The Right Bride

Chapter Nine


MARTI LOOKED AT the empty martini glass in front of Shelly and the look of horror on Cameron’s face. She didn’t like the fact that he’d put this woman in his daughter’s life, but it wasn’t her child, or her life. None of her business.

“Cameron, may I speak with you a moment?” She cocked her head to indicate he follow her a few steps away from the group.

Cameron followed, because she held his daughter and Emma held tight with no indication of letting her go any time soon. Marti didn’t mind at all.

“Listen, you need a few minutes alone with her to work out . . . whatever. George appears to be a friend of yours.”

“He’s Daddy’s friend.”

“He’s like a grandfather to Emma,” Cameron confirmed.

“Great. Then you won’t mind letting her come and sit with us for a while. It’ll give you time to work out this mess.”

“Mess? She’s pregnant, drinking, and yelling at my kid,” he said irritably under his breath. “What makes you think this is a mess?” Cameron snapped at the woman who’d rescued his daughter and made him want to kiss her until he couldn’t breathe.

He rubbed his hand over his neck again, knowing she didn’t deserve his anger.

Marti sighed. She hated to get involved, but a child needed to be considered, and the man standing in front of her looked like he’d been swept under by a huge wave.

She felt for him. He needed a friend, and for Emma she’d stick her nose in his business.

“Look, I know you’re upset. You have every reason to be. I don’t have any business giving you advice or butting in, but for this little Sugar Bug I’m going to break my own rules and get involved.”

She took a breath and leaned into Cameron and lowered her voice. Emma held her tight around the neck and settled into her arms. “I was in the bathroom with her earlier. She didn’t know I was there. Let’s just say I got an earful about her feelings toward . . .” She nodded in Emma’s direction.

“That woman, in addition to not being fit to be a mother, has no desire to be a mother to this little girl, or any child. I don’t believe she’s pregnant, but you’ll have to confirm it yourself.”

She imagined what it must be like for him. He looked like a man trying hard to struggle out of a riptide, only to find himself drowning.

“Take it from someone who wants to be a mother more than anything: even if she is pregnant, she doesn’t want the baby. She doesn’t have it in her to be a mother.

“You’re obviously an important and wealthy man.” She looked at the little girl and covered her ear with her hand and whispered, “Don’t let her make a jackass out of you. She’s a liar and”—she looked at the girl again—“worse. She’ll ruin this little girl if you let her.”

Why did it piss him off to hear her echo his thoughts back at him. He was a jackass. He knew he was a jackass. He didn’t need her telling him too.

Don’t shoot the messenger. How many times had he told himself that in business? Make sure you aim at the person who deserves to be targeted.

Marti hadn’t done anything but tell him what he already knew and suspected. She’d heard Shelly saying something in the bathroom to make her believe Shelly was a liar—and worse, bad for his daughter.

He’d already figured it out himself when she’d yelled at Emma and went after her. No one spoke to his daughter that way. He didn’t care who they were, or what they said about being pregnant with his baby.

He rubbed the back of his neck. God, this woman was getting under his skin. The longer he watched her hugging and loving on his daughter, the more endearing she became. If he didn’t know better, he’d think Emma belonged to her.

Two dinners and Shelly hadn’t managed to get one tenth as close to Emma as Marti had by simply picking her up, giving her a pet name, and telling her a joke. A silly, stupid joke, but it had done the trick with Emma. Her smile returned and the innocence of childhood filled her eyes again. He owed Marti for that and more.

“Listen, I know you mean well and you have my daughter’s best interests at heart. I’m holding on to my temper and my sanity by a thread tonight. I appreciate what you did by stepping in and rescuing Emma. If nothing else, you made her feel better. I would appreciate it if you let Emma join you and Knight, while I try to wade through the muck my life is mired under.”

He rubbed at the back of his neck again. He wanted to say more. He wanted to keep her near and drink up all the good feelings inside him, watching her holding his daughter. He didn’t get the choice. Elizabeth came over to help with Emma.

“Marti, please, join George at your table. I’ll take Emma.”

Emma grabbed on tighter to Marti. “No. I’m going to sit with Marti and Knight.”

Cameron rubbed his hand from the top of his daughter’s head and down her back. “You promise to be a good girl.”

“I promise. Marti is nice.”

“You’re nice too, Sugar Bug. What were you making in the kitchen?”

“Pastries.”

“Yum.” Marti said with enthusiasm. “Elizabeth, Sugar Bug and I will have a pastry. Tonight, I’ll have dinner backwards. Dessert first, and then the main course.”

“You can’t. Daddy never lets me have dessert first.”

“Well, I heard you already had mashed potatoes and gravy. Sounds like you already ate dinner. I, on the other hand, have the ultimate reason for having dessert first.”

Marti really did get an earful in the bathroom. Damn. Shelly must have really let her true feelings show.

“What’s the reason?” Emma asked, very interested.

“I grew up into an adult and can do whatever I want. When you grow up, you can have dessert first.”

“No fair. I thought it would be something I could use to get dessert first.”

“You can use it. You just have to grow up first. And the only way to do that is . . .” Marti waited to see if the little girl finished the sentence.

“Eat my dinner first,” Emma said with a dramatic roll of her eyes.

“You, Sugar Bug, are a smart girl. Let’s eat. I’m starving, and poor George is waiting for us.”

Marti took Emma to the nearby table and plopped her into a seat. She brushed Emma’s hair over her ear and smiled down at her. Emma’s smile notched up a few megawatts, making Cameron feel lighter.

“Too bad you didn’t meet her before the martini-swilling, bulimic, child-hating monster waiting at your table with a look of triumph and disgust that defies the human expression.”

“Rub it in, why don’t you.” Cameron put his arm around Elizabeth, needing her support.

“If she is pregnant, don’t marry her and make a bad situation worse. Sue her for custody once the baby is born. You shouldn’t have any problem getting a judge to see things your way. If she isn’t pregnant, and I don’t think she is, dump her and get Marti’s number from Knight. Emma loves her already.”

“She does, doesn’t she?” Not hard to miss the instant connection and bond his daughter had with Marti.

“Yes, and it should tell you something. Emma hasn’t had a single thing to say about Shelly. She doesn’t like her.

“Did you see Emma, Cameron? She ran right to Marti. She bypassed you and me and went right for Marti’s outstretched arms. There’s something special there. You saw it when she held Emma.”

“I did see it. Now tell me how to get out of this mess I’m in.”

“You made the mess, you’re going to have to clean it up. I’m still trying to get past the fact you slept with her. I thought you had better taste.”

“She looks like Caroline,” he said simply, knowing Elizabeth would understand. “Right up until she opens her mouth. I got caught up in my own twisted fantasy and things turned to shit.” He squeezed Elizabeth to his side. A good friend. Whatever he said to her, she wouldn’t hold it against him or throw it back in his face.

“Oh, Cameron. I had no idea. Caroline must have been a beautiful woman. Shelly is. But you’re right, it’s ruined when she opens her mouth.”

Elizabeth looked back at Marti and Emma. “On the other hand, Marti is gorgeous and she’s nice. I’d kill to have her hair color, all those shades of brown with streaks of gold. Did you see the color of her eyes? They remind me of Jenna’s. A soft jade green.”

If he closed his eyes, he pictured her in full detail. The fact that he couldn’t remember what Shelly looked like in his mind at the moment hit him right in the gut.

“She’s beautiful, all right.”

Pulled in one direction, he went in the other, back to his table.