In Name Only (Pine Falls #2) - Jennifer Peel Page 0,5

That our Dani is a beacon of light in the valley.” John’s shrewd eyes reminded me I better give an Academy Award–winning response.

I discreetly rested my hand on my midsection and reminded myself what was at stake before smiling. “Thank you for that ringing endorsement, but I’m not the heroine; it’s the children and our many volunteers and donors who deserve all the credit.”

“Don’t be so modest, honey.” Sheridan reached over and tapped my nose. “This girl works tirelessly. Even going as far as making sure every foster child in the three counties has gifts to wake up to on Christmas morning. She hand delivers most of them too.”

I tucked some hair behind my ear. “It’s the least I can do.”

Lance nodded. “Sounds like we should get together and discuss how my company can be an ally.”

“That would be wonderful. Thank you.” I reached into my purse and pulled out my no-frills business card and handed it to him. The one that still had my maiden name on it—Dani Kramer. John wanted me to order new ones with the name he had forced on me, but I’d resisted, citing that I hated wasting anything. I took any bit of defiance I could. Even something as small as the business card. And though I hated playing into John’s wicked game, I wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Every donation counted.

Lance took my card. “You’re a lucky man, Brock.”

Brock cleared his throat. “Yes, I am.” Did anyone else hear how strangled that sounded? Or was I the only one who choked on his words?

Thankfully, Brant and Jill entered the fray and everyone’s attention shifted toward the new senatorial candidate and his bride-to-be.

Brock wanted even less to do with Brant than he did with me, so he grabbed my hand, making sure our fingers didn’t intertwine as he led us away from the crowd. Once we were outside in the mid-September sun, he breathed a sigh of relief and dropped my hand like a ton of bricks.

Brock’s touch left me feeling cold and empty. I closed my eyes, seeking warmth from the light instead.

“Let’s go home,” Brock growled.

I opened my eyes and met his troubled ones. “I have no home.”

Chapter Two

Brock knocked on my bathroom door—the guest bath. “We’re going to be late.”

My head was resting on the toilet seat after having lost the few bites of toast I’d gotten down for lunch after church. “I don’t know if I can make it,” I moaned.

“Are you taking your B6 and doxylamine at night?” I could tell he tried to hide the bite in his tone, but anything surrounding my pregnancy irritated him.

“Religiously,” I croaked.

“I’ll write you a prescription for Zofran,” he huffed.

“I won’t take it.” There was limited information about the side effects and, no matter the pain this pregnancy caused, I already loved my baby.

“Fine, but we’re leaving in ten minutes.” His heavy steps could be heard marching across the wood floor.

I slowly lifted my head and wiped off my mouth. The thought of having dinner at his parents’ and being interviewed by another reporter made me want to vomit some more. How many times was I going to be made to sit by Brock’s side and hold his hand while I shed a river of tears and recounted how devastated I was to learn of his death? After that I would share the relief and joy I’d felt when the intel they had received turned out to be wrong. Keeping on script, I would thank the team of Navy SEALs for rescuing him. Brock would make a lighthearted joke about how irked he was that it was the Navy that had saved him instead of his comrades in the Army. Then he would stare at me with faux adoration while I told the truth about how agonizing the entire ordeal was. Together we would lie about why we got married so soon, and that would be that. Once the cameras were turned off, Brock would scramble away from me as fast as he could.

It took everything I had to stand up on my shaky legs and make it to the marble counter, which I leaned heavily on. I stared into the oval mirror at how pale my olive skin looked. The bags under my eyes spoke to how exhausted I was. Growing a life took everything I had. No makeup was going to hide how awful I felt. I brushed my teeth and did my best not