* * *

“Why are you so confrontational?” Justin asked, handing Vanessa a cup of low-fat yogurt and a spoon at the hospital cafeteria.

“She just makes me mad.” Vanessa devoured the yogurt. She was starving…again. Even though she was snacking all the time, she hadn’t gained much weight yet. Some of her friends had said she would blow up like a blimp after she had the baby. It was apparently known to happen.

“But she’s Shane’s fiancée. I don’t know if their relationship is something you want to get involved in too much. You remember how mad you were when Barron got heavy-handed?”

“Well…yeah. But this is different. Think about it—nothing about her and Shane adds up! Mom thinks it’s strange too, but she’s too busy with the divorce.” Vanessa had been against it at first, but now she agreed with her mother’s decision. She’d never seen Ceinlys so relaxed. On the other hand, Salazar had turned into a brittle shell of his former self. “If my parents can go their separate ways and be happier for it after decades of marriage, I think Shane and Ginger can do the same thing now, rather than later after the ceremony. I’d hate to see them stay together just out of stubbornness, or because they’re, you know, used to being a couple, not because that’s what they truly want.”

“Shane’s a pretty smart guy. I’m sure he’ll do the right thing.”

“But Ginger?” Vanessa sighed. “I tried to view everything positively. No really, I tried. Stress isn’t good for the baby, right? And I might have been wrong about what we saw back in winter. But to somebody like her, Shane’s a great catch. Rich, handsome, smart—like you said. And the same age, so she can get the money without having to put up with some rich old geezer. I just feel a little cynical.” She pursed her lips. “And now I feel bad for being cynical.”

“Baby, it’s okay. You’re protective of the people you love, and the pregnancy hormones are just making everything seem worse than it is.”

She put her spoon down next to the now empty cup, which Justin tossed into the trash. “I saw Shane cry.”

“When?”

“Last night. I went back because I forgot my phone in his room. I tiptoed in, thinking he was asleep, but he was crying.”

“Did he see you?”

She shook her head. “He had a hand over his eyes. He looked so hurt, I started to tear up too, and left before he noticed me. I didn’t want to injure his pride on top of everything else.” She blinked rapidly.

Justin put a comforting hand on her arm. “Hey, you did the right thing.”

“I just can’t help but think it’s got something to do with Ginger.”

“Listen,” he said. “If she’s really that bad for Shane, then I will personally see to it that she never bothers him again. Would that put your mind at ease?”

Vanessa stood up, ready to go back to Shane’s room. “You’d really do that for me?”

“That’s the least of what I’d do for you.” Rising to his feet, Justin kissed her gently. “Now, can I get you to wear some sensible shoes? Those heels look great, but they also make me nervous with you pregnant and tottering around like that.”

She scoffed. “Tottering? Whatever. I can still outrun you, four months pregnant and in heels.”

He bent and swept her up off the floor, eliciting an eek! He kissed her on the mouth and started carrying her toward Shane’s room. “Go ahead and try.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Ginger stepped inside the private room. It was big, more like a luxury hotel than a hospital, with a TV and a game console, and its own private bathroom. There were a few vases and pots of flowers to liven things up.

Still, like other hospital rooms, it had only one visitor’s chair.

Shane was in the middle of the bed. There was a huge bruise on his right temple, its darkness stark against his unusually pale complexion. His eyes were closed, and a needle was stuck into his lean forearm. Machines next to him beeped and pinged, monitoring and recording his vitals. She couldn’t remember the last time he’d looked this awful. All their time together, he’d always been the pillar of strength and incredible health.

How badly had he been hurt?

“Vanessa?” he rasped, opening his eyes. Then he stilled as his gaze focused. “Ginger.”

“Hi.” She swallowed and approached him. “I heard you came by.”

His face softened for a moment like the time he’d proposed to her. Then he looked away.

She wiped her suddenly clammy hands on her shorts. “Um. How are you feeling?”

“Like a jackass.” When he faced her again, his eyes were no longer soft. They glinted like a naked blade. “Why are you here?”

“I heard you hurt yourself. I’m sorry. Debbie didn’t mean to, and—”

“If you’re worried about your friend, don’t. I never mentioned her or you.” His jaw clenched. “How long were you going to hide it from me?”

Her lower lip trembled. “I…” She brought her unsteady hands together. Fresh sweat slickened her palms. “I didn’t want to tell you.”

“Didn’t you think I should’ve been told? It was my child too.”

“It’s been almost a year. What could change by telling you? It would’ve only hurt you.”

“You should’ve wanted to hurt me!” He hurled one of the vases at the wall facing her.

The delicate crystal shattered, the bouquet of bright red roses exploding. Ginger cried out.

“If you didn’t want me to comfort you, you should’ve at least wanted to hurt me just as much as I hurt you!” Veins stood out in his forehead.

“You didn’t remember.”

“But you didn’t know at that time, did you? You thought I’d betrayed you.”

The door to the room opened, and Iain rushed in. “Are you okay?” he said, then saw Ginger and Shane and the broken vase and scattered flowers.

“Get out!” Shane said. “Get out and don’t let anybody come in until we’re done!”

Iain nodded once and left, closing the door behind him.

Shane drew in a shuddering breath. “You didn’t even say you were pregnant when you came to see me in Johannesburg. Did you think I was a monster?”

“I was in shock,” she said, her voice shaking. “I couldn’t even speak once I realized you were with another woman. All I could think was that it was over. I regained some of my composure back at my hotel, but by then it was too late. I didn’t think you’d open the door again. And it wasn’t like a woman needs to be married to have a child, right? I thought I’d raise it on my own and let you and your family know later. It wasn’t a big deal. I didn’t even want child support.”

His face turned bloodless. He bit his lower lip, which just began shaking.

“Then I started to cramp and lost the baby.” She hugged herself, her vision blurring with tears. The flight had been atrocious. Her belly had twisted all day, and she’d just assumed she’d eaten something bad. But when she sat down to pee, she’d started hemorrhaging. There had been so much blood, and she couldn’t even make a sound from the pain shooting through her womb.

A cabin attendant knocked on the lavatory door. “Hello?” came a male voice. “We’re about to land. Please return to your seat and fasten your seat belt.”

Ginger gasped. Her hair stuck to her sweaty face, and she pressed her hand against her opening, willing the baby to stay inside. More hot blood gushed down. “C-can’t,” she panted.

“Ma’am? Are you all right?”

“I’m bleeding.”

“Ma’am?”

“My baby. I think I’m losing my baby.” Oh no, no, no.

A female cabin attendant unlocked the door from the outside and slipped in. Her hand flew to her mouth as she took in the scene. She immediately went outside. And everything else was a blur until Ginger opened her eyes at a hospital.