Epilogue
Glancing down at her phone, Emma grimaced. Stupid Atlanta traffic. It didn’t matter if she left thirty minutes or an hour before she needed to be somewhere, it never failed that she would be late because of gridlock. Her heels clicked along the pavement as she hurried down the sidewalk to It’s a Grind Coffee-Shop. Her face broke into a wide grin at the sight of Connor waving from a table by the window.
As she pushed through the door, the familiar bell tinkled over her head. She powerwalked over to Connor. “I’m so, so sorry! I left in plenty of time, I swear.”
He smiled. “It’s okay. I went ahead and ordered for you.”
“Aw, you’re so sweet.” She leaned in and gave his cheek a kiss. Easing down in her seat, she shrugged out of her coat. When she caught Connor’s gaze, she cocked her eyebrows as concern flooded her. “Are you okay?”
Connor sighed. “Jeff and I have been fighting.”
“Oh no. I’m so sorry to hear that.” Emma reached out and squeezed his hand. “You’re not breaking up, are you? I mean, you two seemed so perfect and happy.”
Tears shimmered in Connor’s dark eyes. “Not if I agree to his ultimatum.”
Emma’s brows furrowed. “Please don’t tell me he wants you guys to move again. I couldn’t bear the thoughts of you living in Savannah. It’s too far away.”
“It’s not about moving.”
“Then what is it?”
A strangled cry erupted from Connor’s lips before he turned away from her. “Please tell me what it is,” she begged.
Connor finally brought his haunted gaze to hers. “He says he’ll leave me if I go through with fathering your child.”
Emma jerked her hand from his and covered her mouth in horror. “But why would he demand something like that of you?”
Connor shrugged and ran his hand maniacally through his hair. “He’s always been a little jealous of my feelings for you. He thinks if I have a kid with you, that’s just going to make our bond even stronger.”
Biting down on her lip, Emma didn’t dare argue the truth in Jeff’s assumptions. Having her child be part of Connor would always bind them together. “But he knows you’re going to sign a contract saying you won’t have any financial or emotional obligations.”
He shook his head. “He’s not stupid, Emmie Lou. He knows the minute my child is growing inside of you, I’ll be emotionally invested.” He gave her a sad smile. “And how could I not? I love kids, and I love you.”
“But it doesn’t have to be something that tears you guys apart. What if I talked to him? What if I—”
“It’s not going to change anything.”
A jagged, agonizing pain tore through her chest, and she had to fight to breathe. “You aren’t going to be my sperm donor anymore, are you?” she questioned in a whisper.
“I’m sorry, Em, but I can’t,” he replied with tears once again in his eyes.
Her emotional torment quickly turned over to anger. “Yes, you can! You’re just being selfish and won’t!” she snapped.
Connor jolted back like she had slapped him. “Em, please. I’ve been with Jeff for three years. I love him. I’m committed to him, and he is to me.”
“And I’ve loved you and been by your side for eighteen years. If Jeff really loved you, he wouldn’t make you choose between us or deny you the opportunity to be a father.”
“He’s not ready to be a dad yet. I have to respect his wishes.”
Emma threw up her hands. “Fine, then he doesn’t have to be a father and neither do you. All I need is your DNA from a clinic!”
“I can’t.”
Tears stung Emma’s eyes. “You’re really going to keep me from becoming a mother?”
With a scowl, he replied, “I’m not the only option. There are thousands of donors out there you can pick from. You don’t have to have me.”
“I told you before that I didn’t want to have a baby with just anyone. They could mix up the samples, and I could end up having some serial killer’s kid. More than anything in the world, I wanted to know and love the person—just like a do you.”
“I’m sorry, but you’ll have to find someone else.”
Tears streamed freely down her cheeks. “How can you do this to me? You promised that you would help me—that Travis was telling you to do it—and now you’re just going to turn your back on me?”
“It’s not that easy, Em.”
“It seems pretty cut and dried to me. I guess that’s what hurts the most. I don’t know why you won’t fight for me—to make an ultimatum with Jeff.”
Connor’s dark eyes narrowed at her. “Don’t you get it? I have fought for you! I’ve argued with Jeff until I’m blue in the face, but this is where we’re at now. I can either chose you and lose the man I love, or I can chose not to be your sperm donor.”
Emma shook her head. “You forgot one part of that last statement. If you choose not to be my sperm donor, then you lose me too.”
When she started to rise out of her chair, Connor grabbed her arm. “Emma, don’t do this!”
“I’m sorry. But that’s just the way I feel.”
“But you know how much I love you,” Connor protested.
“Maybe. I mean, I thought you loved me, but I guess just not enough.” She then slung out of his grip and stalked out of the coffee-shop. Fumbling in her purse, she dug out her phone as she hustled down the sidewalk to her car. She could barely hold down the sobs as she dialed the familiar number. “Hey Case, it’s me. You got a minute?”