He hadn’t been there for her before but he’d be damned if he’d desert her now.
Ashley’s gaze found his and her big blue eyes stared imploringly at him. But they also held a warning.
“Make this right with her, Cam. And don’t you ever hurt her again.”
“I’ll spend the rest of my life loving and protecting her if she’ll have me.”
Devon blew out his breath. “Yeah, that’s the big question, man. You’re not going to have an easy time of this.”
Cam knew it but his heart still sank at the conviction in Devon’s voice.
“I’ll be down later to check in on her,” Devon said.
It was a warning to Cam that Devon would be back and that he better not find her upset. Cam acknowledged him with a nod and then watched as Devon and Ashley slowly walked down the hall.
Cam glanced at the closed door, wishing for the world that he could just see her. Just touch her. He walked to the end of the corridor and grabbed a chair. He set it across from Pippa’s door and sat down to begin his vigil.
He wasn’t leaving.
And so he sat, staring broodingly at her door. At one point a nurse went in, giving him an apprehensive glance. A moment later, she came back out and Cam surged to his feet.
“How is she?” he asked, his voice almost a croak.
The nurse stared at him a moment, her brow furrowed. “I’m sorry but I’m not allowed to give out that information.”
“I’m her husband,” he said, and then realized how stupid it seemed for him to be sitting in the hall if he were married to her. “I…I just wanted her to rest and I’ve been so worried. I didn’t want to put additional stress on her.”
Her expression softened. “She’s sleeping. Quite soundly. She never even moved when I checked her vitals.”
Cam nodded and murmured his thanks. He wiped nervous palms down his pant legs as the nurse hurried away and then he tentatively opened the door, careful to not make a sound.
If she was asleep, then she’d never know he was here. He could watch her for a while and know that she was safe. He eased the door open farther and stepped inside, his gaze immediately seeking her out in the semidarkened room.
She was lying on a narrow bed with her back elevated. She was sleeping as the nurse had said, but she didn’t look at all comfortable. She was sagging to one side and seemed precariously close to sliding off the bed.
He took another step closer and for a moment he couldn’t breathe. Fragile had been a good word to describe her. She looked so small against the bed. Her hair was in disarray. He could smell the faint scent of smoke.
She was pale and her face seemed thinner. There were dark smudges underneath her eyes. His gaze dropped to her hands and he frowned to see scrapes on her palms.
She looked worn through. As Devon had said, past her limits. Cam had pushed her there.
Unable to resist, he lowered his fingers, simply wanting to touch her. He traced the lines of her face, gently pushing back a tendril of hair that rested close to her mouth.
Then he bent and gently kissed her forehead, closing his eyes and allowing his mouth to rest there for the briefest of moments.
“I love you,” he whispered.
* * *
Pippa awoke with the nagging sense that she’d missed something. Her dreams had been odd, occupied by Cam and infinite tenderness instead of flames, smoke and fear. They had been nice but bizarre.
There was no clock in the room and if it weren’t for the bright sunlight streaming through the small window, she’d have no idea it was daytime.
She automatically smoothed her hands over the bulge of her belly and smiled when the baby kicked. Relief was sweet. She and the baby were going to be all right.
Just then, her door opened and Gloria Copeland bustled through, looking determined and agitated. But the moment their eyes met, her gaze softened and she rushed over to the bed to enfold Pippa in her arms.
“My poor baby,” she crooned. “Are you all right? Devon told me what the doctor said but I’ve been so worried about you.”
To Pippa’s never-ending shame, she started crying again. It was becoming ridiculous how easily she became a watering pot.
“Oh honey,” Gloria said. “Don’t cry. You know you’re coming to stay with me. I have a bedroom all ready for you. I’m putting you next to Ashley’s old room. I’m hoping she and Katelynn will stay a few days and it’ll be just like old times. Having my girls around will be such a delight. I can fuss over all of you.”
“I love you, Mrs. C.” Pippa sniffled.
Gloria smoothed Pippa’s bedraggled hair from her face and then kissed her forehead. “I love you too, baby. It’s going to be all right. I promise. It may look bad right now but we’re going to get you back on your feet in no time.”
Pippa squeezed Gloria’s hand. “I’m so lucky to have you and Ashley. You’re the only family I have.”
And Pippa knew it was true. Blood didn’t count for much at all. Miranda may have given her life, but family wasn’t necessarily about blood. It was about uncompromising love and support. About always being there no matter how hard things were.
This was what she wanted for her son. And she’d give it to him no matter what she had to do.
Gloria hugged her again, and really, Pippa was perfectly happy to be hugged all day. Each time, a little more of her melancholy drifted away.
“Tell you what we’re going to do. I’m going to take you home and put you to bed. As soon as you’re up to it, we’re going to have a spa day. If that doesn’t put the pep back into your step, I don’t know what will. We’ll bring Ashley, too.”
Pippa smiled. A girlie day with Ashley and her mom sounded…wonderful.
“There now, see? You’re smiling already,” Gloria said. “Seriously, honey, I don’t want you worrying about a thing. I’ll have William sort out your hospital bill. You’ll stay with us until the baby’s born. There’s no sense you shouldering the stress of trying to find a new apartment when you should be focusing on your baby. We’ll have great fun. You’ll see.”
Pippa wouldn’t refuse Gloria Copeland’s hospitality even if she wanted to. Nobody ever stood a chance against her. She was a force of nature and Pippa loved her for it.
Then she frowned as reality crashed in. “What about my bakery? I can’t just leave it.”
“Of course not,” Gloria soothed. “We’ll manage. You have employees who can handle things for a few days while you rest and recover. After that, we’ll work out a way for you to get to work each morning. William will be more than happy to provide a driver for you.”
Pippa smiled again. “Thank you. Seriously. I don’t know what I’d do without you and Mr. C. and Ashley.”
Gloria beamed. “William will be glad to hear that. You know he loves you just as much as I do even if he can be an old goat sometimes.”
Pippa snickered.
“Now, let me find out when they’re going to let you out of this place,” Gloria said. “The sooner we get you home, the better. We’ll have our physician check in on you daily just to make sure all is well.”
Pippa leaned back against the pillows and sighed. Things were already looking up. She’d get beyond this with the help of the people she loved.
A few moments later, Gloria returned. Once again she had that odd look on her face as she came through the door.
“What did the doctor say?” Pippa asked.
Gloria blinked. “Oh, I didn’t talk to him. I spoke to the nurse. She says you’ll be ready to go home in just a couple of hours.”
An uneasy feeling crept over Pippa. Something was up with Mrs. C. “Is anything wrong?”
Gloria looked up at the sharpness in Pippa’s tone. She glanced back toward the door and then she sighed. “You’ll know soon enough, anyway. Cam’s outside the door. Looks like he’s been there all night. He refuses to budge. Just sits there in that chair and broods. He wanted to come in, but I told him not to. I didn’t want to upset you.?
??
Pippa’s heart thudded painfully. Her fingers automatically curled into fists and she went quiet. Her breathing was loud in the silent room and she stared at the wall as if she could see through it to Cam sitting on the other side.
“I don’t want to see him,” she whispered.
Gloria put her arm around Pippa’s shoulders and squeezed. “You don’t have to, baby. I just didn’t want you to get a shock when you left and he was there in front of you.”
“No, it’s okay. Thank you for the heads-up. It’s just that we have nothing left to say to each other.”
Gloria kissed her temple and squeezed her a little harder. “Ashley’s being discharged today and is bringing Katelynn home. We’ll all just go to my apartment together once you’re released.”
Pippa nodded numbly, her mind still on Cam. She wasn’t a coward, but the very last thing she wanted right now was another confrontation. His words had cut her to the core and it was a wound she wouldn’t recover from in a day or even a week.
One day at a time. Things would get better. She had to believe that.
Twenty-three
Cam paced the hallway outside of Pippa’s door, wondering at one point why he didn’t just walk in and force a confrontation. Then he shook his head. It wasn’t the time or the place. Devon and Ashley were right. Pippa was holding on by a thread. This wasn’t about him.
He glanced up when he saw Devon coming down the hallway.
“Have you been in to see her?” Devon asked as he stopped in front of Pippa’s door.
Cam shook his head. “Ashley’s mom is in with her. She didn’t want me anywhere near Pippa. I don’t blame her. Where’s Ashley and Katelynn?”
“They’re in the car. I pulled it around to the exit. Ashley’s father is out with her. He’s going to drive Pippa and Gloria home.”
Cam grimaced and rubbed a hand through his hair. Pippa had no home to return to. But she should. It was with him. Always with him. She should have never been anywhere else all these months.