“Looks good,” he said, barely glancing at it.
“They’ll be delivered tomorrow.”
“Perfect.” He handed her his credit card, signed the slip, and tipped his hat in her direction. “Thank you, Martie.”
“Anytime, cowboy. See you next week.”
He nodded. “You know it.” He walked out the door and ignored Lila. Turning, he headed for the bank. It didn’t take long for her to catch up to him.
“Wait up,” she huffed.
“I have things to do,” he growled. “I don’t have the time, nor the inclination, to wait for you.” He increased his stride and hoped he could just outpace her. She wouldn’t get the hint; she was too obtuse for that. But if he could outpace her, then he wouldn’t have to listen to her.
When he reached the bank, he didn’t even glance at her. He opened the door and walked inside. He knew his mother would be rolling in her grave because he didn’t hold the door open for her. But he didn’t consider her a lady and thought if his mother knew exactly what he was dealing with, she’d maybe let it slide. But on the off chance she wouldn’t, he silently apologized to her, God rest her soul.
He stood in line, waiting for his turn. Lila waved to him as she walked into the back. He assumed she’d been on her lunch break, and he breathed a sigh of relief that her break was over. He’d be able to get the rest of his errands done without her tagging along. If he thought a restraining order would do any good, and wouldn’t embarrass him in the process, he’d head over to the Sheriff’s office right now and get it done.
He knew people in town saw her with him. Knew she did it on purpose. Knew she used the town gossipmongers to her benefit. Knew that Emily was aware every time he was seen with Lila and knew that each of those instances were taken out of context. But, in a way, it didn’t matter because Emily saw what she wanted to see. And all she saw was Jason with Lila.
Once out on the sidewalk, he stood for a moment, staring out at the open fields across the street. It was time to try to visit Boston again. He was running out of ideas on how to fix this. She continued to keep him at arm’s length, and it drove him crazy. If he went, he’d be able to count on Em not spending any time with him. And that would suck, but he had a bright shining light at the end of that particular tunnel. He’d get a lot of one-on-one time with Sadie.
He could take her to the aquarium, and they’d spend some time at the park. There was so much to see and do, he and Sadie never got bored. Well, he never got bored. She was still a little young for most of the things. But she loved the park and would toddle around for hours on the equipment.
Mind made up, he finished the rest of his errands and headed back out to the ranch. He was walking up the steps to the house when his father came around the corner.
“Cows getting out somehow. Clint’s foreman just called and said they had three of ours in their back forty.”
“Great, there goes the rest of my day.”
“Probably the rest of your week.” Joe laughed.
“Hopefully not. I was just gonna go inside and make arrangements to go to Boston for a few days.”
Joe shook his head. “Do you really think this time will be different?”
“No.”
“Waste of time.”
“I get to see Sadie, at the very least.”
“Bring the child out here for a visit. Just fly out, pick her up, and bring her back.” Joe kicked at the dirt in the driveway. “I’d like to see my first and only grandchild in person, at least once before she’s all grown up.”
“That’s a great idea, Dad. I’ll call her tomorrow and run it by her.”
“How can she say no? And don’t let her.”
Jason nodded. “I’m gonna head out and see about those cows.”
He went to the barn and saddled his horse. He could take the four-wheeler, but he felt the need for horseback. He needed simple. He needed peace and quiet. He needed to think.
Chapter Fourteen
“You have one new voicemail message. Emily, it’s Jason. Just checking in. Hope you and Sadie are doing well. Call me when you can. I love you, Em. Always.”
Emily leaned her head against the back of the couch and closed her eyes. Every message ended the same. I love you. She didn’t believe him. In her opinion, he said it out of habit, a last-ditch attempt to win back her affections. Life would be much easier, for everyone involved, if he’d just stop. She wasn’t interested, and rumor had it he was seeing the very reason they’d split in the first place.
“Sadie!” she called. “Come FaceTime with Daddy.” She smiled when she heard her daughter toddle down the hall. It was past dinner time, closing in on bath and bedtime. She’d been working long days to finish a project that was due at the end of the week, so they hadn’t spent a lot of time together lately. Emily was planning to rectify that this weekend with a special trip to Splash!, an outdoor water park.
Emily had worked her way up, rather quickly, to lead designer. She’d interviewed for the position when she’d first moved to Boston and she loved her job. Her boss, Kendra, was a dream to work for, and she enjoyed the freedom that Kendra gave her to make the clients happy. The firm was bursting with work and Emily was busy all the time, and while she loved her job, she sometimes resented how it got in the way of spending valuable time with her daughter.
Sadie didn’t seem to mind, but then she didn’t know any different. This was the only life she knew. Sadie had daycare, she had her friends, and usually she had either Emily or Hope. Hope, who had accepted Derek’s proposal and was now slowly freaking out about planning a wedding. Mama G wanted Hope to get married in New Mexico, but Hope wanted it in Boston. The possibilities for locations were endless, and as Hope had rediscovered her roots, she really wanted to honor them, and her father, with her wedding. Emily could understand both points, and she knew Mama G would bow to whatever Hope wished for, eventually. But until a final decision had to be made, Mama G would continue to press her wishes. She couldn’t wait to start helping Hope plan the wedding. When Hope got home from her latest shoot in two weeks, they were going to tour a few venues to get a feel for what Hope was looking for and also for pricing.
Breaking herself out of the wedding fog, she pulled Sadie up onto the couch with her and dialed Jason’s number. He picked up on the first ring, and Emily quickly shifted the phone’s camera to Sadie’s beaming face.
“Daddy!” Sadie squealed. She grabbed at the phone and poked Jason in the eye. Emily bit back a bark of laughter.
“Hi, Sadie-girl, how are you?”
“Sadie good,” she replied, continuing to poke at Jason’s face on the screen.
“Be careful,” Emily whispered to Sadie. “You’ll accidentally hang up on Daddy.”
“Hi, Em,” Jason called out.
“Hello,” she replied through gritted teeth. Why couldn’t he just talk to Sadie and leave her alone? “Thank you for the flowers. They’re lovely,” she said, referring to the beautiful purple roses. “I wish you wouldn’t send them, though. Save your money or use it to buy things for Sadie.”
“I like to buy you things,” he began.
Emily quickly interrupted. “But I don’t. We aren’t together, and it makes me uncomfortable to receive gifts from you. Please stop.”
Jason sighed.
“Talk to Sadie. I have some things to do. If she hangs up on you before you’re ready, just call back and I’ll set it up again.”
“Em, we need to talk. I have an idea I’d like to run by you.”
“I’m done talking,” she replied tersely. She stood and looked down at Sadie. “Talk to Daddy, I’m gonna get your bath ready.” She ran her hand over Sadie’s blond curls and hurried off to the bathroom.
She could hear Sadie’s babble and Jason’s responses and questions. Why did he have to fight her on everything? He hoped and wished for them to get back together, but it wasn’t going to happen. Why couldn’t he see that? Why couldn’t he accept that? It had been almost two years! He
really needed to get the hint already.
Shaking her head, she gathered up a wash cloth and towel for Sadie and set them on the counter. Then dropping a color fizz into the tub, she turned on the water. While it was filling, she set out Sadie’s pajamas and her clothes for tomorrow. She hoped it would give them an extra few minutes in the morning but knew they would be just as rushed as every other morning. Nothing she tried ever made their mornings go smooth.
Turning off the water, she walked back to the living room to monitor and hurry the video call along.
Jason’s face was no longer the star of her phone. He’d been replaced by Emily’s father, who was laughing and making faces, which in turn was making Sadie laugh.
“Hi, Dad!” Emily said, sitting down next to Sadie and popping her face into the camera view.
“Hello! Sadie just phoned me. She was saying Daddy when I first picked up.”
“Oh, she was on the phone with Jason. She must have hung up on him. You know how she likes to press the buttons.”
“Well, it’s a nice surprise,” he chuckled, sticking his tongue out at Sadie.
“How’s Sophie?” Emily asked, referring to her sister-in-law who was hours, if not minutes, away from giving birth to her fourth child.
“Uncomfy is the word I hear,” he replied sheepishly.
“I bet she is. Give her our love.”
“I will.”
“I hate to break up the comedy party, here, but Sadie needs a bath and bed. We’ll call you this weekend.”
“Sounds good. Good night, my princesses.”
“Night, Dad.”
“Night, Gamps!”
Forty-five minutes later, Emily had Sadie in bed and a silent apartment all to herself.
Hope would be back soon. She loved her sister, enjoyed living with her, was so grateful to have a place to live, but it was moments like this—when she was alone, with no one to entertain, no one to converse with, no one to intrude on her solitude——that she was at her happiest.
Hope had plans to go to Mosquero for Labor Day weekend, and Emily was contemplating letting Sadie go with her. She was old enough to sleepover at Jason’s with minimal fuss, and she knew her parents would relish the time with Sadie. She planned to stay in Boston to work, relax, and enjoy some alone time. Phoebe, who was currently single, had mentioned coming out, and Emily thought that might be a good time to suggest a visit. She wouldn’t hold her breath, though. Phoebe was in and out of relationships quicker than most changed their socks.
She slowly walked down the hall, knowing she should clean up from dinner but quickly losing her ambition. All she really felt like doing was sitting on the couch and moping. She was still irritated about her quick conversation with Jason earlier and his nerve at sending her those beautiful roses.
Sighing, she decided to clean up the kitchen and the clutter around the apartment. The messiness stressed her out. Yawning, she mentally added exhaustion to her list of reasons. A good night’s sleep would do wonders for her. She had to get out of this funk.
Exhausted and hoping that was the real reason for her mood, Emily climbed into bed three hours later. She’d cleaned the kitchen, done a load of laundry, spent time on her work projects, and then taken a warm shower. She placed her tea on the bedside table and turned on her Kindle. She opened the latest release by Tess Gerritsen and started reading where she’d left off in chapter five. But as she read, she couldn’t remember what she’d read before and realized it had been weeks since she’d given herself time to read. Sighing, she went back to the first chapter and began again, promising herself that she wouldn’t let time get away from her again.
Groggy and disoriented, Emily startled awake. She glanced at the clock and was surprised to see it was a little after midnight. Her Kindle laid next to her, and Emily realized she must have fallen asleep while reading, confirming her earlier assumption that she was exhausted.
She couldn’t figure out what had woken her so she put her Kindle next to her untouched cup of tea and turned out her bedside light. Closing her eyes, she was just drifting off to sleep again when she heard what must have woken her in the first place. The message ringtone on her cell phone. Someone must have called. She threw off the covers, knowing that if someone had called her at this time of night, it couldn’t be good.
She unplugged her phone from the charger on her dresser and checked her caller ID. It was a call from her brother, Tyler, and Emily felt a jolt of excitement run through her. His wife, Sophie, must have had the baby—or they were at least on the way to the hospital.
She quickly dialed his number and waited for him to answer with the exciting news.
“Em?”
“Tyler! Oh my gosh, I’m so excited! Is it a girl?”
“What? What are you talking about?”
“The baby! Is it a girl? Did Sophie give birth?”
“Emily,” he said slowly, “didn’t you listen to my message?”
“N-no, why? Is everything all right? Are Sophie and the baby okay?”
“Sophie and the baby are fine. But Mama G isn’t. She was in an accident tonight. She’s in the hospital, and they don’t expect her to make it. How soon can you get home?”
Emily’s knees buckled, and she dropped to the floor. “What? What?” She couldn’t wrap her mind around what he had just told her. “What happened?”
“Drunk driver. She swerved to avoid and lost traction on the gravel. Her car flipped and hit a tree. She’s in surgery right now, but from what we understand, she had a lot of trauma to her head and they don’t anticipate her waking up.”
“Oh my God,” she gasped. “Oh my God. Um, okay.” She took a shuddering breath and tried to calm herself down. “Okay. I’ll call the airlines now and see about tickets. I’m sure I can get something for the morning. Do you want me to call Hope or are you? She can probably get her flight changed easily, too.”
“If you could call her, that would be helpful. Dad’s not doing well, and I don’t want to be away from him for long.”
“I understand. I’ll text you when I know our flights. Don’t worry about picking us up, we’ll rent a car. What hospital?”
“She was airlifted to Santa Fe General.”
“Okay. See you soon.”
She hung up and rested her head on her knees. There would be no more sleep tonight; she had a lot to do and little time to get it done. Dragging herself to her feet, she rushed over to her desk in the corner of her room. Sitting down, she pulled out a piece of paper to start a list. She wrote: call Hope, change flights, call Sadie’s daycare, rent car, book hotel in Santa Fe, call Phil, pack clothes, pack work . . . she was sure there was more to add, but she stopped there and began.
She dialed Hope’s number while she pulled up her favorite airline website. She selected flights and compared the prices and times to other airlines while she waited for Hope to pick up. As groggy and disoriented as Emily had been, Hope had just as much trouble as Emily had deciphering what was being said to her.
“What do you mean?” Hope asked. “This doesn’t make sense.”
“I know it doesn’t. She was in an accident, Hope, and they don’t think she’s going to make it. You have to get home, now!”
“Are you going?”
“Yes. I’m working on flights now.”
“I need to call Derek.”
Emily could hear the tears in her voice and wanted so badly to be there to comfort Hope. “You do. Call him, he’ll want to know. And no doubt he’ll be able to meet us in New Mexico to be with you.”
“You think so?”
“Yes. Call Derek and then call the airlines. Then call me when you know your flight info. I’m going to rent a car so don’t worry about that. I’ll either wait for you at the airport or come get you. Mama G is at Santa Fe General, so I’ll try to get a hotel close by. Do you want your own room or do you want to share with us?”
“Sharing is fine,” Hope said quickly. “Oh my gosh. What am I going to do without her? She’
s too young, Emily. What if she doesn’t make it? She’ll miss my wedding,” Hope’s voice broke and then she gasped. “Sadie and I were supposed to go dress shopping over Labor Day weekend with Mom. We were going to go out there for the long weekend.”
Emily could hear Hope’s soft cries over the phone but didn’t know what she could say to help Hope.
“Oh my God,” she croaked. “I haven’t even had babies yet! She’ll never get to meet my babies!”
“I know, Hope. Let’s try to think positive though, okay? At least until we get there and know what’s what. Let’s focus on getting there and being with her. Okay?” Emily took Hope’s sniffle to mean yes. “Call the airlines and then call me back. I love you, sis. We’ll make it through this.”
Emily spent an hour on the phone with the airlines getting their flights arranged. While she’d been on the phone, and on hold a dozen times, she’d gotten a car rented and hotel booked. She reserved two rooms, knowing that if Derek was able to go out to New Mexico, they’d want their own room. She’d also sent an email to Phil with a promise to call him as soon as he made it into the office later that morning.
Now that the flights were arranged, she texted her brother the information and walked back to her room. It was almost two in the morning, but she knew sleep was still out of reach. She pulled her suitcases from the closet and began to pack.
When she was finished with that, she packed her briefcase with her current projects and her laptop and set everything by the door. She went back to her desk and crossed the completed items off her list—the rest would have to wait until later in the morning. Their flight didn’t leave until one, so Emily would have plenty of time to get phone calls made, the rest of the things they’d need packed, and get them both over to the airport.
She only planned to rest on her bed for a couple minutes, let the situation sink in and then get back to organizing and getting ready to leave, but the next thing she knew, Sadie was shaking her awake.
“Mama!”
Emily blinked and sat up. Eyes darting to the clock in panic, she sighed in relief when she saw it was only four in the morning. “What is it, Sadie?”
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