The Right Bride

Chapter Forty


JENNA MARCHED INTO Cameron’s office to demand some answers for why the president of the company had canceled all his appointments, wasn’t taking any calls, and had essentially locked himself in his office. She wanted to yell, but when she saw him, she couldn’t. The devastated look on his face and the desolation in his eyes stopped her cold.

“Cameron? What happened?”

“She’s pregnant.”

“Yes, I know.”

“Not Shelly, Marti.”

“Yes, I know.”

He waited for her to explain.

“Who eats apple pie with chocolate sauce, whip cream, and olives? You’re an idiot.”

“That’s what you and Elizabeth meant yesterday. It was right in front of my face, and I didn’t even see it.”

“Shelly has been right in front of your face, is she pregnant?”

“She swears she is. She showed me the lab report.”

Jenna waved away that last statement. “Those things can be faked.”

“She goes to the appointments. She says all the right things.” He rubbed the back of his neck.

“Marti obviously told you she’s pregnant and you believed her.”

“I called her a liar, told her she was only saying it so I wouldn’t marry Shelly, and pretty much made her feel like crap.”

“Nice. So what made you change your mind and believe her?”

“She actually took me into the bathroom and peed on a pregnancy test right in front of me. It was positive. She handed me another test kit and dared me to make Shelly prove it.”

“God, I like her. You’re an idiot.”

“Thanks, again.”

“So, did you make Shelly take the test this morning?”

“No, I was too busy getting Emma ready for school and worrying about whether I’d ever see Marti again. After she took the test, she walked out the front door and drove away. She never came back. I don’t know where she is, if she’ll be back, and the worst part, I don’t even know her last name, so how can I even begin to try to find her?”

“You know, you should concentrate on what you do know about her and less on what you don’t.”

“Is this another lesson where you already know something and I turn out to be the idiot?”

“Yes, it is.” Jenna had a pretty good idea who Marti was. She couldn’t be certain, but since she’d met Marti, Merrick had gotten a new deal with Fairchild Industries for a building contract and someone from the Fairchild family was allowing them to use Sofia Fairchild’s paintings for the charity benefit. Jenna had spoken to Marti about both things and she’d promised it would work out. It had.

“You know there’s one thing I know about Marti for sure. If she makes a promise she keeps it.”

“Another thing I’m supposed to be an idiot about?”

“Apparently,” she said and sighed. Cameron really needed to clear his head and think straight if he was ever going to figure out what was real and what was a lie. He was so busy seeing what he thought was true, instead of seeing things as they are.

“Why is it you’re so reluctant to make Shelly prove she’s pregnant? You take her word for it over Marti’s. They say love makes us blind. Perhaps you love Shelly and you don’t want to find out she’s lying. Or maybe you love Marti, and that’s why you can’t see her for who she really is. Either way, you’re an idiot.”

“You already told me that.”

“It bears repeating. Believe it and move forward. You’re stuck in the same place you were two months ago. You believe Shelly. You don’t believe Marti. What’s wrong with that picture?”

She watched him trying to sort it all out in his mind. It was like watching a hamster running on a wheel, using a lot of energy to get nowhere.

“Go home and sort out your life. Until you do, you’re no good to me.”

“Are you kicking me out of my office?”

“I’m kicking you out of my building. Go home. Figure out fact from fiction, and do it quickly. Doomsday is Saturday.”

“I’m getting married Saturday.”

“And who will you marry? Shelly because she might be pregnant, or Marti, who we know for sure is pregnant and the woman you truly love.”

Cameron winced and rubbed the back of his neck. “You know, you’ve been a very busy boy. Maybe you’ll have two babies just a month or so apart.”

The thought he’d have two babies within a month took a minute to sink in. He looked at Jenna and shook his head to clear it.

“You really need to look at this situation with clear eyes. You’re so adamant about marrying Shelly to be a father to her baby, but you love Marti. Now Marti is pregnant and you might be having two babies, or more likely only one, Marti’s.”

“How did my life get so complicated?” he complained. Luckily, Jenna didn’t answer his rhetorical question. He’d f*cked up his own life by being irresponsible.

“I want to be with Marti. Her and I raising our baby and Emma together would be a dream come true. The thing is, I already promised to marry Shelly. What kind of person does that make me if I go back on my word and make Shelly raise our child on her own and I’m only the weekend dad?”

“Sue for custody. Shelly isn’t interested in anything more than your money and the lifestyle she wants to live. You can afford to give her that and make her go away. Again, that’s if she’s pregnant.”

He considered his options and only one appealed to him. Marti and a life with her and his children.

Jenna broke into his thoughts again. “Figure out all the variables and make the best decision based on the facts, Cameron. Facts are how we make good business decisions for the company. You’re making decisions based on past guilt and anger that Knight didn’t tell you he’s your father. Go home. Make Shelly take that test. Fix your problems.”

He didn’t know what to do. Everything swirled around in his head and nothing was settled. He thought about what he knew for sure. Marti was pregnant and she loved him. He loved Marti. Emma loved Marti. Shelly may or may not be pregnant. He didn’t know for sure. She hadn’t handed him a pregnancy test she’d taken in front of him.

No other choice, he certainly wasn’t getting any work done, he needed to go home and find out if Shelly was pregnant and put an end to all the chaos in his life.