“No, Mr. Luke. I’d rather go eat in my room.” She smiled at him. “I do appreciate Ms. Heather’s invitation, though. You were right about her being a special lady. I like working for her almost as much as for your dad.”
“I know she’d appreciate knowing that.”
“I’ll tell her when I’m ready.” She took the paper plate he held out to her. “You were right about something else, Mr. Luke.”
“What was that?”
“Little Ben is one smart little boy. Guess what he said to me when his grandmother introduced us?” Luke shrugged and she went on. “He said, ‘How do you do, ma’am? Grammy said you were an essential part of this household.’ He then held out his little hand for me to shake. Can you believe it?”
Luke laughed. “Sounds like Ben. He often uses words most children his age would never use. They’ve had him tested and he has an exceptionally high IQ.”
“Mr. Tim and Ms. Juanita are nice people, too.”
“Yes, they are.”
“Mr. Luke, I’ve never told anyone this, but before your mother died she made me promise to help find the right woman to make your dad happy again. Well, I didn’t find her, but I believe God did. Now, I’ll do whatever it takes to see he stays as happy as he is today.”
Luke cocked his eyes at her. “What have you done, Irma?”
“Since that picture of them came out in that movie magazine, they’re getting all kinds of requests. Reporters want to interview them, and the mayor had the gall to ask if he could have his picture made with them. I’ve told all the callers that Mr. and Mrs. Hargrove are splitting their time between Wynburg and here, and I’m not sure when they’ll be able to return calls.” She smiled. “I know it’s a lie, but I think they need time together, and for her to get used to these mountains. What do you think, Mr. Luke?”
“I think you did the right thing. After the picture came out, I thought Brenda and I were going to have to knock some people down to get out of church the next Sunday. At least I could say they weren’t back from their honeymoon and I wasn’t sure when they’d be back.” He looked outside at the peaceful scene. “Let’s give them as much time as we can. At least, let’s give Heather time to enjoy her son’s visit. It was hard for her to move away from him and his family.”
There was the sound of a car in the front of the house.
“I wonder who that is?”
“I think Dad invited the Parkers. They met the Mastersons at the beach and wanted to see them again.”
“I’ll get upstairs before my food gets cold.” She added as Luke started out the door. “Tell Ms. Heather she doesn’t have to clean up when you get through dinner. When you were here the other night I expected to get up the next morning and find the dirty dishes in the sink, but Ms. Heather had put them in the dishwasher and run it.”
“I’ll tell her, Irma.” She watched as he went outside, paused to pick up a chair on the patio and joined the other men at the grill.
•♥ •
At eleven o’clock Heather climbed into bed and snuggled in Alex’s arms. “It’s been a wonderful day,” she whispered.
“Yes, it has. I like it when all of our family is here at one time.”
“So do I. It’s enough love to burst a woman’s heart when I have all my kids and my gentle giant all together.”
“Gentle giant, huh?”
“Yes. Do you mind me calling you that?”
“No. I like it.” He was moving his hand up and down her naked arm.
“Alex, I’ll always love you.”
“I love you, too, but as that old Alabama song goes, ‘Forever is as Far as I’ll Go.’”
“I like that song.”
“I know. It was played at our wedding. As Jacob says, ‘‘member’?”
“Yes, I ‘member.” She snuggled closer to him.
“Are you about through talking?” Alex asked.
“Why? Are you getting sleepy?”
“Not one bit.”
“Then if you don’t want to talk and you aren’t sleepy, what do you want to do?”
“Heather, my love, I’ll give you one guess.”
“Oh, that,” she whispered.
“Yeah, that. What do you think?”
She turned her face up to him. Her lips were half-parted and waiting. “I think that’s a great idea.”
•♥ •
Rachelle tried to scream when someone put an arm around her covering her mouth with their hand. She thought she’d been so careful sneaking on the property without detection. Now, here she was being captured.
“Don’t scream and I’ll uncover your mouth,” a gruff voice said. She nodded, and he removed his hand. “Now tell me. Who are you, and what are you doing here?”
“My name is Rachelle and I have some private business to take care of.”
“What private business?”
She ignored him. “What do you mean attacking me?”
“I had to find out who you are and what you’re doing here besides slipping around, smoking cigarettes and drinking.” He chuckled. “Got anything left in that bottle? I could use a swallow.”
“I’ve got another bottle in my car.”
“Hey, baby, you’re talking now. Let’s get it. I know a good place where we can talk.”
For some reason, Rachelle trusted this man. “If we can work it out, you might be able to help me complete my mission.”
“Why, girlie, you may have found the right man. I might need a little help to complete mine, too.”
They wandered off toward her car together.
CHAPTER 45
Before daylight, a piercing scream ripped through the house. Heather and Alex both shot up in bed. “What in the world?” he said.
The scream came again.
“It’s Juanita!” Heather leaped from the bed grabbing her robe and putting it on as she went out the door.
Alex followed.
Before she reached the massive circular stairway in the entry, she heard Tim call, “Mom!”
“Coming!” She took the steps two at a time.
In the guest suite on the second floor she found Juanita bent double screaming in pain. Ben had left his room and was standing beside his mother crying. Tim looked helpless.
“I think she’s in labor,” he mumbled.
“Of course, I am,” she cried. “You don’t think I’m doing this for fun, do you?”
Alex took charge. “Son, get dressed. We’ve got to get her to the hospital. Ben, you go downstairs with Grammy. I’m going to call Luke and have him come get you. You can spend the rest of the night with Jacob.”
“Is Mama going to be all right?”
“She’s going to be fine, honey.” Heather reached for his hand.
“May I take my Alex bear?”
“Of course.”
Alex turned to Heather. “You get dressed, honey and please lay me out a pair of pants and a shirt. I’ll be there in a minute.” He turned back to Tim who was struggling to get his pants on. When they were zipped and he’d grabbed a shirt, Alex said, “Now, I’m going to help you get Juanita downstairs. We’ll take my car. I know yours is still packed with the items you brought for Heather.”
Tim nodded.
In ten minutes, everyone was ready. Alex called Irma and she busied herself in the kitchen making coffee to put in a thermos. Luke came through the back door and gathered Ben in his arms. “Come with me, big boy. Jacob is asleep, but I’ll let you wake him up and tell him you’re about to have a little sister.”
“I don’t think he’s going to do that,” Heather smiled at Luke and nodded toward Ben. He’d already snuggled down on Luke’s shoulder and was having a hard time keeping his eyes open.
“Good luck, folks,” Luke said. “I called Cole, Dad.” He then hurried out the door with Ben.
“Take this in case you get hungry. It’s a variety of muffins.”
Heather took the lunch bag Irma handed her. “We’ll call,” she said as she followed everyone t
o the garage.
The ride to the hospital seemed endless. In the back seat, Juanita often gritted her teeth to stifle a scream. Tim was trying to be comforting, but she was having none of it.
Alex glanced at Heather. “Are all women this way?”
“Most are. You guys can’t imagine the pain. It almost drives you crazy.” She looked at him. “Could you drive a little faster?”
“Honey, seventy is as fast as I dare drive on these mountain roads.”
“Luke said he called somebody named Cole. Who’s Cole?”
“He’s a gynecologist. I introduced you to him and his wife when we went out to eat in Hendersonville.”
“Yes, I remember. Thank goodness, Juanita won’t be looked after by an intern or whoever is on call this morning.”
When they finally reached the emergency room, a nurse was waiting for them. “Dr. Winslow called and said his patient was coming in,” she said as they lowered Juanita to a wheel chair. She patted Juanita on the shoulder, “Now, honey, relax. Everything will be fine.”
“That’s easy for you to say,” Juanita snapped.
The nurse shook her head. “They always get here in a foul mood, but they leave cooing and smiling.” Juanita gave her a dirty look.
“I’m going to take you right up to delivery. If Dr. Winslow isn’t here, he’ll be here soon. They’ll take good care of you up there.”
“Thank you,” Tim said.
Alex and Heather followed them into the elevator.
Cole Winslow appeared by the nurses’ station when they got off on the delivery floor. He nodded at all of them, then leaned down and looked at Juanita. “Hurting a bit, I bet?”
“Am I ever!”
“Well, we’re going to see if we can’t remedy that.” He stood straight and began barking orders at the nurse. In a minute, they whisk Juanita away.
Cole turned to them. “Hello, Alex. I see you’re about to become a grandfather again.” He held out his hand. After greeting Alex, Cole took Heather’s hand. “I remember meeting you, Mrs. Hargrove. Of course, at the time, I never dreamed he was going to be lucky enough to talk you into marrying him.”
“Hi, again, Cole. And believe me, I’m the lucky one.”
“Cole, this is my stepson, Tim Masterson, Juanita’s husband.”
Cole shook Tim’s hand. “Nice to meet you, Tim.” He smiled at them. “Alex if you’ll take your wife and Tim down the hall you’ll find a waiting room on the left. I’ve got to go check on my patient. I’ll come get Tim as soon as I examine his wife and get the IV’s and monitors set up. It shouldn’t be long.”
In the waiting room, Heather and Alex sat on a plastic covered love seat. Tim took the chair beside her. There was a coffee pot on a table in the corner, but it was empty.
“At least there are cups,” Heather said holding up the thermos. “Want some?”
“Yes, please,” they both said.
“Mom, it hurts me to see Juanita in such pain. I don’t remember her hurting like this with Ben.”
“You can’t help the pain she’s in, honey. It’s natural. Women bear it every day.”
“But she blames me.”
“Of course she does. Who else is she going to blame?”
“Did you hurt that bad when I was born?”
“Yes, and I didn’t have anyone to yell at except the doctors and nurses. Your father didn’t show up until after the fact.”
“Who took you to the hospital?”
“Mother and Daddy.” She smiled at him. “But to have you, all the pain was worth it. In fact, after the baby gets here, women seldom remember how much it hurt.”
“How about you, Alex? Were you there when Luke was born?”
“I was, Tim. I remember Anna was in some pain when I brought her in. I sat in the waiting room until they came out seven hours later and told me I had a son.”
“They do it differently now, honey. When you and Luke were born, there was nothing the father could do but wait. Now you’ll get to go in the room with Juanita like you did when Ben was born.”
It wasn’t long until a nurse came for Tim. “Wish me luck,” he said. “I hope she doesn’t run me out of the room.”
“Oh, honey,” the nurse said. “She’s in a mellow mood, now. Those epidurals are something else. I wish you could get them at the store. I’d stock up on a big supply for myself.”
An hour later, Alex and Heather went into the room to visit with Juanita. Her mood was mellow. She held Tim’s hand the entire time.
“I don’t think she needs us to cheer her up,” Heather said. “She does look happy.”
“I am happy. I have my husband here and my wonderful in-laws. What more could a girl ask?”
There was a knock on the door and Cole came in. “Look who I found wandering around in the hall.”
Luke came in behind him. “I thought I’d come check on my sister-in-law.” He walked up to the bed. “How are you, girl?”
“Much better.”
“Good. I thought when I picked Ben up I was going to lose my new brother. You had murder in your eyes.”
“I thought of killing him, but I didn’t have a weapon at the time. Is Ben doing okay?”
“He’s fine. When Brenda and I got up, he and Jacob were sitting in the floor playing with their cars.”
“Well, Luke, if you and Alex will step outside a minute, I’ll check on my patient’s progress.”
After Luke and his dad left the room, Heather said, “I notice you call everyone else by their first name, Cole. Please call me Heather, if you will.”
“I’ll do that. You’re going to be seeing me around a lot, anyway. Luke and I get together with our families often. My dad’s farm adjoins theirs.”
“Do you have children, Cole?”
“I have two boys. An eight-year-old and a six-year-old. I also have one on the way. I almost fainted the other day when Alisa’s doctor told me there might be twins.” He stood and pulled the sheet back over Juanita. “It looks like we’re going to have some action around here before long.” He patted her shoulder. “Everything looks good.” He went out the door and Alex and Luke returned.
“Everything’s fine. He said it wasn’t going to be much longer,” Heather explained before they could ask.
“Alex, why don’t you and Luke take Mom down and get some breakfast. I know you’re all starved.”
“Honey, you need to eat something, too,” Juanita said.
“I’ll be okay. I don’t want to leave you.”
“Juanita’s right, Tim. Why don’t you guys go? I ate two of the muffins Irma sent and I’m fine. You can bring me back a sausage sandwich or something.”
“Okay, honey.” Alex bent and kissed the top of her head.
“Come on, guys. Let’s humor the women.”
• ♥ •
Neil brought a bucket of half runners from the garden and Mavis was wondering if she had time to string them before she headed to Annie’s Beauty Salon for her weekly appointment. Before she could decide, the telephone rang.
When she said hello, a frantic voice said, “Mavis, it’s Brenda. Alex and Heather had to take Juanita to the hospital in the wee hours because she was in labor. Luke has gone over there and I can’t get him on his cell phone. I can’t get Irma, either.”
“Well, honey, I’m sure Juanita will be fine.”
“It’s not that, Mavis. I’m here with Ben and Jacob and my water broke a while ago.”
“Lord have mercy, child. We’ll be right there. Now don’t you stir around. We won’t be long.” She hung up the phone and yelled, “Neil, come here!”
“I’m watching the mid-morning news.”
“I don’t care what you’re watching. Turn that television off and come here. Brenda is about to have her baby.”
He came into the kitchen with a frown on his face. “So, what can we do about that?”
“Get in the car. I’ll explain on the way.”
Ten minutes later, they found Brenda in the li
ving room huddled on the sofa. She was breathing deeply. “I still can’t get Luke.”
“That’s okay, honey. Neil will drive you to the hospital and I’ll stay here with the boys. I’ll call your doctor for you. Is it Cole Winslow?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, you go along and I’ll call him.”
“Come on, sweetheart. I’ll get you there on time.” Neil chuckled as he led her to his SUV. “I’ve done a lot of things for my buddy, Alex. Helping get his new grandbaby into the world isn’t out of the question.”
•♥ •
Luke sat in the waiting room with Alex and Heather. Someone had made coffee in the urn in the corner and they were having a cup. Heather nibbled the sausage sandwich Alex brought her.
Cole Winslow walked into the room. “Luke I’ve got news for you. Brenda’s on the way to the hospital.”
“But she’s supposed to be taking care of the boys.”
Cole cleared his throat. “Maybe I didn’t put that right. She’s on her way because her water broke.”
Luke sprang from his chair. “I’ve got to go get her.”
Alex stood and put his hand on Luke’s shoulder. “Son, she’s already on her way. You need to wait here.”
“Alex is right, honey,” Heather said. There was a big grin on her face. She looked at Cole. “It’s possible we could have two grandchildren today, isn’t it?”
“There’s a good possibility.”
“What should I do?” Luke was still standing.
“You should sit down and relax, like your folks said. I’ve already started setting up a room for Brenda. When she’s settled, I’ll come get you.”
“No. I want to see her. I’ll go wait in the emergency room.”
“Let me tell Tim what’s happening and we’ll go with you.” Heather wadded the paper from her sandwich and threw it in the trash can.
In a short time, they were standing near the door of the emergency room. Neil pulled up and a nurse came running out with a wheelchair. It was the same lady who had met Juanita.
“Boy, the predicted storms for this afternoon are bringing out the babies.”
“Neil, thank you for bringing Brenda.”
“No problem, Alex. Mavis said to tell you not to worry about the grandsons. We’ll take them home with us. You folks stay here as long as you need to. We’ve got a grandson, so we know what to do.”
Stalking her Dreams (A Coverton Mills Romance Book 1) Page 22