“When I called your house they told me I could find you here. So I figured, I’d talk to you in person.”

Daniel stood up. “Brian, how are you? May I introduce my fiancée, Sabrina Parker?”

Brian nodded curtly, then his eyes darted back to Daniel. “Listen, I’m gonna make this short. My father wanted to send a letter to your lawyers and notify you, but I told him I’d rather tell you face to face. I think I owe you that much.”

A knot formed in Daniel’s gut. Whenever a business partner started the conversation like this, it never ended well. He glanced briefly at Sabrina and noticed that she was watching them intently.

“Can’t this wait?”

Brian shook his head, regret evident in his eyes. “I’m really sorry. But you know that Caldwell’s is a family company and has a certain reputation. My father has built the business from the ground up and done so without ever compromising his integrity. That’s what we’re built on. Our family values.”

“What is your point?” Daniel interrupted.

Brian sighed. “My point is, we can’t go through with the business deal. If we associate ourselves with you, it will . . . uh . . . taint our reputation.”

“You want to toss a multi-million dollar deal out the window because your reputation might be tainted in the process?”

Brian chanced a look in Sabrina’s direction as if his words needed any further explanation. “We can’t afford a scandal like this. You must understand.”

“Oh, I understand,” Daniel responded coolly, but inside he was fuming.

Brian and his father were backing out of the business deal they’d been working out for the last couple of months, because they didn’t want to be associated with a man whom they believed was marrying an escort.

He watched as Brian turned and left hastily, as if even a second longer in his and Sabrina’s company would implicate him in the same scandal.

21

Sabrina looked up at Daniel, who was still standing. “I’m ruining your life.”

He pulled the chair next to her back and sat down, leaning toward her. Her chest hurt, and she knew it wasn’t a physical pain though it felt like one. It hurt because she realized she had to take action now, before everything got even worse. She had no choice but to save what could still be saved.

“No, you’re not.” He made a dismissive hand movement in the direction in which Brian Caldwell had left. “People pulling out of business deals happens all the time. It’s nothing new.”

She shook her head and let out a resigned sigh. “You’re a terrible liar, Daniel. We both know why this deal fell apart. It’s because of me. Because of what they think I am. It’s never going to stop, is it?” She was certain of it. People in this town would always let her feel what they thought of her, just like Mrs. Teller and the woman from the lingerie store had. And now Brian Caldwell. And he wouldn’t be the last.

Daniel’s mouth set into a grim line. She knew then that she’d hit a nerve. “It will once they print the retraction.”

“But they’re not printing it, are they? We’re four days away from the wedding, and everybody still thinks it’s true. Your mother keeps getting more and more cancellations from guests. Daniel, this isn’t affecting only me. It’s affecting you, your business, your family.”

And she didn’t want to be responsible for destroying the lives of the people she loved.

“We’ll get through this together.”

Sabrina took a deep breath and prepared herself for what she had to do. The sadness that spread inside her felt like a cold hand that was trying to choke the life out of her. “The looks and whispers, the lies and accusations, they will destroy us. Today it’s one business partner pulling out of a deal, tomorrow it’s another. Don’t you see that this will only get worse? Your whole livelihood is at stake. And your parents? Do you think they will really stand by and watch all this without secretly wishing I weren’t there anymore?”

Daniel jerked back, his jaw dropping open, his chest lifting. “What are you saying?”

She looked at him with longing. She’d never loved a man like she loved him, but love wasn’t enough for a life together. Not anymore. If she only had herself to think of, she would meet the challenge head-on and weather the storm, take the insults, the snide remarks, the shunning, and not flinch. But this wasn’t about her alone anymore. She couldn’t bring a child into this situation. She couldn’t do that to their unborn child.