As he backed her out of the trailer, Lacey gasped. She dug one of the carrots from her pocket and held it out for her horse as Devin led her forward. “It’s Magpie. Oh, sweet girl, I’m so glad to see you.”
“Your dad and I thought Magpie might be a good pasture buddy for Dolly.” His heart was so full—the expression on Lacey’s face more than worth the trouble it had been to bring her horse to Alabama.
Lacey gasped, grabbing her belly, leaning forward with a low groan.
Devin was at her side in an instant, his arm around her, holding her steady. “Babe? What’s going on?”
“It’s okay.” Her eyes still closed, she ground the words through her teeth. “This has been going on all day. I’m fine.”
Tanner took Magpie’s lead rope and guided her toward the barn as Lacey grabbed Devin’s hand, her grip nearly cutting the circulation off.
She looked up with panic on her face. “It’s too early. We’re barely even thirty weeks yet. We can’t have the babies. I won’t do it.”
Devin looked up and nodded at Tanner as he came out of the barn. “We need to go. Now.”
His brother dug his keys out of his pocket and ran to his truck, turning it quickly and pulling up next to them.
Devin helped Lacey into the back seat of the truck and jumped in beside her as Tanner sped out of the driveway toward the hospital.
His heart was racing, thoughts throbbing in his head like an ache that wouldn’t go away. He’d just figured it all out. They were just getting started. He loved Lacey and he loved their babies and there was absolutely nothing he could do at this point to help them. He wanted to cry, but there were no tears. Nothing except Lacey and their babies.
Devin slid his hands across her belly, shocked to feel how tight it was, and he knew he would give anything to switch places with her.
Please let them be okay, Lord. Let all of them be okay.
He murmured into her ear, “I’m gonna be right there with you every step of the way. I love you, Lacey. I’m not going to leave you. I promise. We’re doing this together.”
* * *
Lacey opened her eyes slowly, wincing as she pushed up in the bed. The last five weeks had gone so slowly as she’d remained in the hospital on bed rest, doing everything possible to keep the twins inside and growing. But last night they’d delivered two healthy babies who were breathing without oxygen and holding their own.
She looked to the left and chuckled as she saw Devin asleep in the very uncomfortable recliner he’d been in almost constantly since she’d arrived five weeks ago. But they’d made it. Thirty-five weeks and one day.
A whimper came from a bassinet by the window. Devin shot to his feet. “What? Which baby is it?”
“That’s Eli. Phoebe’s in the corner.”
Devin walked to the bassinet and looked down. “Hey, buddy. Did you kick out of your swaddle? Let’s see what we can do about that.”
Like a pro—because he’d been practicing with the nurses for five weeks now—he snuggled Eli back into his burrito wrap and lifted him gingerly into his arms. “I can’t get over how tiny he is. How much did he weigh again?”
“Five-one. Right? And Phoebe Rose was five-four?”
As if she’d heard her name, Phoebe started stirring in her bassinet. Devin passed the little baby bundle that was Eli to Lacey and crossed the room to Phoebe. He rewrapped her and picked her up, tucking a pacifier that covered nearly her whole face into her mouth. He walked to the bed, swaying gently and crooning to the baby.
Lacey laughed. “You are in so much trouble with that one.”
“Why do you say that? I haven’t been shopping for a pony yet...okay, I made a few calls, but that’s all.” He grinned at her. “I know I’m probably going to regret saying this because now that they’re here, it isn’t going to get easier. They’re going to be yelling at us frequently and vehemently at least through their teenage years... But I’m just so glad to meet them.”
She looked down into the tiny face of her baby boy, who she imagined would look exactly like Devin when he grew up. He had thick curly brown hair and dark lashes, and he already had her heart, just like his daddy did.
Meeting Devin’s gaze, she said, “I love you.”
Devin eased down to the side of the bed. “I love you, too. These last few months have been...” He stopped, cleared his throat. “These last few months have been more than I could ever deserve. I’m grateful for every minute, even the awful ones.”
The door pushed open with a soft knock, and Tanner stuck his head in. “Y’all up for visitors?”
He had a plate wrapped in tinfoil, and Lacey’s eyes snagged on it immediately. “What’s that?”
“Just some zucchini brownies, if you’re not sick of them. I used your recipe.”
“They’re good, too,” Garrett interjected, as he came into the room, followed by Lacey’s dad, Logan Jenkins.
“Hey, Dad, come meet your grandbabies.”
Logan crossed to where his daughter reclined in the bed and rubbed her head. “Can’t wait.”
“Eli, this is Grandpop.” She held Eli up for a kiss and her dad obliged, lifting him from her hands and kissing the tiny, fuzzy head.
The rancher’s eyes were suspiciously damp. “Pleased to meet you, Eli.”
Logan passed the baby to Garrett, who looked down in awe. “Wow, he’s so little. He does kind of look like you, though, Devin. I think it’s that scrunched-up expression. Or maybe the pointy head.”
“You’re so funny.” Devin scowled. “I hope all you people used the hand sanitizer before you came in here.”
Garrett raised an eyebrow at Logan. “I told you he was going to be giving orders.”
“They’re beautiful babies. Congratulations, guys.” Tanner laid the plate of brownies on the counter and slid out the door.
Lacey looked up, meeting Devin’s eyes. He shook his head slightly. “It’s just gonna take time.”
Her dad held his hands out for Phoebe Rose, and as he looked into her face, his eyes filled with tears again. “Your great-grandma Rose would be so proud to know you.”
Drawing in a shaky breath, Lacey was almost relieved when the nurse came in to shoo out the visitors so they could do her vitals check. “We’ll see you guys a little later.”
After Garrett and Logan handed the babies back to their parents and left the room, the nurse turned back and winked at Lacey. “I’ll be back in a few. Catch your breath.”
Devin put a sleeping Phoebe in her bassinet, reached for Eli and tucked him back into place, before settling on the bed beside Lacey. “You holding up okay?”
“I’m tired but I feel good. I think it’ll probably take some time to get my stamina up again.”
“We’re going to be tired for a long time.” He looked down at her with a twinkle in his eye. “Worth it.”
“Every second.” She lifted her hand into the air for a high five, the diamond ring he’d given her sparkling on her finger. “Up top?”
A fleeting smile crossed his face as tenderness filled his gaze and he leaned forward, giving her a gentle kiss on the lips. “Already there, Lace. I’m already there.”
Epilogue
Two months later
Lacey held Devin’s hand as they slowly rocked on the porch swing, the baby monitor beside them. It was a warm night for November, still in the sixties, and Lacey was barefoot, one foot sticking out from under the quilt he’d tossed over them when they’d sunk to the swing in exhaustion.
“Do you have any regrets?” Her voice was soft and sleepy.
He looked down at her in surprise. “In general? Sure.”
She nudged him with her elbow. “That is not what I’m talking about.”
“I definitely have some regrets about inviting a hundred people out here for a wedding this afternoon. I thought they were never g
oing to leave when the dancing started.”
Lacey laughed. “That’s not what I mean, either.”
“My only regret is not realizing sooner that the night we spent in Vegas was the first night of the best part of my life. I love you, Lace.”
“Our life is different. No buzzers, no screaming crowds, no records being broken...”
There was an unspoken question in the words and he didn’t even have to think about the answer. He lifted a finger. “Now, wait a minute—I’m pretty sure that Eli broke the record for diapers used in one day just yesterday.”
“Our leaderboard consists of most ounces consumed and who has the fastest time getting a burp out of a baby.” She laughed again and let her head fall back against his shoulder. “I don’t miss it, always chasing that next hundredth of a second. I never knew I could be so happy.”
He kissed her hair and just rocked, listening to the sounds of the farm slowly go to sleep. The cows were rustling in the field. One of the horses nickered softly. The confused rooster crowed in the backyard and Lacey stirred.
“I love you,” his wife murmured sleepily. He pulled her closer into his embrace and thanked the Lord for his good fortune.
Because he was finally home.
* * *
If you loved this story,
check out the Family Blessings series,
from author Stephanie Dees:
The Dad Next Door
A Baby for the Doctor
Their Secret Baby Bond
The Marriage Bargain
Available now from Love Inspired!
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www.LoveInspired.com
Keep reading for an excerpt from A Soldier’s Prayer by Jenna Mindel.
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Dear Reader,
Life is complicated. We make decisions with consequences. Things happen and we’re left to deal with them the best we can. That’s the case with Lacey and Devin. Their situation was their own doing—and they took responsibility—but their actions had their roots in the past, for both of them. The moment Lacey showed up in Red Hill Springs was a touchstone in their life, one of those rare instances when you know that what you choose to do in this moment could change your future forever.
I’ve had defining moments like that. Some of them I didn’t know were turning points until later. Some I knew immediately would change my life. Some I’ve accepted with grace and some I have raged against. I try to remember every single day—because we have no idea when one of those life-changing moments will happen—that no matter what storms come I’m loved by God and His love is not conditional. His opinion is the one that matters. And no matter what I’m walking through, I know He’s there, walking with me.
I know you’ve had to face unexpected challenges in your life. I’ve come to realize (with maturity, ha-ha) that everyone does. No one has a perfect life. But regardless of our circumstances, we can make the best of what we’ve got because we aren’t going it alone.
You have my prayers, always, my friends, and I love hearing from you. You can contact me via my website, www.stephaniedees.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/authorstephaniedees and in the reader group at www.facebook.com/groups/LIauthorsandreaders.
With love,
Stephanie
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A Soldier’s Prayer
by Jenna Mindel
Chapter One
Monica Zelinsky had to get away and think. Think. She had just turned thirty and yet life as she knew it was over. From here on out she’d be considered a cancer survivor. If she survived. If the cancer didn’t spread. She prayed it wouldn’t.
Running a hand through her long hair, she grabbed a handful and pulled hard enough to sting. She’d lose this. She’d lose it all, after she’d spent over a hundred and fifty dollars for a highlight. Sure, it might be crazy to think of measly dollars when she faced a much bigger cost, but she couldn’t help it. Getting her hair done had always been something she’d looked forward to.
Keeping her gaze fixed on the road ahead watching for the turnoff, she gave full vent to her fears with a disgusted growl. Hair grew back. Her breasts wouldn’t, and removing them was one of the options she had to consider. She’d need chemo regardless of her surgery choices, having been diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer.
This kind of news should alter a person’s priorities real quick, but it didn’t do a thing to dissolve Monica’s insecurities. She’d never been comfortable with her looks, and now... She blew out another breath. She’d get even more uncomfortable before it was all over.
Tightening her grip on the steering wheel until her knuckles turned white, Monica took the two-track road that led to her uncle’s cabin in the middle of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
She had a little less than a week before meeting with a referred cancer team to go over her plan of attack, they’d called it. A war waged inside her body called triple negative breast cancer. She was considered stage two out of four, and so far no lymph nodes were affected. She’d had no idea, no symptoms—not even family history—to give her a heads-up. This had come out of the blue with nothing to tip her off to a problem until she’d found the hard lump in her right breast.
Monica barely noticed the changing color on the trees. It was late August, but fall came early in the UP. Just like this cancer had come way too early in her life.
Cutting the engine, she got out and stretched.
It had been a three hour drive north and west into the middle of nowhere. Her uncle’s cabin sat deep in the Hiawatha National Forest that ran between Munising and Escanaba. She knew the way by heart. She’d been coming here since she was a kid with her family, mostly her older brothers, especially Matthew. He was the keeper of the cabin keys for her family, although for this visit, Monica had to get a set directly from her uncle.
Scanning the chalet-style log cabin with its dark green metal roof, Monica looked forward to a few days of solitude and more online research. She would pray, think and pray some more, and hopefully prepare for what lay ahead. She was definitely short on courage these days, especially after Brady dumped her.
After being interested in him for years, Monica was happy when Brady had finally asked her out, and things had been pretty good. At least she’d thought so. They’d been dating for months now, but he couldn’t handle her cancer sentence and had cut her loose. His departure should hurt, but Monica was more disappointed than anything. She’d hoped for love but that hadn’t happened. Brady hadn’t been right for her. Too bad. She would have appreciated a broad shoulder to lean on.
>
Stepping inside the cabin, she noticed the window over the sink in the kitchen had been left open. A sink that was full of dirty dishes. Her brothers had been here earlier this summer, but surely they hadn’t left the place like this.
She climbed the knotty pine staircase leading to a cozy loft and dumped her suitcase on one of four beds. Staring out the floor-to-ceiling windows, she smiled. She’d always loved the loft because she could see the vast out-of-doors even at night, catching a glimpse of the stars.
She trudged back to her car for the groceries she’d brought, including a small cooler. Before putting the items away she texted her mother that she’d made it safely. There were several cell service dead zones in the area, but fortunately, her uncle’s cabin wasn’t one of them. She then checked her office messages that were forwarded to her cell. She ran her own web design and branding business, but there was nothing that couldn’t wait until Monday.
Opening the fridge door to transfer the cooler contents, she noticed that it was already stocked. The gallon of milk on the top shelf was nowhere near out-of-date. In fact it looked like a recent purchase. Odd. Monica’s sister-in-law said that Matthew had the keys with him. At least that’s what Annie had thought when Monica stopped by their house to pick them up. She quickly texted her brother to ask if anyone else had come up here. He worked as a first mate on a Great Lakes freighter, so she didn’t expect an answer right away.
Stepping down the short hallway, she checked the other two bedrooms. The larger one looked neat and tidy, with the bed made, the coverlet wrinkle-free, and shoes lined up under a bench that held a duffel bag. The other room was a mess—bunk beds unmade, suitcases open and kids’ clothes strewn about. No one in her immediate family had small children. Babies and toddlers, yes, but not kids big enough for those clothes.
Who on earth was here, and why?
The Cowboy's Twin Surprise Page 17