minute, but she finally did. The tears had stopped, but her damp cheeks mocked him with how much he’d hurt her. His gut tightened and his heart tore painfully in two.
“I thought I’d lost you. You scared the hell out of me, sweetheart.” He took her hand from the bed and held it and savored the warm feel of her skin against his. He thanked God he could still hold her hand, and he hadn’t lost her forever. The bruises on her arm where she’d grabbed the rope to haul Emma and herself back onto the boat were black and blue. He gently traced them with his fingertips. She probably hurt everywhere from using so much effort to save his daughter.
“Which part scared you? When I jumped off the ship to save your daughter after Shelly left her alone? When I had to let a ship come barreling toward me and grab a rope or risk Emma and I being pulled under the ship? When I told you I want you and Emma to be mine? I’m sure that’s pretty scary for a guy,” she said sarcastically. “Or maybe it was when I apparently fell asleep for four days?”
“All of those things, except the part where you told me you want Emma and me. That part just . . .”
“Just what? Made you feel sorry for me. Poor Marti has no one in her life. She wants a man who is engaged to marry someone else because of a lie.”
“It isn’t a lie. She gave me the test results on Monday.”
He’d stared at the form for hours and the damning word spelled out in black and white: POSITIVE.
“She’s having my baby and I can’t turn my back on them. And I don’t feel sorry for you. It breaks my heart to know I’m hurting you. I feel the same way about you, and there’s nothing I can do about it.”
“There’s a big difference between not being able to do something and not being willing to do something.”
She held on to his hand. He pressed it to his cheek and leaned his head into her palm. The pain etched in the lines on his forehead and dark circles under his eyes told her how much he’d suffered the last few days. It helped ease the ache in her heart, but only one thing could make it go away. The one thing he refused to give her. She’d tried to give him every reason to see the lies Shelly told him and choose her.
With a deep breath, she put everything on the line and gave him the only truth that meant everything. “Cameron, please, I—”
Love you, died on the tip of her tongue. Shelly glided into the room.
“Darling, there you are. You can’t keep me waiting in the car forever, you know. If we don’t leave now, we’ll be late for our appointment at the bakery to pick out our wedding cake.”
Cameron released Marti, the pain in her eyes too much to bear. He loved this woman and every time he turned around he put that look on her face and broke her heart. It killed him.
“Oh, hi, Marti. I hope you’re feeling better.”
She really didn’t, but she’d say it to score points with Cameron. She didn’t like seeing him holding Marti’s hand and looking at her that way. He wanted Marti, but so long as she had the baby, she would keep Cameron. Once they were married, she’d have everything.
Marti choked back the tirade bubbling inside of her, ready to explode in a torrent of scathing words. She didn’t turn around to even acknowledge the bitch. Cameron had come to see her and brought Shelly with him. Her heart shattered even more.
“Get out, Cameron,” she whispered, barely able to get the words she didn’t want to say out.
“Marti, I . . .”
“Goodbye.” How could one word hurt so much?
“I’ll come back and see you later.”
“Don’t bother. I’m fine now. I’m sure they’ll let me go home soon.”
“We need to talk.”
“There’s nothing to say. Leave a few pieces. Please.”
He knew exactly what she meant. Leave a few pieces of her heart. He’d broken it enough. How much more damage did he expect her to endure because he couldn’t let her go.
“Marti, I . . .”
“Go pick out your wedding cake. That says it all, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, darling. Let’s go. Marti, I’m sure, would like her privacy so she can rest.”
Marti couldn’t let Shelly leave without a warning. She didn’t turn around, but