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Mark would leave that very day. He’d have to find someone to take care of the Timothy, so he could catch a flight back to the States. He’d retrieve the boat later. He only hoped he wasn’t too late.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
LAURA WAS LYING in her sister’s guest bed, flipping through job listings on her laptop and wondering who on earth would hire a new mother when she heard a gentle knock on the door.
Maddie poked her head in.
“Someone’s here to see you,” she said, looking almost excited.
“Who?” Laura asked, confused. None of her friends knew she was back in San Francisco. As far as they all knew, she was still hiding out in the Caribbean. “I’m not dressed.” She pulled up her blankets over the pajamas she wore, her normal daily uniform since she’d been on bed rest. Besides, none of her clothes fit her anymore. Her belly was huge.
“I don’t think he’ll care.”
“Laura?” Mark’s voice came from over Maddie’s shoulder. Her sister swung the door wide, and there stood Mark, baseball cap in his hands and a newly grown beard on his face. “Can I come in?”
Laura felt a rush of emotions—shock, joy, suspicion. And, of course, panic. There was no keeping the truth from him now. Her stomach was enormous.
“Mark! What are you doing here?”
“I’m here to see you.”
He stood uncertainly at the door as Maddie waited, clearly trying to decide whether it was okay if she left the two alone. Laura felt a sharp pang. Mark looked so good. Tanned and wind beaten, but good. All she wanted to do was feel his strong arms around her once more.
“Laura.” Mark’s eyes filled with tears, and in that second, she was completely undone. She held out her arms to him and he went to them, hugging her tightly.
“I missed you,” he murmured into her hair.
“I missed you, too,” she admitted, the tears stinging her eyes. He pulled away, sniffling. “How did you know?” she asked him, already suspecting how.
“Edward tracked me down.”
“I asked him to keep it secret.” Laura distantly felt angry about the betrayal, but at the moment she couldn’t focus on that.
“He did for a while, but then he couldn’t anymore, and I’m glad he didn’t.” Mark glanced at her stomach in awe. “Why didn’t you tell me? About…this.” He put his hand gently on her giant stomach. Even his big hand couldn’t quite cover the top. The baby had grown too big. “I would never have sailed off if I’d known.”
“I know. But…you said you didn’t want children. You didn’t want to dishonor Timothy’s memory. And then it seemed like you couldn’t trust me, either, that maybe you didn’t love me like I loved you. And then…you didn’t call me.”
“You broke up with me. How was I supposed to act? I thought I was respecting your wishes.” Mark shook his head. “But believe me, you have to know that I’ve thought about you every day since you left. I haven’t stopped thinking about you. Laura, I love you. So very much. My life without you…it’s not what I want. Let’s make this work. I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life showing you how much.”
Laura felt her heart fill up with love. He loved her, and she believed him. But they had more problems.
“But what about Timothy? What about his memory…you said—”
“I was wrong,” Mark interrupted. “I thought I only had room in my heart to love Timothy, but then you came and showed me that I could love him and love you.” Mark paused, as he put his hand on her leg, his voice choking with emotion. “And now I realize I can love this baby inside you just as much and not love Timothy any less.”
Her heart filled with joy. Could this be true?
“You want to be a father?”
“I want to be the father of your baby. More than anything else in the world. I sailed halfway around the world—without shaving—just to come and tell you that.”
Laura chuckled a little. “You do need a shave,” she said and ran her hands down his thick, dark beard.
“I know.” He grinned.
“But…what about what you said…about me and Edward—”
“I realize how wrong I was. I can’t say sorry enough for that. I jumped to conclusions, and the very next day realized I’d been stupid, but then I came back to the condo and you were already gone.”
“I nearly miscarried,” she said. “It’s why I had to leave.”
“I know that now. You should’ve told me, Laura. I wanted to be there for you. No matter what.” He grabbed her hand and squeezed it and then kissed the ends of her fingertips. “When I think of all you’ve gone through—alone—I just feel so sick. I should’ve been here, looking after you. Making you meals, making sure you were comfortable. I should’ve been here.”
