Emily's Choice

by Heather McCoubrey

  Emily’s

  Choice

  HEATHER McCOUBREY

  EMILY’S CHOICE

  Copyright © 2016 by Heather McCoubrey

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Heather McCoubrey

  http://heathermccoubrey.com

  Edited by Chrissy Wolfe, EFC Services, LLC

  Cover Photo by Merbe

  Cover Art by Carol Wise, WiseElement

  Author Photo by David Buser

  Acknowledgements

  It’s summer 1993. My family and I were living in Colorado and I was going into my senior year of high school as a 16-year-old and I knew I wanted to go to college back in my home state of Maine. My grandmother made me an offer I couldn’t refuse–live with her for my last year of high school to regain residency for college tuition rates. I moved back to Maine, to a small town where my father grew up and where I was born and lived for a short time as a baby.

  Other than family, I didn’t know anyone and there really wasn’t anywhere to meet people except school. At issue, for the most part, was my age. I was a young senior because I’d skipped a grade. I fit in with the age group of the junior class, but it was hard to really get to know them because my schedule was different than theirs. Even though I made some friends, I was still lonely, so I turned to my writing to get through the long winter and loneliness.

  I started out with poems and had quite a few finished. Then one day, I was reading an article about Pocahontas and learned that her Native American name was Matoaka. I thought it was such a pretty and unusual name and I wanted to use it somewhere, somehow.

  That’s when I had the idea to write my first novel, with a young woman named Matoaka as the star. My grandmother used to have old issues of National Geographic magazines laying around and I loved to read them and look at all the pictures. Inside one of those magazines, I found a map of the Old West. My eyes were drawn to a barren section of New Mexico, to a specific town called Mosquero. Right away I knew that would be the perfect setting for Matoaka’s home.

  One afternoon, not long after that day, I sat down at the table in my grandmother’s kitchen. I had a pencil and a notebook in front of me and a story brewing in my imagination. The story that began as Matoaka ends here as Emily’s Choice.

  That was the winter of 1993. Now, twenty-three years and two published novels later, I am finally ready to share the story of Emily Camancho and Jason Vaughn with you.

  It’s been a long journey and without the help, support and encouragement of many people along the way, Emily’s Choice would never have made it to your hands and heart.

  First and foremost, I must thank my husband and children. They are the light of my life and I wouldn’t be here doing what I love without their love and support. We added a new little blessing to our family last year and it has been a wild and fun ride. I can’t wait to see where we go from here!

  More often than not, my friends and family are the ones who listen to me go on and on and on about plot points, plot twists, character development, character names, sales and marketing, book covers, and they answer my panicked calls when I’m sure I’ve gotten myself way over my head and need someone to help me find my way out. The fact that they listen, offer feedback, and are still speaking to me goes to show just how much they love me.

  This year I did something a little different when it came to my beta readers. Instead of reaching out to writers, I put a note out on Facebook asking my friends and acquaintances if they would be interesting in beta reading. The response was overwhelming! I had an almost entirely different team and I loved it. Here were readers, the very people I needed!

  Vicki, Carolyn, Heather, Niki, Kacy, Kathy, Darlene, Michelle, and Heidi … You all helped make Emily’s Choice the best it could be. You helped make the story interesting, you helped me find dropped plot points, you helped me tie up loose ends and you fell in love with the characters. I can’t ask for more than that. Thank you!

  Stacey Wiedower helped me flesh out Emily’s career choice with tips and pointers on Interior Design. Anything that doesn’t ring true is on me; I took quite a bit artistic and writer license. Stacey is also an author (and the only one I used for this book!), and she’s an amazing writer. I hope you’ll take some time to read her books!

  Carol Wise, my mother-in-law and graphic artist extraordinaire. She has been the paintbrush behind my artistic eye, giving my covers the professional look they deserve. Every one of my covers are amazing because of her hard work and attention to detail.

  Chrissy Wolfe, my editor from EFC Services, LLC. I first sent this project to her right after I finished Back to December. I asked for a critique to see whether this book was salvageable or if I should just throw it away. After much back-and-forth and several lunch dates, we determined that Emily’s Choice was, in fact, salvageable. Without her ideas, handholding, encouragement, and kick in the pants, I probably never would have rewritten this book.

  When you have a project that spans twenty-three years, you have to know that a lot of people helped along the way. I remember back in the day, before Google searches were the thing, I spent many hours on the phone trying to get an idea of what Mosquero was like and a picture in my head of what Mosquero and New Mexico looked like.

  Paul Maurer, a resident of Mosquero, was someone I called out of the blue. I looked him up in the phone book (what?!?!) and he spent about an hour on the phone with me, a complete stranger–an aspiring author–answering all kinds of questions from the weather, to what businesses were in town, to what the area looked like and what the culture was like.

  Renee at City Hall provided me with a map of the town and she hand-wrote the locations of all the businesses, schools and courthouse on the map. She also answered so many of my questions regarding what it means to be the county seat to the type of cattle that is popular in the area.

  My long-time friend, Sam Brady. Sam has read almost as many versions of Emily’s Choice as I’ve written. He’s given me plenty of advice and ideas over the years; I still have emails and notes from him from back in 1998 when I was working on Draft #6! He’s also the reason Jenny is STILL sick as a dog, poor girl.

  Last, but not least, Michelle Perkins Holmes. She was the first friend I made at Calais High School and she not only befriended the new girl but spent hours brainstorming plots and adventures for Matoaka with me. Those hours were so much fun and it’s a time I look back on with fondness.

  This final version is nothing like the original story we worked on, but I think it’s a better and stronger story. I hope each of you can spare a spot in your heart for Emily & Jason.

  I’m sure there are more people I’ve forgotten to thank. Know that I am grateful for each of you and I appreciate and love you all so much!

  xoxo

  ~Heather

  Dedication

  For David.

  The love of my life.

  The one I would choose again and again.

  Table of Contents

  Cover

  acknowledgements

  dedication

  chapter one

  chapter two

  chapter three


  chapter four

  chapter five

  chapter six

  chapter seven

  chapter eight

  chapter nine

  chapter ten

  chapter eleven

  chapter twelve

  chapter thirteen

  chapter fourteen

  chapter fifteen

  chapter sixteen

  chapter seventeen

  chapter eighteen

  chapter nineteen

  chapter twenty

  chapter twenty-one

  chapter twenty-two

  chapter twenty-three

  chapter twenty-four

  chapter twenty-five

  chapter twenty-six

  chapter twenty-seven

  chapter twenty-eight

  chapter twenty-nine

  chapter thirty

  chapter thirty-one

  chapter thirty-two

  Epilogue

  Thank you

  Emily’s

  Choice

  Chapter One

  May 2008

  Emily Camancho was scared, no doubt about it. She took several deep breaths to calm her racing heart as she wiped her slick palms on her dusty jeans. Sitting in the driver’s seat of her beat-up rusty red pickup truck, she rolled down the window to let a breeze blow through.

  She was late. Three weeks late to be exact.

  Yesterday, she’d finally worked up the courage to take one of those pesky tests she’d bought last week at the pharmacy. It had been hiding under the bathroom sink since she’d brought it home. Once Jason had left for class, she reached her shaking hands into the cabinet and tore open the box. She sat down on the toilet with the test stick and placed it in the stream for five seconds and then replaced the cap on the end of it. She carefully set it down on the floor and went out to wash her hands.

  When she checked the stick after washing her hands, well, there had been no mistaking the results. Two dark blue lines. Positive. She’d let out a shuddering breath and collapsed against the door. What the hell was she going to do?

  Catching a glimpse of herself in the truck mirror, she grimaced. Searching through her purse, she blew out a sigh when all she could find was a ponytail holder. Shrugging, she dropped her purse back on the bench seat and pulled her long, auburn hair up into a messy ponytail. It would have to do, and she was out of time anyway. Jumping from the truck, she grabbed her purse and walked slowly into the Urgent Care facility. She’d come all the way across town to lessen the chances she would bump into anyone she knew from school. For a split second, she had thought about going home to see old Doc Martin but quickly nixed that idea. It would have spread like wildfire through the town, her parents finding out the results before she did. There was no such thing as doctor-patient confidentiality in Mosquero. Hell, there wasn’t any confidentiality at all.

  She’d told Jason that she wasn’t feeling well and was planning a visit to the doctor to see what was wrong. He’d offered to go with her, but she turned her baby blues on him and told him she would be all right. It didn’t make sense for them both to miss classes today.

  Emily walked into the facility and wrote her name down on the sign-in sheet. She picked up a gossip magazine to browse through while she waited but let it sit on her lap while her mind skidded all over the place. Was she really pregnant? They’d been careful every time. They both were fanatical about condom use, but she supposed one could have broken. How would she tell Jason? How would she tell her parents? What would everyone say?

  They were in their last year of college, she at Santa Fe Community College for Interior Design and Jason at New Mexico State University for Animal Science and Rangeland Resources. Jason was planning to return home to Mosquero after graduation to help his father with the ranch. Emily had planned to stay in Santa Fe to work with the design company she’d been interning with while at school. It was going to be a hard adjustment for them, seeing as they’d never spent any real amount of time apart, ever. But if she was indeed pregnant, how would she balance a baby, a new city, a long-distance relationship, and a new job? Santa Fe was only two and a half hours from home but that was a long way to commute every day if she had to live at home.

  Everyone would be shocked and appalled at first; she knew and accepted that. She hoped that part was quick though. She wouldn’t have an abortion, and she wasn’t giving the child up for adoption. Emily knew enough about herself to know that once the baby was born, she wouldn’t want to let it go. Everything would be okay, and everything would work out the way it was supposed to. Emily was sure of that. She had an amazing family; they were incredibly supportive and she knew they’d help her reach her dreams regardless. Once the baby did arrive, they’d all be happier than a rooster at dawn.

  By the time the nurse called her back, she’d almost gotten herself talked into a positive outlook. She calmly followed the nurse back and answered all the embarrassing questions. The nurse took a blood sample and told Emily it would be about twenty minutes for the results. Instead of waiting in the cold, sterile room, Emily opted to go outside instead. She walked around to the back of the building and was pleased to see a picnic table, a garden, and a nature path. She walked along the path, keeping an eye on the time as the nurse had cautioned her to be back on time as they had a lot of patients to see. Emily let her mind wander as she enjoyed the sights and smells of nature.

  She had no idea what she’d do with a baby. Her life plan didn’t include children, at least not for another several years. She and Jason had been an item for as long as Emily could remember, and their parents had always joked they’d been betrothed at birth. She and Jason had begun as playmates and friends, moved on to being a couple, and now they were lovers and practically engaged. She imagined their parents would want them to wait until after they’d settled into their jobs, but she and Jason had already talked of going to Las Vegas at Christmas to get married. She could picture all the lights, the people, and the excitement. The sounds of the slot machines, the range of emotions from the players at the tables. And their wedding ceremony. She’d always dreamed of a big, elaborate wedding, but the closer they got to Vegas, the more excited she was about just eloping and leaving the stress, cost, and craziness behind. Emily was confident she and Jason could take this next step together and come out with a stronger relationship, even if it was several years earlier than they had planned, at least in the baby department.

  Checking her watch, she turned around and hurried back to the examination room. When she stepped into the room, she noticed the nurse had laid out a gown, so Emily stripped down and put it on. The doctor knocked on the door just as Emily was climbing onto the table.

  “Come in,” Emily said shyly.

  “Hello, Emily. I’m Dr. Williams,” she said kindly as she shook Emily’s hand.

  “Hello.”

  “All right, I’m sure you’re on the edge of that table wondering what the results are.” Dr. Williams paused as Emily nodded her head and twisted her fingers. “The test was positive. You are pregnant, Emily.”

  The breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding came rushing out along with a strangled, “I am?”

  Dr. Williams nodded, pressing the button to recline the table flat and motioning for Emily to lie down. “I’m going to order an ultrasound for you so we can pinpoint exactly how far along you are. Let me just check your tummy, and then we can talk prenatal care.”

  Twenty minutes later, Emily walked out to her truck in a daze. She couldn’t remember one thing the doctor had told her, and if there’d been a test, she would have failed. The drive back to the apartment was a blur, and Emily was shocked when she pulled into the parking lot with no memory of the drive home. Running a hand over her face, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She climbed out of the truck and shuffled to the apartment. Exhausted from stress and the pregnancy, Emily collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep instantly.

  “Emily? Babe?”

  She reached out her hand and
pulled Jason down onto the bed with her. She peeked a quick glimpse of him, sighing with pleasure. She was so lucky. At six feet tall, Jason was head and shoulders above most of the guys in school. His dark blond hair was ruffled, and she could picture him running his hands through it in frustration during classes this morning. His eyes were a deep chocolate brown that twinkled when he laughed and only looked at her with love. Working on the ranch his whole life had given him a lean and toned body. Many underestimated his strength, especially on the football field.

  “How are you feeling? What did the doctor say?”

  Emily’s eyes snapped open and she bolted upright as the morning’s stress and results came rushing back to her. She inhaled sharply, ready to tell him, but she couldn’t find the words.

  When he sat up with her, she turned and buried her face in his chest, taking several deep breaths to calm down. She couldn’t fathom why she was panicking. Jason loved her and she loved him.

  She tried her best to smile but failed miserably when tears gathered in her eyes.

  He wrapped his arms around her. “What’s wrong, babe? Are you okay?”

  Shaking her head no, she hid her face against his shirt as the tears fell down her cheeks, hugging him hard.

  “Can you tell me what’s wrong?”

  Sighing, Emily buried her face in his neck and nodded. “I will, I promise. I need you to hold me a little longer.”

  “Babe, you know I’ll hold you forever, but you’re scaring me. You never cry, what’s going on?” He slipped a finger under her chin and raised her face so he could look into her eyes. He wiped her tears with his thumb and offered her a comforting smile.

  “I don’t know how to start. I thought it would be easy, but now that you’re here, I’m scared.” She turned her face into his neck and took a deep breath. He always smelled so good, like the outdoors mixed with sunshine.