Page 16 (1/2)

Pippa really didn’t want to knohat exactly that s she avoided She’d much rather read about the baby’s first es after birth

"Can I get you anything, Ash?"

Ashley shook her head "No, just stay withpoor Dev nuts He wants to rumpy?"

"Here, have a seat, Pippa," Devon offered as he pushed a chair behind her "You don’t need to be on your feet, and like Ash said, it’s going to be a while"

Pippa settled in the chair beside Ashley’s bed while Devon continued to pace in a small area behind the squeeze

"Are you excited?"

Ashley took a deep breath "Excited Scared out of et my epidural"

Pippa shuddered

"I kind of wish now that I’d found out e’re having," Ashley saidto be all surprised when the doctor said ‘it’s a boy’ or ‘it’s a girl,’ but now I’"

Pippa nodded her agreement Of course if she’d opted not to find out, ed out, but then it probably wouldn’t have been good for him to find out on delivery day Theanother son, the better Or at least that was her way of thinking

Devon moved to the other side of Ashley’s bed and leaned down to kiss her tereat"

Ashley looked up with such love in her eyes, love that was openly reflected in Devon’s tender gaze Pippa had to look away and s against the knot for in her throat She wanted this What they had She and Cam hadn’t even discussed if he’d be here when the baby caerous to assu when it ca the lids of her eyes "I’ll be right back I need to make a phone call Check on the store"

She all but fled fro the door behind her and leaning heavily on it as she tried to clear her blurry vision She pushed off the door and hurried down the hall to the waiting rooain her co today

Throughout the day, visitors caed into the room a few hours after Pippa arrived, mortified that she couldn’t be reached the lad to see Mrs Copeland She just had a way of ed Pippa no less than a dozen tiloried in each one

Tabitha, Carly and Sylvia ca more croith Ashley’s family Pippa herself had already decided she’d retire down the hall to the waiting area so she wouldn’t be in the way

She crept out, snagged a cup of water from the cooler and sat in a comfortable chair to wait the arrival of the baby As the day wore on,room and it was alive with conversation and excitee fa to be present for the birth of Ashley’s child

Pippa’s heart squeezed because she couldn’t iine such a wonderful fuss when it came time for her baby to be born How athered for special occasions and celebrated with such vibrancy

Here in a room full of warm, friendly people, she’d never felt so alone in her life

"Have you eaten anything today?"

She juhts by the sound of Ca fro as he frowned his disapproval

"Let’s go down to the cafeteria," Cam said

He started to take her elbow but she pulled away "I’ to deliver at anythis"

Cam seemed to take in the expectant air that permeated the rooet you soed--which seemed to irritate him--but she wasn’t exactly concerned with him at the moment

With another inquisitive look in her direction, Ca room Pippa blew out her breath and settled back in her seat Yeah, he probably was confused as to why she was snippy In his htailed it after sex again And he had no way of knowing just how s were and how close to her breaking point she was

Fifteen minutes later, Cam returned with a foam carry-out container and handed it to her with plastic utensils

"I wasn’t sure what to get you to drink, so I got you a bottle of water"

"That’s fine," she said, retrieving it fro?"

"I ate before I ca his long legs as she opened the container The spaghetti and garlic bread looked good, but she had absolutely no desire to eat Her stoed a few bites and pushed the food around so it would look like she was eating The only problem was, she could feel Cam’s stare on her and kneasn’t fooled

She was saved when Ashley’s father, Willia frohter!"

The room erupted with excitement Pippa put her plate down and rose with the others to converge on Mr Copeland The s Pippa wanted for her own delivery

A fewa tiny bundle in his ar that his face had to hurt But then Pippa watched as Caed on his friend, his own smile a match to Devon’s

Her mouth drooped as Ca as he and Devon exchanged comments Worse, Devon readily handed the baby over to Ca baby nonsense

Pippa hadn’t thought it possible to hurt ram She stood locked in stone as she watched the same man who’d walked away from her and her baby irl

Cam handed the baby back, slapped Devon on the back and heartily congratulated hiratulations and oohs and aahs But Pippa was focused on Ca Cam, as happy Cam, who clearly had it in him to love

So why couldn’t he love her and their child?

Eighteen

Pippa was no longer able to stand there and pretend that everything was fine when she was dying on the inside