made sure you saw her back. You were so busy telling her what you thought you knew in the hospital, you never even asked her what happened. You weren’t even concerned about her well-being. You left her in the hospital hurting and thinking you don’t love her, when she hasn’t done anything wrong. You left her on the goddamn stairs,” Sam snapped. “Open the damn envelope. If you don’t sort this out now, I’ll pound it into you with my fists.”
“This is outrageous,” Shelly complained. “I’m carrying Cameron’s baby. We’re getting married tomorrow. She tried to kill me to stop me from marrying you.”
Sam glared, his eyes cold as steel. “Wrong on all counts.”
Cameron studied Sam and considered everything he’d said. He wouldn’t do this just to hurt him. He meant what he said. They all felt the way Sam did. How could he have been so wrong about everything?
He opened the envelope and pulled out the note.
Cameron,
You know my last name. You know what I do for a living. You know I love you and Emma. I never lied to you. I never tried to hurt Shelly. I was protecting Emma.
I didn’t lose our baby.
Now, you know everything.
You told me the morning we first made love, you’d spent the night holding the world in your arms. I took a piece of that world with me, and I’ll forever be grateful. If I couldn’t have you, at least, I have our child. The proof you need is in the envelope.
I’ll always love you.
Marti, Martina, Tina
Whoever it is you think I am, because you don’t seem to know me.
He pulled out the pregnancy test from inside the envelope. She’d written today’s date on it. The test was positive.
The relief he felt holding the positive test in his hands might have felled him if he’d been standing up. Their baby was still alive, tucked in his mother’s belly safe and sound. He held the test in his hands and closed his eyes and savored the moment of pure joy and overwhelming relief.
“She didn’t lose the baby,” Cameron said it out loud. He needed to hear it to believe it. His wish come true.
“No,” Sam confirmed. “We don’t know what you overheard, but she didn’t lose the baby. It was touch and go the first day, but the doctor gave her and the baby the all clear. She was at a complete loss when you came into the room yelling at her.”
Sam narrowed his gaze on Shelly. “You look disappointed. Funny, you don’t look surprised to hear Mari is pregnant with Cameron’s baby.”
Shelly was smart enough to remain silent. She didn’t want to give anything away. She was holding on to Cameron by a thread. She just needed to get to tomorrow and the ceremony.
Emma looked up at her uncle. “Marti is having a baby too?”
“Not too, sweetheart. She’s the only one. At least, the only one willing to prove it. Again. And again. And again.” Sam held Emma tightly to his chest.
“I’m not going to sit here and take this. Cameron, you can’t let them talk to me this way. I’m going to be your wife.”
Cameron didn’t answer her. He kept staring at the test in his hand and reading the note from Marti.
He knew her. He knew he knew her. She was right; he was the stupidest smart person. He had all the answers in business and with other people, but he’d screwed it all up with Marti. He swore he’d fix it all.
“Cameron, aren’t you going to set your friends straight?”
“I think they already know the score and I’ve come to the game late.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
He didn’t answer her. “How long do I have?” he asked the table at large.
“She’s not stupid. You have time. A lifetime if you’re smart.”
Sam and everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief.
He held onto the test and the note, tucking them into his coat pocket next to his heart for safe keeping. The auction began and the books were up first. He watched them both go to families with children and for over ten thousand apiece. Several other items sold well. Cameron was impressed with how much money they were raising for the foundation.
A painting came up for auction and the sound of clapping drew Cameron’s attention. He looked up at the painting and saw that it was of Marti’s ship on a calm sea with the moon high above and the stars shining bright. Marti stood on deck facing the