not to say a word to anyone on account of the fact she’d not shared the news yet.
“Not even to the father?” her mother had asked.
“He knows.”
That particular conversation had occurred exactly four hours before Emily took Bilbo for a walk uptown. She’d stopped by the bakery for a chocolate chip muffin, then on to Jones Candy and dollar store to stock up on Swedish Berries and sour chews. Next, she’d popped into the salon to make a hair appointment for the following week because her hair needed trimming badly. As she was leaving, Darlene Phibbs pushed into the salon and stopped Emily cold with a sweeping glance that started from the top of Emily’s head, paused briefly at the midsection, then continued down to the bottom of her toes.
Great. Mom’s big mouth strikes in record time.
Darlene just happened to be the number-one gossip in all of Crystal Lake, other than her mother, but worse, she was also the most judgmental. Emily’s stomach turned over at the predatory look on the woman’s face, and for one scary moment, she thought she’d vomit all over Darlene’s bright pink rain boots.
“I hear congratulations are in order,” Darlene had said, her eyes shrewd as she once again raked them over Emily’s body. Emily knew what she was wondering, and, pissed at her mother, she took a moment to gather her thoughts. No way was she going to be weak and show fear. She pasted the biggest, fakest smile onto her face and nodded, There was no point in denying anything now.
“I am, thanks.”
“That’s lovely,” Darlene replied. “A new life is always something to celebrate.” Her voice dropped a bit and that gleam in her eye sharpened. “I suppose the Davenports will grow to be happy for you.”
Emily’s mouth dropped open, but Darlene continued as if they were discussing the weather.
“I mean, this will hit them hard, what with Rick passing only months ago. Your mother didn’t say who the father was.” Darlene was gunning for another dig, but Emily was ahead of the game and about to shut the inquisition down.
“That’s because she doesn’t know.”
“Why on earth doesn’t she know?” She made a tsk-tsk sound and shook her head. “I know you and Lorraine have always had a complicated relationship, but she didn’t mention you two were on the outs.”
“Nope. We’re good.” Emily’s fake smile widened even more as she tugged on Bilbo’s leash. “The thing is, Darlene, I’d tell her who the father is if I knew, but…I don’t.” She shrugged and then walked past Darlene, head high, holding back a giggle that didn’t leave until she got home. The look on that woman’s face had been worth it—at least that’s what Emily had told herself. But now regret and a healthy dose of fear had settled in, and she wasn’t sure what to do.
Folks in town were going to know she was pregnant sooner rather than later because of her mother’s mouth and people like Darlene, and because in a few months, she’d be showing. In a town where everyone knew everyone else’s business, it was normal for folks to ask questions. Normal for talk and wonder. Lord knows Emily had been the subject of much speculation and chatter in the years Rick was in a coma. That speculation and chatter had increased after his death. Everyone wanted to know what the young widow would do with this life that had been handed to her. Would she find love again? And if so, with who?
Once her pregnancy became common knowledge, they’d all be wondering who the father was. Cheeks hot, she leaned against the counter, sipping a big glass of milk. God, she hadn’t thought of Helen and Charles, Rick’s parents. What was she going to tell them? They’d worshipped the ground Rick walked on and treated Emily more like a daughter than her own mother and Ethan like one of their boys.
Would they understand the pain and grief that had brought Emily to Ethan’s door that night? Did she even understand it?
The ghosts of that hot summer evening came back to haunt her—Ethan’s dark, intense eyes, the shadows that played across his face as he looked at her, the hard muscles beneath her fingertips and the feel of him as he moved inside her. A tingling erupted between her legs at the thought, and immediately, her nipples hardened.
It felt wrong and so right at the same time. She bit her lip painfully to stop the memories and images.
But she couldn’t.