like a man who’d just discovered water in the desert.
Emma’s reaction to Marti was unusual. She was affectionate to Elizabeth and Jenna, but she was downright attached to Marti. Cameron had never seen her take to anyone so fast.
Emma wouldn’t let go of Marti and Marti looked pleased to have his daughter in her arms, dirty or not. She didn’t look like she’d put her down willingly.
“What’s the matter, Shelly? Dinner didn’t come up quite so easily tonight?” Elizabeth asked.
Shelly frowned, looked from Elizabeth to Cameron and knew just what they were both thinking. She had to cover her tracks and get back in Cameron’s good graces. When she glanced at Emma in the woman’s arms, she had the most brilliant idea. She’d seen the way Cameron looked at the woman, and she wasn’t about to give up without a fight.
She turned to Elizabeth. “Is this how you treat all of your pregnant guests?” She locked eyes with Cameron, unable to hide her triumphant grin.
Brilliant, simply brilliant, she thought. “I didn’t want to tell you like this, but she’s making accusations. I won’t have you thinking the worst of me. Isn’t it wonderful, darling?”
Stunned at first, Elizabeth recovered. She looked pointedly at the martini glass, at Cameron, and back to Shelly. “Pregnant. Me too.” She smoothed her hand over her stomach. She’d actually given birth to her daughter, Grace, five months ago. “Darn, I’m not.”
She glared at Shelly and called her a liar. “Saying it doesn’t make it true.”
The woman had a lot of nerve saying she was pregnant and belting back martinis two days in a row. Elizabeth was furious.
Cameron’s faced changed from stunned back to distressed again. He ran his hand over the back of his neck and found himself at a loss for words. His daughter was right there in the thick of this mess. He was not having a good night. After tonight, he’d lost any chance of ever getting a “Parent of the Year” award.
If he thought himself a supreme jackass before, tonight he’d earned the crown.
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