Cadence

Twenty-six

Twenty-six

Cadence smiled wistfully down at her nephew who’d just fallen asleep in his crib. Looking to her sister-in-law she said, “He looks so peaceful now that he’s finally sleeping.”

Marissa rolled her eyes toward the ceiling and laid a hand over her slightly protruded stomach. “Like a little angel. Deceiving isn’t it.”

“You know that’s what Curtis always calls me, an angel.” She wanted to laugh but found tears pricking the back of her eyes instead. “I can’t imagine why.”

“Craig is forever comparing me to butter.”

“Butter?”

“Butter. Like he’s going to eat me or something, it would be much more romantic to be called an angel or,” she laughed, “even a devil for that matter. In any case I don’t know what I’m going to do with two little monsters.” Marissa sighed, flicking her gaze over Cadence. “Have you told Curtis that you’re pregnant?”

Her eyes widened. How had Marissa known? Tears instantly swam to the front of her eyes.

“You haven’t, have you?” Compassion laced Marissa’s pretty face and she reached forward, giving Cadence’s hand a comforting squeeze. “Is there any particular reason?”

“I…” her lip trembled. “I know I need to, it’s not as if I can hide this from him forever, but…” she lifted her shoulders noncommittally. “I don’t know how he’ll react. You saw him last night, and our marriage is not exactly one built on trust. I’m scared.”

Marissa smiled encouragingly. “Did it ever occur to you he’d be happy?”

“Not really. He’s planning to leave as soon as my father’s murder is solved.”

“Leave?”

“He wants to set me up here in Charleston and go back to sea.” She swallowed miserably against the hard lump permanently lodged in her throat. It was devastating to think of being left alone. She didn’t want to be alone. The thought of having a baby was frightening enough but to do it without Curtis… She shuddered. She’d known plenty of sailor’s wives in her life and she’d always pitied them, alone for months on end, seeing their husbands just long enough to become expectant mothers again. Now she was destined to be one of them. It was as though she’d left one personal hell for another.

Perhaps if he loved her it would be different, more bearable, but as time progressed she was coming to realize he had no intention of committing to her as she had to him. Baby or not he would leave her and she would be little more than a passing obligation in the back of his mind. Curtis believed himself a monster and maybe he was quite simply incapable of loving and accepting love. “I had thought if I was there for him he could learn to love me, but—” she shrugged refusing to look into Marissa’s eyes.

“There you are,” a deep voice rumbled from the doorway.