Emily's Choice (7 page)

“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.”

“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.”

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.

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.

“Jason!” she
exclaimed, opening the front door and motioning for him to come in.

“Hi, Lila,”
he said pleasantly, opting to stay on the front porch. “I was hoping you’d like
to go on a drive with me.”

“Sure,” she
said, smiling brightly. “Let me grab my purse and jacket.” She turned to get
both off the rack behind the door. “I knew you’d come around eventually,” she
said as she closed and locked her door. “I’m so happy!”

Jason nodded
and led the way to his truck. Even though she didn’t deserve it, he opened the
truck door for her and helped her up inside. It made his skin crawl, but he
would do what he had to in order to get her cooperation.

“Where are
we going?” Lila asked.

“I thought
we could get some lunch, drive around, and talk. Make some plans about our
future.”

“Oh, Jason!
I’m so glad you’ve come to your senses,” Lila gushed, caressing his arm.

Jason faked
a bright smile. “I’ve done some thinking the past few days, and I came to the
conclusion that you’re probably right. She obviously doesn’t love me; otherwise,
why would she leave without letting me explain myself? Right? And then I
thought, well, Lila’s into me and she’s right here in
Mosquero
.
Why not give this a chance?”

Lila clasped
Jason’s free hand in her own and squeezed.

“Where would
you like to go to lunch?” Jason asked.

“Let’s go
crazy and go somewhere special to celebrate,” Lila said. “Do you have to be
back anytime soon?”

“Nope.”

“Let’s go to
Tucumcari. There are some fabulous restaurants there.”

“Great idea,
I was hoping you’d want that,” Jason smiled shyly. “I made a reservation at
Connor’s Seafood.”

“You didn’t!”
Lila screeched. “That’s my favorite!”

“I know,”
Jason grinned. “Why do you think I chose it?”

“How did you
even know?”

“I have my
ways.”

“You’re so
sweet!”

Jason
settled into silence while Lila chatted on, making plans for them and building
a future Jason knew would never come to fruition. He responded when warranted
and let her dig her own grave on the two-hour drive to the restaurant.

After lunch,
that’s when the fun would begin. He had plans to take her to the OB/GYN office
down the street from Connor’s and strongly suggest she take a pregnancy test.
He’d make sure to put it across to her as if he was concerned for her health
and the health of the baby and how good prenatal care shouldn’t be avoided. He
hoped the lunch, plus the concern, would be enough to get her to agree.

Then, once
they knew the results, he’d be able to move on to the next phase. Either
cutting her off or somehow getting a DNA test. He hoped and prayed it didn’t
come to that because he knew that would be harder to accomplish than a simple
pregnancy test.

When they
pulled into the restaurant parking lot, Jason continued his chivalry and opened
the truck door, holding her hand all the way into the restaurant. He gave his
name to the hostess, and she seated them right away at a table by the window.

She handed
them their menus and told them their server would be right with them.

“I was so
busy cleaning my house and doing laundry this morning that I forgot to eat breakfast.
I just realized how famished I am!” Lila said.

“
Mmm
,” Jason acknowledged, trying to figure out what would
be the least likely to cause him heartburn or nausea. Maybe a meal wasn’t the
best idea when his stomach was churning with nerves.

“Oh, I think
I’ll get the salmon salad and a cup of chowder,” Lila said, closing her menu. “What
looks good to you?”

“I can’t
decide. It all sounds good.”

“I know what
you mean. I bet you were up with the sun and have already worked a full day,”
Lila said soothingly. “You should get the steak and lobster platter and put
back some of those calories you burned off this morning.”

Jason
nodded, but the thought of so much food made his stomach churn even more. If he
didn’t order and eat it, Lila would know something was up. And he wasn’t sure
he could pull off the “I’m just nervous” act to explain his not eating.

“It’s a good
idea, but I think I’m more in the mood for some pasta. It’s been a while since
I had a meal of carbs.”

When the
server returned, Lila put in her order and, to Jason’s surprise, ordered a
glass of white wine.

“Just one to
celebrate.” Lila winked.

Jason nodded
and ordered the seafood pasta, thinking it would have the least effect on his
churning stomach, and also requested a glass of wine.

The server brought
them their wine and a basket of dinner rolls. Jason raised his glass. “To our
future happiness,” he said, tapping Lila’s glass.

“To us!”
Lila corrected. “Finally!” she said as she took a sip of her wine.

The food was
delicious; Jason couldn’t fault them that. But the service was exceedingly
slow. At least, it seemed that way to him. He was about to get up and pretend
to use the restroom just so he could talk to the manager about it, but realized
if he did, the server or manager might make a special trip to their table and
mention it. Plus, he was supposed to be here celebrating with Lila, and she’d
be plenty suspicious if he complained. The waiting was driving him nuts though,
and when the bill was finally paid, it took all his willpower to let Lila decide
when it was time to leave.

“Will you do
something for me?” Jason asked, once they were driving out of the parking lot.

“Of course,
my love. Anything for you!”

“I have a
friend here in town, he’s an OB. I don’t know who you’ve been seeing, but
Mosquero
is tiny and Doc Martin is old. I’m concerned for
your health and the health of our baby. Would you mind if we popped in to see
him?” Jason clasped her hand and squeezed. “I worry and I want this to work
out. Do you mind? It shouldn’t take long.”

“I doubt we
can just walk in to see him,” Lila hedged.

“He’s a good
friend of mine from college. I bet he’d make an exception for me.”

Jason could
see the wheels in her head turning, trying to figure out whether he was sincere
and if there was a way out of this for her. He had a moment of panic when it
looked like she was going to decline, but then he saw her face clear as if she
didn’t think he was trying to trick her and that she didn’t have anything to
lose.

“Well, I
guess we can try. I don’t want you to worry and have our afternoon of
celebrating ruined.”

Jason
smiled. “Thanks, Lila.”

He drove
down the street and, after four blocks, pulled into a parking lot behind a tall
brick building. Still pretending to care, he went around to the other side of
the truck and helped her down. His hand on the small of her back, he guided her
through the doors, across the lobby, and to the elevators.

Jason gave
his name to the receptionist and joined Lila in the waiting area. He looked
around at all the women in the room, most of them pregnant, and wondered how
many more of these visits he’d have to make with her. He hoped this was the
first and last.

When their
name was called, they followed a nurse back to an exam room. She took Lila to
the restroom for a urine sample and stopped at the scale on the way back for a
current weight. When Lila entered the room, the nurse took her blood pressure
and temperature and then asked Lila a bunch of questions relating to her last
menstrual cycle and her current symptoms.

Other than
feeling slightly nauseous in the morning and being tired throughout the day,
Lila said she felt great most of the time.

The nurse
wished them congratulations and left, indicating the doctor would be in soon.

Five minutes
later, a knock on the door alerted them to the doctor’s presence, and Jason bid
him enter.

“Jason! So
good to see you,” the doctor greeted, holding out his hand.

“Tim, man it’s
been a while! How’s it going?” Jason asked, returning the hand shake.

“Good, good.
Getting set up here and loving life. Living the dream, you know?”

Jason
nodded, smiling. “Tim, this is Lila. Lila, my friend Tim from college.”

Tim shook
Lila’s hand. “Nice to meet you, Lila.”

Thankfully,
Jason had had the insight to call Tim ahead of time—not only to set up this
appointment but also to tell him the situation. It would have been awkward if
Tim had come in expecting Emily and found Lila.

Tim put Lila’s
chart on the counter and sat down on the stool. He quickly opened the chart and
scanned through the information the nurse had gathered, along with the urine
sample results. His brow furrowed, he turned to Lila.

“Lila, when
did you say your last cycle was?”

“September
first,” she answered.

“Hm. That
would put you at around ten or eleven weeks right now, but the urine sample is
negative.” Tim stood up and walked over to the examining table. “Lie back, let
me do an external exam.”

Lila did as
she was bid, raising her shirt. Tim palpated her stomach and shook his head.

“I’m not
feeling your uterus, and I should be at this point. Would you mind if I did an
internal exam?”

Lila glanced
at Jason. “I’m scared.” She pouted. “Did I lose the baby?”

Jason stood
and took the three steps necessary to get to her side. He clasped her hand and
gave it a quick squeeze. “There’s only one way to find out,” he said. “Let Tim
examine you and we’ll get to the bottom of it.”

Lila sighed
and nodded.

Tim pushed
the button for the nurse. “I need to do an examination on her. Please help her
get ready.” Turning to them, he pointed at the door. “I’ll be back in a moment.”

The nurse
removed a gown from under the exam table and explained to Lila that she would
need to remove all her clothes. Jason followed the nurse out of the room while
Lila changed, and Tim was there waiting.

“She’s not
pregnant,” Tim confirmed. “It’s as you suspected. I’ll do an ultrasound on her,
but I already know what I won’t find.”

Jason’s eyes
lit with a burning rage. “I knew it,” he said, clenching his fists. “Wouldn’t
she be showing at this point, anyway?”

“Not
necessarily, every woman’s body is different. Some don’t start showing until
their sixth month. If Lila were pregnant, she’d still be in the first
trimester, and other than feeling tired and sick, most women aren’t showing
yet. Especially first-time moms.”

Jason
nodded. “Is it time to go back in?”

Tim nodded
and motioned for the nurse to follow with the ultrasound machine. He opened the
door and walked inside, followed by Jason and the nurse.

Jason took
up his spot next to Lila and reached for her hand. The nurse hooked up the
machine and then retrieved a sheet from under the table. She draped it across
Lila’s belly and legs and then lifted the gown to expose Lila’s belly.

“Rather than
go through the discomfort of an internal exam, I’m just going to do an
ultrasound,” Tim explained. “That will tell us all we need to know.”

“Um, okay,”
Lila said uncertainly.

Tim squeezed
the jelly on her abdomen and picked up the wand, rubbing it through the jelly.

“Ow!” Lila
said, flinching.

“I’m sorry.
I’m not seeing anything here.”

“What do you
mean?” Jason asked.

“I mean, I
don’t see a baby,” he explained, wiping the jelly from the wand and putting it
away. He turned to Lila. “Not even any evidence of a recently miscarried baby.”

Lila sighed
and rolled her eyes. She used the sheet to wipe the jelly off her abdomen and
sat up.

“You’re
clearly not pregnant.” Jason flung her hand away from him. “I knew you were
playing me from the beginning, Lila. I knew I was too drunk to have done
anything with you. And there,” he said, pointing at the machine, “is my proof.
You’re not pregnant, you never were pregnant, and now this little game of yours
can be finished.”

Lila turned
stricken eyes on Jason. “But what about us?”

“There was
no us,” he explained. “There was just me, trying to get to the bottom of this
farce you’ve created.”

“But, Jason,
you said you cared and wanted us to work.”

Jason shook
his head. “Everything I said was to get you to agree to come here so I could
prove you were lying.”

Realization
finally setting in, Lila glared at Jason. “You bastard!”

Shrugging,
Jason turned from her. He reached out his hand to Tim. “Thank you, Tim. I
really appreciate you fitting us in.”

“What?!?!”
Lila shrieked. “You set this up?”

Grinning,
Jason turned to her. “Of course. The whole day was a setup, Lila.”

Lila launched
herself at Jason, fingers curled to claws as she raked them down his face. Tim
circled his arms around her waist and pulled her off Jason.

Jason
touched a finger to his cheek and saw blood on his finger when he looked at it.
Nodding, he sighed and cast a pitying glance in Lila’s direction. “Ah, there’s
the Lila we all know and despise.”