Free Emily's Daughter by Linda Warren Page A

I’ll be able to take my granddaughter out there—” he pointed to the lake “—fishing. I’ll teach her to bait a hook and show her how to use a rod and reel. I’ll tell her about her grandmother…” His voice cracked on the last word.
    Jackson swallowed hard at the pain in his father’s voice, and they embraced. “Now, don’t go getting your hopes up. Remember she’ll be eighteen years old and I doubt she has much interest in fishing.”
    “Doesn’t matter. Something good will come of this. Mark my words,” George mumbled.
    Jackson didn’t agree, didn’t argue, didn’t speak. All he felt was a pain as intense as when his mother had passed away and he was struggling to stay afloat and keep everything in perspective—his emotions, his life…and Emily.
     
    E MILY WOKE WITH a throbbing headache, but she hadn’t had any dreams. That was a relief. She managed to dress and get to work on time. If anyone noticed her hollow-eyed appearance, nothing was said. She went through the routine of her day, trying not to think, trying only to concentrate on her patients, but at the oddest times she’d hear Jackson’s voice and feel like bursting into tears. She didn’t—she was too professional for that—but it was a struggle all the same.
    By the end of the day, she knew what she had to do. She was going home—as she’d promised Becca. She needed to get away, to see her parents, see Becca, and get a different slant on things. Her emotions were close to the breaking point.
    She met with Dr. Freeman, who would oversee her patients while she was gone. She hadn’t had more than two days off in years and decided to take ten. She wanted to be home for Becca’s prom. That would cheer her up.
    Stopping by the post office, she arranged for her mail to be collected. She also had the newspaper stopped. Then she drove to the condo and packed. Within an hour, she was headed for Rockport, Texas, where she was born and raised.
    She tried to keep her mind a blank but couldn’t. She kept seeing Jackson’s face and hearing his cruel words. Would he ever understand? She doubted it, because she had a hard enough time understanding it. Until she found some sort of forgiveness in herself, she couldn’t expect Jackson to calmly accept her actions.
    The drive was long and peaceful, and as soon as she smelled the saltwater, she knew she was home. Copano Bay greeted her, and when she drove over the bridge into Rockport-Fulton, she felt a sense of belonging. Water stretched out in all directions, a sight she’d seen every day of her life until she was seventeen—until she was banished from home. A flash of loneliness stabbed her.
    As a child, she’d practically lived on the water, going with her dad when he took people out fishing. Other days it was just the two of them searching for the best fishing spots. She’d been happy and carefree, without a worry in the world. Then she turned thirteen and started to develop a figure. All of a sudden, the men looked at her differently, and her mother noticed. Rose refused to let Emily go with her father when other men were along. Emily recognized that this was the beginning of a lot of changes in her life and the start of her mother’s domination over her.
    She wiped the memory away. Turning off the highway, she drove toward Fulton Beach to be near the water. She kept driving along the edge of Aransas Bay until she saw the small yellow-and-white house with the yellow cottages behind it. Home. She was home. With that feeling, a sense of dread prevailed. It happened every time she came here and that was probably never going to change. She just had to overcome it.
    She pulled behind her dad’s truck and got out. The melancholy sound of seagulls filled the air and the cool breezefrom the water touched her skin. These were familiar sensations she associated with home and childhood.
    Walking toward the front door, she heard raised voices—her mother’s and Becca’s. Emily drew in a deep