Alexander was back an hour later. Zachary was sleeping, but Emma was awake and opened her eyes when he walked in. Her beautiful green depths were full of distrust.
"I've asked and they'll let you out of here tomorrow morning. "
"Yes, I know that." Her reply was short, terse, and full of awareness.
It was brushed aside with only a rise of his eyebrows. "Will be here to take you home." She knew he meant Kate will come too.
He came to stand by her bed and watched Zachary sleep. After a few moments he turned around and his eyes appear darker, more determined. Something was going on but Emma was clueless what was it all about until he spoke.
"I've chartered a plane for the next week to take you back to the ranch." He said as he was saying a mare good morning. It was unthinkable what he did and without asking her or consulting her. As it was a done matter, and she'll have nothing to say about it.
"I'm not going anywhere Alexander. My home is right here. I have a job here and you are selfish to ask me to just leave everything behind that I work hard for."
"Emma, I've been nice so far, but you are being stubborn. You tried to eliminate me out of my child's life. Calling me selfish, but in the truth think who is more selfish one here. You have two options. You come back to the ranch or we'll see each other in a court fighting over custody of our son. Not yours Emma, ours!" He turned the tables without blinking pushing a mountain of guilt onto her shoulders.
"I don't understand you! Why would you do that? Zachary's place is with me. You'll get bored with us. Most of the time you are not there anyway, so I can't see the point in leaving everything to indulge you for a while until you have enough of us."
"Those are your presumptions. I'm not about to convince you otherwise, but if you think the weekend here, holiday there with my son, would be enough for me think again Emma."
"You can't force me to live on the ranch just because you want your son."
"No, I can't! You are absolutely correct. I can have full custody of my son. You can have visitation rights. It is your choice!"
Emma looked at him with unhidden distaste in her eyes. This was the man her heart refuses to acknowledge as a big mistake. She just had a baby, his baby and was presented with possible custody battle.
"You can't mean that!" Emma's voice grew quieter and more angry as she tried to hide the fear for her future from him.
"I'm offering you a solution. You'll have everything and my son will have everything."
"What will I have Alexander? My freedom? To do with my life as I please?"
Emma felt tightness rose in her chest. She blamed it on hormones, but no she won't let him see tears in her eyes. He asked way too much out of her. It sounded as a life sentence. She held to only possible solution: he can come down here and see his son any time he wants.
"So, you don't think that having a father and grandmother would be good for him."
"I never said that. Don't twist my words! We can visit, and you can visit. There are better ways to deal with this without us being stuck in the same place. "
Her words rose anger and bitterness in him. Is this how she sees being around him. Being stuck.
"Do you hear yourself! The key word here is the visit, and I don't want visits. Zachary is my son and my heir and his place is beside his family. Who do you think the courts will favor? The mother that is in debt to her ears, or stability of the family?"
