them.
“Nothing,” Sean and Sydney said at once.
His sister draped her towel over a rack. “Fine. But this isn’t over. We need to talk.”
“ This is between Syd and me.”
She harrumphed. “Good luck in convincing Mom of that.”
“Cameron,” Sean hissed.
“I’m just saying that this is going to be one hell of a shock. You better know what you’re doing, because Mom won’t be happy if this doesn’t end good.” Big tears suddenly filled her eyes. She compressed her mouth, and then she trembled. “Dammit, Sean, you better not break her heart—tear this family apart.”
Sydney stood like a marble statue, unmoving. A puddle of water accumulated at her feet as her towel hung limp by her side.
“You don’t have anything to worry about, Sis. We’re getting married.”
“What?” Sydney screeched. “The hell we are.”
Once again Cameron’s eyes had become as big as saucers. “Married? How long has this been going on?”
But Sean’s attention was riveted on Sydney. He moved so he towered over her, and then he glared down at her. “Yes. We. Are,” he enunciated.
“ Nooo …” The rapid shake of her head made her braid tumble down her back. “I don’t think so.”
“Don’t argue with me, Syd. You don’t have a choice.”
“The hell I don’t.” Her face turned beet red. Fire simmered in her eyes. “If you think I’ll marry you just because I might be—” She pinched her mouth closed.
Silence stretched between them.
“Pregnant?” Cameron whispered. “Sydney, are you pregnant?”
“I—I don’t know.”
“What do you mean you don’t know?”
“Well, last night—” No longer was the color in Sydney’s cheeks due to anger. Embarrassment flushed across her face.
Cameron threw back her head, roaring with laughter. Then she glanced at Sydney. “He didn’t use a condom and you’re not on birth control.” When neither of them responded, she laughed harder.
“We used a condom,” Sean murmured before adding, “it broke.”
“You idiot,” she spoke between chuckles.
“I don’t see what’s so funny,” he grumbled.
“If this ,” Cameron brushed her hand from him to Sydney, “happened last night then there’s plenty of time to address the issue. I mean…if that’s what both of you want.”
Harry took that moment to join them. “What your sister is trying to say so indelicately is that you two have nothing to worry about.” He draped an arm around Cameron. “The morning-after pill works for five days after— Uhmmm…” he stammered.
“We get it.” Sean wasn’t prepared for the sting of disappointment he felt. “It sounds like you speak from experience.”
Harry shrugged a shoulder. “Come on, babe. Let’s get dressed and hit the slopes.” He guided a hesitant Cameron toward the door.
When they were alone, Sean turned to Sydney to find moisture welling in her eyes. Before he could reach for her, she burst into tears and fled from the room.
Chapter Six
Not thinking about her sodden bathing suit, Sydney flung herself upon her bed. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t staunch the flow of tears. Curling her fingers into the comforter, she buried her face into a pillow and wept.
God, what was wrong with her?
Discovering she had nothing to worry about should have made her happy, relieved. Instead she felt as if she’d lost something—something she hadn’t even known she was missing. As much as she tried to put a name to the emptiness overtaking her, she couldn’t.
A rapid series of knocks pelted the door but she ignored them. When the sharp beats grew in intensity and volume, she raised her head slightly from the now-damp pillow.
“Go away,” she squeezed through broken breaths.
“Sydney?”
“Go.” She choked, catching her breath on a sob. “Away, Sean.”
Instead of him honoring her wishes, she heard the doorknob turn. Dammit. She’d forgotten to lock the door. Attempting to swallow her emotion, she only managed to slow
“Nothing,” Sean and Sydney said at once.
His sister draped her towel over a rack. “Fine. But this isn’t over. We need to talk.”
“ This is between Syd and me.”
She harrumphed. “Good luck in convincing Mom of that.”
“Cameron,” Sean hissed.
“I’m just saying that this is going to be one hell of a shock. You better know what you’re doing, because Mom won’t be happy if this doesn’t end good.” Big tears suddenly filled her eyes. She compressed her mouth, and then she trembled. “Dammit, Sean, you better not break her heart—tear this family apart.”
Sydney stood like a marble statue, unmoving. A puddle of water accumulated at her feet as her towel hung limp by her side.
“You don’t have anything to worry about, Sis. We’re getting married.”
“What?” Sydney screeched. “The hell we are.”
Once again Cameron’s eyes had become as big as saucers. “Married? How long has this been going on?”
But Sean’s attention was riveted on Sydney. He moved so he towered over her, and then he glared down at her. “Yes. We. Are,” he enunciated.
“ Nooo …” The rapid shake of her head made her braid tumble down her back. “I don’t think so.”
“Don’t argue with me, Syd. You don’t have a choice.”
“The hell I don’t.” Her face turned beet red. Fire simmered in her eyes. “If you think I’ll marry you just because I might be—” She pinched her mouth closed.
Silence stretched between them.
“Pregnant?” Cameron whispered. “Sydney, are you pregnant?”
“I—I don’t know.”
“What do you mean you don’t know?”
“Well, last night—” No longer was the color in Sydney’s cheeks due to anger. Embarrassment flushed across her face.
Cameron threw back her head, roaring with laughter. Then she glanced at Sydney. “He didn’t use a condom and you’re not on birth control.” When neither of them responded, she laughed harder.
“We used a condom,” Sean murmured before adding, “it broke.”
“You idiot,” she spoke between chuckles.
“I don’t see what’s so funny,” he grumbled.
“If this ,” Cameron brushed her hand from him to Sydney, “happened last night then there’s plenty of time to address the issue. I mean…if that’s what both of you want.”
Harry took that moment to join them. “What your sister is trying to say so indelicately is that you two have nothing to worry about.” He draped an arm around Cameron. “The morning-after pill works for five days after— Uhmmm…” he stammered.
“We get it.” Sean wasn’t prepared for the sting of disappointment he felt. “It sounds like you speak from experience.”
Harry shrugged a shoulder. “Come on, babe. Let’s get dressed and hit the slopes.” He guided a hesitant Cameron toward the door.
When they were alone, Sean turned to Sydney to find moisture welling in her eyes. Before he could reach for her, she burst into tears and fled from the room.
Chapter Six
Not thinking about her sodden bathing suit, Sydney flung herself upon her bed. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t staunch the flow of tears. Curling her fingers into the comforter, she buried her face into a pillow and wept.
God, what was wrong with her?
Discovering she had nothing to worry about should have made her happy, relieved. Instead she felt as if she’d lost something—something she hadn’t even known she was missing. As much as she tried to put a name to the emptiness overtaking her, she couldn’t.
A rapid series of knocks pelted the door but she ignored them. When the sharp beats grew in intensity and volume, she raised her head slightly from the now-damp pillow.
“Go away,” she squeezed through broken breaths.
“Sydney?”
“Go.” She choked, catching her breath on a sob. “Away, Sean.”
Instead of him honoring her wishes, she heard the doorknob turn. Dammit. She’d forgotten to lock the door. Attempting to swallow her emotion, she only managed to slow
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