Chapter 108 Part 108
Emerson
When Asher left with Eden, Thomas called her to the living room, leaving the rest of the Fitzgerald clan to clean up in the dining room and kitchen. Emerson followed Thomas, sat down on a wingback chair, and swallowed nervously.
She hadn’t spent much time with Asher’s dad, and now it seemed that her time had come. The man looked intently at her, and she resisted the urge to get up and run.
“You knew about this whole pregnancy affair?”
She knew that if she lied to him, she would cross a line she could never cross back. “Yes, Sir.”
“It’s that McRoy fella, ain’t it?”
She swallowed again. “Yes.”
Thomas shook his head, and sighed. “He’s been sniffing after her for too damn long.”
She didn’t know what to say to that, so she kept quiet. A few minutes later, Dylan appeared with a tray, and brought his father coffee. He’d made a cup for her as well.
“Thank you, boy. Don’t leave any work for Eden tonight. She needs a break.”
“Sure, Dad. We’ve got her,” Dylan said, and left the living room.
“Tell me, Emerson, you love my son?”
She was taken aback by the direct question, and she opened her mouth to answer him, but hesitated for a minute. “Yes.” Her voice was barely above a whisper, but Thomas nodded his head.
“And what happens when this other man is found?”
“I would have to go back to New York and testify against him,” she said.
“Hmm, and after that? Are you going to come back for Asher, or ask him to go to New York with you?”
She smiled then, realizing that Thomas was far smarter than anybody gave him credit for. “Asher’s home is here. I’d never ask him to leave it behind.”
“So, you see yourself living with him then,” he said, and sipped his coffee.
“Honestly, we haven’t really talked about it, but yes, I can see myself living here with him.”
“He’s a good man, my son, a real good man. I might be biased, but I did raise him, and I know I raised him right. I raised all of ‘em right, except Colt. I have no idea where he came from.”
Emerson laughed. “Colt’s a good guy, too.”
“Asher told me about that choking business. He feels terrible about it, but it does make me wonder.”
“Wonder what?” she asked.
“Why you stayed,” he replied.
She looked down for a few seconds, wondering what it was about Thomas that made people tell him everything. “I was in an abusive relationship with Grover. I know the difference. Asher isn’t like that. He’s good on the inside and the outside. He never wavers when it comes to helping someone else. I think if he continues his therapy, then, in time, it will get better for him.”
“Damn, Eden was right, you really do have hearts in your eyes,” Thomas said, and smiled at her.
Emerson chuckled, and tucked her hair behind her ear. “I do, Sir.”
“Well, Emerson, for as long as you love my son the way you do right now, I’ll always be here to help with anything you might need. You just need to say the word. I love all my children, and they are each different and special in their own way. I can see that same quality in you, as well. You took away a little bit of Asher’s darkness, and for that I will always be grateful.”
“She did check out my ass, Dad!” Colt yelled from the hallway.
Thomas raised an eyebrow, but he was smiling. “Wishful thinking, son! Get your own woman to check out your ass!”
Colt barked out a laugh, and Thomas shook his head. “Eden calls it the Colt Syndrome, or something. I think maybe he fell on his head as a baby, and his momma just never told me.”
“I heard that!” Colt yelled again.
The front door opened, and they both looked expectantly at the doorway. Eden appeared first, her eyes a little red-rimmed. Thomas opened his arms, and Eden rushed onto his lap.
“I’m sorry, Daddy,” she whispered.
“You ain’t got nothing to be sorry about. This baby will be a blessing just like you were,” Thomas said, and Emerson’s heart melted completely. “Now tell me the details. How much time do we got left to turn one of them rooms into a nursery?”
“I’m 16 weeks now, so we’ve got about 5 months to get everything ready,” Eden said.
Asher was leaning against the doorway, his arms folded across his chest. The soft smile on his lips told Emerson how much he loved his sister. At that moment, she realized that what she’d always wanted was a family like this one.
“Well, tomorrow I’ll start making lists, and at dinner we can assign jobs to everyone.” Thomas cupped Eden’s face, and kissed her forehead. “I’m not disappointed in you. I love you, and that will never change, no matter what.”
“I love you too, Daddy,” she said, and hugged him tightly.
“Come on, it’s getting late,” Asher said, and Emerson stood up.
She wondered how mad he was at her as she said goodnight and followed him out to the truck. He was quiet on the drive back to his house, but he still opened the door for her, and let her walk into the house first.
“Are you mad at me?” she finally asked him, as they headed upstairs.
“No.”
“You’re not?” She was surprised by that.
“You kept Eden’s secret. I can’t be mad about that,” he said, and started taking his shirt off.
“Did you fight Winchester?” She sat down on the bed’s edge, and took her shoes off.
“I wouldn’t call it a fight…it was just one punch, one he deserved,” Asher said.
Emerson grinned then, and looked at him. “You only found out he had no clue after you hit him, right?”
Asher chuckled. “Doesn’t matter if I did or not. He still deserved it.”
“Pity he didn’t hit you back, I would’ve kissed it all better,” she said.
“Emerson Reid, you’re a bad woman because now I have to lie, and show you everywhere I’m hurt.”