Chapter 2 He'll Never Be Ian

Cameron's hand clenched before he even knew what he was doing. "What is that supposed to mean?" Audrey replied flatly, "It means exactly what I said. Mr. Baker, you never wanted to marry me. You just couldn't bring yourself to turn Julia down. "I've made peace with it, and I don't want to drag this out any longer. I'll tell her myself. Please have someone draft the divorce papers when you can." The veins on the back of Cameron's hand bulged. Audrey actually wanted a divorce? Where the hell did she get the nerve? They'd been married three years. He hadn't liked her, never really had, but divorce had never been on the table. She'd spent all that time twisting herself into whatever she thought he wanted. So why was she the one walking away now? Cameron stared at Audrey's face, cold and distant, unable to pull himself together. Then he snapped out of it, a mocking smile tugging at his lips. "So you figured chasing me wasn't getting you anywhere, and now you want to play hard to get?" He shot out a hand and clamped it on her jaw. "I'm not in the mood for games. You go in there and give Macie blood! If anything happens to her, I'll make you pay!" His fingers dug in hard, brutal enough that the threat felt physical. Audrey almost laughed. Just like she'd expected, divorce meant nothing to him. He acted like he was sure she'd never leave. The joke was on her. She was the fool who'd started to care out of guilt. Audrey didn't say a word. She shoved him away and walked straight into the hospital room. Macie was propped up against the pillows, an IV taped to her arm. Her face was pale, and a cut marked her finger. She looked fragile, almost breakable. When she saw Audrey, she blinked up, wide-eyed and soft. "Audrey, I'm so sorry to ask you for blood again." Her tone was syrupy sweet, but there was a barb under it. "I've been such a mess lately. Cam's barely left my side, trying to keep me calm. "I wanted to thank him with a home-cooked dinner, and somehow I ended up slicing my hand instead. Now he's got everyone running around because of me." Audrey looked at her with steady calm, utterly detached. There was a time when that might've cut deep, but those days were gone. Whatever Cameron did wasn't her concern anymore. A faint smile tugged at her lips. "It's fine. We're family, aren't we? No need to stand on ceremony. Macie, it's almost sad to watch you play the poor, grieving widow all alone. "Cameron really should be the one looking after you. Don't stress over the gossip. He'll take care of it." A trace of mockery flickered in Audrey's eyes as she added, "Because if you and Cameron are fooling around, I'm pretty sure Julia would break his legs herself." Macie's face darkened in an instant. Years ago, she'd married Cameron's older brother, Aaron Baker, because Cameron, the second son, was never supposed to inherit the family business. No one could've predicted Aaron would die so young. And now, even if Cameron wanted her, Julia would never let them be together the way Macie dreamed. But even so, Macie couldn't stand the thought of Audrey getting a happy ending. Macie shot a glance at the doorway. Then her hand clenched, and she yanked the IV from the back of her hand. Blood welled up, spilling in dark streaks down her wrist. "Audrey, don't take this the wrong way. Cam's only been here because he feels sorry for me. You can be mad at me, but don't get the wrong idea about Cam, okay?" Audrey frowned and was about to speak when footsteps echoed in the hall. A second later, the door burst open and Cameron strode in. The instant he saw the blood running down Macie's hand, his expression hardened. He crossed the room in a few long strides and seized Audrey's wrist. His voice was cold enough to freeze the air. "Audrey, what did you do to Macie?" It happened too fast for her to react. Pain shot through her arm, which still hadn't fully healed. Her balance faltered, and she slammed against the edge of the table. The color drained from her face. Cameron froze, a frown tightening between his brows. He hadn't grabbed her that hard. So why did Audrey look like she was in that much pain? He was about to speak when Macie cut in, her voice soft and shaky. "Cam, please don't be mad at Audrey. I was just explaining that you've been staying with me because I've been sick, and that she shouldn't take it the wrong way. "She probably just got a little jealous. I don't blame her. She's your wife. Of course, she'd think I'm in the way. If it's really bothering her, maybe you should just take her home. I don't want you two fighting because of me." Whatever hint of concern Cameron had felt for Audrey disappeared. He'd overheard enough of their earlier conversation to decide Audrey was the one stirring things up. Macie had been his childhood sweetheart, and she was Aaron's widow. He'd promised Aaron he'd look after her. So why was Audrey still being so unreasonable? His expression hardened as he looked at Audrey. "Apologize. Now."