Emily's Choice

by Heather McCoubrey

  “It can’t be that bad, babe,” he soothed. “Spit it out, we’ll figure it out.”

  “I’m pregnant,” Emily blurted quietly.

  She felt Jason stiffen and thought for a moment he was going to push her away and flee. Instead, he tightened his hold on her. “Are you sure?” he asked quietly.

  Emily nodded. “They took a blood test, and I have to call tomorrow for the results of the ultrasound. She thinks I’m about six to eight weeks along.”

  Tears began to flow in earnest down her face. Frustrated with them, she swiped her hand across her face. “What are we going to do, Jason?”

  Smiling, he hugged her close. “Sounds like we’re going to have a baby!”

  Shocked at his easy acceptance, she pulled out of his arms and searched his face. She saw a broad smile gracing his lips, a sparkle in his eyes. Breathing a sigh of relief, she wrapped her arms around him and squeezed.

  “You’re surprised at my reaction.”

  “Honestly, I really wasn’t sure what to expect.”

  “It’s scary, a little exciting. But it’s happened, and we can’t undo it. We’re almost done with school. Instead of getting married at Christmas, we’ll just get married this summer after we graduate. We can still elope if you want.”

  “What are we going to tell our parents?”

  Jason shrugged.

  “We’ve got to tell them something!”

  “Babe, we don’t have to tell them anything right away. Let’s get used to the idea first.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Sighing, Jason leaned back against the pillows, taking Emily with him. Sprawled against his chest, Emily felt her heart rate pick up. Jason rolled with her and gently pushed her back against the bed. Lowering his head, he brushed a kiss against her lips. “I mean . . .” he drawled. “Let’s enjoy the news, and the secret, and we’ll tell them when it’s right.”

  She put a hand against his shoulder to stop his descent. She needed a clear head, and once he started kissing her, she’d fog up and forget everything. “Jason,” she pleaded.

  Sighing, he lifted his head. He ran a hand up her torso and brushed a thumb over her nipple. When it hardened under his knowing hands, he grinned. “Babe, it’s not a big deal. Our parents are going to freak out and wonder what we were thinking, but it’s our life, Em. Don’t stress. We’ve got each other and that’s all we need,” he said against her lips.

  Emily moaned when his tongue slipped through her lips. The hand that was holding him off slid up his neck and tangled in his hair.

  Jason was right; all they needed was each other. They could get through anything so long as they had each other.

  Chapter Two

  September 2008

  It was almost one. The early morning was dark as pitch, the moon hidden behind the clouds. Emily paced a circuitous route in her bedroom—along her bed, passing the door and desk, ending at the window. She glanced outside during each pass. Her fiancé, Jason Vaughn, was due back from his bachelor party any minute. She could just barely make out the driveway of his house from her window. In a little over fourteen hours, she’d be walking down the aisle in her backyard to marry him. Placing a hand on her extended abdomen as she glanced outside again, she smiled. She couldn’t wait.

  She saw headlights and squealed quietly to herself. Grabbing her phone and her light jacket, she silently made her way down the stairs and out the back door. She crossed through the line of trees separating the Camancho and Vaughn properties, the well-worn path a testament to the many trips made between the houses.

  She was young, in love, and far from the superstitious type. Her stepmother, Grace, or Mama G, as she affectionately called her, had told her earlier in the day to stay away from Jason until she was standing next to him this afternoon. Emily had snorted and rolled her eyes. What difference could it make? They’d known each other their whole lives, had lived together for four years at college in Santa Fe, and had made a baby together. Bad luck? Please.

  Emily waited in the shadows of the trees, shivering in the cool fall air, until Jason’s buddies had him safely in the house and were on their way home. She watched as her brother, Tyler, waved the guys off and turned toward the trees and the house. He was staying at the ranch for the weekend for the bachelor party and her wedding. The house he shared with his wife, Sophie, was on the other side of the ranch—a good 45-minute drive since there wasn’t a road through the land. Sophie had opted to stay at their house with their three boys until the wedding. No doubt Tyler was enjoying the short break away from his family. The boys were rambunctious and crazy full of energy. But they were also the sweetest, too. Sophie didn’t leave the house often. With three boys under five, Emily thought she probably wouldn’t go many places either.

  “Tyler? How’d it go?” she asked when he was about three feet from her hiding spot in the trees.

  Tyler brought his hand to his heart and swore loudly. “What the hell, Em? You just scared twenty years off my life!”

  Emily giggled and hugged her brother. “I’m sorry. I thought you saw me!”

  “How could I see you? It’s pitch dark out here and you’re mostly in black, hiding in the trees,” he said against her hair, hugging her back.

  “Did you guys have fun?” She felt Tyler nod and stepped back out of his embrace. “So, how drunk is he? Did you show him any mercy?”

  “I tried, but the guys weren’t so nice. He’s hammered,” he said, thumbing toward Jason’s house. “I doubt he can make a coherent sentence. But he’s up in his room. Jake and I deposited him there ourselves. Good luck!”

  “I don’t need to talk to him; I just need to snuggle with him. I miss sleeping with him every night. BUT,” Emily said, pointing a finger at Tyler’s chest, “he better not be a wreck for our wedding today or I will personally take it out on you later!”

  Tyler held up his hands. “No way, it’s not my fault. I tried to be the voice of reason, but no one wanted to listen. Anyway, I’m beat and I had my fair share of booze. I’m heading to bed. See you later.” He turned and walked through the trees to their house.

  Emily watched him walk up the steps to the kitchen and disappear into the house. Once he was gone, she skipped to the back door of Jason’s house and quietly slipped inside.

  The house was dark, but she knew where she was going. She’d spent as much time in this house as her own. Jason’s father, Joe, never changed anything. It was the same as before his wife, Kelly, had died. The same carpet, the same paint, the same decorations, the same furniture, the same school pictures hanging on the wall.

  The same couldn’t be said about her own home. Grace had changed some things when she’d married Emily’s father, but for the most part, Emily had always been the one to change things. It had started with her own room. Growing up, her bed, dresser, and desk were never in the same spot. Sharing a room with her new stepsister had made the constant moving around a little harder. With an extra bed and dresser, there had only been so many configurations she could imagine. Thankfully, Hope hadn’t cared much about the ever-changing bedroom and sometimes had offered up her own ideas, which Emily was only too glad to incorporate.

  She would have liked to redecorate as well, but her father and Mama G had drawn the line there. It cost nothing to rearrange furniture, but the same couldn’t be said about redecorating. Emily had talked about repurposing old furniture and sheets and stuff. Sometimes she could talk her way into acquiring something new, but more often than not, she was limited to just rearranging the furniture.

  It was no wonder she’d studied interior design at college, interned at a design firm in Santa Fe the entire time she was at college, and had plans to open her own firm once the wedding was over.

  As she silently crept up the stairs to Jason’s room, she made sure to jump lightly over the seventh stair from the bottom. No reason to alert Joe of her late-night visit. Her plan was to slip into bed with Jason and sneak home before anyone got up in the morning. She covered her ya
wning mouth, ready to snuggle with Jason and find sweet oblivion in sleep. After four years of sleeping together every night, this forced separation was wreaking havoc on her rest. Well, that and the pregnancy-related exhaustion.

  Finally, she stood outside his door, and as she turned the handle, she thought she heard voices. She let go of the doorknob and looked behind her, scared his father had caught her. The hall was clear. Shrugging her shoulders, she opened the door and walked inside.

  Tears immediately filled her eyes, and a barely stifled gasp nearly gave her presence away. Her hands slowly rose to her mouth, pressing firmly against her lips to keep the scream of horror locked inside.

  Jason stood next to his bed, his arms wrapped around her cousin’s naked body. Lila’s hands were busy unbuttoning his shirt and Jason’s lips were dancing across her face and down her neck. His hands were busy reshaping Lila’s breasts, and judging by her moans, she liked the new shape.

  Emily’s eyes closed against the picture in front of her, bile rising fast. She cast one last glance at the love of her life and caught Lila’s pale blue eyes shining with satisfaction, a smirk on her face. Emily spun on her heel and raced down the stairs not bothering to avoid the squeaky step. She ran out of the house and across the yard in tears.

  Out of breath and devastated, Emily crashed into the kitchen, collapsing against the door. She covered her face with her hands, sobbing as her knees gave out and she slid to the floor.

  They were supposed to get married this afternoon. How long had this been going on? Had he ever loved her? What about their baby?

  Her mind spun out of control with all these thoughts. There was no way she could go through with the wedding. No way could she spend the rest of her life with him. She’d never be able to look at him again.

  Anger, disgust, and a deep hurt settled in her heart. She couldn’t bear to face the reaction this news would bring in the morning. The pity and righteous anger would surely be present when her family heard. It would make the whole thing more real than she could handle.

  She had to get out of town before everyone woke up. Rising shakily to her feet, she stumbled up the stairs to the room she shared with Hope. Finding the room empty, she briefly wondered where Hope was as she pulled out her suitcases. Shrugging aside the thought, and more than a lot grateful for the solitude, she threw enough clothes into one suitcase to get by for a couple of weeks. She could always have the rest of her things shipped to her when she got to where she was going.

  She snuck down to the bathroom and gathered up her makeup, toothbrush, and shower gear, throwing them into her toiletry bag.

  “What are you doing, Em?”

  Emily gasped and spun around. Hope, her stepsister by marriage but her sister by heart. They were as close as real sisters; they shared everything and were hardly ever seen without the other. It had been an awful adjustment when they’d graduated high school and gone off to college. Emily had gone with Jason to Santa Fe, and Hope had returned to her roots and traveled back East to Boston to attend Harvard University, which was her father’s alma mater. She was getting a business degree while also beginning her modeling and photography career. Like Tyler, she was home for the wedding, though unlike Tyler, she had a condo in Boston rather than a house on the other side of the ranch.

  Groaning at the intrusion and heart racing, she ignored her stepsister and ran back to their room.

  Hope followed closely on her heels, slipping into the room before Emily could shut the door on her. She gasped at the scene in front of her. “Oh my God, Emily! Are you and Jason eloping?”

  Emily burst into a fresh round of tears. Clutching the toiletry bag to her chest, she sank down onto her bed and buried her face into the bag.

  “Emily?” Hope said uncertainly, placing a hand on Emily’s shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

  “Lila. He’s kissing Lila!” Emily choked out.

  “Who?” Hope asked in confusion.

  “Jason!” she wailed.

  “What are you talking about? How could you possibly know?”

  “I . . . I . . . I saw him.”

  “When?”

  “A few minutes ago.” Emily stood up and threw the toiletry bag in the closest suitcase. “Oh God, I have to get out of here!”

  “She was kissing him? That bitch! When I get my hands on her. Mom’s going to . . .”

  “Shh!” Emily cautioned, worried Hope was going to wake the house with her yelling.

  “What about the wedding?”

  “Wedding?” Emily growled in disgust. “There isn’t going to be a wedding,” she spat out. “I’m leaving. I can’t be here in the morning. Not when everyone finds out. I can’t bear it.”

  “But where will you go?”

  “I don’t know, and I don’t care so long as it’s far away from this place.”

  Hope put a staying hand on Emily’s arm. “Why don’t you come to Boston with me? I have a huge condo, and you’re welcome to stay with me as long as you want. I’m hardly ever there, and when I am, I’m so freaking lonely. It’ll be nice to have a familiar face around.”

  “I don’t know. Isn’t it expensive? I won’t have a job right away.”

  “It’s okay. My trust pays for the condo.”

  “But that money is for you from your father,” she stated flatly, keenly aware that it was the only thing Hope had left of her father, who had died of a heart attack when Hope was four.

  “Whether you’re living there or not, the trust is still going to pay for the condo. It’s just money. I have my memories of him in here,” she said, pointing to her heart. “The past four years have been amazing, getting to know his side of the family again, hearing stories, seeing pictures, and just being surrounded by them. That more than anything has brought him back to life for me.” She shook her head and waved her hands in front of Emily’s face. “We’re getting off-topic though. This is a no-brainer, and I’m making the decision for you. You will come live with me.”

  “I don’t know, Hope, it just seems wrong. And what about the baby?” Emily asked, wrapping her arms around her belly. “I’ll have to find my own place before the baby comes.”

  “Why? It’s a three-bedroom, Em. There’s plenty of space.”

  “I don’t want to take advantage of you.”

  “You aren’t.” Hope reached out and squeezed Emily’s hand. “I’m offering. You’re my sister and you need this. Please come.”

  “I don’t know, Hope,” Emily hedged.

  “How about this? Come stay until you figure things out. It’s far away from here, and the distance will help you sort through everything. I don’t care if you stay forever, but if it makes you feel better to think of it as a temporary thing, then be my guest.”

  Emily scrunched up her face while she thought it over. It sounded great, exactly what she needed. She just worried about overstaying her welcome. Hope had a whole new life, and she hadn’t planned on a roommate, or a baby, for that matter. But she did need someplace to go, at least temporarily. And Hope was offering that to her. She nodded slowly, coming to her decision. She’d go and she’d be grateful; she wouldn’t overstay her welcome and she’d do whatever she could to be a good roommate, for however long she stayed. “Okay, yes.”

  Hope’s face lit up. “I’ll go pack.”

  Fifteen minutes later, the sisters were driving down the road in Hope’s rental car, heading to the airport in Santa Fe. Emily had taped a note to her bedroom door telling her parents not to worry and that she’d call later that morning with an explanation. And knowing her best friend slept like the dead, she didn’t hesitate to send Gina a quick text telling her the wedding was off and she’d talk to her later in the day.

  Emily leaned her head against the passenger window, hands resting lightly on her belly, her pregnancy weighing heavily on her mind. She’d be alone now. A single mother. The weight of responsibility would rest solely on her shoulders. Would she be able to handle it?

  *****

  The earliest fl
ight from Santa Fe to Boston wasn’t until 7:52 a.m. As Emily paced the gate area waiting for their seats to be called, she second-, third-, and fourth-guessed herself. Was she doing the right thing? Was running the answer? What if it had been a mistake?

  Then for the second, third, and fourth time, she reminded herself that she hadn’t mistaken what she’d seen. The memory wouldn’t leave her in peace, and she knew without a doubt that she needed space and time to decide what to do about it.

  When their seats were called, Emily gathered up her purse and ticket and breathed a short sigh of relief. She knew she’d feel a little better once she was on the plane.

  Landing in Denver, Emily settled on one of the chairs by the windows. Fingers shaking, she dialed her parents.

  “Are you okay?”

  Emily did her best to keep the tears at bay, but hearing the concern in her stepmother’s voice was almost more than she could bear. She considered herself extremely lucky to have Grace. Emily’s mother, Sara, had died when she was two. She didn’t know all the details just that it had been complications from scarlet fever. She couldn’t remember much about her mother but knew Sara had been well loved and respected in the community, and people were always eager to share their stories and memories. Mama G never discouraged it either. She herself had been happy to help ferret out information. When she’d married Clint, it had been something she’d been adamant about. She wouldn’t let Emily forget her mother, and Mama G never sought to replace Sara. Instead, she had tried to be a friend, a mentor, a guiding influence to mold Emily into an adult her mother would have been proud of.

  Her father was a man, down to the marrow of his bones. What he knew of hairstyles, fashion, and girl stuff wouldn’t fill a thimble. When Emily had needed her hair done, school clothes shopped for, the first time she’d gotten into a war with Gina, the first day of her period, the first time Jason had kissed her, when she left for college, having Mama G in her life had been a godsend. And hopefully, despite the distance Emily was putting between them, she would be there for the birth of her baby, too.