Heart of Hope Read online

Contractions? She couldn’t be having contractions. It was too early.

  Frantic, Jenna picked up the phone and called her friend Barb’s office.

  “What’s up girlfriend?” Barb asked in a friendly tone.

  “I think I’m having contractions,” Jenna said, panting as another pain hit her. “Can you take me to the hospital?”

  “I’ll be right there.”

  Jenna managed to rise from the desk and put on her coat before Barb burst into her office.

  “You look terrible. Do you want me to call an ambulance?” Barb wrapped her arm around her as they walked to the door.

  “No. You can get me there faster than waiting for an ambulance. Please?”

  “Okay. We can do this.” Barb motioned to the front office receptionist to walk with Jenna to the door while she ran out to the parking garage and got her car. She braked to a stop in front of the building and opened the passenger door as Jenna walked out leaning heavily on the receptionist.

  “Can you please let Mrs. Gordon know we’re heading to the hospital,” Barb asked the receptionist, as she shut Jenna’s door and hurried to the driver’s side.

  Located about ten blocks away, Barb soon pulled up at the hospital’s emergency room door and escorted Jenna inside.

  “What do we have here?” a nurse asked as she approached them with a wheelchair.

  “She’s at thirty-one weeks with twins and thinks she’s having contractions,” Barb said as helped Jenna into the chair and wheeled her down a hallway.

  “Are you a relative?” the nurse asked.

  “A friend, but I’ll call her husband and let him know to come if you think I should.”

  “That would be a very good idea. You might want to tell him to hurry.”

  Barb called Josh and he answered on the second ring. “Josh, this is Barb. I just drove Jenna to the hospital. She seems to be having contractions. Can you come, please?” Barb attempted to hold her voice level, but couldn’t keep her concern for Jenna at bay.

  “I’ll be there as quick as I can. Thanks, Barb.”

  Out in the barn when he answered the call, Josh hurried outside and ran to the house. He didn’t take time to clean up or change, just grabbed his keys and ran out to his pickup. As he raced down their lane to the road, he uttered the same prayer repeatedly. “Please, God, please, take care of Jenna and the boys.”

  Forty minutes later, he pulled into the hospital parking area and sprinted through the emergency room doors to the desk located there. A nurse led him past a waiting area where he saw Barb anxiously flipping through a magazine. He lifted a hand in greeting but kept walking, following the nurse into a curtained room.

  When the nurse pushed the curtain aside, Josh stepped into the room. Jenna rested on the bed, looking pale and weak. He rushed to her side, picked up her hand, and kissed her cheek.

  “Babe?” he asked quietly as she opened her tear-filled eyes.

  “The doctor said she’d be right back and then we’d talk. I’m so scared, Josh. It’s too early for the babies to come.”

  He slid his arm around her shoulders and pulled her head to his chest, rubbing her shoulders soothingly. “It’ll be okay, Jenna. Everything will be okay.”

  Dr. Meliah walked in the room a few moments later with a clipboard in her hand. Her usual calm façade was absent, replaced by a concerned look.

  “Josh, I’m glad to see you here,” she said, pulling up the rolling stool by the bed and taking a deep breath.

  “You were smart to come in when you did, Jenna. Those were real contractions and I think we’ve got them stopped for now. Those boys of yours are getting anxious to meet everyone, but their little lungs aren’t developed enough to make a healthy appearance. We could let you deliver now, but I think we’re looking at too many health complications for the babies that I just don’t want to risk. You and the boys would be better off if we can postpone their delivery a few weeks. If you can go even another three weeks, I’d feel much better about these two making an appearance. I’m also worried about your blood pressure. I hate to tell you this Jenna, but you’re going to have to go on bed rest, for your sake and theirs.”

  “What does bed rest mean?” Josh was concerned about how Jenna would handle the answer.

  “Just like it sounds. Complete bed rest. No working. No walking around more than is absolutely necessary. No physical exertion of any type. Nothing. Nada. Bed rest.” The doctor intently studied Jenna as she stared at her wide-eyed and afraid. Dr. Meliah then turned to Josh. He nodded in agreement, letting her know he would make sure Jenna followed orders if he had to tie her down to the bed.

  “Here’s the choice, Jenna. You can get bed rest here at the hospital or we can try it at home. If I let you go home, you have to promise that you won’t do anything. I mean it. I know you’ll be bored silly, but it’s either that or you stay here. Now what’ll it be?” Doctor Meliah stood and wrote something on a prescription pad then raised an eyebrow at Jenna.

  “I’d prefer to go home, please,” Jenna said quietly. “I promise I won’t do anything to jeopardize the twins.”

  “Good. I’m going to give you a prescription to take so we can stall those contractions. One of the side effects is that it lowers your blood pressure. In your case, that’s a good thing. I want to see you again next week, preferably in my office and not here. Okay?” The doctor shared a smile with Jenna.

  Jenna nodded while Josh took the prescription from Dr. Meliah.

  “Josh, why don’t you come with me to finish up the paperwork while Jenna gets dressed then I’ll have a nurse bring her to the door. If you can pull the car around, you can take her home and get her started on that bed rest.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Josh followed the doctor out the door. He stopped to speak with Barb and thanked her for driving Jenna to the hospital. He promised to keep her updated and have Jenna call her later.

  A nurse helped Jenna out of bed then brought in a wheel chair as she finished dressing. By the time she rolled her to the door, Josh waited with the pickup.

  The nurse looked from the truck to Jenna and shook her head. “She can’t climb up in there. Are you nuts?”

  “Since her car is at the office…” Josh grinned at the nurse. “I’ve got this. No problem.” Josh scooped Jenna out of the wheelchair and gingerly sat her down in the pickup. He pulled the seat belt out and handed it to her then closed the door.

  The nurse beamed at him. “I’m glad to see she’s married to a thoughtful, He-Man kind of guy. You take good care of her.”

  “Yes, ma’am. I plan on it.” Josh smiled before climbing behind the wheel of his truck. “Babe, I’m taking you home then I’ll run into town and get the prescription filled. Will that be okay with you?”

  “Yes,” Jenna whispered, grasping his hand in both hers. “I’m so sorry, Josh. Thank you for coming to get me.”

  “You’re welcome. I’m just glad you and the boys are okay.”

  “But Josh, what if I… what if we…” Tears poured down her face. Jenna had been so terrified when the contractions started coming faster and faster. What if the doctor hadn’t been able to stop them? What if the babies had arrived this early? She struggled to stay afloat in her sea of “what ifs.”

  Josh turned her chin so she looked directly at him and smiled, eyes brimming with love. “Jenna, you got to the hospital in time. Nothing happened. We’ll deal with this and in a few weeks, when they are big and strong enough, those boys will let us know they’re ready to meet us. Everything is going to be just fine. You didn’t do anything wrong, Jenna. It just happened.”

  “But I’m the one who didn’t want them in the first place. I’m the one who keeps pushing myself. I’m the one responsible for them and look what happened.”

  “Do you want these babies?” Josh asked in a low voice.

  “Of course I do. You know that I’ve wanted them for months,” Jenna said, shocked that Josh would even ask her that question.

  “Are you deliberately doing an
ything that could harm them?”

  Grieved, she leaned against the door. “Josh, how can you even ask that? You know I wouldn’t ever do that.”

  “Exactly, so why are you beating yourself up for something beyond your control,” Josh said, making his point. “Quit fussing and trust God. I prayed all the way to the hospital that you and the boys would be fine, and he answered that prayer. Let’s just take one day at a time.”

  Jenna released the breath she held. Josh could almost see a weight lift off her shoulders. She nodded her head, unable to speak.

  When they arrived home, Josh unlocked the back door and opened it then returned to get Jenna from the pickup. Carefully scooping her into his arms, he carried her into the house and down the hall to their bedroom. He helped her remove her coat and suit jacket before she sank onto the bed. Quickly pulling off her shoes, he covered her with a quilt that draped across the foot of their bed.

  “Do you need anything? Do you want to change your clothes now or can I get you something to eat or drink?” Josh leaned on the bed with his arm braced against the headboard while concern etched grooves in his forehead.

  She placed a hand on each side of his face and stared at him for a minute. “No. I think I’ll rest for a while. Maybe you could run into town while I take a nap.” She gave him a kiss then settled into the soft comfort of their bed.

  Josh pulled the shades down to darken the room and shut the bedroom door. He hurried into Tenacity to the town’s one superstore, leaving the prescription at the pharmacy. While he waited for it to be filled, he grabbed a cart and started doing some grocery shopping. If he was going to have to do the cooking, meals needed to be simple.

  He selected a stack of magazines and a couple of best-selling novels he thought his wife might enjoy. Jenna would be bored out of her mind if she had to stay in bed for the next six to eight weeks.

  Back at the pharmacy, he paid for her prescription then rolled his full cart into the checkout line, right behind Callan.

  “Josh, what are you doing here?” She turned around when he said her name, drawing her attention. As she hugged him, she couldn’t miss the tension in his shoulders. “Is everything okay?”

  “No. Jenna started having contractions this morning and I had to pick her up from the hospital. The doctor ordered bed rest.”

  “For how long?”

  “For as long as we can put off the twins’ arrival.” Josh absently removed his ball cap and plowed his hand through his thick hair. “I don’t know when I’ve ever been as scared as I was when Barb called this morning. I feel like I’ve lost five years off my life.”

  “Josh, I’m so sorry.” Callan placed a comforting hand on his back. “What can we do to help?”

  “Maybe you could stop by in a few days for a visit. I think we’ll have to take turns keeping Jenna entertained.” Josh moved his cart farther ahead in the line while Callan started taking items out of her cart and placing them on the conveyor.

  “I’d be happy to help out. Just tell me when to show up and I’m there. Can I bring you meals or do anything else?”

  “If you could help out with meals on the days you come over, that would be awesome. I can cook, but I think Jenna will get tired of my limited menu selections in a hurry.”

  Callan laughed. “Sure. Anything else?”

  “No. I just need to figure out a way to get Jenna’s car home. It’s still in the parking garage at work.”

  “I could stay with Jenna while you and Clay go pick it up. He finishes his last class today at three. Audrey and Emma get off the bus at three-twenty. The girls and I could stay with Jenna and fix dinner for everyone at your house.”

  “Sounds like a great idea. I’ll let Jenna know as soon as I get home.”

  Josh set Callan’s bags in her cart then paid for his own items and they walked out together.

  “You’ll come over about three-thirty?” Josh asked as he helped Callan load her groceries in her car.

  “Yes. If you think of anything you need in the meantime, just let me know.” Callan closed the trunk and turned to study at her brother. “Just remember God knows the plan and everything will be fine.”

  “I know. Love you, Cal.”

  “Love you, too. See you in a while.”

  “Remember, you need to be quiet and not jump on Auntie Jenna’s bed or anything,” Callan warned again as they got out of the car and walked to Josh and Jenna’s back door. Before they could knock, Josh opened it and welcomed them inside.

  “Hi, Audrey. Hey, Sweet Pea. How was school today?” Josh asked, hugging both girls then escorting them inside the kitchen.

  “Fine,” Audrey said, sipping on the juice box Callan handed her when she got off the bus. She slipped off her backpack and left it on the floor by a barstool.

  “My day was great!” Emma replied with her typical gusto. “We got to see a movie about baby froggies.” She turned to her dad with a questioning look. “What are they called?”

  “Tadpoles,” Clay supplied.

  “Yeah, we saw a movie about tagpoles and frogs and toads. It was awesome.” Emma launched her wriggly little body onto a barstool and started swinging her feet.

  “It sounds awesome.” Josh bent over and brushed her nose with his, making her giggle.

  “Are you two going to help your mama take good care of Auntie Jenna while your daddy and I go get her car?”

  “Yep,” both girls answered with nods of their heads that made their curls bob.

  “Great. We’ll be back before you know it.” Josh mischievously rubbed a hand over Audrey’s curls, sending them into a complete state of disarray. Audrey huffed and reached up to smooth her hair while scowling at her uncle.

  Josh grinned then glanced at his sister. “Thanks again, Callan, for all this.”

  “You’re welcome. We’re happy to help, aren’t we girls?” The girls nodded in agreement, although Audrey had lost a little of her enthusiasm.

  “Need anything from the city?” Clay kissed each of the girls on the head then gave Callan a kiss on the cheek. He held her hand as she walked with him and Josh to the door.

  “No. I’ll have dinner ready when you two get back. Drive carefully.”

  “We will.” Clay wrapped an arm around her, drawing her close for a sweet kiss. He winked then hurried out the door after Josh.

  “Mama, we saw you kissing Daddy again,” Emma observed in her singsong voice.

  “You did?” Callan placed a hand over her heart in mock dismay. “Oh, my goodness. Whatever will I do now? Am I in trouble?”

  “Mama.” Audrey rolled her eyes and accentuated every letter of the word. “We can’t make you be in trouble.”

  “You can’t?” Callan sat down at the counter and lifted Emma onto her lap. “Who can?”

  “Daddy,” Emma said, swinging her feet. “But then he’d be in trouble, too, because he kissed you.”

  “Oh. I see. So what are we going to do about it?” Callan asked in all seriousness, glancing from one girl to the other.

  “No more kisses for the rest of the day.” Audrey meted out a harsh punishment.

  “None?” Callan feigned a crestfallen look.

  “Nope.” Emma shook her head.

  “Not even to wiggly little girls?” Callan started planting multiple kisses to Emma’s cheeks and head, making both girls laugh.

  “Stop, Mama!” Emma giggled. “You’re going to smofercate me.”

  “We can’t have that, can we?” Callan set Emma on her feet and stood. She grasped Emma and Audrey’s hands in hers then walked down the hall to the master bedroom. “Be very quiet and we’ll peek inside to see how Auntie Jenna is doing.”

  Quietly pushing open the door, Callan grinned at her sister-in-law. Jenna was propped on her side in bed, flipping through a magazine.

  “Well, hello there.” Jenna smiled as the girls approached the bed and stared at her. “I thought I heard giggles.”

  “We came to keep you company.” Audrey sat down next to her aun
t. “Mama said we have to be quiet and can’t jump around like a bunch of wild… What was it you said, Mama?”

  “Banshees,” Callan supplied. “Do you need anything, Jenna? Can we get you anything to drink or eat?”

  “I’d love some hot tea,” Jenna said. “Maybe the girls can tell me about school today while you make us all some tea.”

  Callan left Emma talking about “tagpoles” while she made tea and placed cheese and fruit on a plate. The snack would tide everyone over until dinner.

  She returned to the room with a big tray and set it on a corner of the bed. She gave the girls half-full cups of not quite hot tea then handed Jenna a full steaming cup. After pulling a chair up closer to the bed, she and Jenna visited until the girls asked to watch cartoons.

  Instead, Callan made them sit down with their homework at the kitchen table while she started dinner preparations. The girls had completed their homework and helped set the table by the time Josh and Clay returned with Jenna’s car.

  Jenna shuffled into the family room where she reclined, propped on her side watching the news. Josh snagged a footstool out of the pantry and placed it beneath the table then helped Jenna stand. Slowly walking with her to the table, he pulled out her chair and made sure her feet found the little stool.

  “It is so nice to be upright,” Jenna said, looking around the table. “Thank you so much for making dinner, Callan, and for rescuing my car, Clay.”

  “You’re welcome,” they both said. Clay leaned toward Callan and started to kiss her cheek, but Emma’s giggling interrupted him.

  “No more kisses, Daddy. Mama can’t have any more kisses today.”

  Clay turned and looked at his daughters. “Who says?”

  “We did.” Audrey offered her father a determined glare. “We saw you kissing before you left. Mama can’t have any more today.”

  “They laid down the law, Clay. There wasn’t anything I could do about it.” Callan shook her head and stuck out her bottom lip, pretending to pout.

  “We’ll revisit this later.” Clay placed a napkin on his lap and stared across the table at the girls with a look only a father can muster. He turned the conversation in another direction, looking at Jenna with a teasing grin. “So, Jenna, do you have streaming movies?”