by Jill Lynn
A good thing, considering what she had to tell him.
“I had my doctor’s appointment this morning.”
Cate had been feeling off. More tired than normal. So she’d gone to the doctor, just to make sure everything was okay.
“How was it? What did Dr. Sanderson say?”
“He said I do have something going on.” She was toying with him a bit, but she couldn’t help having a little fun. After all, she’d been reeling from the news for the last hour.
“What’s wrong?” Luc tucked her hair back, eyes full of concern. “Is it something we can fix? Is he giving you something to help?”
“He is. Prenatal vitamins.” Cate still couldn’t believe she was pregnant when they’d taken precautions to make sure that didn’t happen immediately. She and Luc definitely wanted more kids, but they’d planned to wait a bit. Give everyone time to adjust.
So much for that.
She’d asked the doctor, “Are there ever people precautions just don’t work for?” Because if that was anyone’s story, it was hers and Luc’s. She should have known better. Expected it even.
He’d replied, “Sometimes. Mostly, I think God just laughs at us, thinking we’re so in control down here. He likes to remind us that, ultimately, we’re not.”
Cate was gathering that message loud and clear.
Luc had morphed into a statue. He blinked slowly, numerous times. “What did you say?”
“I said he wants me to take a specific kind of prenatal vitamin for the babies.”
Cate tamped down on her still-in-shock smile begging for release. She’d walked around town in a daze after her appointment, coming to terms with Dr. Sanderson’s revelation that they were having twins.
The doctor had tried to determine how far along Cate was based on her cycle, but she’d been quite distracted lately and unable to fill in the dates he’d requested. Next thing she knew, he’d had her prepped for an ultrasound. Turned out, Dr. Sanderson did all of the health care in this town, from pregnant mama to the elderly. And lo and behold, two sacs had been visible. Cate totally wanted to blame Luc and Mackenzie for the development, but Dr. Sanderson had pointed out that an increased likelihood for fraternal twins was only hereditary on the mother’s side, and identical twins were purely from chance.
“But I thought we weren’t...that couldn’t... Did you say babies?” Luc put emphasis on the s.
“That’s what I thought, too. And yes, as in plural. Twins.”
His head shook, eyes crinkling and shining with moisture. And then he laughed, elation spilling from him. Cate had known it would be okay—that Luc would be supportive, possibly even excited. But she hadn’t expected this reaction.
Suddenly, her feet flew off the ground. Luc had swept her up in a hug and now swung her around in a circle. “You are amazing.” He let her down slowly, her lined winter boots meeting solid ground.
She wasn’t sure why she deserved the credit for getting pregnant whenever Luc so much as glanced in her direction, but she chuckled at his boy-like delight. As if suddenly realizing the babies were already there with them, Luc reverently touched her stomach. He knelt and began talking to them.
He told them how much he loved their mother. Moisture filled her eyes. How much he loved their sister. One tear slipped free, quickly followed by more. And then he told them they were all going to be together. Forever.
A small hiccup escaped.
Luc rose to his full height, tenderness in his touch as he thumbed moisture from her cheeks. “What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”
“I don’t know.” But she knew pieces of it. “How are we going to handle two babies at once? And where will we live? And—”
“My sisters already offered us the house and we refused. Now we accept. They’ll take the cabin and be perfectly fine. And there’s two of us. Plus Emma and Mackenzie. You’ll have a village of help this time. You won’t be on your own.”
His words should have induced guilt, but they didn’t anymore. Luc had forgiven her so completely for not telling him about Ruby that there wasn’t even a hint of malice in his statement. Cate had never experienced such a deep, abiding, freely given love from another human before. Not dependent on her behavior. Because if it was, she wouldn’t be standing here face-to-face with the man she loved.
“You’re right.” She motioned to her cheeks and the flash of tears that had now ceased. “When I found out, I may have panicked. Just a touch.”
His grin eased into play. “I think that’s understandable. I’m sorry I didn’t go with you to the appointment. I should have.” He drew her close, holding her snug against his chest. “We’re going to be just fine, Mrs. Wilder.”
“I love you, Lucas.” The declaration was muffled by his jacket, but she knew he’d heard by the tight squeeze that followed.
He pulled back enough for their gazes to meet. “I love you, too.” A gentle kiss landed on her forehead. “So much that I’m not sure how I ever survived without you.” The emotion of his statement coupled with what was to come, the wide-open future, the unexpected gift of more babies, all with this man...it crashed into her, almost making her sway.
Thankfully, Luc held her steady. Just like he always did.
* * * * *
If you enjoyed this story,
pick up these other books by Jill Lynn:
FALLING FOR TEXAS
HER TEXAS FAMILY
HER TEXAS COWBOY
Available now from Love Inspired!
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Keep reading for an excerpt from MEANT-TO-BE BABY by Lois Richer.
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Dear Reader,
When I was on a walk in our neighborhood, I reached a house where the mom and little girl were outside. In the thirty or so steps it took me to pass their home, she greeted me, asked numerous questions and jabbered the whole time. She was outgoing and bright and adorable, and in that moment, the character of Ruby was inspired. Sometimes it’s just a little spark that gives an idea wings.
This book has been helped along by so many. Thank you to Lost Valley Ranch in Colorado for your incredible help and beautiful guest-ranch setting. Thank you to my sister, brother-in-law and niece, who let me use pieces of their story as inspiration for Luc’s and Ruby’s special hearts. And to my readers—thank you for all of your input and contributions to this book. I couldn’t do it without you all, and truly, it’s so much more fun with you. You are, quite simply, the best.
If you’re not hanging out on my Facebook or Instagram pages, I hope you’ll come over and join us. (@JillLynnAuthor for both.) For upcoming book releases and sales, sign up for my newsletter at Jill-Lynn.com/news.
Jill Lynn
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Meant-to-Be Baby
by Lois Richer
Chapter One
“We have to do something.” Victoria Archer cradled her mug against her cheek and surveyed her two younger foster sisters. “This time, we were able to run home in time to help Aunt Tillie and Margaret clean up from that burst pipe. But what happens if—when—they have another emergency and none of us can make it back so fast?”
“It is January in the Canadian Rockies,” Adele agreed in a gloomy tone. “And they’re predicting a storm. If the aunties had an accident—”
“Or got sick.” The awful thought silenced Olivia for a moment. “So what do we do?”
“I need to think about it.” Victoria rose. “I’m going for a walk.”
“Still proving you’re tough enough to take whatever comes, huh?” Olivia shook her head. “Even the weather, Vic?”
“I always think better when I walk,” Victoria defended.
“Wait. How’d you get here so fast, Victoria?” Adele studied her intently. “You live in Vancouver. When we spoke two days ago, you were settling some issue with a hotel in Toronto. Suddenly today you’re here.”
Time for the truth.
“Toronto was a simple fix and my last job with Strenga Hotels. I’ve taken a leave of absence from them. And Derek. He and I broke up.” She hurried on. “I don’t want to talk about that except to say that I’m now free to stay here at The Haven to help the aunts.”
Avoiding their compassionate looks, Victoria pulled her gear off a wall hook: a white parka with a fur-trimmed hood, a thick red scarf, warm double-knit red mittens and knee-high insulated boots. Once dressed, she whistled for Spot and Dot, the two springer spaniels her foster aunts had rescued from a puppy mill three years ago. A glance at her sisters’ worried faces made her smile.
“I really am okay. How about some of your scrumptious chicken potpie for supper, Chef Adele?” she suggested as she grasped the doorknob, eager to escape their pity.
“Perfect for a stormy day.” Her sister began pulling out ingredients. “Be careful, Sis.”
“Always. See you later.” Victoria tucked her cell phone in her pocket and switched on the outside lights before leaving the big stone manor by the back door. The glow of the antique lanterns around The Haven chased away late afternoon shadows and lit a corresponding warmth inside her.
Home. Exhilaration bumped up her heart rate. Home. No Derek to consider. No pressing issue to tear her away from this glorious place. Well, there was that one huge issue looming...
The buffeting wind and whirling snowflakes turned the mountain foothills into a massive snow globe and ended her doubts. She loved The Haven. Her foster aunts’ huge estate encompassed their massive stone home and acres of foothills and forest with the majestic tips of the Canadian Rocky Mountains in the distance.
Victoria smiled as the dogs bounded through the snowbanks, in and out of the spruce trees lining the driveway, chasing each other in circles but always returning to check on her before racing off again.
Yet despite the beauty surrounding her, thoughts of the future plagued Victoria. At the moment, her only certainty was that she would not return to the hotel chain that had employed her for five years. Her leave of absence would be permanent. There was nothing and no one there for her anymore. Derek had made that perfectly clear when she told him she was pregnant with his child.
“You’re the famous fixer, Victoria. You’ve built a reputation in the hotel business by resolving issues with unhappy guests, broken reservation systems, under-functioning staff and a whole lot more. So handle this. Without me.”
And when Victoria said she was keeping the baby, he’d dumped her. It took Derek less than a week to find a new romantic love.
So be it. Now her future would include single motherhood.
Scared, ashamed, embarrassed, worried—those emotions didn’t begin to cover her wildly swinging feelings. But they weren’t all negative. Wonder, amazement, a secret inner—was joy the right word to describe how amazed she was by the thought of becoming a mom?
Unable to make sense of her topsy-turvy reactions and still unsure of how she was going to support herself and her child, Victoria’s thoughts veered to the immediate problem. What to do about the aunts. Moving Tillie and Margaret from The Haven, the home where they’d lived since retiring from the mission field twenty-five years ago, away from the friends they cherished and the land they adored—it was unthinkable. But how could they stay?
Lost in thought, Victoria finally roused to the dogs’ frenzied barking. When they didn’t return despite repeated calls, she knew something was wrong. She stopped to listen, trying to pinpoint their yelps through the whistling wind.
Over there. She climbed a steep hill, reached the summit, gazed around her and then caught her breath. The dogs stood guard beside—a child?
While she descended the hill, Victoria tried to fathom out the situation. She saw no adult, no vehicle, nothing to indicate where the child had come from. When she got closer, she realized the child was a young boy, and he was crying.
“Hello,” she asked, squatting beside him. “I’m Victoria. Are you hurt?”
“Those dogs bited me,” he sobbed and held up his arm to show her a tiny tear in the fabric of his snowsuit. “They won’t let me help Unca Ben.”
Victoria rose, searched the snowy scape before her but saw nothing.
“Where is Uncle Ben, sweetie?” she asked, trying to conceal her concern.
“Over there. He got hurted.” The child pointed to the roadside but still Victoria saw only mounds of snow.
“What’s your name?”
“Mikey,” he sniffed and rubbed one mitten over his tear-covered cheek. “Those bad dogs won’t let me help Unca Ben. They bited me,” he repeated angrily.
“They were only trying to keep you safe. Spot and Dot won’t hurt you.” He clearly didn’t believe her so Victoria sought to ease his fear by grasping his hand. “We want to help you and Uncle Ben, but I can’t see him. Can you show me where he is?”
Mikey glared at the dogs so she gave a command. Immediately they sat and waited. Mikey studied them suspiciously for several more moments.
“Okay.” He finally relented as he looked at her. “But after we help Unca Ben, can I have a drink? I’m thirsty.”
“Sure you can, sweetie.” She patted his hand. “So, where’s your uncle?”
“Down there.” He walked a few steps before pointing downward.
Victoria had to peer through the gloom and whirling snow for several moments before she finally spotted the barely discernible fender of a white car that had clearly slipped off the road, down the embankment and into the forest. Its hood was crushed against a massive pine tree which also pinned the driver’s door closed.
“Good man, Mikey.” There was no signal on her phone. Frowning, Victoria spied a sheltered indentation in the rock face and led the boy there, figuring that since he was dressed warmly, he’d be okay for a bit. “You stay here, out of the wind. Don’t try to follow me,” she ordered firmly. “I’ll go talk to Uncle Ben then come back.”
Mikey frowned. “He’s sleepin’ an’ he won’t wake up.”
Unconscious? Victoria’s heart sank but praying was a habit she developed long ago. Lord? Even after what I’ve done, are You still with me?
“I’ll check on him but you still have to stay here, Mikey.”
“But what if a dinosaur comes? Or a crocodile?” he asked in a scared voice. “Or a bear?” He was so cute.
“Bears sleep in wintertime, honey. And crocodiles and dinosaurs don’t live anywhere near these mountains,” she promised. “Anyway, Spot and Dot won’t let any animals
get near you.”
“Sure?” Mikey frowned when she nodded. “I don’t like those biting dogs.” He glared at them as he rubbed his arm.
“They didn’t bite you, honey. They just grabbed on to your coat, to keep you safe. They’re your friends, just like me. Understand?”
Mikey did not look convinced but finally, he nodded.
“I promise I’ll hurry as fast as I can.” After reassuring him again, Victoria slipped and slid her way down the embankment. Every so often, she called encouragements to Mikey and reminded him to stay put. She’d call for help as soon as she’d assessed the situation, after she checked on Uncle Ben. But she’d have to climb higher because there was no cell phone signal down here, either.
The car’s rear passenger door hung open. Probably how Mikey escaped. After ensuring that the vehicle was firmly wedged and would not move, Victoria swept away the snow and peered inside. A very good-looking man, in a military haircut that emphasized his strong jaw, lay sprawled in the driver’s seat with the airbag deployed around him. A bleeding gash marred his forehead, probably where he’d bashed into the cracked side window. He wore a dark fleece sweatshirt and jeans. His unzipped blue jacket looked new. She yanked open the front passenger door.
“Sir?” He didn’t answer. Glad of the first-aid courses her employers had insisted she complete, Victoria quickly checked his vitals. All good. “Uncle Ben?”
He groaned, shifted slightly. Thick brown lashes lifted slowly until big blue eyes met hers.
“Hello.” The slurred words were accompanied by a faint smile.
“I’m Victoria Archer. You went off the road. Do you remember?”
“No. Yes.” He shook his head, winced and then whispered frantically, “Mikey! Where’s Mikey?”
“He’s safe. My dogs are guarding him.”
“Mikey hates dogs.” Ben licked his lips. “A year ago, one bit him.”