Infinite Ties (All That Remains #3) (27 page)

“Yep. In a tent. You’re gonna hang out
with Julie.”

We thought it’d be fun to pitch a tent
beneath the willow and spend our honeymoon night there. It was Airen’s idea. He
can play gruff all he wants, but there’s a romantic hiding in there. We spend
the rest of the day eating and drinking and hanging out with Nic and Troy since
they’ll be heading home soon.

We’re the last ones to call it a night and
head to our tent. The sky is lightening by the time we actually cuddle up to
sleep, our groans and cries of ecstasy still echoing through the woods.

* * * *

It’s just after breakfast when Julie
knocks on our door, a serious look on her face. “We need to talk,” she
announces, glancing at Abby and Airen as they enter the room. “All of us.”

A few minutes later, we’re seated around
the kitchen table. “What do you intend to do about the baby?” Julie demands.
It’s been nearly a month since we found out about Emma’s pregnancy, and I’ve
had no contact with her. I know I should be playing some part in the pregnancy,
but I don’t want to upset Abby. Things have been going so well.

“I plan to raise it,” I reply.

“Then you need to start now.” Julie gazes
at us with a mixture of sympathy and disapproval. “I understand. You just got
married and all you want to do is be with each other, but your honeymoon period
is over. You can’t just ignore what’s going on. I went to check on Emma this
morning and she’s sick as a dog.”

“Morning sickness?” Abby asks, placing a
glass of iced tea in front of Julie.

“Hangover,” Julie replies, grimly.

My stomach clenches. “She’s drinking?” The
bitch is drinking while she’s carrying my baby. Airen’s hand tightens on my
shoulder, silently warning me to control my anger.

“Apparently. I don’t have to tell you what
kind of damage that can do to a developing fetus. When I questioned her, she
said nobody wants the baby anyway.”

“So it’s okay to give it brain damage!”
Abby exclaims. “Fucking mother of the year.” She turns to me. “Joseph, you have
to do something.”

“You need to talk to her,” Julie agrees.
“She shouldn’t be living alone while she’s pregnant. Try to get her to agree to
move in with me until she has the baby. I can keep an eye on her, make sure she
takes care of herself.”

Airen lays his hand on my nape when I rest
my forehead on my palm. How did I get myself into this? I don’t want this.
“What makes you think she’ll listen to me?”

“Because she wants you and you’re the
father.” Julie turns to Abby. “I’m sorry. I know this isn’t easy, but we have
to think of the baby’s health first.”

Abby nods and gazes at me for a moment
before taking my hand. “You have to convince her you want the child. I trust
you. Go talk to her, take her a gift for the baby. I know what it’s like to go
through a pregnancy alone. If she thinks you don’t care, who knows what she’ll
do?”

Abby’s putting up a good front, but I’m
not fooled for a second. I believe she trusts me, but still, sending me to take
care of the woman I cheated with has to hurt. “Just make it clear you’re there
for the baby, not for her enjoyment.”

“I love you, ladybug.”

“I know. Now go take care of your baby.”
Before I leave, Abby hands me a yellow sleeper printed with tiny giraffes, and
an unopened pack of three pacifiers. “This stuff is new. I never used it with
Lane. Make sure she thinks you picked it out. Trust me, it makes a difference.”

I take her mouth in a long slow kiss, the
kind I know makes her toes curl. “Thank you. You’re amazing.”

“And you’re going to reward me with that
mouth tonight,” she says with a smile that doesn’t quite touch her eyes. “Now go.”

I can’t resist a glance back through our
kitchen window as I head across the yard to Emma’s. The sight of Abby diving
into Airen’s arms, a miserable expression on her face, makes me regret it. I
regret so much. I don’t know how we’re going to make it through this pregnancy,
and what about after the baby’s born? I’ll always have to have contact with
Emma, and Abby will always be hurt by it.

Emma seems shocked, but not unhappy to see
me at her door. She looks like shit. Dark circles ring her eyes, her hair is a
mess, and she’s lost weight when she should be gaining. The sight of her
obvious disregard for our baby’s health pisses me off.

“What are you doing here?” she asks,
trying to sound disinterested as she motions for me to come in. The living room
is a pig sty. Clothes and food encrusted plates are scattered hell to
breakfast.

“We need to talk.” She steps back when I
turn to face her. “What the hell do you think you’re doing, drinking when
you’re pregnant?”

She scoffs. “Don’t pretend you give a
shit.”

“I care about the health of the baby. I
don’t understand you, Emma. You got what you wanted. Fucked me when I was too
trashed to know what the hell was going on. You got pregnant, which I assume
was your aim. Now you don’t care about the baby?”

The expression on her face when I accuse
her of deliberately conceiving tells me I’m right on target. “I didn’t want
this,” she whispers, sitting on the edge of the couch.

“We both know what happened that night.
You planned every second, didn’t you? I couldn’t understand why. Why anyone
would want to fuck someone who was practically comatose. I never even
considered…” I shake my head, taking a deep breath to control my rising anger.
“It’s over and done now, Emma. At least give me the truth.”

Defiant eyes meet mine. “Yes, I knew I was
ovulating and the time was perfect.”

I’ve never wanted to choke a bitch so bad.
“Why? To break up me and Abby?”

“Yes,” she hisses. “If she wasn’t in the
picture, you’d see how good we’d be together. I love you. I’m going to have
your baby. We can be a family.”

“You don’t love me,” I scoff. “You don’t
even know me. I have a family. I want to make one thing clear right now. This
baby will be part of my family. I’ll love and care for it the same as Walker.
I’ll make sure you’re healthy and have what you need through the pregnancy, but
there’s nothing between us. Do you understand?”

Her lip trembles as she replies, “You
called me Abby.” She shakes her head at my confusion. “When we were fucking,
when you came you called me Abby. I never had a chance, did I?”

“No. I love her. Nothing can make me leave
her.”

She nods and her chest rises on a deep
sigh. “What the hell am I supposed to do now?”

“You’re going to stay with Julie until the
baby’s born. You’re going to stop drinking, eat healthy, and take vitamins.
You’re going to learn the first lesson of being a parent. It doesn’t matter
what you want anymore. Your child’s needs and wants come first.”

“Will you come to the check-ups with
Julie?” she asks quietly.

“Yes, I’ll be there.”

“Without Abby.”

“Without Abby,” I agree grimly, pulling
out the baby stuff Abby gave me. “This is for the little one, just to get
started.”

Her eyes well up at the sight of the tiny
sleeper. “You got this for him?”

“Yes, and I’ll be there every step, but
you have to do your part. You have to take care of yourself.”

“Okay,” she agrees.

“You’ll stay with Julie?” She nods and
wipes her eyes. “Eric and Carson will be here soon to help you get your stuff,
and Julie will let me know when you have an exam.”

She grabs my arm as I start for the door.
“Joseph, thank you.”

The next few months go as smoothly as can
be expected. The only contact I have with Emma is during her medical checkups.
Abby just smiles and asks how the baby’s doing after each one. Otherwise, we go
about our lives as if there isn’t a clock ticking down the days until I’m the
father of another woman’s child.

When it comes time for the ultrasound to
determine the sex, Emma insists it only be the two of us. “It’s her decision,”
Abby says with a shrug. “What are you hoping for?”

“Ten fingers and toes, everything where
it’s supposed to be,” I reply, kissing her forehead.

“It’s okay to be excited, Joseph. Go find
out and get your ass back here to celebrate.” She squeezes my ass and drops a
quick kiss on my lips.

Julie leads me back to the bedroom where
Emma lies on her back, her swollen stomach bare. At almost six months along,
her belly is huge. God, don’t let it be twins. “You sure there’s only one in
there?” I tease, poking her belly.

Emma grins. “Feels like a litter.”

“Okay,” Julie says, squeezing some clear
goo on Emma’s stomach and beginning the scan. “Let’s see how the little one’s
doing.” After a few minutes of taking measurements, Julie smiles at Emma.
“Everything looks normal.”

“Can you tell the sex?” Emma asks.

“You’re having an active little girl,” she
announces, squeezing Emma’s hand before hugging me. “Congratulations.”

My eyes tear up. A daughter. I’m having a
daughter. Emma smiles up at me. “A girl,” I whisper. She nods, sitting up and
cleaning her stomach. I have to tell Abby and Airen. I’m having a girl! “You
okay?” I ask Emma, and she nods again.

“I’m happy.”

“Take care of yourself,” I warn before
darting from the house. The sight of Airen and Abby waiting in the front yard
makes me laugh. “A girl!” I cry, unable to hide my joy.

Abby jumps into my arms. “Congratulations!
A little girl!”

She giggles, and I cover her face with
kisses while Airen slaps me on the back and exclaims, “Let’s go celebrate!”

Late that night, Airen snores beside me
while Abby lies wrapped in my arms, quiet. She’s been so supportive through
this whole thing, but I know it’s eating at her. “Talk to me, ladybug.”

“Mmm, about what?” she murmurs, rolling to
her back.

“I know this hasn’t been easy for you.”

“I’m really happy for you, Joseph.”

“But?”

She sighs, and closes her eyes. “She’s
giving you something I didn’t. There’ll always be this link, a bond between you
that we don’t have. It’s hard not to be jealous.”

“It should’ve been you,” I murmur, placing
my head on the soft swell of her breast, my fingers stroking her flat belly.
“My first thought when Julie announced the sex was that I should’ve had a
little Abby coming. With your beautiful hair and soft brown eyes. More than
anything, I wish it was you.”

“Your daughter will be beautiful, and I’ll
love her like my own.” Soft hands play through my hair.

“Emma will never mean anything to me,
sweetheart. She’s a surrogate, an incubator. There’s no connection.”

“Have you thought of a name?”

“I imagine Emma will choose.”

“Then it’ll be Josephine,” Abby replies
with a giggle.

“I love you, silly girl.”

“I love you too.”

The remainder of the pregnancy passes
without any problems. It’s a freezing cold day in early January when Jayla
knocks on the door to tell me Emma’s in labor. “She said only Joseph should
come,” she adds, steam puffing from her lips. “She’s in the back bedroom.”

Airen laughs at the terrified look on my
face. “Relax, Joey. It’ll be fine. All you have to do is be there. Emma and
Julie will do the hard stuff.”

Abby hugs me. “If Airen can do it without
passing out, you’ll be fine. Go meet your daughter.”

“Go,” Airen adds. “We’ll catch up in a
little while. We’ll stay in the living room so she doesn’t know.”

Relief fills me at the thought of them
being close by. It’s short lived, destroyed by the look on Julie’s face when I
step through the door. “What is it? Is the baby in trouble?”

“No.” She hushes me and leads me down the
hall. “The baby’s fine. Emma’s blood pressure is a little high, that’s all.
We’ll just have to monitor her closely.”

“Okay, what should I do?”

Julie’s smile is sweet. “Just let her know
you’re here. I know this isn’t the ideal situation, but you need to let go of
any grudge for the moment. We need to keep her calm.”

Calm. The next six hours are anything but
calm. They’re filled with Emma’s screams and pleas to get the baby out now. My
hand is bruised from her grip. At just past midnight, my daughter comes into
the world, red-faced, screaming, and absolutely beautiful.

“Is she okay?” Emma cries. “Let me see
her!”

Jayla lays the tiny baby on Emma’s belly
and says, “She’s perfect.”

Tears stream down Emma’s face. “I’d like
to name her Natalie, after my sister.”

“That’s a lovely name,” I agree, staring
in awe at the squirming, wailing bundle. Jayla takes her from Emma and begins
to clean her up, wrapping her in a soft blanket before putting her in my arms.

It feels like she weighs nothing at all. I
sit on the bed beside Emma so she can see her. “She looks like you. I hoped she
would,” Emma whispers, her voice weak. “Tell me you can love her, Joseph.”