Emily's Daughter Read Free Page B

could see she was all woman and there was not a glimmer of recognition on her pretty face. Could she have forgotten him? Or did she just prefer not to acknowledge him?
    He didn’t like either of those possibilities. He had felt they’d shared something out of the ordinary once and he’d always regretted not going back to the coast to see her, but his world had been turned upside down with an aspect of life he was ill-equipped to deal with. And later his life had gone in so many different directions that Emily Cooper became merely a pleasant memory.
    She looked great, he thought, and she’d become a doctorjust as she’d wished. He was glad for her and he wondered if she was married. Her name was still Cooper, but that didn’t mean anything. It might just be her professional name. Anyone as intelligent and beautiful as Emily had to have someone in her life.
    He kept thinking of the young Emily with her warm, bubbly laugh and seductive dark eyes. She’d been a breath of fresh air after the experienced college girls he had dated. He grew warm just remembering their nights on the beach that long-ago winter….
    He closed his briefcase and tried to recall what she’d said. Something about busy, patients, had to go. He didn’t catch much else because he was in a state of shock and too preoccupied with staring into her eyes, which were somber and professional. There was no laughter or mischief in their depths. They were serious—maybe a little too serious.
    What did he expect? he asked himself. A giggling teenager? He was sure he had changed, too. There was gray in his hair, lines around his eyes and a whole lot of living on his face. But still, she should’ve recognized him. Why hadn’t she said something or, for that matter, why hadn’t he? Well, he planned to rectify that. She worked here, so it should be no problem finding her. And this time they would talk.
     
    T HE RINGING OF THE TELEPHONE startled Emily back to reality. It was her private line, so it had to be family.
    She picked up the receiver. “Hello.”
    “Em, she’s driving me crazy!” The frantic words of her sister resounded in her ear.
    Emily took a deep breath, not certain she was in any shape to handle another argument between Becca and their mother. “What is it, Becca? What’s Mother done now?”
    “She said I have to be home by ten o’clock from the prom and I have to wear one of my old dresses. Tommy and I had been nominated for prom king and queen, and I have to have something nice and I’m not leaving at ten o’clock. Everyone’ll laugh at me. I can’t take it anymore! If you don’t come home, I’ll run away.”
    Emily took another breath. “I told you I’d buy you a dress for the prom, and I’ll talk to Mom about the ten o’clock business.”
    “Mom said you can’t buy me anything else.”
    “I’ll talk to her.”
    “In person, okay? She always lightens up when you’re here.”
    “I can’t. I’m too busy.”
    “Yeah, yeah, I get the message. You’re always too busy for your own family.”
    “Becca, that’s not fair.”
    “You haven’t been home for ages. Admit it, you can’t get along with her any better than I can, but I’m stuck here.”
    “It’s not that bad, and you know it. You can’t get your way so you’re angry right now, but I’ll talk to Mom and we’ll work this out.”
    “You promise?”
    “Yes, I promise.”
    “ Please come home. Just for a little while,” her sister begged.
    Emily closed her eyes, Becca’s plea was getting to her. She didn’t go home much; it was too stressful. She and her mother couldn’t get through a visit without Rose making some reference to the past. Becca had never been told about any of it, so she didn’t understand. But Emily knew that her mother was making Becca pay for Emily’s mistake. Becca didn’t deserve that.
    “Okay, I will, and we’ll go buy you a dress for the prom.” Emily heard herself giving in.
    “Great, Em! I knew you wouldn’t let me