Above Rubies (Rockland Ranch)

by Jaclyn Hawkes

  She couldn’t look at him at first. Hesitantly, she said, “Uhm, Rossen, remember that day in the hospital when you said you wanted me to be honest with you?” She fidgeted with the edge of her cast with her good hand. “There’s something you should know.” She finally looked up into his eyes. “I’m expecting a baby.” She waited to see how disgusted he was.

  His dark blue eyes calmly met her cobalt ones. “I know. I pretty much figured that out the night we picked you up.” He held her coat to help her on with it.

  Turning to slip into the coat he held, she frowned, questioning, “You knew the whole time? I’ve been worrying for a week about how to tell you, and you knew the whole time?” She rolled her eyes, almost a little mad. “Why didn’t you tell me you knew?”

  He started to help her fasten the snaps and she pushed his hands away as he asked, “Does it matter? What I know, or when, or how?”

  She struggled to fasten the snaps one handed. “Of course it matters! How could being pregnant not matter?” He gently pushed her hand away and snapped her coat, then took her hand to pull her out the door.

  Leaning near, he asked softly, “Could we finish this conversation in the truck where there’s a bit more privacy?” He indicated the office staff as they made her next appointment.

  On the icy walk to the truck, he kept hold of her good arm until he opened the door to help her in. With cast propped on a pillow, he shut her door and went around to the driver’s side and got in. Starting the truck to get the heater going, he turned toward her and took up where they’d left off. “Of course being pregnant matters, Kit. It’s a huge deal. My knowing is what doesn’t matter. Does it?”

  His comment felt like a slap and she looked up, wondering why he was being so harsh when he’d always been so gentle with her. She searched his eyes and then looked down at her hands and mumbled, “I guess I just thought you would care, is all.”

  He reached across the truck to turn her chin up so he could look at her. His voice was infinitely gentle when he said, “I care more than you could ever imagine, Kit. That’s not what I meant. Even if I hadn’t gotten to know and care for you a great deal, I would still care.”

  He went on, “This is obviously not the ideal situation. You’re too young. You’re single. You’re not really settled to have a child right now, and it apparently doesn’t have an involved father, but it is what it is. We can’t change it. It’s not like you can say never mind and put it back. It’s unfortunate that you’re in this situation now, but the only thing to do is to handle it as well as possible. It’s more than you now. We have to take care of you and the baby, so that her life isn’t messed up because of something she had no say in.” He was watching her eyes as he talked.

  She looked down and was quiet for a moment and then asked, “Can I tell you something else?”

  “Absolutely.”

  She looked up and his kind face was comforting enough that it wasn’t as hard as she had thought it would be to say, “I had no say in this either.” She took a deep breath. “My foster father did this to me. The reason I ran is because he was going to make me have an abortion.” She put an arm protectively around herself.

  The muscles in his jaw clenched, but his words were kind when he put his hand softly over hers on her belly and assured her, “You made the right decision. You absolutely did. In spite of the circumstances, this baby has the right to live and she’ll be a great blessing.”

  She couldn’t help the tears that filled her eyes. “How did you find out?”

  He took his hand off hers to gently wipe her tears. “I held you on my lap for the seven hour drive from Vegas to here. Between trying to stop the bleeding, cushion your arm, and keep it and your face iced, the fact that you were young and underfed and pregnant was pretty obvious.” He reached into the glove box for a napkin. “How old are you, Kit?”

  “Seventeen.” A sigh escaped as she leaned her head back against the headrest.

  “Kit?” She looked at him. “I’m sorry you’ve had to grow up so fast. For what you’ve been through. I can’t change the past. But I can do a lot with the future. Will you let me help you?”

  She used the same word he did. “Absolutely.”

  He smiled down at her. “Good, because the two of you need it.” He ruffled her hair, and put the truck in reverse. “Now, Christmas is day after tomorrow and I’ve been given strict instructions to take your pretty, straight, new nose to the beauty shop and buy you some clothes of your own. And I want to help you get some things for my family because they’ll have some for you and I don’t want you to feel self-conscious about it.

  She started to protest. “I’ve never been to the beauty shop in my life and I don’t think now is a good time to start.”

  He wouldn’t take her no. “Mom told me I had to. She said if I didn’t, the past week of black eyes, nose splint, and sweats would scar you for life.” She laughed. “So while you have your hair done, I’m going to run errands and then we’ll shop.” He looked at her closely. “Actually, you look tired. On second thought, you relax in the chair and I’ll shop, then we’ll go home and put you to bed. Give me a ball park size and tell me what you like, and we’ll try again next week.”

  ****

  Rossen left Kit at the salon, and although shopping was definitely not his thing, he did his best. When he came back to pick her up, he had three pairs of long, but slender jeans that would adjust around her tummy, several bright sweatshirts, a couple of pretty stretch T-shirts and dresses she could get on easily over her cast that he'd purchased at a maternity shop, and a prescription for prenatal vitamins.

  As he walked back into the salon and caught sight of her, he could hardly comprehend what he was seeing. The abused waif they had literally picked up off the pavement just over a week ago with black eyes and a broken nose had ceased to exist. The beautiful woman who walked toward him rocked him to his toes.

  Gone were the choppy locks, replaced by shining, almost black hair cut into a flowing mane around her face and down her back. The stylist had applied light makeup to cover the bruises and to highlight her eyes and lips, and the cheeks that had been too thin had filled out just enough to look as sculpted as a fashion model. Her nose, now free of the splint, was tiny and straight and dainty above a perfect mouth, just now smiling shyly. Even in her borrowed sweats she was exquisite.

  Without realizing it, Rossen had stopped and was staring wordlessly as she approached him. “What do you think?” She turned in a circle to show him.

  When he didn’t answer right away, she looked at him again. “Rossen? Is something wrong?” He was still too surprised to speak, and at his silence, her face fell. “Don’t you like it?”

  He struggled to focus on what she was saying and finally said, “Like it? I love it! It’s beautiful. You’re beautiful!” He turned to her again. “Wow. I think we’d better go back to Dr. Sundquist’s and have him put the nose thing back on. My brothers are gonna come unglued when I bring you home looking like this. Cooper will be permanently impaired.” His eyes twinkled as he pulled out his phone. “I’ll call Dr. Sundquist’s office.”

  She laughed and hugged him with her one good arm. “Then it’s okay?”

  He snapped his phone closed and put his hands on her shoulders. “You look like a princess. It’s exactly you! Come on. Put some of your new clothes on, too. They won’t even recognize you when we get home! I’ll pay. Go dig through the bags in the truck for something you might like and you can change here.”

  ****

  Rossen had been accurate about his brothers. She knew she looked good, when for once, the rowdy Rockland clan was speechless as she walked in. She’d put on an indigo blue dress that brought out the color of her eyes and made her hair look darker than ever. She walked past Treyne, Sean and Cooper without them saying a word. They just stared, until almost in unison, Naomi and Rob exclaimed, and Naomi gave her a hug.

  “Look at you!” Naomi laughed right out loud. “We had no idea you were so pret
ty under that old splint. And that dress exactly suits you. Lovely and feminine, just like you.”

  Rob pitched in with a wink. “Absolutely bewitching. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen these boys speechless, have you, Mother?” Even with the ribbing, the three of them just smiled and continued to stare.

  Kit loved the attention, but Rossen was right, it had been a long day and she was tired. Her arm was throbbing, so after dinner, she took some Tylenol and excused herself to bed. Turning out the light, she stood in her borrowed night gown and looked through the window into the enchanting dark snowscape outside, remembering the way Rossen had looked at her as she walked toward him in the salon that afternoon.

  He was always kind and respectful toward her, and although he was physically affectionate, he never did or said anything that could be construed as inappropriate or even flirting. That almost troubled her, because from the first time she'd awoken after her surgery to find him watching over her with those deep blue eyes, she had been drawn to him.

  At first, sick and somewhat out of it, she'd just been humbly grateful for his steady calm gentle care, but as the days progressed, she had come to lean on his quiet strength in an almost physical sense. His confidence and maturity, tempered by his unquenchable sense of humor left her with a peace and security she'd never felt in the whole of her life. She knew he was years older, but instead of intimidating her, it simply reassured her.

  When she’d realized after just a few days that she was attracted to him, it worried her. She knew it would be next to impossible to ever have a relationship with someone willing to overlook her history and the fact that she now effectively had a child. Still, she was quickly becoming attached to Rossen and was certainly wise enough to know a one-sided attraction would be very troubling. He considered her young, even though he knew she'd been forced into a maturity beyond her years by her circumstances. And though he never talked down to her, she had the distinct feeling he wanted to help her, but in a fatherly sort of way.

  Even in her short life, her experience had taught her not to expect much. She'd learned to take that in stride, but her ever tenacious personality had always helped her to hold out hope that eventually, she would have a happier life.

  All of these things had begun to trouble her heart through her days of wondering how she was going to survive on her own, and repay them for all their care and help. For years she’d known her background was less than desirable, and now for months she’d been realistic enough to admit that this baby would probably preclude the happy marriage she'd always dreamed of. Then she thought back to today.

  Deep in Rossen’s eyes, she'd seen something that gave her back the hope of someday finding the love she'd craved all her life. She wasn’t even sure what she'd seen as she’d walked toward him, but it was an emotion so real and so honest, that the doubts and worries that she would never be desirable to a good honorable man fled in that instant.

  She still knew it probably wouldn’t be him, but she'd seen something that told her that someday, sometime, someone would look at her like that and claim her for his own. That one glimpse into Rossen Rockland’s soul had returned a sense of hope for the future she'd given up on. That one little peek had been enough to strengthen her for whatever she would have to face.

  Knowing it was all going to be okay, she walked back over to her bed and knelt beside it. She'd never prayed much before coming here. She'd never been taught to and had never even known for sure if there was a God out there. Somehow in the last week, she'd also gained a sure knowledge that her Father in Heaven truly was there and was watching over her as a loving parent. As she poured out her gratitude and love and hopes and troubles, her heart was full and she lay down happy and at peace.

  ****

  That night Rossen and Slade were at Slade’s home, five minutes further up the road, watching the last few minutes of a movie in the theater room. Isabel had long since fallen asleep against Slade’s shoulder, and he and Rossen sat in companionable silence as the credits began to roll.

  Finally Slade spoke, “Kit was beautiful tonight.”

  Rossen didn’t move as he answered, “Hmm. Yeah, she was.” A few minutes later he continued, “She looked so good it almost scared me when I picked her up at the salon.”

  There was a long pause again before Slade asked, “Do you remember that time right after Isabel came with us, and you were teasing me about not being able to breathe when she was around?”

  “Yeah, why? You’re still that way around her sometimes.” Rossen grinned.

  Slade smiled back in agreement. “I know, but it’s great. Now that I know things are working out, it’s a nice feeling. At first it just scared me to death.”

  After still another few minutes of quiet, Slade continued, “Sometimes you look like you can’t breathe when Kit’s around.”

  Rossen leaned his head back against the top of the couch with a sigh. “She’s seventeen, Marsh. I’m twenty six.”

  Slade played with a strand of Isabel’s long silvery, gold hair. “Sometimes it’s not the years, it’s the miles. That girl has been through a lot in seventeen years. Isabel told me she’s been in foster care since she was nine and her real parents ran a meth lab.”

  Rossen replied, “It gets worse. The baby’s father is her foster father. She ran so he couldn’t abort it.”

  When Slade finally spoke, his voice was sad, “See what I mean about the miles?”

  They each sat lost in thought. At length, Rossen asked, “Do you still have your dad’s old guitar in the attic?”

  “I’m sure I do.”

  “Wanna sell it?”

  “I’ll give it to you. Maybe it could be from Isabel and me, too.” He was still smoothing her hair as he added gently, “You’re happy when you’re with her.”

  Rossen gave a sad smile. “She thinks I’m a white knight.” He paused again. “It’s been incredible to be able to help so much when she’s needed it.”

  “You just don’t want to help forever?”

  Rossen shook his head. “No. I’d love to help forever. At least from what she’s been like so far.” He sighed again. “But she’s seventeen.”

  Chapter 4

  Christmas Eve day dawned clear and cold with a brilliant sun striking millions of diamonds in the snow. The Rocklands fed the stock in the morning and then they all hung out in the great room by the fire, wrapping gifts and playing games and baking. Later that afternoon, Kit, sporting her own new jeans and a sweatshirt, was helping Naomi cook as best she could with her cast. They talked back and forth as they worked.

  The doctor had said she could start using her left hand and she was trying to grip a potato as she peeled with the other. The hand was stronger than she thought it would be after nine days of no use. She wondered if she would be able to play a guitar with the cast if she could find a way to buy one.

  As she peeled, she was thinking of money and being more independent than she felt right now. She was so grateful for Rossen and his family’s help, especially knowing that had they not been there, she and her baby would have been in desperate straits. But her nature was far too independent and she was too honest to want to take advantage of their charity. She knew she needed to figure out a way to earn a living before they grew tired of having her. The one night alone in Vegas was enough for her to realize that making money in that town would not be fast enough in coming for her to survive the wait, but as it was the only skill she had that she thought was marketable, she had to try.

  She knew Rossen would stake her financially for a while if she asked him, but she knew he’d raise a ruckus if she said she was going back to Vegas, and honestly she didn’t want to. She never wanted to go back there again. She sighed unconsciously and Naomi looked up from her pie making.

  Seeing Kit’s struggle to hold the potato, she suggested a trade. “Here, you crimp and I’ll peel.”

  Kit accepted the pie shells hesitantly. “I’ve never made a pie in my life, but it’s fascinating to watch you. Is t
here anything you don’t know how to do, Naomi?” Once Kit got her hands on the pie crust she was comfortable instantly. The dough felt familiar in her hands. It reminded her of her clay and she made short work of crimping perfect edges.

  Naomi came over to pick up the pie shells. “I thought you said you‘d never made a pie! These are like a work of art!”

  “Thanks.” Kit smiled shyly. “I‘ve never cooked much of anything. I haven‘t spent much time in the kitchen except doing the clean-up part. I‘m afraid I have a lot to learn.”

  Naomi patted her hand. “You keep saying that, but whatever we’re doing, you pick right up on. You must be a fast learner.”

  It was true. Kit could usually figure out most anything quickly. She had a good memory and had found that catching on fast helped ease the tension sometimes in the different homes she'd lived in.

  Naomi continued, “I’ll bet you’re good in school.”

  Kit nodded. “I am. Or I was. School was a good way to not be home. I even got a job working there after hours for a while. It was wonderful. I could leave on the bus early in the morning, and not have to come home until evening. It was much easier to get along in my last home that way. My, uh, foster mother didn’t like me very much. The only nice thing she ever did for me was give me bus money to run away.” Her voice was matter-of-fact. “But school was great! I could excel without worrying. And in high school I had this killer art teacher who made me believe I could do anything! I swear she changed my whole outlook on life.”

  She didn’t realize it, but her cobalt eyes sparkled as she talked. “She was the one who helped me get my job. She was the nicest person I’ve ever known until you guys. I think she really loved me.” Sadly, she continued, “She tried to go to the DFS to get my foster father to leave me alone, but the only thing that happened was that I was forbidden to be around her and lost my job. She got officially reprimanded.” Kit became wistful. “For a while I actually thought I was going to make it to college.”