Emily's Choice

by Heather McCoubrey

  “We didn’t go into the specifics of what she’s telling him or not. But, she did mention that he’s confused. Everyone is accusing him of cheating, but he doesn’t remember a thing about that night.”

  “Oh my gosh. Gina said the same thing today when I spoke to her.”

  “She’s spoken to him?”

  Emily nodded. “At the bar the other night. He cornered her and asked for all the details. She didn’t give me up, but she said it took all she had not to.”

  Hope moved closer to the table. “Mom said he’s hurting, a lot. She said he’s beside himself with grief. He’s devastated.”

  Emily shook her head and leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms against her chest. “I don’t buy it. He has to remember, and he’s just trying to talk everyone into believing him. Devastated? Please. He’s devastated because he got caught, not because I’m gone.”

  Hope opened her mouth and then promptly closed it. She sat back in her chair and picked up her water glass. “You’re probably right. I hadn’t thought of it that way.”

  “Mama G and Dad still coming for Thanksgiving?” Emily asked, desperately trying to change the subject.

  *****

  It was the week before Thanksgiving and Emily was exhausted. “I’ve been working twelve-hour days to get things caught up and ready before Baby Girl arrives.”

  “Don’t wear yourself out, darling. You need to rest as much as you can before she’s born.”

  “I know, Mama G, but it’s my first real job, and I don’t want them to forget how awesome I am while I’m out on maternity leave.”

  “Darling, no one could forget that.”

  Emily laughed. “You’re still planning to be here Wednesday?”

  “Yes.”

  “Fabulous. I’ll do my best to get this place ready for you and Dad.”

  “Don’t stress too much about it.”

  “Can’t wait to see you guys!”

  “Us either. Love to all three of you. Get some rest, Em.”

  Emily hung up the phone and glanced around the apartment. It was Sunday afternoon, and she had a lot of work to do to make their place presentable before Wednesday. Dishes, dusting, vacuuming, laundry, bathrooms. The list was never ending. Plus, the baby’s room was a disaster. Everything she’d received and bought had been dumped into that room. Nothing was organized. The crib wasn’t even put together.

  Since she’d started at A Touch of Flair, the time had flown by. She loved the job, she loved Kendra, and she felt she was making a difference. Kendra had brought on the promised intern, Phil, to cover for Emily while she was out on maternity leave. Emily really liked him.

  Lying under the covers, the lights off and her alarm set, Emily rubbed her burgeoning belly. Baby Girl was due in twelve days, and she was terrified. Of caring for this tiny human. Of juggling work and child care. Of being solely responsible for raising her to be the best woman she could be. Of all the little things and all the big things.

  She wasn’t supposed to be in this situation. Jason was supposed to be with her, standing next to her and helping her. She wondered what he was doing right now.

  Adjusting the pillow under her head, she closed her eyes, wishing for sleep to claim her, but fear was eating away at her fragile confidence. Everyone said she’d make a wonderful mother, but how did they know? How could they be sure? Just because she’d always been able to make babies coo and little children laugh didn’t mean she had what it took to raise a baby.

  Frustrated at being unable to fall asleep, she sat up and reached for the baby name book. She picked up at the O names, added a couple to her short list and continued to the S names. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the name Sadie, which meant princess.

  “Sadie,” Emily said out loud. Smiling, she reached for her laptop and searched for feminine flower names. The tradition in her family was that all the girls, for as far back as Emily knew, had a flower middle name. Her own was Rose. She scrolled through the search results, and like a flashing beacon, she saw a name near the bottom, her favorite color and flower.

  Violet.

  Sadie Violet.

  It was perfect. Too excited to sleep now that Baby Girl finally had a name, Emily slipped out of bed and went to the kitchen for a glass of milk. She picked up her phone to call Gina with the good news when the doorbell rang. She glanced at the clock and wondered who could be at the door at 10:00 at night.

  Cautiously, she walked to the door and looked out the peephole. All the blood drained from her face. How had he found her? What was he doing here? Should she ignore him? Would he go away if she didn’t answer the door?

  Emily let out a squeak when he rang the bell again.

  “Emily?”

  Kicking herself for making a noise, she reluctantly opened the door, standing in the small space she’d opened.

  “What are you doing here?”

  Jason’s eyebrows rose to his hairline. “That’s how you greet me?”

  “I don’t have to greet you at all,” Emily said, and started to shut the door in his face.

  He put his foot in the way and pressed his hand on the door, pushing it open and walking past Emily into the condo.

  “Get out!” Emily yelled. “I didn’t invite you in. I don’t want you here.”

  “That much is obvious, Em. But I’m not leaving until you tell me what’s wrong.”

  He reached out for her hand, but she wrapped her arms around the baby. His face dropped, and for a second, Emily could see the pain and devastation Gina and Hope had spoken of. She couldn’t believe he was here. He was still so handsome, so tall and strong. He still made her heart flutter and her breath catch in her throat. He was still so perfect. It pained her beyond words to see him standing in front of her and to know she couldn’t walk into his arms and hear his steady heartbeat beneath her ear. To know that she didn’t belong in those arms any longer.

  Emily laughed harshly. “You might be able to lie to everyone else, but you can’t lie to me.”

  Jason stared at her with wide, innocent eyes, and Emily couldn’t believe he was pretending not to know. Well, two could play at this game.

  “I paced my room for hours,” Emily said calmly. “I waited for you to get home and when I saw the headlights, I hurried over. I hid in the trees until Tyler and Jake deposited you in your room. I saw Tyler and he told me that you were drunk, but I laughed.” Emily blinked rapidly, trying to dispel the tears that sprang to her eyes. Hadn’t she already promised herself she wouldn’t cry over him anymore? “I laughed because I was happy. Happy you’d had a great time and happy that we weren’t going to have to wait much longer. We’d be together, and I wouldn’t have to sneak out to sleep with you anymore.” She turned from him and walked over to the windows, glancing outside.

  “But it wasn’t me you were waiting for. You were very busy with Lila when I walked into your room.”

  “What?” Jason yelled. Two steps had him at Emily’s side, and he gripped her arm, spinning her to face him. She tried to shrug him off but he held tight. “Lila? I keep telling people and no one is listening. There. Was. No. One. In. My. Room,” he ground out, enunciating each word harshly.

  “You were kissing her and had your hands all over her naked body,” she snarled, glaring at him. She pulled her arm from his grip and quickly moved away from him when she saw his dazed expression.

  She watched him stare off into space and wondered if he was trying to fabricate a lie. She wouldn’t fall for it, though. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. She’d done some heavy duty thinking since arriving in Boston, and she was going to do this on her own. She and Jason were over; their relationship was dead. Her trust in him had been irrevocably broken and there was no going back.

  “Emily, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I woke up alone.”

  She snorted. “That’s what you’re going with? Amnesia?”

  “I don’t know what else to tell you. The last thing I remember is leaving some bar
in Santa Fe. There were drinks in the limo, and I don’t even know where we went after that. I don’t remember coming home.”

  She shook her head. “You need to leave. I can’t even look at you.”

  “Emily, please!” Jason implored. He strode over and gripped her arms. “I love you. Only you, I swear it. I’m going to fix this. Please, please don’t give up on us. On me.”

  “It’s over, Jason. I’m done. I can’t look at you. I can’t close my eyes without seeing your hands on her body. I can’t trust you.” The hated tears flowed down her cheeks and she angrily swiped at them. “You have to go.” She walked over to the door and opened it, gesturing with her hand for him to leave.

  Jason stood in the center of the living room, hands on his hips and gaze fixed on the carpet at his feet. For a moment, Emily thought he wouldn’t leave, and she wondered what she’d do if that happened.

  He walked over and stood in front of her. Reaching out, he lifted her chin with his finger. Staring into her eyes, he sighed. “I love you, and I will figure out a way to prove it to you. To prove to you that I’m not the man you think I am. I’m going to get to the bottom of this, and I’m going to win you back.”

  He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. Then he was gone.

  Emily stood in the doorway, shock written on her face as she brought her fingers to her lips. God help her, she still loved him.

  Chapter Seven

  The bar was busy and Jason was glad for it. He chose a corner table, hidden in the shadows. Sipping his beer, he waited for her to show. And show she would. Since Emily left town back in September, she’d been following him all over the place.

  His trip to Boston had been enlightening. Emily still loved him, of that he was sure. She was angry, hurt, and distrustful—and she had every right to be. But she still loved him. All he had to do now was find a way to win her back.

  First, he had to know what happened, and the only person who could tell him was Lila. He had to know how far she had taken him, how far her deception went. He had to know her plan, and then he had to shut it down. He was a one-woman man. Emily, not Lila, was the love of his life, and he would fight until his last breath to get Emily back.

  He watched her walk in, watched as she sauntered up to the bar and ordered her usual glass of white wine. He watched as she slowly perused the bar, a confused look crossing her face when she couldn’t find him. He watched as she asked the bartender and Ben’s nod toward Jason’s direction.

  Lila squinted into the dark after picking up her glass of wine. She strolled over to his table and pulled out the chair across from him. Doing his best to keep calm and not leap over the table to strangle her, he casually took a sip of his beer and kept his face neutral.

  “Howdy, stranger,” Lila said brightly. “Haven’t seen you in a few days.”

  Jason nodded. “Took a trip.”

  “Oh?” Lila asked, sipping her wine. “Where?”

  The “why didn’t you take me” hung in the air. It all made sense to him now. Her showing up everywhere he was. Her calls and texts. Her insistence that they spend time together. The whispers and dirty looks in town.

  Oh yes, she’d been busy since that night in September spreading lies, rumors, and half-truths. It was no wonder everyone in Emily’s family, save Grace, wouldn’t speak to him.

  “Boston.”

  The expression on her face didn’t change, which made Jason think she either didn’t know Emily was there or didn’t think Jason saw Emily. No matter. She’d know soon enough.

  “Boston? Whatever for? There aren’t many cows in Boston,” Lila smirked.

  “It was enlightening,” he remarked. Taking a pull from his beer, he stared into her eyes. He set the beer down on the table and sat up. Making fists, he laid them on either side of his beer.

  “I missed you. I wish you would have told me you were going.” Lila pouted.

  “Why?”

  He watched as shock entered her eyes, confusion replacing it a second later, followed closely by a coy smile. “I used to live there, you know that. I could have shown you around to all my favorite haunts. Think about how much that alone time, away from the prying eyes around here, would have taken our relationship to the next level.”

  “Relationship?” Jason asked. “You mean when you hid in my room, naked as the day you were born? Or when you laid in wait for me to come home from my bachelor party, drunker than a sailor? Or when you threw yourself at me, knowing I was expecting my fiancée?” He paused to sip his beer, wanting desperately to smash it over her head. “That relationship?”

  “I-I-I don’t know what you mean,” Lila spluttered.

  “Oh now, Lila, don’t lie to me. Emily saw you in my room. Saw my hands,” Jason held them up in front of her face, “all over your body. Saw my lips kissing yours. And she saw all of this on our wedding day!”

  Shaking her head, she raised her hands in defense. “Jason, she’s lying. I would never . . .”

  “Bullshit!” he yelled, banging his fists down on the table and shooting to his feet. He leaned over the table and got in her face. His voice pitched low and menacing, he growled at her. “You ruined my wedding day. You made the love of my life, who is pregnant with my child, flee across the country in heartbreak. She can’t even look at me and wants nothing to do with me.”

  Lila smiled. “Then we can be together n—”

  “No,” he cut her off. “There is no us, Lila. There never has been, and there never will be. I don’t want you. I’ve never wanted you.”

  Lila stood and splashed her wine in his face. Jason didn’t even flinch.

  “Your body said otherwise that night,” she sneered.

  “Only because you pretended to be her and I was too drunk to know the difference.”

  “She’ll never take you back.”

  Jason shrugged. “Whether she does or doesn’t changes nothing between you and me. Stay away from me.”

  “You can’t avoid me forever, Jason. Emily isn’t the only one who’s having your baby.”

  Jason stilled, sure he heard her wrong. Pregnant? Was she serious? How could he have been so stupid? Picking up his beer, he launched it across the room and watched as it shattered against the wall. A half second later, he realized what he’d done and couldn’t help but notice the curious looks the other patrons were giving him. Closing his eyes, he counted quickly to ten. He had to get himself under control. He’d never get to the truth if he lost his shit every time Lila lied. He turned his icy stare on her as she continued to plead her case.

  “I want you, Jason. I’ve wanted you since I came here six years ago. Emily doesn’t appreciate you; she takes you for granted. I would never do that,” Lila said quietly, standing in front of him and wrapping her arms around his waist.

  “So you did this all on purpose?” Jason said, glaring down at her.

  “Of course, how else would we be together?” Lila laid her cheek against his chest and tightened her hold on him. “I saw her walk in that night. I saw her face, the shock and devastation. The realization that she lost you. And I basked in it. The perfect girl was no longer perfect. Her world was shattered and you were finally mine.”

  Jason’s stomach revolted and only sheer will kept the contents under control. “There’s only one flaw in your plan, Lila,” Jason said, removing her arms from around his waist and pushing her away from him.

  Lila arched an eyebrow. “And what would that be?”

  “I don’t care if you are pregnant. It changes nothing. I still don’t want you and that won’t change. Ever.”

  Jason turned on his heel and walked out of the bar. He needed a fight, a good old-fashioned brawl. He wanted to kill something with his bare hands. His rage was so overpowering he let out a roar, letting loose all his pain, rage, and despair. Slamming the door to his truck, he peeled out of the parking lot and headed for home.

  Pregnant? She was pregnant? Mother of God, he had not seen that coming.

  He pounded hi
s fist on the steering wheel. What the fuck?

  He needed to calm down, and he needed a plan. Lila obviously had her own plan and it was in full gear. He couldn’t see her plan’s path, and it killed him to have to wait it out.

  He should not have let his emotions get the better of him back there, but she’d just pissed him off by throwing the baby card in his face. How dare she?

  What did she hope to gain? He’d never even shown her a moment of affection, never led her on, never flirted with her—not even inadvertently. Was she so loony that it didn’t matter to her?

  For God’s sake, she was Emily’s cousin. Who did this to their own family?

  Aw, shit! If Emily heard about this “pregnancy,” it really would be the end to them. Was that Lila’s ultimate plan? Maybe he was an innocent casualty in all of this and her real target was Emily. Did Lila’s hatred for Emily really go that deep? And if so, why?

  How could he keep Emily from finding out about it until he was sure one way or the other? And what would he do if it turned out that Lila was really pregnant and it was really his?

  Jason pulled into the driveway, cut the engine, and punched the steering wheel again. Blowing out a breath, it occurred to him that beating the shit out of his truck wasn’t going to fix anything. He stormed into the kitchen and got a beer out of the fridge. The beer wouldn’t fix anything either, but he hoped for a bit of amnesia.

  He wandered out to the back porch and sat in the lounge chair. He kept the lights off, hoping he could fool the mosquitoes into thinking he wasn’t there.

  What the hell was he going to do? Emily had been adamant that she didn’t want him, didn’t want to see him or be with him. How did you change someone’s mind when they had it made up so thoroughly?

  Maybe trying to woo her back was the only way? He could make phone calls, send flowers and gifts. Sure, it was going to be long-distance and that was going to make it all the more harder, but he had to try.

  How long until he could know for sure whether Lila was pregnant? And did it really matter? Emily would flip out if she found out, and that would definitely be a thorn in their reconciliation. But how could he be sure it really was his? He didn’t remember anything from that night, and he sure didn’t remember whether he and Lila had gone all the way. He’d been so drunk he couldn’t imagine they had gone all the way. Surely he would have passed out before anything serious happened.