Heart of Hope Read online

  “Did you buy these?” Chrissy asked, snatching up one of the tiny John Deere hats from the peg on the wall.

  “Nope, those were a Christmas gift. Aren’t they cute? You have to see the little Wranglers,” Josh said, pulling open a drawer and taking out the miniature jeans.

  Vivian and Chrissy made over the clothes and Dan smiled indulgently. “Suppose you’ve got boots to go with those, don’t you?”

  “Yep,” Josh admitted. He opened the closet and pulled out two tiny pairs of cowboy boots. “Jenna hasn’t seen these yet. It’s kind of fun to buy things and hide them in here for her to find later.”

  Vivian and Chrissy shared a look. Josh was clearly more interested and involved in Jenna’s pregnancy than their husbands had ever been.

  “That’s fantastic. Jenna will be thrilled when she’s able to come up here again, unless you plan on packing her up the stairs,” Chrissy teased.

  “If she begged, I might do it.” Josh bent over slightly and rubbed his back. “But that’s a lot of steps to go up and down.”

  They all laughed.

  Josh helped them carry up their luggage to the two guest rooms. With Callan’s help, he’d changed the sheets on the beds and put fresh towels in the bathroom yesterday. Of course, his sister had to fluff the pillows, arrange the soaps just so, and add a bouquet of fresh flowers to the bathroom counter. The little touches women appreciate and men fail to see.

  Vivian turned on the bathroom light and noticed the flowers. She turned to Josh with an inquisitive look. “Did you do all this yourself?”

  “Callan helped me yesterday. It made us both hustle trying to get everything finished while Jenna napped in the afternoon.” Josh grinned as recalled the mad dash he and Callan had made around the house while Jenna slept.

  “Please thank Callan for us for all her help. According to Jenna, she’s been a lifesaver.”

  “She’s as good as gold,” Josh said with pride, taking a step toward the stairs. “I’ll leave you all to freshen up. Just wander downstairs whenever you’re ready. Jenna usually sleeps about an hour or so.”

  “Thanks, Josh. We’ll be down shortly,” Vivian said, turning back to the guestroom.

  Jenna awoke, ready to rejoin her family. Josh helped her back into the family room. She, Chrissy, and her Mom sat talking a mile a minute, so Josh took Dan out to show him the shop and barn. His current project involved repairs and maintenance, using the slow months of winter to service and fine-tune his farm equipment.

  After years of watching his dad work on a variety of equipment, Josh was handy as a mechanic and kept everything in prime working condition. Dan was impressed with not only the assortment of tools Josh owned, but also the tidiness of his shop.

  “A place for everything and everything in its place, that’s what my dad taught me. Sure is a help. I know exactly where to find the tool I need when I want it.” Josh ran a hand along his clean workbench.

  “That’s working smart,” Dan said. As an investment banker, he didn’t spend much time outdoors and certainly not in the country or working around equipment. But even he could tell Josh ran a successful farm.

  “We’re really proud of you and Jenna. You’ve worked hard and built this farm up from nothing. Now you’ve got a legacy to give your boys.” Dan clapped Josh on the shoulder.

  “Thanks, Dan, I appreciate it. We’ve worked hard, but we both love it here. When I first asked Jenna to marry me, I wasn’t sure my city girl would ever adjust to country life, but I don’t know what I’d do without her. She makes all the blood and sweat seem worthwhile.”

  “Glad to hear that, son.” Dan nodded his head approvingly. “I always pictured Jenna marrying some muckity-muck with a big stock portfolio and a penthouse. However, the first time I saw you with her, I knew you and Jenna belonged together. I thought you’d lost your mind when you decided to buy the farm, but obviously you had a clearer vision of the big picture than the rest of us.”

  Josh glanced at his father-in-law and grinned. “I don’t know. There are some who would tell you I did lose my mind and still struggle to find it.”

  Dan laughed and slapped Josh on the back.

  The weekend flew by and Jenna fought her tears as she gave her family one last hug and watched them walk out the door. Her mom promised to stay for a week when the babies arrived and Jenna looked forward to it. Bobbi and Maggie were as close to mother figures as she and Josh had nearby, so having her mother with them for a week would be special for them both.

  “Just think, babe, before long the boys will be here, your mom will be back for a visit, and you’ll be able to move around as much as you want.” Josh handed her another tissue as she attempted to dry her tears. “That’s great, right?”

  “Great. Yes. Can’t wait,” Jenna said, sniffling. Only a few more weeks of erratic emotions, frequent trips to the bathroom, restless nights, and complete boredom. At least it still gave them time to decide on names for the boys.

  Chapter Twenty

  By mid-February, Jenna no longer fought against the boredom, having grown used to the idle passing of days.

  Her blood pressure was lower, although the doctor diagnosed her with preeclampsia. Aware of how serious it could be, Jenna dutifully followed her doctor’s orders. The previous week during her regular checkup, Dr. Meliah said if she could make it one more week, she could deliver the twins any time and everything should be fine.

  Josh, of course, gave her a pep talk about how they were going to make it, no problem. They narrowed down the list of baby names neither of them hated to three dozen. Bags were packed and in the car, ready to go. They’d discussed at length the birthing plan, the get-to-the-hospital plan, and the notify-all-relatives plan.

  A few days after Valentine’s Day, Jenna sat on the couch, watching the news. A knock at the door drew her attention and she smiled as Callan breezed into the room.

  Josh wanted to attend a bull sale about an hour and a half away and debated for days whether he should go, since she could have the babies at any time.

  She encouraged him to go and he reluctantly agreed, but only if Callan stayed with her for at least part of the time he’d be away.

  “Are you sure you don’t want me to stay?” Josh asked Jenna for the tenth time that morning.

  Laughing, she rolled her eyes and pointed a finger toward the back door. “Go. Get out of here. Do whatever it is you do at a bull sale. I’ll be fine. Callan will take great care of me.”

  “Only if you’re sure…” Josh kissed her cheek again and backed toward the door, offering her one last opportunity to ask him to stay.

  Jenna waved her hand at him in dismissal and released a relieved sigh when he finally left.

  “Good grief, he’s like a mother hen with a chick.” Callan laughed as Josh pulled out of the driveway and drove down the lane. “Has he been hovering like that for long?”

  “Since the last trip to the doctor,” Jenna said, trying to find a comfortable spot on the couch. The last few days, she’d been hard-pressed to sit comfortably. Last night, an ache started in her back that seemed to grow worse instead of better.

  As she rubbed her hands over her protruding belly, Jenna knew her figure would never be the same. However, stretch marks seemed like the least of her worries.

  Her feet and ankles were a bloated mess and if her hands grew any more swollen, she’d have to let Josh cut off her wedding ring. She should have removed it a month ago, but refused. Now, she worried about losing circulation in that finger.

  She felt nauseated and twinges had been fluttering in her stomach for hours. If she didn’t know better, she’d think she was heading into labor. Even if she were, it would be awhile before anything serious started happening. Briefly considering what she ate the day before, she decided she probably just suffered from indigestion.

  When she awoke that morning, she hadn’t felt like eating anything despite Josh trying to talk her into toast. She relented and had a few nibbles just to keep him from fussing a
nd get him out of her hair for the day. She appreciated his attentiveness, but she was tired of him treating her like a sister or a child instead of his wife.

  He doted on her, encouraged her, fluffed her pillows, and made her tea. In every aspect, he’d been a role model husband and it made her nuts. She wanted him to leave a mess somewhere, to make some sarcastic comment that made her mad, to ignore her so she could pout for a bit about his insensitivity.

  Instead, he treated her like a princess.

  With a heavy sigh, Jenna admitted her emotions and thoughts ran amuck. She was probably one of the most blessed women on the planet to have a husband who devoted so much time and attention to her care.

  Nevertheless, with him gone for the day, she battled resentment that he could actually walk out of the house and enjoy himself while she sat in uncomfortable misery, waiting.

  Sniffling, she grabbed a tissue and gave herself a mental scolding. As Callan walked by to return a mop to the storage closet, she glanced at her.

  After putting the mop away and rinsing off her hands in the kitchen, Callan sat down across from Jenna. “Emotions a little hard to control these days?” she asked with a knowing smile.

  “Yes, to put it mildly.” Jenna released a choppy laugh. “I cry when I should be laughing, laugh when I ought to cry. I’m mad for no reason, cranky, and irrational. This is so far beyond what’s normal for me, and way beyond my ability to comprehend.”

  Callan leaned back with a thoughtful look. “I remember when Laken was expecting Brant she really had a time of it. Tyler walked around on eggshells for the entire nine months. It didn’t matter what he did, she would either yell at him or cry pitifully. I don’t think anyone was happier than Tyler when Brant arrived and things returned to normal.”

  Jenna laughed. “So you’re telling me I’m not the only one to ever have suffered.”

  “Something like that.”

  “I know you don’t talk about it, but when you were pregnant did you have morning sickness or any of the typical symptoms?”

  Callan took a moment to answer. Jenna realized she shouldn’t have asked Callan about her pregnancy, especially considering how painfully it ended. “I’m sorry. Forgive me. I shouldn’t…”

  “No, it’s okay, Jen. I was just remembering. I didn’t really have morning sickness, but some days I felt queasy all day. And exhausted all the time. I remember it hurt a lot, like intense cramping, nearly the entire four months. Looking back, I probably should have recognized that as a red flag that something wasn’t right,” Callan said quietly. She reached out to Jenna and clasped her hand. “I appreciate being able to experience so much of your pregnancy with you. You know whatever you need, Clay and I are here to help.”

  “Thanks, Cal. It means so much to both of us.” Jenna pulled her hand from Callan’s and blotted tears from her cheeks. In an effort to lighten the mood, she turned to a topic that Callan enjoyed discussing. “The only thing we need right now is to decide on names for the boys.”

  “Are you any closer to picking two you agree on?”

  “Not really, unless you think Dexter and Angus are good names.”

  Callan erupted into a fit of laughter. “Tell me Josh did not pick those names.”

  “He most certainly did. So I had to counter with Quillan and Barney.”

  “You wouldn’t really give the boys those names would you?”

  “Absolutely not! Josh can’t tell when I’m serious or teasing these days, so I like to have a little fun with it. I need some entertainment, you know.”

  The two of them studied the list of baby names again. Callan went to Josh’s office and returned with a pad of paper and a pen. She started writing out combinations of names they liked and when Jenna saw them on paper, the two she liked the best jumped out at her.

  “Oh, Cal, circle those two, right there.” Jenna pointed to two names on the list. “I love those names. I think Josh might go for them as well. What do you think?”

  “I think they’re perfect. Now, we just need to get that hard-headed brother of mine to agree.”

  By late morning, Jenna’s eyes continued drifting shut. She took a nap while Callan did a load of laundry and fixed lunch. An hour later, Jenna awoke, but still didn’t feel like eating. Callan made more tea and left her sipping it while she put away laundry then straightened the master bedroom.

  “Do you want me to change the sheets on your bed?” Callan called out to the family room where Jenna rested.

  “No. Josh just changed them yesterday.”

  “Okay,” Callan said, walking back into the family room. “Anything else I can do for you?”

  “I’m fine. I don’t need a babysitter every minute. You’ve got a client appointment you need to leave for soon, don’t you?”

  “Yes, but I hate to leave you alone. I can reschedule if you want me to stay.”

  Jenna made a shooing motion with her hand. “I’m fine. Josh said he’d be home by four at the latest and it’s almost one now. I think I can take care of myself for an hour or two.”

  Callan slipped on her coat, uncertain if she should leave or stay. “Are you sure you’ll be fine?”

  “Yes. I’m going to stay right here on the couch like a big lump and wait for Josh to get home. Thanks for coming. I appreciate it.”

  “You’re welcome. I’ll see you day after tomorrow.”

  “You bet. I’ll be here.”

  When Callan left, Jenna tossed and turned on the couch, trying to find a comfortable position. She rolled onto her side, but felt even more nauseated. Her back went from an unpleasant ache to sudden, sharp pain.

  The twins seemed bent on wiggling nonstop. She wished they would settle down, just for a few minutes, so she could rest. Gently rubbing her stomach, she could tell they had dropped lower, a sure sign they would soon arrive.

  Exhausted, she closed her eyes and was nearly asleep when a strong pain ripped through her. From the contractions she’d previously experienced, she sat up. The pain was real, not imagined. Concerned, she glanced at the clock on the wall, waited, and counted. When other contraction hit her followed by another, she took a deep breath. She needed to call someone to take her to the hospital.

  Callan would be in her meeting by now and she always turned off her phone when she was with clients. Jenna called and left her a message, hoping the meeting would be brief.

  Mentally running through a list of names of who else might be available, she knew Clay was in a class, Maggie and Jake were both working, and Bobbi and Steve were at the bull sale with Josh. Aunt Julie and Uncle Ralph were gone to Florida to visit their oldest son. Jenna grabbed the phone and dialed Josh, hoping he was already heading home.

  “Hey, babe, how’s it going?” Josh asked, answering his phone on the second ring.

  “Josh,” Jenna panted as a contraction slammed through her. “I just started having some serious contractions. You coming home sooner rather than later would be a good plan. Right now, if possible.”

  “Where’s Callan?” Josh sounded upset. Jenna heard muffled voices then the sound of something thudding, like he was running.

  “She had a client meeting and left a while ago.” She gasped through another contraction. “Please say you’re on the way.”

  “I’m on the way. I’ll be there as quick as I can. Don’t move. See if you can get in touch with Callan or even Laken. I don’t want you there by yourself.”

  An engine revved and tires squealed in the background.

  “Josh, drive carefully. I don’t need anything happening to you.”

  “I will and I’ll be praying the whole way.”

  Josh waited throughout the entire sale for the bull he’d been eying to be reach the auction block. He’d just engaged in a good-natured bidding war with an acquaintance from Sublimity when his cell phone rang.

  As soon as Jenna said the word contraction, he handed his auction paddle to Steve and took off running. He peeled out of the parking lot, grateful the roads were clear and dry. A
little more than an hour later, he whipped off the highway, glad he hadn’t received a speeding ticket as he shaved twenty minutes off the normal travel time.

  He jumped out of his pickup, hurried into the garage, and started Jenna’s car. She’d be much more comfortable making the hour-long trip to the hospital in it.

  When he ran into the house, he found Jenna on the couch, holding her stomach. Fear filled her eyes while her face held little color.

  “Babe, it’s going to be okay. Everything will be fine.” Josh dropped to his knees on the floor in front of her and brushing the hair off her face. “Are you ready to go now?”

  “Yes.” Jenna breathed through another contraction. “I just need to go the bathroom again before we leave.” Josh helped her to the guest bathroom and waited. He heard her gasp then all was quiet.

  “Babe, everything okay?”

  “Just a give me a minute.”

  Her voice sounded panicked and he wiggled the doorknob that she’d locked. “Do you need some help?”

  “No!” Jenna yelled. The one thing she was going to do if it killed her was maintain what little dignity she had left with Josh. That meant he would not be emptying any bedpans, he would not assist her in the bathroom, and he most certainly was not getting a view of anything south of her equator.

  “Just bring me a set of clean clothes, including socks and shoes, please.” She’d barely closed the bathroom door when her water broke, soaking her clothes and puddling on the bathroom floor.

  Josh turned and ran into their bedroom, quickly returning with a set of clothes for her. She cracked the door and took them from him before shutting the door again.

  “Are you sure you don’t need some help?”

  “I’m sure.” Jenna changed her clothes and threw towels over the mess on the floor.

  When she finally opened the door, she looked determined yet frightened. “I think we better get a move on. My water just broke.”

  Josh blanched before grabbing her coat from a hook by the back door. Quickly helping her into it, he walked her to the car and helped her slide onto the passenger seat. He ran around to the driver’s side and they made a fast trip to the hospital.