Their Miracle Baby (BWWM Romance Book 1)

by Shanade White

  Ronnie rolled her eyes, then said, “Well, we’re going to let you get back to work. Will we see you at dinner tonight?”

  “Yes, I’ll be there.,” he said, waving them away with one hand.

  As they walked away, Venetia suddenly realized that he knew her name, but she didn’t know his. “I just realized I don’t know what his name is. He never said.”

  “Max Thornhope,” Ronnie said, making a face.

  Over the next few weeks, Max and Venetia became good friends. It was nice to have someone from the outside world help her learn about living in the rainforest. He’d been here for almost two years, which made him something of an expert, so she gladly looked to him for advice. There was never any question about their relationship being anything other than professional friends.

  Venetia was still heart sore about Lewis and nowhere near ready to start something with someone else. How Max felt about it she wasn’t sure, but she had no plans to discuss it with him. Things were perfect just as they were; she had patients to treat and he had his solar panel. Ronnie had been teaching her about the plants in the area and their medicinal properties.

  But the end of her first month in the village, she’d met everyone and treated everything from an ingrown toenail to a heart attack. She’d even been invited to join Ronnie in a birth in another village, a great honor she understood. Ronnie had proven to be a great companion as well, and she was beginning to feel guilty that she hadn’t confided in her.

  She knew that Ronnie was patiently waiting for her to share her story, but every time Venetia opened her mouth to tell her, they were interrupted. It wasn’t a story she wanted to tell twice, or in stops and starts, so it was just going to have to wait until there was time.

  Finally, one night as they were getting ready for bed, Ronnie turned to her and said, “My guides have told me that tonight is the time for you to tell me your story. You look better than when you arrived, but you’re still unbalanced. You need to let it out, only then will you be able to find balance in your life.”

  Venetia laughed. “Someone is always bugging me about finding balance in my life,” she said, thoughts of Lewis bringing tears to her eyes. “But I guess it’s time I talked about it. The pain is better now.”

  “Sometimes pain has a purpose, but if you let it consume you, it never ends,” Ronnie said, handing Venetia a cup of tea and settling next to her on the pallet.

  Far into the night, Venetia poured out her story, from that first date to the moment that she realized that Lewis had moved on. Ronnie listened patiently, still not sure what role she was to play in this drama, but sure she had one none the less. The guides had told her that much again last night when they’d insisted that she make Venetia tell her story.

  By the end of her story, Venetia was exhausted. It had been difficult to relive the whole experience, but now that she’d let it all out she felt better. Ronnie never said a word when she finished, just helped Venetia into bed and handed her another cup of tea, made her drink the entire cup, then blew out the light.

  Venetia slept better than night than she had in a long time; instead of waking in the middle of the night longing for Lewis, she slept thought the night. The next morning, she awoke feeling refreshed and lighter for sharing her burden with Ronnie. At breakfast, Ronnie didn’t say a word about last night, and Venetia was thankful. There would time for them to talk again, but for today she just wanted to enjoy the feeling of being free of the pain, if only for a little while.

  As Venetia was filling her plate with a big breakfast, anticipating missing lunch, Lewis was struggling through the jungle. Unlike Venetia, he’d had to hire guides in the last little village; although they knew how to navigate the jungle, he soon learned that they weren’t exactly sure where they were going.

  They’d taken three wrong turns, crossed a river they didn’t have to, and were terribly behind schedule. Lewis wondered, not for the first time, if someone was testing him. How had Venetia managed this trip, it was brutal to say the least. He himself would have given up long ago if seeing her wasn’t the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Only thoughts of holding her in his arms again kept him going.

  He should have listened to the old men in the village when they’d laughed at his choice of guides, but he’d been in such a hurry he’d hadn’t wanted to wait for anyone else. Now he was paying the price. He had the distinct feeling that they were lost again but hated to ask, not wanting to know the truth.

  Finally, he couldn’t stand it anymore, they’d been climbing steadily into the mountains all morning. Where in this brutal landscape could there possibly be a village of the size he’d been expecting. “Are you sure we’re going the right way?”

  “Yes, this time we are. The village is high in the mountains, a difficult climb, but this is it,” one of the guides reassured him.

  They continued to cut their way through the jungle until mid-afternoon when one of the guides let out a whoop of excitement. Lewis struggled up the steep incline to stand beside the guide, and what he saw astonished him. There on a high plateau was the village, like something from a fairytale, it sat shrouded in mist.

  With a huge sigh of relief, Lewis gathered his last bit of energy for what was sure to be a difficult climb. The path, it appeared, went straight up the side of the mountain, and if the rain that was threatening came, it would slippery. But the end was in sight, he’d wait until he got closer before deciding how he was going to approach Venetia.

  He was fairly sure that she had no idea that he was coming; he didn’t think there had been enough time for word to reach the village. In his mind, he’d created several happily ever after scenarios, but he knew that it wouldn’t be easy to convince her to forgive him. The truth was that at times he wondered if he deserved to be forgiven.

  It took far longer than he’d hoped to reach the village. The rain had come just as he’d thought it would and they’d had no choice but to wait it out. Then the trek up the mountain had been treacherous and slick, making them test every step they took. By the time they arrived, it was dark, most of the village asleep in their huts.

  When the guides explained who he was, he was shown to a large hut at the back of the village, given a rough pallet and some cold food and left alone. He could see a sleeping figure across the room, but knew that it wasn’t Venetia although this was clearly the clinic she was running. He wondered where she slept, but was so tired he barely managed to eat the food he’d been given before falling into a deep slumber without even taking off his boots.

  The next morning, he was awoken briefly when the man who had been sleeping discovered him there, but he soon dressed and left, and Lewis fell asleep again. He woke mid-afternoon surprised that no one had woken him. He found that he was starving, his stomach growing loudly. Much to his pleasure, he found a plate of food next to his pallet along with a strong cup of tea.

  After he’d eaten and cleaned himself up the best he could, he left the hut in search Venetia. He didn’t find her, but he did find the man who had been sharing the hut last night. “I’m Max, you must be that new doctor everyone is talking about. Did you find the food I left for you?” he said, holding out his hand.

  “Yes, I’m Lewis. Thank you for the food. It was harder than I thought it would be to get here. I thought I was in pretty good shape, but well now I’m not so sure.”

  “I remember all too well my first trip up here, of course getting lost didn’t help any. Your guides finally admitted to as much this morning.” Max laughed, then added, “Welcome to the Amazon.”

  Lewis found he liked the man, but then realized that Venetia had been there with him for weeks. Had she been tempted by his good looks and easy manner? Jealousy flared in his blood, making him see red for a second. Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself; if she had, it was his own fault.

  “I know there’s another doctor assigned to the village. Can you tell me where I might find her?” he asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

  “Oh, she and Ronnie
went to a neighboring village to attend to a birth. They won’t be back for a couple of days,” Max said, giving Lewis a strange look when his face fell.

  But he thought, he was here and she was close. What was a few more days, he’d already gone through hell to get here.

  Chapter 8

  Venetia and Ronnie arrived back in the village a few days later; it had been a successful trip, the baby and mother both healthy. Venetia had learned that even today, childbirth was a dangerous thing here. Either the mother, baby, or both could die if proper care wasn’t given and even sometimes when it was.

  One of the reasons they’d stayed so long was that Ronnie had noticed a lower mortality rate when she stayed and cared for the mothers and infants for a few days after birth. Venetia knew that it was because care was taken to avoid infection which was a constant threat in this humid climate.

  “What happens if you’re called away to another birth?” Venetia wondered out loud.

  “I’ve been training some of the girls to take over for me. The other doctor was helping me, I’ve been wanting to ask you to do the same.”

  “Oh, I’d love to. Just tell me what you want me to teach them and I’m on it,” Venetia said, excited by the possibility. This could make a huge difference in the lives of the people. A little brigade of nurses to tend to the sick, it would be wonderful.

  They were so deeply in conversation as they walked into the village that she didn’t notice when Ronnie stopped. When she did notice that she’d stopped, she looked back at her, then followed the path of Ronnie’s eyes to where a man was standing in the middle of the village.

  He was deep in conversation with one of the men, who had a bow and arrow in his hands. He was obviously showing the man how it worked. Suddenly, it struck her like a bolt of lightning that the man looked a lot like Lewis. With a sinking heart she realized that she wasn’t over him after all, especially if she was imagining that he was here in the Amazon.

  But the longer she looked, the more she thought that it was him, and when he looked up as Venetia and Ronnie approached, his blue eyes met hers and she knew that it was him. All the breath left her body as a million question swirled in her head. Her first thought was that someone from home had sent him, but then she remembered that she’d just talked to Bernice and her family the other night. Lewis had have to have been on his way long before that.

  She was rooted on the spot, watching as Ronnie went forward to greet him. They talked for a few minutes, then she pulled Lewis away toward the medical hut. Venetia took advantage of the moment and disappeared into their hut, buried her face in her pallet and cried for the first time in nearly a month.

  Just when she’d managed to stop missing him, he showed up, destroying all her hard work. The more she thought about it, the more she decided that it just wasn’t fair of him to do this. Anger quickly took the place of hurt, as she thought about how he’d played her, then left her when things had gotten tough.

  But her arms still ached to hold him, her heart wanted what they’d had again. She had felt him pulling her to him when their eyes met. Why did she have to feel that pull when she was near him? What was it about him that she couldn’t resist? She still couldn’t answer that question, but she knew that no matter what, she wasn’t going to fall for him again. What they had was over and it would stay that way. She fell asleep thinking about Lewis and all they could have been, the tears leaking out of her eyes as she slept.

  When Lewis had seen Venetia across the clearing in the middle of the village, his heart had almost stopped beating. She was laughing and talking with another woman. She looked happy and healthy, better than she’d looked the last time he’d seen her. She’d obviously taken to living in these high mountains, something he was having trouble with.

  The woman who was with Venetia had stopped and stared at him as if she knew him, then rushed forward and whisked him away to the hut he’d slept in last night. Now she was busy showing him where everything was and finding him a better pallet to sleep on. It was quite clear to him that she was trying to distract him.

  “I’d like to see the other doctor,” he said, pretending he didn’t know Venetia. t

  “I’m sure you would, but that will have to wait until she wants to see you,” The woman said. “Until then, you will perform her duties.”

  “But, I’ve come a long way,” he said, feeling desperate.

  “Well, then it’s won’t matter if you wait a little longer. I’m Ronnie. If you need anything, tell one of the men and they’ll see to it,” she said, then walked out of the hut.

  Ronnie still didn’t know what her role in Lewis and Venetia’s relationship was, but she knew that Venetia needed to get away for a while to sort out her feelings. Lewis would be seeking her out as soon as he could, but Ronnie knew deep inside that the meeting should be postponed.

  Gently waking Venetia up, she dried her tears and said, “It’s time we explored the jungle. Pack a bag for overnight, we’re out of here.”

  “But...Lewis,” Venetia said, then suddenly realized that Ronnie had known who he was when she’d seen him. “Did you know he was coming?”

  “No, but as soon as I saw him, I knew who he was,” Ronnie said, handing Venetia her backpack. “Now let’s go. It’s going to be dark soon and we have a bit of a hike.”

  Venetia did as she was asked, then followed Ronnie to the main kitchen where they filled a bag with food. On their way out of the village, Ronnie stopped and retrieved a fishing pole and a bow and arrow. Finally, they began to climb a path behind the village, going higher and higher until Venetia was sure they were at the top.

  Sure enough as they topped the last rise, the mountain spread out below them, a sight Venetia would never forget. They paused a moment to enjoy the view, then dropped into a valley and descended to a big clearing in the forest. Here there was a little hut, placed next to a crystal blue lake teaming with fish. Ronnie pushed open the door and dropped her gear inside the door.

  “First, we must open the windows and air the place out. I haven’t been here in a while,” she said, unlatching the widows. “Then we’ll collect some firewood for a cooking fire. We might need the warmth as well, it can get cold up here.”

  Venetia followed her lead, and before long they had the hut just the way they wanted it. They worked in silence, which was okay with Venetia, who had too much on her mind to make idle talk. Ronnie sensed the great weight Venetia was carrying and left her to her thoughts, knowing the time would come when they would talk.

  Finally, they sat down to a dinner of the prepared food they’d brought, and Venetia felt ready to speak. “Thank you for taking me away from that. It feels like I’m always running away from Lewis, but I was totally unprepared to see him standing there. I still can’t believe he followed me all this way.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with running away if you later plan to go back and face what’s scaring you. Sometimes we just need a little time to process our feelings,” Ronnie said carefully.

  “I suppose that true. I just never expected to see him here,” she said, then asked, “Do your guides have any idea what I should do?”

  “I’m afraid it doesn’t work that way, I wish it did. You have a few days to think about what you want to do. Don’t rush things, they might become clear if you let them.”

  They went to bed silently, Venetia so tired she was asleep almost immediately. Ronnie was awake longer, trying to understand what she was supposed to do, get them back together or split them apart? The guides were being very silent on the matter, forcing her to trust her instincts, which told her that their life forces were destined to be intertwined. She just wished that she had more to make her feel secure in that assessment.

  For the next two days, they traipsed though the jungle, collecting plants which would be later processed back in the village. Some they hung to dry in the cabin, others were put in moist bags to keep them alive. As they explored, Ronnie filled Venetia’s mind with all the knowledge she’d been given
. There was so much that Venetia knew that it would take her days to write it all down.

  She was becoming increasingly interested in the holistic side of medicine here in the jungle. A spark had formed, and Ronnie was doing everything in her power to fan it into a flame. Until Venetia was ready to go back, a distraction was just what she needed. On their second night, Ronnie built a fire out in front of the hut and pulled a rug out for them to sit on.

  “How are you feeling? Ready to go back?” Ronnie asked.

  “I think so, I can’t avoid him forever. I still don’t know how I feel about him. It’s all been too much too fast, including him coming after me.”

  “I understand, but it must have been a real sacrifice for him to travel all this way. It might be a good idea to keep an open mind,” Ronnie said gently.

  “I know, but it’s hard. I feel so vulnerable when I’m around him. And he does things to me that no one has ever been able to do before.” She shivered when she remembered how he could make her feel.

  Ronnie was silent for a long time. Finally, she said, “Sometimes the heart knows what the mind doesn’t. It’s all about balance.”

  “I’m so tired of hearing about balance. What does that even mean? Everyone talks about it, but how do you actually live it?” Venetia said, sick of hearing about balance.

  “I think it’s different for everyone, but sometimes it means just doing nothing, taking the time to enjoy where you are and who you’re with. Too many times we’re looking so far forward we miss what is happening right now.”

  Ronnie had a habit of taking in riddles and circles, often leaving Venetia behind, but this time what she said made sense. For as long as she could remember, she’d been working toward some big goal: a scholarship to college, high scores on tests, medical school, then the clinic. Along the way, she’d lost the capacity to enjoy the present.

  That thought was like an epiphany; it wasn’t as hard as she thought to have balance in her life. It was just a matter of teaching herself to live in the moment, to enjoy what was right in front of her instead of always looking for what was coming her way. One fact was also clear to her, no matter how much Lewis thought he had balance in his life, he too was looking to the future and ignoring the present.