Country Boy vs. City Girl

by Shanna Hatfield

  “Tell me you aren’t going to go crazy and buy every baby thing you see,” Jenna said as they set all the bags on the kitchen table and she kicked off her shoes.

  “Of course not,” Josh said, trying to act insulted. He might have been if she wasn’t partially right. “Come see what I found.”

  He didn’t have to ask her twice. Josh unpacked some story books, most of them involving farming or animals. “I thought we could start reading to them now. The books say you are supposed to talk and read to them and they should be at the stage where they are starting to hear, right?”

  “Right,” Jenna said, impressed with the information Josh retained from reading the books Callan gave him. “What else did you get?”

  “Just a few stuffed toys. I thought they were cute,” Josh said as he pulled out a stuffed pony and a cow.

  “Good thing these two are boys,” Jenna said, looking at the toys, thinking how little girls would have most likely preferred unicorns or kittens.

  Josh grinned and pulled out a box with a baby monitor. It included a full-color screen. “With this we can hear and see the babies. This will be really helpful when we move them upstairs, don’t you think?”

  “Absolutely,” Jenna said, admiring the monitor. They decided for the first little while, the babies would sleep in the master bedroom so they weren’t running up and down the stairs multiple times day and night. Once the babies started sleeping through the night, or at least for several hours at a stretch, they planned to move them upstairs to the nursery. The monitor would be a huge help when they did move the boys upstairs.

  “And I thought these would be fun, for later,” Josh said, lifting two identical bouncing seats out of boxes. In a tan fabric, they featured little farm animal accents. Jenna thought they were adorable. Getting down on her knees, she fingered the animals.

  “Well, Josh, it looks like you just decided how we are going to decorate the nursery,” Jenna said, looking at the plunder and knowing how cute a farm animal theme would look, especially for two little farmers-in-training.

  “I did?” Josh asked looking around at his purchases with a troubled expression. “I didn’t mean to. You can take the stuff back for something else, Babe.”

  Laughing, Jenna grabbed Josh’s arm as he started to put one of the bouncing seats back in the box. “No, Josh, I love it. I meant that now Callan and I won’t have to think up a theme. You already did it for us. It’s a good thing.”

  “Really?” Josh asked, helping Jenna to her feet.

  “Really,” Jenna said, kissing the wonderful man she married. Leave it to him to find just the things for the nursery when she couldn’t even think about where to start. “What else did you buy?” There was one pink gift bag that was still unopened.

  Picking it up, Josh handed it to her with a shy grin, “A little something for the little mama. Go on, open it.”

  Jenna pulled out the pink tissue paper to find three maternity blouses that she loved along with a very cute and trendy black maternity dress.

  “Josh, these are awesome,” Jenna said, holding each piece up and admiring it. “You didn’t need to buy me anything.”

  “Yes, I did. I know this whole thing is hard on you and now that you are really starting to show, I wanted you to still feel like your usual stylish self,” Josh said, enjoying her pleased look.

  Giving Josh a huge, warm squeeze around his neck, Jenna pulled his head down and kissed his cheek. “What did I ever do to deserve you?”

  “I’m not sure, but whatever it was, I’m glad you did,” Josh rumbled, his eyes taking on a warm glow. “Now, how about you go try on that dress and I take you out for dinner.”

  Jenna grabbed his hand and gave him a flirty grin. “How about I go try it on and we stay home?”

  “Deal,” he said, pulling her close and kissing her passionately until both of their phones began ringing. “Let’s ignore them.”

  “We could, but you know they’ll just keep calling,” Jenna said, her lips a whisper from his. Taking a step back and letting out a deep sigh, she dug her phone out of her purse and answered it. “Yes, Aunt Amelia, we just got home. Guess. Nope. Yes, two boys!”

  Josh answered his phone to find Callan on the line. “Hey Cal, we just got home. It looks like Jake wins again. We’re having twin boys.”

  After hanging up with Callan, Josh called his dad while Jenna called her parents followed by her sisters. His last call was to Jake. Getting his voice mail, he left a message.

  “Hey Jake, its Josh. Jenna had a doctor appointment today and I’m sorry to tell you that…” Josh left a long pause for effect then burst out, “You were totally right, man! Two boys, we are having twin boys! Talk to you later.”

  <><><>

  A few weeks later, Jenna’s supervisor called and asked her to come to her office for a meeting. Jenna could only guess that she wanted to discuss the fact that Jenna was expecting and hadn’t exactly made it public knowledge yet.

  Tapping on Mrs. Gordon’s door, she turned the knob and entered when she heard her say “come in.”

  “Good morning, Mrs. Gordon. How are you today?” Jenna asked politely.

  “I’m fine, Jenna. How are you feeling these days?” Mrs. Gordon asked, looking over the top of her bifocal glasses and motioning Jenna to a seat across from her.

  “I’m doing very well. Thank you,” Jenna said, sitting demurely in the chair, feeling like she was definitely in the hot seat. “I wanted to thank you again for giving me an opportunity in this position.”

  “Well, you’ve been doing a fabulous job,” Mrs. Gordon said, pulling out a file and opening it up. “You’ve been in that position for what, about 90 days now?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Do you think that your position is one you could do from home on a part-time basis?”

  Jenna was caught a bit off guard by the question, but answered honestly. “Actually, I do. There are very few instances when I’m needed for a face to face meeting. Most of the communication is via phone and email and there are a lot of on-line aspects to the position as well.”

  “I see,” Mrs. Gordon said, taking down notes. “Do you think you would be capable of doing it part-time from home? Could you work in a home environment?”

  “Yes, I could.”

  “Unless you’ve had some sort of health problem or unreasonable weight gain, I’m guessing you are expecting to expand your family sometime in the near future. Would that be correct?”

  Jenna felt like squirming in her chair. Instead, she sat a little taller and looked Mrs. Gordon directly in the eye. “Yes, Mrs. Gordon. I am expecting. I’m due in March and we’re having twins.”

  Much to Jenna’s surprise, Mrs. Gordon laughed. “Twins? Oh my. You will have your hands full. Boys or girls?”

  “Boys,” Jenna said, with a wide smile. “My husband can hardly contain his excitement.”

  “I would imagine.”

  “Mrs. Gordon, I didn’t mean to intentionally hide my pregnancy. Well, maybe I did a little. I just wanted to establish myself in the position before I told you I was expecting. I know I’ll need some time off for maternity leave, but I have every intention of continuing in my job if you will still have me.”

  “Well, Jenna, I appreciate your honesty and we wouldn’t think of replacing you. Like I said, you are fabulous in this position and we wouldn’t want to change that at all. I do think, however, that you could possibly work from home part-time. I assumed you were expecting and I want this to work for you as well. I have four children of my own and understand the demands of being a mother with a career. It isn’t easy. That’s why I like to look at ways to make things beneficial for all parties. If you could work from home two or three days a week, would you be interested in coming in to the office the other days?

  “Oh, absolutely, Mrs. Gordon, and I appreciate your generosity. This will work out wonderfully.”

  “Well, I like to think it will. So we’ve got about four and a half months before you�
�ll be on maternity leave?”

  “Yes.”

  “Great. Now, when are you planning on telling everyone you are expecting? There are more than a few bets that you are and even a few that were guessing you are either due soon or you are having more than one.”

  Laughing, Jenna said, “How about if I send out a memo this afternoon?”

  “Perfect!”

  When Jenna got home that evening, she couldn’t wait to tell Josh the news. She had been dreading the day Mrs. Gordon would find out she was pregnant and half expected to be fired or at least told not to come back after the babies were born. The fact that Mrs. Gordon had been so understanding and actually offered to let her work part-time from home was beyond anything she had hoped.

  “She was so nice about it, Josh. Everything is falling into place,” Jenna said as they sat down to eat dinner at the counter.

  “That is great, Babe,” Josh said, rubbing her back. “You know you don’t have to work. We’d make out fine if you didn’t.”

  “I know, Josh, but I’m not cut out to just be a stay at home mom. I need to work for me, to stay involved and challenge my mind. And unlike your very talented sister, I have no other marketable skills I could turn into a successful career from home. Besides, with my job comes great insurance and benefits. I think I’ll be able to work three days a week from home, so I’ll only have to find day-care for the boys for two days.”

  “Well, I can take care of them, I guess,” Josh said, not quite sure how babies and farming would go together, trying to picture in his mind how it would work. He couldn’t exactly see a way to strap car seats to the tractor.

  Jenna looked at him like he lost his mind. “I don’t see that working out very well. You can’t take them with you and you can’t exactly sit around the house two days a week, especially during the summer. We’ll figure something out. Aunt Amelia said she wouldn’t mind watching them sometimes. Maybe she would be willing to take them one day a week. I wonder if Callan would mind watching them one day a week. What do you think?”

  “I think you’ll have to ask Callan. My guess is that she will probably jump all over the opportunity,” Josh said, liking the idea of the boys being with family members rather than strangers. “You know if Amelia and Callan do agree and something comes up, I can take care of them. I plan to be a very hands-on kind of dad, not one who tells people he is ‘babysitting’ anytime he takes care of his own kids.”

  Jenna sat looking thoughtfully at this man she married who turned out to be nothing like she expected but everything she never knew she wanted. “Has anyone ever told you just exactly what an amazing and great guy you are?”

  Josh stopped eating and looked at her, seeing the sincerity in Jenna’s eyes. Placing his hand on hers, he gave it an affectionate squeeze. “Thank you, Babe. Whatever I am it’s because of you. Because of who I want to be for you. And for our boys.”

  “I love you.”

  “I know. I love you, too. Always have, always will. Besides, you couldn’t help yourself,” Josh said with a devilish gleam in his warm gray eyes. “It’s my swashbuckling good looks and undeniable charm, right?”

  “Oh, you,” Jenna said, popping his arm and turning her attention back to her dinner.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  “Babe, we are going to be more than late if you don’t get a move on. You look great, let’s roll,” Josh yelled from the living room toward the bedroom. He had no idea what she was wearing, but she always looked stylish and put together.

  If she didn’t hustle, though, they were going to be unforgivably late. They were supposed to pick up Callan and Clay for a night out. This time it was dinner and the symphony’s holiday performance. Both Jenna and Callan had been talking about it for weeks.

  When Jenna hurried, or as much as a six months pregnant woman carrying twins can hurry, into the living room, Josh couldn’t help but smile. She was wearing the black dress he bought her with a pair of low heels and she looked amazing. Since the pregnancy, not only was her skin glowing, but her hair had gotten so thick and lush. The dress did a great job of mostly camouflaging her expanding tummy. With a simple square neckline and elbow length sleeves, the front featured a wide flowing ruffle that ran from the neck to the hem. Jenna wore a sparkly black necklace and carried her black dress coat. There was no way she could button it, but the cheery red scarf she looped around her neck would help keep her warm.

  Bending to kiss her cheek, Josh growled in her ear, “Maybe we should cancel and just stay home. You look so beautiful.”

  Jenna blushed and squeezed his arm. “I look like a hippo dressed for a night on the town and you can’t tell me I don’t. I think I know what a beached whale must feel like and I still have almost three months to go.”

  “You don’t look like anything except a lovely woman with rosy cheeks, gorgeous hair and great taste in fashion,” Josh teased. “I’m glad you like your dress.”

  “I do love it Josh and thankfully, there is room for the babies to grow in it,” Jenna said, putting her arms into the sleeves of her coat while Josh held it for her.

  “I’ve got the car all warmed up, so let’s get going. I’m half starved and you know I’ll have to fight Clay for the breadbasket as it is.”

  Arriving right on time at Clay and Callan’s, they ran out to the car, looking forward to a night out. Bobbi and Steve were keeping the girls for the weekend, and Clay and Callan planned to enjoy the time of being an unfettered couple while it lasted.

  Pulling up at the restaurant an hour later, Josh let Jenna and Callan out at the door so they wouldn’t have to walk all the way in from the parking lot. Stepping inside, the girls took off their gloves, scarves and coats while they waited for the men. When Josh and Clay hustled in the door, they were escorted right to their table and settled into a comfortable conversation.

  Callan and Clay planned to once again host Christmas and the discussion turned to who would be attending. Josh and Jenna spent Thanksgiving with her family in Seattle, so they would be at the annual Matthews Family Christmas gathering.

  “Please tell me you didn’t invite Bob and Donna,” Josh said of their older brother.

  “I didn’t invite them exactly,” Callan said, suddenly very interested in her breadstick.

  “What does that mean?” Josh said, looking at his sister with narrowed eyes. Bob and Donna had managed to make every Christmas miserable with their whining, complaining and nasty commentary.

  “I told Daddy that if he wanted them to come he would have to do the inviting because I wasn’t going to this year. I’m tired of them sucking all the fun out of the holidays,” Callan said, sparks lighting up her eyes. “I hope they go to see Donna’s family for once. You know how many times they have seen Audrey and Emma since we adopted them? Once and that was only because we ran into them at the grocery store. They are their grandchildren, for goodness sakes. Not that I want the girls to spend time with them, but you’d think they would show even the tiniest bit of interest in them, wouldn’t you?”

  “When has Bob, or Donna for that matter, ever shown interest in anything beyond what benefits them personally?” Josh asked, not expecting an answer. “I for one hope they don’t show up. It would be really nice to have a peaceful, fun Christmas without the two party poopers there.”

  “It would be nice just to celebrate with the people we really care about and who care about us,” Jenna added.

  Clay nodded, taking the last breadstick then breaking it in two and giving half to Josh with a grin. “I’m hoping Big Jim either forgets to ask them or they find somewhere else to go. I want Christmas to be special for the girls and I refuse to let those two ruin it for them, or any of the rest of us for that matter. It’s our home and we should be able to set the rules.”

  “Go get ‘em Clay,” Josh encouraged.

  Giving his brother-in-law a nod, Clay decided it was a good time to change the subject. “So how are your childbirth classes going? I heard you were having a bit of trouble with them,
Josh.”

  Josh and Jenna just finished attending a six-week class with several other expectant couples. Josh thought all they would be doing was teaching Jenna how to breath and him how to remind her when to do it. That was only a small part of what they had learned. They’d learned about caring for newborns, options for handling her pain during birth, breastfeeding versus a bottle and much more. Although the books he read gave him some idea of what to expect, he was not prepared at all for the video they had watched at the final class of a woman giving birth in all the shocking up-close personal detail. Josh, who had merely turned green and gone outside for some air did better than several of the other fathers-to-be. One passed out entirely and two others ran to the restroom violently ill.

  “Thanks for reminding me about that just as we are about to eat,” Josh said sarcastically. “Your timing, as always, is perfect.”

  “I do what I can,” Clay said with a wicked grin. “Really, though, did you learn anything helpful in the classes?”

  “I think so,” Jenna said before Josh could answer. She listened to him rant on for an hour after they got home from the last class about how unnecessary it was to be that graphic in the curriculum. Jenna noticed most men, somehow, were quick to forget their involvement in the whole process when it got down to the nitty gritty details of giving birth.

  Turning to Josh, she squeezed his hand under the table. “Don’t you think you learned some helpful information in the class, Josh?”

  “Yes, I did. Mostly that I will never put Jenna through this again,” Josh said, tugging at his collar which suddenly felt entirely too snug. “We did learn about breathing and coaching. I personally think a whistle and a checkered flag would be a big help, but for some reason, Jenna doesn’t think that would be the best thing to have in the delivery room.”

  They all laughed at that and went on to discuss how well the nursery had come along since Josh unknowingly picked the farm animal theme. Callan was planning Jenna’s baby shower the second weekend of January and would have the nursery finished by then.