Ruining Mr. Perfect (The McCauley Brothers) Page 23

  “I just want to talk to her, Uncle Cam. I don’t want her to think I don’t like her too.” Colin had been known to cry on command, but these tears were genuine.

  With a sigh, Cam told Colin to fetch her number. The boy bolted off the couch and returned seconds later, breathless. He handed a scrawled phone number to Cam, and Cam reached for his cell phone.

  After a few rings, Del picked up. “Yeah? Who’s this? How did you get my personal number?”

  She didn’t sound pleased. Terrific. “Hey, Del. It’s Cameron McCauley.” A pregnant pause. “You know, Colin’s uncle? Mike’s brother? You met Abby when you fixed her tire?”

  “I know who you are.”

  He had the sense she readied to hang up on him, so he spoke quickly. “I’m sorry for whatever my idiot brother said. I just wanted to thank you again for watching Colin—”

  “That was two months ago.”

  “—and to tell you how much he misses you.” He glanced at Colin to see the boy staring at him with big blue eyes, as if pleading for Cam not to screw up his chances. “I think he overheard you guys arguing. He’s really upset he hasn’t been able to talk to you himself.”

  “Well, hell. Is the kid there?”

  “Staring at me and waiting for his turn to talk to you. Yeah.”

  She chuckled. A good sign. “Put him on.”

  Cam handed the phone to Colin, and the kid lit up. He chattered happily to Del for a few minutes. His end of the conversation steered toward his butthead dad until Cam gave him “the look.” Then he talked about school, his buddy Brian, his grandparents kissing, and the possibility that he might get a dog.

  Knowing his brother had no intention of adopting a dog until Colin aged a few years to take care of said canine, Cam thought it funny the boy was already plotting to outmaneuver Mike. In many ways, Colin had a lot in common with Brody and Flynn. His intelligence, of course, he got from Cam.

  “Okay, dude. Time to let Del get back to her life.”

  Colin nodded, a wide grin on his face. “Thanks, Del. I miss you. Bye.” He handed the phone back to Cam, but before Cam could thank the woman, she’d disconnected.

  “We good?”

  Colin nodded happily. “Thanks, Uncle Cam. Do you want to watch TV?”

  With nothing better to do now that he’d been roped into babysitting his nephew, he nodded. “Sure. I can bring my girlfriend dinner tomorrow night, I guess.”

  “Vanessa’s your girlfriend, isn’t she?”

  For now. He had high hopes she’d be more in the coming future. “She sure is.”

  Colin frowned, and a moment later asked, “Do you kiss her?”

  “I do.”

  “Gross. You like it?”

  “Yep. It’s an acquired taste. Most boys hate kissing until they turn thirteen. Then you mutate from a normal person into a freakish alien and all you can think about are girls.”

  “Ew. I think I’ll just be an alien. The kind that eats girls.”

  Cam deliberately avoided the rejoinder inappropriate for his nephew. “Ah, right. So how about a snack? I bet you want something to eat before bed.”

  Colin nodded, then slanted a cagey look his way. “I have a new bedtime, so we could probably open the new bag of cookies Dad bought.”

  “Good try. Eight o’clock, teeth brushed, face washed. Snow your other uncles. I’m on to you, kid.”

  Colin sighed. “Fine. But if I can’t have cookies, then I should get two scoops of ice cream because I was nice to Del.”

  “Sure thing.”

  They sat together watching television, and Cam had to admit he enjoyed the time he spent with Colin. He’d enriched all their lives, not just Mike’s. Looking at Colin, Cam imagined having a little boy he could teach and love. A small child with Vanessa’s blond hair and his blue eyes. And their brain. God, their kid would be so smart. And fast.

  He grinned.

  Colin smiled at him and moved to sit in his lap.

  All in all, though he hadn’t gotten to see Vanessa, Cam thought his day had ended pretty damn well. He snuggled with Colin and watched mindless TV, planning to visit the neighbors before he went home.

  But once again, his plans were for naught. He knocked and met Abby.

  “Hey, Cam. Brody’s here. Want to come in?”

  “Sure. I’m here to see Vanessa.”

  “She’s in bed.”

  “She’s asleep?” He looked with disbelief at his watch. “It’s barely nine.”

  Abby shrugged. “She’s been under the weather lately. I think she’s sick, but she refuses to go to a doctor. She’s phobic like that.” She stepped back and Cam entered. In the living room, he saw Brody lounging.

  “Hey.” Brody waved.

  Cam nodded back. “Hey.” He turned to Abby. “I’m just going to peek in on her.”

  “We’ll be here.”

  He heard thumping and saw Hyde poke his head up over the couch.

  “Vanessa must really be sick if the dog is here.”

  Brody nodded. “She looks fine, but I think she was throwing up earlier.”

  Cam frowned. She hadn’t mentioned she was feeling ill to him. At least, not lately. He walked upstairs to her room and knocked softly. She didn’t answer, so he went inside. She laid on her side, her hair obscuring her face, her covers up to her chin.

  He crouched next to her and drew her hair from her face.

  She looked tired, even in sleep. He frowned. On her nightstand, he saw antacids and cold medication. All natural, of course.

  “Wearing yourself out.” He stroked her hair, and it seemed to him that she eased into a more restful sleep.

  She sighed and tucked into his hand on her cheek. The trusting reaction hit him right in the heart. He wanted her to come to him. To trust him with all of her. She talked about want versus need, but to him, they both mattered. He wanted to love her. He needed to be with her. Without Vanessa, life felt stale and much less interesting. He loved everything about her. He loved…her.

  Cam pulled up a chair and sat with her awhile, wondering how long it would take to convince her that he meant to be in her life for the long haul if she’d let him stick around, and how to get her to admit she just might be falling in love with him too. Because the probability that her odd behavior in dating him for so long, of them finding joy with each other, and that her intense study when she didn’t think he was looking pointed to the notion she might be falling in love with him.

  ***

  “You’re pregnant, Vanessa. The test is conclusive.”

  It was a good thing she’d been sitting down, because Vanessa’s vision blurred when the doctor delivered such devastating news.

  “You’re sure?” she croaked.

  “Yes. Your hCG levels make it certain. Urine tests are about ninety-seven percent accurate. But we can do a blood test as well to be positive.”

  “Yes. Let’s.”

  Half an hour later, Vanessa returned from the lab to her doctor.

  “You’ll have the results in two days. Maybe sooner,” Dr. Johnson advised. The older woman smiled, as if Vanessa should be thrilled to find herself knocked up. “But from all your described symptoms and the hCG results, I’m pretty certain you’re pregnant.”

  “But I can’t be. I take the Pill.”

  “Which is ninety-eight percent effective, yes. But that still doesn’t account for that two percent, especially if you don’t use other means of birth control.”

  “I didn’t miss my last period.”

  “Was it normal?”

  “Well, lighter than normal. Mostly spotty. But still. I had a period. I’m on the Pill.” She figured if she kept repeating that enough, she might undo the pregnancy. It simply couldn’t be possible. Vanessa had a five-year and ten-year plan. She made lists, organized, and plotted her future carefully
. Having a baby wasn’t supposed to be part of her plan until she’d found a man worthy of donating his sperm.

  Of course, Cameron was more than worthy. But they hadn’t discussed conception, hadn’t even mentioned the possibility.

  “Because I’m on the Pill,” she said again.

  “Vanessa, it will be okay. I take it the father doesn’t know?” Dr. Johnson asked kindly.

  “No.” Oh my God. I have to tell Cameron.

  “Easy, Vanessa. Just relax.” The doctor patted her shoulder. “You’re in excellent health. You’re one of the most capable women I know, and you have choices.”

  “Choices?”

  The doctor nodded. “You have to know there are several choices available to you. Having the baby and keeping it. Giving the child up for adoption. Or terminating the pregnancy.”

  The word “terminate” made her inwardly cringe. Despite the chaos a baby would bring to her life, she’d conceived it with a man she respected, a man she’d amazingly come to believe she might love, were she capable of such an emotion. At the very least, she held him in great esteem. And like. And lust. A lot.

  “In any case, we need to book a follow-up appointment for you. I’ll personally call you with news of the blood test as soon as I get it. In the meantime, why don’t you see Barb in reception, and she’ll get you back in here in another week. Time for you to settle into this news, and we’ll see how you’re doing and where to go from there. Okay?”

  Vanessa nodded.

  “In the meantime, cut back on the caffeine and alcohol. No smoking, but then, I don’t need to tell you that. Your best bet is no more than one or two cups of coffee a day. And it’s okay to engage in sexual intercourse.”

  “Because there’s no guarantee I’m pregnant.”

  “Vanessa, you’ll get your results in two days. My dear, you have to accept the possibility you might in fact be pregnant. Get plenty of rest and fluids, and I’ll see you at your next appointment, okay?”

  Vanessa waited until the doctor left before straightening her clothing. She felt shaky, unsure, and for the first time in her life, panicky about her future. She couldn’t have a baby! She’d make a horrible mother. She hadn’t planned for this.

  Before she could suffer a meltdown in the doctor’s office, she got herself together and left. Detaching herself from the situation, she made her appointment and engaged in small talk with the receptionist. She drove herself home and said hello to Maddie and Abby before going upstairs to her room, where she undressed and put on her robe, then walked to the bathroom for a shower.

  She turned on the water and after the temperature warmed, got in. The water coursed over her body, but Vanessa could do nothing but stroke her stomach and stare at the drops cascading down the wall.

  Pregnant.

  As in, eighteen-plus years of commitment. An emotional, physical, and financial obligation. She’d have to totally change her lifestyle. No more freedom to jog at night. Who would watch the baby? And her savings. Babies cost a lot. Diapers, medical bills, food, and clothing. She’d have to readjust her finances. In her mind, she started working the numbers and realized she had more to work with than she’d thought, especially with those student loans near completion.

  But even that joy didn’t sustain her, because money meant little next to the reality of a child.

  And Cameron. Their relationship had been okay. Great, mostly. But with her workload and his, they’d started drifting. He didn’t seem to care that Josh had hit on her. And he didn’t think it a big deal that some bimbo had hit on him. How many other women had flirted that he ignored? Did he ever mention to any of them that he had a girlfriend? He told his family, and they matter.

  She ignored her rational consciousness and focused instead on the negative, dwelling on worry and uncertainty until the water turned cold.

  “Vanessa, are you okay?” Maddie asked from outside the door.

  Vanessa realized the noise she’d tried to ignore had been Maddie knocking on the door.

  “Fine.” She sounded hoarse.

  “Well, okay. We’re downstairs if you want some late dinner.” A pause. “Oh, and Cam called again. Are you avoiding him?”

  “I’ll be down in a few minutes.”

  “Fine.”

  Cameron. What the hell should she do about him? He deserved to be told. But how did one go about informing a man he was about to become a father? Would he be glad? Mad? Disappointed?

  She’d find out in another few days, as soon as she received her blood test results. Until then, she’d step gently around him and avoid mentioning the baby. Cowardly, yes. But she needed time to absorb this possible game-changer.

  She still didn’t know how her pregnancy would affect her candidacy as a partner at her firm. Once again, the lid on her emotions shifted as anxiety poured off her in waves. She shivered in the now lukewarm water and turned it off, then sank to her knees in the tub, trembling.

  “What am I going to do?” She allowed herself a few tears and hugged her legs tight. Then she wiped her eyes and reached for a towel. She dried herself off and put her robe back on. Back in her room, she closed and locked the door behind her. She’d eaten a hearty lunch, but she couldn’t make herself eat anything else tonight. Nor did she relish facing her nosy, though well-intentioned, roommates.

  She loved them to death, but she wasn’t ready to talk about the situation. Because if she admitted the truth out loud, to witnesses, that made it all real.

  With a few choice words at fate, she decided to take a nap, completely forgetting she’d had a date with Cameron until he woke her from a nap, pounding outside her door.

  “Vanessa, open up.”

  She opened the door in mussed hair wearing a robe, only to see him looking like a cover model in his suit pants and crisp blue shirt and tie.

  He studied her face and softened. “Honey, are you okay? Vanessa, talk to me.”

  She sighed and tried not to look so pathetic, but she didn’t think she’d succeeded because he cupped her cheek and gave her a sweet smile. “I don’t feel good.”

  He took the step to bring them together and enfolded her in his arms. “You feel smaller.”

  “I’m just as tall as I was the last time we met,” she mumbled against his chest. But she didn’t fight his hold.

  “No, smart-ass. You seem frailer. Like, you lost weight.” He pulled back to look at her. “You went to the doctor today? Abby told me.”

  “Yeah.”

  “So did she give you anything? Is it the flu?”

  A nine-month flu. “Ah, she said it needs to run its course.” Technically. “Not the flu.”

  “Good. But you need someone to take care of you. No, strike that.” He interrupted before she could speak. “I want to take care of you. You’re perfectly capable on your own. But I want to help.”

  Oh man. Why did he have to be like that? So nice and helpful? Confused and on edge, she wanted to lash out and fight. But one, she didn’t have the energy. And two, Cameron was just too darned nice to argue with.

  “Okay.”

  “Okay? Good.” He drew her back to bed. “You hungry?”

  “I could eat.” A seven-course meal. Suddenly, her missed dinner made itself known in the loud rumble of her stomach.

  “Sounds like.” He nodded. “You know, I made you dinner a few nights ago. I was planning to bring it to you but Mike needed me to watch Colin. So I had leftover lemon chicken for two days, and you got bupkiss because you’ve been avoiding me.”

  She smiled, the first time she’d done that in days. “Lemon chicken, huh? That’s your signature dish.”

  “I’m trying to impress you.”

  “So whip out your cock.”

  He blinked, then grinned. “Good to see your sense of humor hasn’t deserted you.”

  Nor had her hormones, apparently. Beca
use as miserable as she felt, she meant that part about his cock. She hadn’t had sex in nearly two weeks, and being so close to him gave her…urges.

  “Let me get you something. I’ll be right back.” He settled her into the bed and kissed her. On the mouth. Good thing for him pregnancy wasn’t contagious.

  He returned in a few minutes bearing a tray of fruits and veggies and two nice big glasses of water. He’d brought enough to feed them both, because he sat next to her on the bed and ate as much as she did.

  “Feeling better?” he asked.

  She nodded, though exhaustion still pulled at her. The trauma of shocking news, tax season, and worry over an uncertain future bombarded her nerves.

  “Good. Now why don’t you tell me why the hell you’ve been avoiding me?”

  Crap.

  “Vanessa.”

  She swallowed. “Look. It’s not like we’re tied at the hip. Sometimes I need space.”

  “So tell me that. I know you’ve been ass-deep in work lately. It’s not a problem. But not returning my calls or texts? Just blowing me off? What gives?”

  She shrugged.

  “No. I want the truth.”

  A burst of anger filled her, that resentment she thought she’d cured herself of. “You don’t care about me. About us.”

  He opened his mouth and said…nothing.

  “Women come on to you, and you don’t even mention me? What am I supposed to think about that?”

  “First of all, it’s woman, singular. I don’t feel a need to defend myself from someone I’m clearly not interested in.”

  God, she felt like an emotional twit, but she couldn’t stop herself. “What about Josh? My running into John? You couldn’t have cared less.”

  “Now hold on. You don’t want a clingy, restrictive boyfriend. We’ve talked about this. First of all, I know you made Josh cry not too long ago, and you hate Small Dick. So what’s the problem? That I didn’t throw a fit and demand to beat their faces in? That I didn’t go all boyfriend jealous and get crazy on you? That I didn’t make some pretentious and totally irrational statement of possession by becoming macho stupid?”

  “Yes.”

  “I…oh.”

  “No. I mean, I just think it would be nice if you cared about my feelings.” Feelings. Vanessa didn’t do deep emotion, yet she found herself tangled in a knot of misery, jealousy, and affection for the intelligent but clueless man sitting next to her. The small smile on his lips irked her. “Oh, forget I said anything.”