Nick rested his hand on the top of his head to keep it from blowing off his neck. “If you see her there again, I want to know. Am I clear?”

“Yes, sir. I apologize for not letting you know before now.”

“Don’t let him out of your sight.”

“Me and my people are on it. Don’t worry.”

Nick ended the call and jammed the BlackBerry in his pocket. “Don’t worry,” he muttered. “What do I have to worry about?”

“Everything all right?”

Nick spun around to find Skip Holland’s wheelchair in the doorway to the study. “I’m not sure.” He’d learned to be honest with Sam’s dad, who valued that quality above all others—especially from the man his precious daughter slept with.

“Where’s Sam?”

“I wish I knew.” Hands on his hips, Nick shifted his eyes to meet Skip’s steely stare.

“You’re not thinking… Gibson…”

Nick could see the fear on the older man’s face. “I’ve got a guy on him.”

The half of Skip’s face that wasn’t paralyzed lifted into a smile. “Of course you do. Does she know?”

“What do you think?”

Skip chuckled. “Hope I’m around to witness the explosion when she finds out.”

Nick had no doubt the explosion would be something to see, but he didn’t want to talk about that. “Something’s not right with her.”

“Hasn’t been since just after Valentine’s Day.”

“So I’m not the only one who’s noticed?”

“Hardly.”

“I don’t think she wants to get married—”

“It’s not that.”

“Then what?”

“The baby.”

“But we got through that. We talked about it. She said she was okay, that she was coping with it.”

Skip used the one working finger on his right hand to roll his chair farther into the study. “It breaks her. Every time it happens, it breaks her a little more than the last time. The pieces never seem to go back together the same way they were before.”

“She said—”

“She always says what she thinks we need to hear. That she’s okay, feeling better, stronger, but inside… Inside, she bleeds.”

Nick wanted to shriek with frustration. “How could I not see this?”

“Because she’s become masterful at hiding it from everyone.”

“Even from me?”

“Especially from you. She wouldn’t want you to know how badly she’s suffering.”

Nick hung his head. “Why wouldn’t she turn to me? Doesn’t she know that I’ve suffered too? That I’ve suffered for her and with her?”

“I suspect that embracing your pain would only make hers worse. She knows how much you want a family of your own.”

“Not at this price I don’t.”

“Don’t be too quick to say that. You’ve had one setback, but just think, she was sure she couldn’t get pregnant again, so at least there’s hope now.”