by Tasha Jones
“I’m so sorry Jasmine, but you’re having a miscarriage. The fever came from an infection and the baby was just too small to handle it all. You’re far enough along that you will feel the pressure and have to push ok, but I am right here with you.”
Her tears were spilling down her face as she cried out in pain. It was too much and she was so alone. Becca was there, holding her hand and wiping away her tears, but nothing would help. It was over soon and the doctors were able to give her something to help her sleep. She drifted off, but not before she cried once more.
***
The morning came and Jasmine stared out the window at the tree branches that swayed with the wind. She couldn’t think, could feel. She simply stared at the tree. Everything she had worked hard to do, for Parker, for her, was gone. The doctors came in from time to time to give her more antibiotics and to help her fever. She was definitely better than she had been when she arrived, but she was numb all over. Becca came to see her and with her came a new wave of tears. She had been like a mother to her throughout all of this. Parker would be devastated, and she had failed. That was as simple of an explanation as she could say.
“I called Parker sweetheart, he didn’t answer and he hasn’t called back yet, when he does, he will come home.” Becca wiped her head with a rag, gently patting her on the arm.
“Just wait, don’t call him yet. Let me get home first. There is no need to ruin his life any sooner than necessary.” She laid her head back down and watched the tree outside.
***
Two days, later Jasmine was allowed to leave. She had managed to put off telling Parker anything. When he called Becca back, she had handed the phone to Jasmine and left to give her some privacy. Once she was gone, she asked how the riding was going.
“It's great Jasmine, I have missed it so much. I miss you, though, and being home.”
He rambled on about things there and Jasmine let the tears stream down her face. “Well, I better go Jasmine, I’m up in a few minutes and I need to find my rig. I… I miss you Jasmine.” He hung up and she sobbed. For his loss and for hers.
She methodically packed her things at the ranch.
Becca had been in and out of the room trying to convince her not to go, but she refused to listen. She had given Jasmine her word not to call Parker until she was home in New York. She was being a coward more than anything, and she knew it. When he found out he would be devastated and she couldn’t bear that heartache, not when hers was so fresh. James agreed to take her to the airport, not wanting her to be alone any more than necessary. He did his best to comfort her, but she was still numb to anything but the sadness she felt.
***
When she saw her father standing there at the airport, she ran to him, much like when she was a little girl. He hugged her and she cried new tears. She had told him everything already and he had been waiting for her, to take her home to heal. She welcomed the comfort of home more now than ever before. She'd had a baby coming the last time she had been here. Now he was gone. It had been a he, the doctor had told her when she asked. It had been a necessary thing for her to know. To give that small life an identity. She made her way inside and curled up in her bed. It was the first time she could sleep in days.
Chapter Eighteen – Parker
He threw back another shot, even the burn did nothing to ease his pain.
He was dying a slow death, nothing else could feel this bad. She had left him. She didn’t wait, didn’t say a word she had just gone. He had come home full of hope, full of love… for her. It would even make sense to deny it now, he was more in love with Jasmine Turner than he had any right to. Two hours ago he had walked into his house and no one was there except Becca. He knew something was wrong the minute he saw her face. She was red eyed and wringing her hands and he felt panic unlike anything he had ever felt before.
“Becca, what is it.”
“It’s Jasmine, honey.” She sniffed and he felt his heart stop.
“Is she ok, please tell me she is ok?” He gripped the chair in front of him until it almost broke.
“She is ok honey, she is fine.” The relief he felt made him sway slightly.
“Tell me, Becca, please.”
“Jasmine is gone honey. She got real sick when you were gone. She was vomiting repeatedly until she couldn’t move. I took her to the hospital and she made me promise not to call you, unless it was serious. She spiked a fever, when she did she lost the baby Parker, I’m so sorry.”
He felt the world spinning around him, she was gone… and she lost the baby. Why would she leave and why didn’t someone tell him anything before now.
“I called, Becca. I called her and she let me ramble on about the riding and she didn’t say anything.” His voice broke and he choked back tears. Becca came over to him and hugged him.
“I know, sweetheart, I thought she was going to tell you to come home, I left her alone and when we got home, she told me the truth. She didn’t want to rush you into the pain she was feeling.”
He sobbed and let himself cry, she was gone. She had gone through something horrible and left. The baby... he had loved it before and he felt the loss of it now like a crushing blow. He shook his head and was brought back to the present. It hadn’t been until an hour later, at the bar that he remembered he was also going to be homeless soon. The ranch was his home, his life had been spent there climbing trees and getting into trouble. His father had left him a legacy and he had failed him. No one could be faulted for this, it certainly wasn’t Jasmine's fault. She had not only dealt with the loss, she had felt the life slip from her own body. There was nothing he could do about the ranch, but he could fix something. He grabbed his jacket and dropped a twenty on the bar before he left and headed home.
He found it hard to sleep that night. He had to plan things out just right before they backfired on him. He found Becca in the morning. She was sitting at the table drinking coffee when he walked in. She was about to get up to make his food, but he stopped her.
“How was she, when she left Becca? How was she really?”
He had to know, had to try to understand what she had gone through since he had been away.
“I don’t know if you want the details sweetheart.”
She took another drink and at his insistent gaze, she told him in detail how much Jasmine had suffered. How much pain she had dealt with nothing to help. Most importantly, she told him about how changed, she was when they had made it home.
“She was almost lifeless Parker. The light was gone in her eyes and all she did was cry. She just kept telling me that she failed and that her son was gone for good.”
“It was a boy then?” He asked her as he closed his eyes to fight back the wave of emotion rolling through him.
“Yes, the doctor told us before we left. They asked if we wanted him… to bury and I told them that you would contact them.”
He exhaled slowly before he looked up at her. “I’m going to be gone a day or two Becca.” He stood and she stood with him.
“Where are you going Parker?”
“I’m going to bring my wife home where she belongs.”
Chapter Nineteen – Jasmine
She heard the knock from her room. She didn’t care who it was, truth be told she didn’t care about anything. She struggled to climb out of bed to shower every day. Each morning she would wake up and pray this had all been some terrible dream, but every day she was disappointed. She sat up and looked out her window at the clouds that were rolling in. It would probably rain today.
“Jasmine.” She turned around and he was there. His face was sad, he knew.
“Parker? Why are you here, I don’t have your money Parker, I can get it to you, but it will be a while.” She said everything in the same sad tone. She waited for him to say something. She looked up at him and she saw a tear stream down his face.
“Get your things Jasmine, we are going home.” She frowned at him.
“I am home.”
He m
oved towards her then, he leaned down on his knees and grabbed her hands in his.
“NO, Jasmine, you aren’t home. Your home is with me.”He looked up at her searching for the Jasmine he once knew.
“No, it’s not. I failed. I failed and he died Parker, he is gone.”
Her voice broke and he wrapped her in his arms, letting her cry. She felt her body relax as she sobbed into his chest. She needed him, he made her hurt feel less overwhelming, because he hurt too. He stroked her hair, holding her tight.
“I know baby, I know. He is gone, but you were such a good mother to him, while he was a part of you. You wouldn’t even eat chocolate remember? Dr. McCann said that sometimes the baby is just sick or something is wrong. It wasn’t your fault Jasmine. Never your fault.” He rocked her gently and her sobs subsided. She felt his body tighten and she looked up at him.
Tears were streaming down his face. “I am so sorry I wasn’t there for you Jasmine, I’m sorry you had to do that alone.” She cupped his face in her hands and kissed his eyes and cheeks before he crushed her in a hug once more.
“I love you Jasmine, I’ve loved you for a long time I was just too stubborn to admit it. I want you to come home with me, and be my wife.”
She pulled away from him. “But the ranch Parker…”
“I don’t care about that Jasmine, I care about you. We can live anywhere together, but without you I, can’t live at all.”
He kissed her then and she held on to him knowing that he loved her, and together they would heal.
Chapter Twenty - Parker
He had been home with Jasmine for two weeks when he decided to make his way to see the lawyer again.
It was time he admitted defeat in his father’s last request. The ranch was as much a part of him as the air he was breathing but without Jasmine he had nothing. He made his way inside and shook his hand.
The Parker in front of him was most definitely not the same one who had been sitting here 9 months ago. He had changed, grown. His father would have been proud of him, of who he had become.
“Parker it’s good to see you again. Please have a seat.” He gestured to the chair and Parker sat down. “I assume you’re here about the deadline?”
“Yes, I am actually, my father was a hard man did you know that about him? He always had everything planned out and with every plan, there was a lesson to be learned. He said I had to me married by thirty, and have a child. See what I think is my father wanted me to find love more than anything. He knew I avoided the idea entirely. I think he threw the baby thing in there for fun, so that he could watch me scramble to change diapers. Whatever the reason, or the plan I think I have done exactly what he wanted. I am married, and I love my wife very much. As a matter of fact, she was my surrogate. We got pregnant, but she lost the baby about two weeks ago now.” He stopped to breathe. “So I won’t make the deadline, and I won’t get the ranch. But I suspect what I did find will make the old man just as happy.”
He stood to go.
“Parker, I can honestly say your father would be thrilled for you, and your wife. I am so sorry about the baby though. I went through that with my own wife many years ago, it was not an easy thing. My question to you now is, why can’t you have it all?”
“I’m afraid I don’t understand” Parker frowned at him.
“There is nothing in the will that says you can’t adopt. With my connections I can help you do that very quickly. The timing may be close, but I think it’s possible, if you want to do that?”
Parker sat back down lost in thought, he should talk to Jasmine about it, but he knew her heart, and what she would say. She would tell him to do whatever it takes, and she would love any child they raised together. He smiled at him and said.
“Let’s see what we can do.”
Chapter Twenty One – Cody
He had been at the boy’s home for six years. Not once had he been asked about until now. Today another orphan Wallace had said something about his mother, who he didn’t even know, and he had laid him out flat. One hit and he had taken him down. That’s when that man and lady had asked about him.
The man seemed nice enough. He had a cowboy hat which was cool. He sat and asked him all sorts of questions about his life and he didn’t have much to tell him really. He asked why he hit Wallace and he hadn’t hesitated.
“He was talking about my mother, I don’t even know who she is but you don’t talk about a person's family, it just ain't right.” He had wiped his nose on the sleeve of his shirt and the lady had given him a tissue.
He wasn’t sure about her yet.
She looked like one of those women he saw singing on TV. She was really pretty, but she only talked about clothes and shoes, what sizes he wore. The only time she said anything worth hearing was about his favorite foods. They had visited him every week for a month now and today they had walked in and asked him if he wanted to come live with them. He just looked at them wondering if they were for real.
“You sure about that? I mean, don’t you want a baby or some cute girl or something? Boys, like me we don’t ever get asked.” He scrunched up his face as the lady wiped the chocolate from his cheek from their lunch together.
The man and lady looked at each other and smiled, the man touched her hand. They sure did like to hug and stuff, they even hugged him sometimes which he liked, kind.
“Yes, Cody, we are sure.” Parker smiled at him
“Well, can I bring my own stuff?”
“You can bring anything you want. We live on a ranch.”
This time the lady told him. She must be the boss.
“Really! Oh man, you got horses and stuff?” He sat up. This could be cool after all.
The man, smiled down at him and ruffled his hair.
“We have both, and we have a place there where you can learn how to ride them. Plus, you will have a room all to yourself, to decorate any way you want it.”
Cody, looked at them both. It must be his lucky day. “OK, if you want me then I’ll go with you."
He shrugged. The man and the woman hugged him again and the three of them walked down to the office. It’s funny how things happen, just last week he was hoping and praying something good would happen for his birthday and now he was getting his own room. He watched the lady smooth down her skirt. She was going to make him wash behind his ears and eat veggies, but he could deal with that.
“I’ve never had my own room before, is it… you know near yours? Just in case you need my help with anything?”
Jasmine smiled at Parker over his head. “Yes it is Cody, and we will be right next door whenever you may need us too.”
Cody smiled and stopped in the hallway for a second. He rubbed his right hand off on his worn jeans and offered it to the lady who smiled and the three of them walked towards their future, together.
The End
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