

If Jenna wanted a famous artist with a set of canvases depicting a child theme, she knew just who to call. She’d contact the curator of her grandmother’s art collection and have him call Jenna.

“I hope you don’t mind being here with Emma. It’s kind of my fault. I sent Cameron to Japan. Obviously, I didn’t know Emma would get sick. I thought a few days away to clear his head would do him some good.”

“It probably won’t change his mind. I don’t mind staying with Emma. She’s still asleep, but she’s feeling better. I’ll keep her home from school again tomorrow, but she should be right as rain by Thursday.”

“Good. I need Cameron working on a land development deal on Thursday.”

“Are you building something here in the city?”

“No, we found a piece of land over by San Pedro. We want to develop it, but the landowners don’t want to sell. I’m hoping Cameron will change their minds.”

“What kind of development?”

“It’s part of our neighborhood restoration project. We take on one each year. We have a client willing to put up a grocery store and provide a loan to a neighborhood businessman or partners to own and operate the store. There will be some smaller shops in the complex and the same offer will be made to locals if they want to use the low interest loan to set up shop.”

“Sounds wonderful. You know, a lot of communities are desperate for something like that in their neighborhoods. It also gives the local community members the chance to own their own businesses and remain in the community and help support local growth and community involvement.”

“Exactly. I try to give back as much as possible. I’m sorry. This must bore you. I’m in charity mode, and I have enough ideas for this development project to do five more.”

“Maybe you’ll get the chance.” Marti knew of a piece of land in a local community Fairchild Industries planned to develop years ago, but they got turned down on the building plans by the city because they’d wanted to build offices. The city building commission might approve a plan like Jenna’s. Maybe Fairchild Industries could team up with Merrick International for the project.

Her uncle was always telling her to get more involved in the business. Here was her chance. She bet she could get the board to agree. As it stood now, the land was just sitting there, unused. This way they could put the land to good use and provide jobs and opportunities to locals.

“I lost you for a minute. What were you thinking about?”

“Sometimes things work out for the best when you meet the right person.”

“I don’t think you’re talking about you and Cameron.”

“That’s one thing that won’t work out and will only end bloody for me. I already know and I’ve accepted it. I’m here for Emma. I have a few surprises for her before I have to say goodbye.”

“Does it have to be goodbye?”

“Not forever, but I can’t stay and watch him marry her and be with her. I just can’t, not even for Emma. She’ll have to learn to accept Shelly in some way.”

“She told Elizabeth and me that she wants you to be her mother. When she sees Cameron marry Shelly it will hit her you’ll never be her mother and it will hurt her to the core.”

Marti couldn’t speak. She had nothing to say. She just nodded her agreement.

“Well, I’m off. Jack is waiting and I have to see if anyone has called about the art I need.”

“I bet you’ll get a call by the end of the day. It’ll all work out. I promise.”

Jenna gave her an odd look. “I like your optimism. Time is running out. I really want this to be perfect.”

“It will be.”