On Emma's Bluff by Sara Elizabeth Rice, edited by davebccanada (audio ebook reader txt) 📕

road. It didn't take too much to put two and two together. She wasn't going to meet Cindy. He wasn't quite sure how to handle her disobedience. He had been worrying so much about Liz lately that his mind just could not focus on how he should handle Emma.

He supposed that horrible dream about Barbara Lee and all had just been his subconscious warning him to be real careful with Emma. There was more than one way to lose a child, and he did love Emma Lewis like she was his own child. He wished he could make her see that.

She was always so closed and so careful not to show too much emotion in front of him. That was probably the reason she was all wrapped up in that Simmons boy. He was the first thing that she had had to love that she felt was her own since her parents had died. Well still that was not excuse for letting that boy go too far. It was his place to see to that and Emma would understand some day.

"Come out to the back porch with me, punkin." Liz called from the kitchen door way.

"Too cold for that, Lizbeth," he told her. "Come sit in here with me." He motioned towards the living room.

"What you got in mind, you old devil?" She sashayed toward him, her ample hips swaying beneath her full shirt.

"My God, I guess you still get to me," He laughed sitting her on his lap.

"You love me don't you, Roy?"

"Most certainly."

"Enough to do anything in the world for me." She smiled seductively at his questioning gaze.

Emma was exhilarated on the ride to Joy's house. She and Bill actually said very little to each other. She was caught up in her own delight.   Wednesday night had been a down, a real down. She could just envision the end of Bill and her, but not anymore, not since her Fairy Godmother had finally shown herself.

She had been in such a state of despair that the soft hand touching her shoulder had not even startled her. She had put down the phone and turned ready to face whatever might have been there, even death, but what she saw was comforting and warm. The frail old woman stood with her arms out stretched ready to cradle and soothe away all of Emma's worries.

"Don't fret no more, child. I can't bare to see you hurt." There had actually been tears in the tired old eyes when she had said this.

"Momma," Emma had whispered unawares.

"That's right, I'll be your Momma, your Grandmamma, your Daddy. I am going to take care of you girl."

Emma had let the woman lead her to the bed and lay her down beneath the warm quilt, then she had listened, listened and drifted into a most peaceful wonderful sleep as Viola told her what all she had done for her and what all she was going to do for her yet.

She had to be the luckiest girl in the world to have all that care working just for her: power that could learn to use so that she would never have to worry again. There was no need to be troubled about Bill. He could not leave her if he wanted to.

"Ah," she purred to herself, smiling.

"What's that you said, baby?" Back in the car Bill leaned over to take her hand.

"Oh nothing, it's just that I am so happy."

"Carla darling, how perfectly divine to see you." Cindy roared as she made her way across the dark living room. She had made Jim roll a joint and smoke it with her before coming into the house. She wanted to get there as late as possible in as stoned a state as she could handle. Carla now eyed her like slime that had just slithered into the house.

"How you doing there, Carla?" Jimmy slapped her on the back and directed Cindy toward another part of the room. Still it was obvious that they were in enemy territory. Old friends of the late Joy/Bill union hung in small clumps across the room. No one approached to welcome them.

"Come on, let's go." Cindy grabbed his arm to head back to the front door. She was cut off by Joy who waltzed in from the kitchen.

"Cindy," Joy exclaimed, like they were long time pals, "I am so glad to see you." Cindy was afraid that she was about to be embraced, so she took a protective step back toward Jim.

"Yeah, nice to see you too." Cindy's eyes roamed over Joy's head and around the room. It did not look like Bill and Emma had arrived yet.

"They aren't here yet." Joy answered the unasked question. "But then you know how Bill is."

"God forbid that I should ever find out." Cindy couldn’t keep from saying. Joy merely grimaced and tried to regain her smile.

"Well, make yourself at home. There are plenty of munchies." With one hand she motioned around the room to where scattered bowls of chips lay, then she turned on her heels and went back into the kitchen.

"Old Joy's looking pretty good there," Jim commented. Cindy only stared at him. The loss of a few pounds surely hadn't hurt her.

"If you like sleaze," Cindy finally said.

In one corner some couples were playing some kind of drinking dice game, in another Phil Wheeler had gathered a crowd. He had left the academy in Jr. High to go to a military academy. He was telling tales of the wild antics in an all-boys school. On the sofa two girls that Cindy did not particularly dislike were eyeing the few unattached boys.

"This party is not my cup of tea, "Cindy said a little too loudly to Jim.

"Ah come on honey, you'll fit right in." He nudged her farther away from the door lest she run for it.

They had just struck up an inane conversation with an old buddy of Jim's when they saw eyes shift to the front door. There stood Emma and Bill.   He had both of their jackets draped over his arm and she was standing slightly behind him, a bit flushed in the face.

"About time you two showed up." Cindy made a few quick steps towards them. "This party is a dud. Let's leave." she told Emma.

"Bill how good to see you and," she spoke as she came forwards to take their jackets, "and, and ah Emma."

"Thanks," Bill coughed. Cindy had to smile at him because he looked as uncomfortable as a cat in a violin factory.

"Relax, Cindy, let's have a good time." Emma waved at Carla across the room. Joy stood transfixed in front of Bill as Emma strode across the room.

"You know, Bill, later on I need a chance to speak with you, privately."   Cindy overheard Joy say.

"That bitch," Cindy muttered after Joy had pulled prissily away. "I don't see how you ever..."

"Please Cindy," Bill stopped her, "not now." And he moved on to follow the two women in his life.

The party seemed to drone on forever. Every time Cindy would become reasonably involved in a conversation she ended up letting her sharp tongue get the best of her and Jim would have to whisk her off to some other part of the room.

"You have got to learn to not spurt out everything that comes into your mind." Jim warned her one time.

"I can't help it," she whined, "Some of these people are such narrow minded jerks."

"Emma seems to fit in with them okay," he pointed out.

"Yeah and it just makes me sick."

It did seem that in spite of the Joy's brooding presence Emma was having a good time. Everybody liked her and no one appeared too uncomfortable around both her and Joy.

"Maybe all three of them can get married and move off to Utah." Cindy countered. With that said she went off to find Becky, who had snuck in some booze.

Bill was the one who looked really out of place. He had replaced the two girls on the couch and was sitting alone throwing a small pillow into the air and catching it. Cindy, of course was the first to see Joy ease down next to him on the couch.

"What's he doing?" she said, interrupting Jim in a conversation of local football lore.

"Shhhh Cindy, it's none of your concern."

Cindy left him standing there and went to look for Emma. "Oh shit," she mumbled when she got stuck in a conversation with Frankie Carson.

But Emma had not missed the encounter between Bill and Joy. From a dark hallway she was listening to Carla talk about a new coat she wanted.   Emma saw Joy take Bill's hand and lead him out the front door. Still she did not worry. She was being watched over.

"Look Joy, this had better not take long, Emma will get mad."

"Since when did you care about making some girl jealous? Can't we at least go sit in your car? It is freezing out here."

"I don't think..."

"You wouldn't want the woman carrying your unborn child to catch her death of cold would you?"

He went rigid. "What did you say?"

"You heard me."

"Oh God Joy."

"In the car," she ordered him. He followed too struck dumb to refuse.

Once inside the car she scooted over the console to be as close to him as she could. He squirmed back against his window, but still could not escape her.

"Now what is it you are talking about?" He held both of her wrists to keep her from getting any closer.

"Pregnant," she pronounced properly, "Surely you have heard the word before, like going to have a baby, pregnant."

"I don't see how..."

"What do you mean you don't see how? Hell, I sure can show you how." She pulled her wrists free and grabbed him by the shoulders. "After all the time we did it. My God, what kind of monster are you. You think just because you've decided that you are through with me that all of that meant nothing?"  

She was now screaming into his face. A brief ringing silence separated them and then she broke down. Tears welled up and glided down her face. She pulled her hands back from him, but she was shaking so bad she could not lower them.

"Oh God Joy, I am sorry." He draped his arms around her heaving shoulders and tried to bury her tear stained face in his chest. "I don't know what we will do. I know it is my fault. I just don't know what I am suppose to do." He was whispering this into her hair and felt himself getting pretty close to tears. The passenger door was jerked open and the overhead light illuminated them.

"I think I am ready to go home now, Bill" was all that Emma said.

"Emma, I..." and then Bill realized that there was nothing he could say to her to dispel what she had just seen. "I guess you are right." He opened his door to allow Joy to crawl out on his side. Emma took her place in the passenger seat.

In the darkness outside the car, Joy whispered into Bill's ear. "My parents won't be home til tomorrow. Please come back later tonight so that we can talk some more."

He just looked at her blankly and nodded. Then he sank back into his seat beside Emma.

Emma said nothing for the first few miles that they drove and Bill was still too shook up by the prospect of Joy being pregnant to offer any explanation. It was finally Emma who broke the silence as they pulled into the gravel road that led to her house.

"You know I can understand if some of the old spark is still there with you and Joy." Her voice was icy cold. "But I would hope in the future you might be a little more discreet. You didn't need to rub my nose in it. And anyone else could have found you two making out in the car just like I did. "He turned to listen to this strange voice that was coming from Emma.