Emily's Choice (6 page)

“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.

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
his 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.

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.