Emily's Choice

by Heather McCoubrey

  He’d found no evidence of a wild, sexy night. He’d been sure to check when Clint had come by that morning hell-bent on beating the crap out of him. Sure, he’d been down to his boxers, but he hadn’t woken nude, which would have been a given if he’d had sex that night.

  He sat forward and set his beer on the ground. A smile broke across his face. Lila had to be lying, but how would he get her to admit it? Or how would he catch her in the lie? She was probably expecting her news to drive him into her arms, especially with Emily so inaccessible.

  He didn’t need another complication to getting Emily back, but he definitely had to get this nipped in the bud. He drained the rest of his beer and set the empty bottle on the floor next to the lounge chair. Standing, he paced the length of the porch and made a plan.

  First, he had to confirm Lila’s pregnancy, but he had no idea how. Second, if she was pregnant, he had to get a DNA test done . . . it wasn’t his and he had to prove it. Third, and he hated that this was third on the list, he would start his wooing campaign of Emily right away by sending flowers, and he’d call her this weekend to say hi. And he should go shopping for a Christmas gift for her, and it had to be good.

  He was a man of action, and action was what he needed right now. Actions spoke louder than words, right? Well, he hoped that was true.

  “Knock, knock,” Jason said, rapping his knuckles against the screen door. He’d stayed up late into the night making plans to catch Lila in her lie, and then he’d moved on to how he was going to win Em back.

  He was tired, heart sick, and not ready to face the day. It was already scorching hot and it wasn’t even nine o’clock in the morning.

  “Come in,” Grace said pleasantly, handing him a steaming mug of strong, black coffee as he walked through the door.

  “Thank you,” he muttered against the lip of the mug as he took his first sip of coffee of the day. He propped a hip against the counter and smiled at Grace. “How are you today?”

  “I’m good. Getting geared up for the trip to Boston. We’re leaving bright and early tomorrow morning.”

  “How long will you be gone?”

  “I will most likely be gone until after the baby is born; Clint will be home Monday afternoon.” She puttered around the kitchen, pulling out plates and homemade cinnamon buns. “Sit down,” she gestured toward the table. “I’m sure you haven’t had breakfast yet.”

  “Nothing as delicious as what you’re about to serve me.” He laughed, helping himself to a bun. He moaned in delight with his first bite. Nothing in the world tasted better than Grace’s cooking. She had a gift. “Will you let me know when the baby is born?”

  Grace nodded as she took a sip of her coffee. “Of course.” She smiled.

  “Do you think it would be a bad choice to fly out and see the baby?”

  Grace grimaced and stared hard at her coffee mug.

  “So, I take it that’s a yes,” he muttered, nodding toward the look on her face.

  She sighed and raised her eyes to meet his. “No,” she said slowly. “No, I think that would actually be a good idea.”

  “You do?” Jason asked incredulously.

  “Yes,” she said brightly. “The more I think about it, the more I think that seeing you so soon after the birth might help open her eyes. I’ll call you once the baby arrives and you can make arrangements to come out to Boston.” A bright smile lit up her face. “Yes, I think this is a great idea!”

  Jason grinned, relieved that Grace was on his side for this. He fell silent, finishing up his cinnamon bun and wondering how to broach the subject of Lila.

  “You look like you have something on your mind,” Grace prompted, reaching across and serving him a second helping of cinnamon buns.

  “You always could read me like a book,” Jason teased. “But yeah, I do.” The color rose in his cheeks, evidence of how uncomfortable this conversation was going to be.

  “Spit it out, then. The sooner it’s out, the sooner we can deal with it.”

  He proceeded to explain the situation he had found himself in upon his return from Boston. He made sure to stress that he was one hundred percent positive it wasn’t his but didn’t have the guts to go into the gory details.

  “Definitely is a pickle you’re in, isn’t it?”

  Dropping his chin and turning his head to the side, he nodded. He drained the last of his coffee and then went over to the coffee pot to fill their cups. “Can you help? What should I do? How do I prove she’s lying?” he asked, sitting down at the table again.

  “Either set it up yourself or have her set up an appointment with a doctor. A quick exam, plus some blood work will sort it out pretty quick. And if that’s inconclusive, just get an ultrasound.”

  “I do have a friend from college who’s an intern at an OB/GYN office. I wonder if he’d make time for me?”

  “It’s worth a try. What if it is true?” At Jason’s sharp look, she raised a hand and shook her head. “I don’t mean whether it’s yours or not. What if it’s true that she’s pregnant?”

  “I’ll demand a DNA test. I know it’s not mine, and I refuse to be tricked into it. I’m not responsible for her bad choices, and I won’t be held accountable for them.”

  Grace smiled. “Good for you.”

  He spun the mug around on the table. “I saw her Sunday,” he said quietly.

  “Who?”

  “Emily.”

  “You did?” Grace asked, a smile breaking out on her face. “How was she?”

  “She seemed to be doing well,” he answered, hanging his head. “But not thrilled to see me on her doorstep.”

  “How’d you figure out where she was?”

  “Process of elimination. She wasn’t here, nor at Gina’s or Phoebe’s. I called some friends in Santa Fe. Called a few hotels, checked in with some family members I know of. But Hope hasn’t returned one phone call, and she was the last holdout.”

  “Smart boy,” Grace smiled, patting his hand. “Did you explain?”

  “I tried. She barely looked at me. She just wanted me gone.”

  “She’ll come around, but you can’t force it. You’ll only drive her away further. Give her time, woo her, show her how much you love her, show her how wrong she is despite what she saw with her own eyes.”

  Jason sighed. “It sounds like you want me to start all over again.”

  Chuckling, she tapped her fingers on the table. “It’s not as if you had to try in the first place. You two have been thick as thieves since you were babies; your relationship has just moseyed down the natural path of things. Neither of you have had to work for your relationship; it’s been easy.”

  He nodded.

  She stood and put her mug in the sink. “And now you have to decide: Do you fight, tooth and nail, for her or do you let her keep her misconceptions and walk away? And it wouldn’t just be Emily you’d be walking away from. It would also be that sweet baby.”

  Jason shot to his feet. “Whoa, who said anything about giving up? Certainly not me,” he said, taking his own mug to the sink. Turning to face her, his eyes bored into Grace’s. “I’m fighting, tooth and nail. I won’t give up on her, on us, on our family. I know it’s not going to be easy, but I’m not a quitter. She’s the love of my life, Grace. Always has been.”

  A brilliant smile lit up Grace’s face. She pulled him in for a hug and patted his back. “I knew it, but I had to be sure. I’ll help you as much as I can.” She stood back and poked a finger into his chest. “Don’t screw this up, though. It won’t just be Clint you have to worry about if you do.”

  Chapter Eight

  “I can’t be on bed rest! I have too much work to do.”

  “Your blood pressure is too high, Emily. Any higher and I’ll have to admit you to the hospital. There’s protein in your urine and you have too much swelling. You’ve been pushing yourself too hard and now you have no other choice.”

  “But I have to pick up my parents at the airport this afternoon.”

&n
bsp; Dr. Robbins shook her head. “Not going to happen. Find someone else to pick them up. You are to go straight home to bed. I shouldn’t even let you drive yourself home.”

  “I suppose my sister can pick them up. Can I work in bed?”

  “I’d prefer you didn’t. Watch television, read a book, sleep. You need to relax. No stress. If you don’t rest, I’ll have to admit you.”

  Emily sighed and hunched her shoulders. “How dangerous is it?”

  “Preeclampsia is very serious. If not treated properly, it can lead to eclampsia. Seizures, coma, death. You need to take this seriously, Emily.”

  “Death?”

  Dr. Robbins nodded. “Call your office and tell them you’re taking maternity leave now. Pass off all your work. Go home and rest.”

  “What should I be aware of?”

  “Blurred vision, severe weight gain, headache that won’t go away, pain in your abdomen or in your shoulder. If it seems wrong, call me. I’d rather you call me and it be nothing than to take a chance with your life and Baby Girl’s.”

  Emily slid to the floor and gathered up her things. “I’ll be home in bed in a half hour. I promise.”

  “Good.”

  After checking out and making her appointment for the following week, Emily hurried to the car and drove home. Walking into the apartment, she dropped everything on the dining room table and went straight to her room. Changing into her pajamas, she slid under the blankets and called Hope, who assured her she’d pick up Clint and Grace at the airport and they’d bring something home for dinner.

  Next she called Kendra, who agreed with Dr. Robbins that Emily had been pushing it too hard. She told Emily not to worry, that she’d done an amazing job training Phil, and Kendra had no doubt that everything would go smoothly.

  She decided to take a nap and woke a few hours later to the sound of voices in the foyer. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she sat up in bed, surprised she’d slept so long.

  “Emily?”

  “In my room,” she called out.

  Grace poked her head in the door. “She’s decent,” she announced as she walked into the room, followed closely by Clint. Grace sat on the edge of the bed and reached out to hug her.

  “Darling girl, how are you?”

  “I’m okay, Mama G. Just took a nap. Doctor’s orders.”

  “That’s good. You’ve been pushing yourself too hard lately.”

  “I know, I know. I brought this wretched bed rest on myself.”

  “It’ll do you good to lie about,” Clint said sternly.

  Grace nodded. “Dad and I will get Baby Girl’s room ready.”

  “I was planning to wow you with my turkey dinner. Who will cook now?”

  Grace turned a hard stare on Emily. Despite her confused thoughts and frazzled emotions, Emily chuckled. “I know you can cook it, but I didn’t want you to. You’re visiting.”

  “Emily,” Grace began in an exasperated tone, “I’m here to help, in any way I can.”

  “I’m so glad you’re here.” Emily smiled warmly. “And I have news.”

  “News?” Clint asked.

  “Hope!” Emily called out, waiting for her to hurry into the room.

  “What’s up?”

  “I’ve finally picked a name for Baby Girl!”

  Clint whistled, Grace squealed in delight, and Hope gasped.

  “About time!” Hope cheered. “Well, don’t keep us in suspense!”

  “Sadie Violet.”

  “Oh, it’s lovely,” Grace approved, smiling brightly.

  Hope nodded. “I agree. It was worth the wait.”

  “Nice work, kid,” Clint said. “I like it. Now point me in the direction of Sadie’s room and I’ll get to work.”

  Emily laughed. “I love the way her name sounds. It’s definitely the right one.”

  “Daddy, I’ll show you, and then I need to run to the agency for a little bit,” Hope said.

  “Why?” Emily and Grace asked simultaneously.

  “Just some last-minute paperwork I need to finish up before the holiday. I should be back in a couple hours. Do we need anything while I’m out?”

  “I bought everything we need for dinner last night, so I think we’re good to go,” Emily said.

  “All right. I’ll see you later.”

  Emily sighed and leaned back against her pillows.

  “Can I get you anything, dear?”

  “I’m okay, Mama G,” Emily grinned. “But I’m already sick of being in bed.”

  “I’m sure you can lie on the couch, too, if you need a change of scenery.”

  “I feel bad. I was hoping to go sight-seeing with you.”

  Grace rose from the bed. “We’ll have plenty of time to sight-see once Sadie comes.”

  Emily nodded. “True.”

  “How are you doing? I mean really doing?” Grace asked.

  Emily closed her eyes. She’d known this conversation was coming.

  “I’m good. I have a stable job, a place to live, my independence, and Hope.”

  “None of those will keep you warm at night. Nor will they be a father for your little girl.”

  “I know,” Emily said softly, wrapping the blanket around her fingers. “I’m not ready.”

  “Ready or not, the baby is coming. That baby’s arrival marks the end of life as you know it.”

  “I know all of this,” Emily said defensively, anger flashing in her eyes.

  “You think you know it. But you really don’t. Do you really think you’re going to be able to work twelve or fourteen hours a day anymore? You think you’re going to get eight solid hours of sleep every night? You think you’re going to be able to do what you want, when you want?”

  “Of course not.”

  Grace walked over to the bedroom window, staring unseeing at the street below. “He comes to the house every day.”

  “He came here the other night,” Emily said softly.

  “He was here?”

  Emily nodded. “I sent him away.”

  “Oh, Emily,” Grace said sadly.

  Emily sniffed. “I don’t know how I could have been so wrong about him. I grew up with him. I lived with him.”

  “I have my own opinions of what happened that night. I don’t think you’re giving Jason the fair shake he deserves. Did you at least let him explain?”

  “He claims he doesn’t remember anything.” Emily turned her face away from Grace’s prying eyes. “I can do this. I’ll be a good mother, and I’ll make this work. Sadie will be happy and healthy.”

  “I know you can do it, and I know you’ll be a wonderful mother. I just wonder what will happen to you in the process. What will you lose?”

  “Lose?”

  “You and Jason belong together, Emily. You always have been together.”

  “He ruined that. I can’t go back.”

  “That’s one of the things you’re losing, don’t you see? You’ve banished yourself from your home. You’ve left the wide open spaces and traded it for the cramped, busy city life. You’ll deprive your daughter of it, too.”

  “I don’t understand why you’re coming down so hard on me. I’m not the one who cheated. I’m not the one who threw away our future just hours before our wedding.”

  “Aren’t you? All I see here is a woman determined to make it on her own, to forget the love of her life, and to prove to all that she can do it alone. I see a woman who can’t swallow her pride long enough to listen to an explanation from a man she professed to love with her whole heart.”

  “You see a man who actually did wrong and yet you’re blaming me!”

  “Not the way you think. Jason wasn’t the only person you cast out of your life, Emily.”

  Emily gasped. She never thought of it that way—that she’d not only left Jason but also her family and friends behind. Before she could stop them, tears fell from her eyes, coursing down her cheeks. Her heart broke a little for the pain evident on Grace’s face. Pain that would only increase when
Sadie arrived and then when Grace had to leave.

  “I’m sorry, Mama G.”

  Grace shook her head. “I’m not looking for apologies. I just want you to open your eyes, Emily. It’s not just about you.”

  Grace sighed and walked over to the bed. Reaching out, she slid her fingertips down Emily’s cheek and cupped her chin. “You should rest. I’m gonna go see if your father needs help.” She leaned down and kissed the top of Emily’s head. “I love you.”

  “Love you, too, Mama G.”

  Emily watched her stepmother walk down the hall to Sadie’s room. Grace had given her a lot to think about.

  Was she scared of being a single mother? She was terrified. Her days would never be the same——replaced with sleepless nights, diaper changes, and feedings, and she was okay with it.

  Rubbing her belly, she grinned. She couldn’t wait to meet Sadie. Couldn’t wait to hold her in her arms. To look into her eyes and know that Sadie was her own little princess. She couldn’t wait to rock her to sleep, to bask in her presence and watch her grow.

  It would be the end to life as she knew it—Grace was right about that. But it wasn’t a life that Emily thought she’d miss. She was looking forward to her new life as a mother too much to mourn the old one.

  Chapter Nine

  Jason pulled up outside Lila’s house and grimaced. As with her own appearance, her home was decorated to impress. Flower pots full of fall mums lined the front steps and her house was already decorated for Christmas. They made the house and its occupant look cheerful and full of Christmas spirit. He knew the truth, though; she was full of anything but Christmas spirit. More like hate and dissension. Although, it cheered him slightly to think that since Santa knew all, Lila was sure to only receive coal this year . . . as she probably had every year of her existence.

  He put the truck in park and walked up to the door. Knocking lightly, he waited impatiently for her to answer. He wanted this done and over, and the sooner he could trick her into going with him, the sooner he’d have his answers. The sooner he could move on and forget Lila and her deceptions.