The Right Bride

Chapter Forty-Two


MARTI WAS LYING in the hospital bed in agonizing pain. She’d dislocated her shoulder, severely bruised her back, and twisted her knee quite badly.

Her leg was in a brace suspended above the bed keeping it straight. The throbbing through her leg kept pace with her heartbeat. Her whole body tensed, wound tight as a spring just waiting to be let go. She held herself rigid, trying to fight the pain. The medication they were giving her didn’t even touch it.

The doctor did an ultrasound and checked on the baby, reassuring her he was safe and sound. She was so relieved by the news she’d cried and watched the monitor and her baby’s heartbeat with such wonder.

Because of the trauma of the fall and the pain she was in, she spotted blood. The doctor told her it was okay and nothing to be concerned about, yet. She’d have to wait and see, hope the minimal bleeding stopped and she didn’t develop any cramping.

She spent the very early morning concentrating on breathing normally and deeply and trying to relax her body. It was a supreme act of will to relax her muscles and not fight the pain. She was also fighting the horrible pain in her heart after Cameron dismissed her completely when he came home.

Jimmy had told her about the call from Shelly and she was even more despondent. He’d believed Shelly. He actually thought she’d try to hurt Shelly and her imaginary baby.

Sometime in the night she’d become numb to the pain in her heart and soul over Cameron’s betrayal and began concentrating on keeping the pain in her body under control.

“Marti, can we come in?” Sam stood in the doorway with Elizabeth behind him. Jenna and Jack were with them.

“Yes,” Marti said and tried desperately not to move.

They all came in and Marti lay as still as stone.

“Jimmy called this morning and told us what happened.” Sam came to her bedside and took her hand. The moment he raised it, she went completely white and squealed in pain. He dropped her hand.

“Don’t move anything. Too much pain.” She closed her eyes and tears ran down her face.

“Oh, Marti. What happened?” Elizabeth wanted to cry for her. She looked like death.

“Shelly. Emma. Tried to take necklace,” she said breathlessly. “Pushed me down the stairs.”

“Shelly pushed you down the stairs because of Emma’s necklace. Shelly tried to take Emma’s necklace?” Jack was surprised. He knew the woman was obsessed with all things expensive, but to take a little girl’s necklace was low.

“They were arguing at the top of the stairs. Shelly was holding the necklace up over her head and yelling at Emma.”

“Take it easy, Marti. You don’t have to talk if it hurts too much,” Sam said and wiped a tear away.

She wanted to tell someone. She needed someone to believe her. “I told her to give it back to Emma. She wouldn’t and I grabbed it. She shoved me down the stairs backwards. I dislocated my shoulder and twisted my knee.”

“Where the hell was Cameron? I sent him home early,” Jenna said, outraged. “How could he let this happen?”

“He came in after I went down the stairs. I tried to tell him, but he ignored me and went to her.”

“Jimmy told us he left you on the stairs and why.”

“He always chooses her.” She closed her eyes and waited for the nausea to pass and to get control over the pain again. She took several slow breaths.

“Marti, what did the doctor say about the baby?” Jenna asked, concerned.

“You know.” She hadn’t told anyone but Cameron. He must have told one or all of them. Maybe he was happy about the baby. If he was, maybe they had a chance to work things out.

“Elizabeth and I knew when you ate your bizarre lunch the other day. Cameron confirmed it yesterday. Nice job proving it to him. Pretty direct.”

“Cameron doesn’t give me the benefit of the doubt. She lies and he believes her without a doubt.”

“We all think he’s an idiot.”

“The baby is fine, so far.” She glanced from Sam to Jack with her eyes only. She’d already learned turning her head wasn’t an option. She hated to talk about woman things with them there, but what the hell. These four were the only friends she had and they cared about her.

“I’ve been spotting a little blood, but the doctor thinks it will stop if I rest. There haven’t been any cramps, so far.” She looked at Jenna and Elizabeth and tried to smile. “I got to see the ultrasound of the baby. I saw his heart beating.”

“There you go. You concentrate on that. The baby is going to be just fine.”

“I hope so. I couldn’t bear to lose my baby. Would one of you stay with me for a while today?”

Sam knew she didn’t have anyone and Cameron couldn’t be counted on. They’d already called him this morning and told him to meet them at the hospital. He had no idea Marti was hurt. He hadn’t taken the time to find out before going to Shelly. “One of us will stay with you for as long as you need us.”

“Thank you, Sam. I hate to be a baby about it, but I don’t want to be alone. Too much time to think.”

“I know what you mean. Thinking is overrated. It’s too bad they can’t just knock you out.”

“The medication they gave me doesn’t work, and it’s the best they have without risking the baby’s health.”

“You must be in terrible pain,” Elizabeth said. She and Jenna had been through a lot. They’d at least had the benefit of good drugs.

“It only hurts when I breathe or move.” She smiled and cringed at the same time.

“Believe it or not, it’s hard to keep still. Isn’t it?” Sam knew just what she was going through. He’d been shot in the back. His bulletproof vest had saved him, but his muscles had gone into spasm. Even the slightest twitch twisted the muscles into massive pain.

“Yes. Every little shift sends shockwaves of pain through me.”

They all sat with her for a while and talked amongst themselves when she quieted.

“You need to check on Emma and make sure she’s all right.”

“Don’t worry, Marti, we’ll do everything possible to make sure she’s taken care of and Shelly gets what she deserves. We’ll set Cameron straight,” Sam promised.

“Give it up. He went too far when he left me on the stairs.”

“You don’t mean that,” Jenna said.

“I can’t do it anymore. How many times does he have to prove he intends to marry her, no matter what.”

“What about the baby?” Elizabeth asked. “Now that he knows you’re pregnant, he’ll change his mind.”

“He hasn’t yet. I don’t think he ever will. Not after yesterday.”



CAMERON EXITED THE elevator on a tear. Sam called and told him to meet him at Marti’s hospital room. He gave him the room number and nothing else. He hadn’t even said how bad she was hurt. Jimmy arrived in Marti’s car just as he was leaving the house. Without a word, and giving him the silent treatment all the way, he’d switched cars and drove him to the hospital.

Worse than anything, Cameron felt worse than guilty he didn’t even know she was hurt in the first place.

Steps away from the door, he overheard the doctor outside her room saying, “. . . she lost it.” Those words tore his heart to shreds.

Marti lost the baby. His baby.

He’d spent the night consoling Shelly, lying in bed with her. She was completely traumatized by Marti’s attack.

Now, to find out Marti hurt herself in the fall and lost his baby because of her jealousy over Shelly. It was too much to bear.

He may have just found out about the baby, but he’d wanted it more than anything because it was a piece of Marti too and their love.

Consumed with anger and hurt, he burst into her room. Jack, Sam, Elizabeth, and Jenna sat around Marti’s bed.

Pale, completely still, her leg hung suspended by a sling encased in a brace. A brace strapped around her middle held her arm across her chest.

“Nice of you to show up. A day late if you ask me, but I’m glad you finally made it to see the woman you supposedly love.” Sam couldn’t take it any longer. Watching Marti fight the pain for the last half hour had taken its toll on him and everyone else.

Cameron came over to the bed and glared down at Marti. She looked terrible, and he thought she deserved it for killing his baby.

“You just couldn’t leave it alone. You had to go after Shelly. You were so jealous, you tried to throw her down the stairs and instead you fell and killed my baby with you. I’ll never forgive you for this.”

Stunned, she couldn’t respond. She’d expected him to think she’d tried to hurt Shelly, but why would he think she’d lost the baby?

Everyone in the room remained stunned and silent. No one could believe Cameron would treat Marti like this.

He didn’t ask if she was okay. It hurt more than she thought possible that he didn’t care.

“Don’t you have anything to say?” he yelled, the anger visibly growing the longer she laid there, not moving or saying anything.

“I guess you know everything.” She tried to make her voice sound strong, but something in it caught his attention. Hurt? Pain? Anger? Too far gone himself, he’d sort it out later.

“That’s it. You’re not even going to apologize for killing my baby and trying to hurt Shelly.”

“You are the stupidest smart person I know. Get out.”

He just stood there glaring at her. What did she mean he was the stupidest smart person? She wasn’t making sense.

“Get out,” she screamed and closed her eyes and held her breath until the pain passed.

“Breathe through it, Marti.” Sam stood beside her, stroked his fingers down her arm. “If you breathe through it, it helps.” She took a few shallow breaths and started to relax. “That a girl.”

“What’s wrong with you?”

“It’s too late for you to ask that question,” Sam said and stood in front of Cameron with his chest out and his hands on his hips. “Jack, how about we walk Cameron to his car?”

“Excellent idea, and long overdue.”

“Play nice, boys,” Jenna warned.

Both brothers answered as only twins could, in unison. “No.”

They walked forward, backing Cameron out the door. He got the hint and turned to the elevator doors.

“What’s the matter with you two? She tried to kill Shelly and the baby. She killed my baby.”

“We heard you already. Marti is right, you’re stupid,” Jack said and turned to Sam. “I can’t wait until we get downstairs.” He punched Cameron in the gut.

Cameron doubled over from the blow. About to ask why Jack hit him, he never got the words out before Sam grabbed his shoulder, hauled him back up to standing, and punched him in the jaw. Seeing stars, his face hurt like hell. He couldn’t catch his breath.

The elevator doors opened and Sam shoved Cameron in and pushed the button for the parking garage.

“Go home to Shelly. Nobody wants you here. Stay away from Marti.” Sam stood back and let the elevator doors close on a bewildered Cameron.

“Think he’ll figure things out before he gets to the garage?”

“No. He’s too upset and angry. He’s so focused on what he thinks is the truth he can’t see what’s right in front of him. He’s going to marry Shelly and we’re going to let him. He deserves that bitch. I hope it costs him a fortune to get rid of her.”

“What about Marti? I hate to see her get hurt in all this.”

“Too late. She’s done everything she can to make Cameron see the truth. He blew it.”

“That’s an understatement. How could he choose anyone over an amazing woman like her?”

“We got lucky with Jenna and Elizabeth. Too bad we aren’t triplets. I’d love to have her in the Turner family. If my partner Tyler wasn’t so wrapped up in Morgan, I’d introduce him to her.” Sam slapped his brother on the back. “Nice gut shot. I think I saw his feet come off the ground.”

“I should have hit him in the nuts. Put a stop to all this baby business for good.”

Sam and Jack walked back into Marti’s room laughing.