Jessie (43 page)

Without warning, Nate dropped Heather's hand so he could cup her face in his hands. He tipped her head back just enough and kissed her for the first time. Heather's eyes closed, and she felt herself melting in sensation. When she finally opened her eyes, Nate was smiling at her.

“Have you already discussed this with Jeanette?” Nate asked, still gently holding her face.

“It was her idea.”

“Well, then, I think we'd better head back and see what she has in mind.”

“Really?” Heather asked, almost afraid to hope.

“For the woman I love, anything.”

Heather threw her arms around him and kissed him for all she was worth. When she could breathe, she said, “I love you, Nate Kaderly.”

Nate wasn't sure what they talked about on the way back to the house; he wasn't sure how they arrived. At the moment all he could do was hear Heather's words and remember her kiss. He hoped Jeanette had a great plan for their future living arrangements. The sooner, the better.

Chapter Twenty-One

S
ETH WENT ON HIS
own to finalize the deal for the land. Jessie was excited, but it was a Saturday. She couldn't leave the store, but neither could she stand to wait another moment. The girls naturally asked where Seth was going, but their mother wouldn't tell them. Not until they were eating supper did Seth tell the girls.

“A house?” Hannah repeated several times.

“That's right, and,” Seth started and then looked at the clock on the wall, “we're headed to the Vicks' tonight to discuss it.”

“You didn't tell me that,” Jessie got in, but Seth only smiled at her, more than a little pleased with surprising her. Jessie was pleased too but did her best to hide it. Her daughters were already bouncing in their seats, and she figured someone should remain calm. However, there was no masking the lightness of her step as they walked toward the Vick home. This was a dream come true for Jessie, a dream that had lived in her heart for as long as she could remember. She was going to enjoy every minute.

“This is the room I shared with my husband,” Jeanette told Nate on Sunday afternoon; Heather had opted to stay downstairs. A lot of talking had gone on since Heather asked Nate about living with Jeanette, but Jeanette had not shown him what she had in mind. “I moved out after Owen died. It was just too large and lonely for me.”

Nate looked around the gigantic
L
-shaped bedroom. The bottom of the
L
was a sitting area, warm and comfortable with its own fireplace. Another fireplace sat across from the wide bed, and Nate thought most of his house would fit in this room.

“It's beautiful,” Nate said, taking in the windows and curtains, the rich dark carpet and wallpaper.

“We count it a privilege that you and Heather would live with us,” Jeanette went on, “but we understand that you would still be a married couple. If you leave the supper table each evening to be alone in your own sitting room, we will understand completely.”

“Thank you, Jeanette,” Nate said. “I haven't talked to Heather about this, but it's not unusual for me to be needed on the job after dark and even in the middle of the night. Our living at my house was going to make that hard for me. I don't like the thought of leaving Heather on her own after dark.”

“She's not afraid,” Jeanette said. “We've talked about it, and she's already realized all of that. She knows that her bent would be fear, but she's decided to fight that and trust.”

Nate had to smile. That sounded just like the Heather he knew. So many things were new for her, but she was embracing each and every one.

“You must be thinking about Heather,” Jeanette said as the two moved toward the hallway.

“How did you know that?”

“You have a certain smile that you get when she's in your thoughts.”

Nate smiled that smile again, not able to help himself. He was still smiling when the two found Heather and Becky in the parlor and spent the evening together.

Indian summer hit Token Creek with a vengeance. September was rushing into October, and the days were boiling. Men were back in shirtsleeves, and women who wore their hair down piled it high to offer some relief at the backs of their necks.

It was during this time that Chas Vick began work on the house. Now Seth and Jessie never had to coax the girls to finish breakfast. They wanted to be downstairs at the storeroom door as soon as they could gain permission. Getting them to leave for school had become much harder, however. Both girls would have gladly given up their education if they could have sat and watched Chas work all day.

They were never allowed on the work site while Chas was on the job and were forbidden to bother Chas and his assistant with questions. Nevertheless, their small eyes took in every detail, and they nearly ran from the schoolhouse each day to see what progress had been made.

Jessie was not much better. Seth often found her at the back door or storeroom windows. She wouldn't stay too long, but the urge to peek out and check to see how things were taking shape was simply too tempting.

Chas had been working only about eight days when Seth found Jessie at the door. The storeroom felt like an oven at the moment, and Seth was about to comment on that when Jessie turned from the door. She wore an odd expression, and he watched her hand grope in midair before her knees went out and she crumpled to the floor.

Seth didn't quite make it, but he was lifting her in his arms a second after she hit the floor.

“Jessie!” Seth called her name. Her eyes fluttered and then opened.

“Seth?” she whispered.

“I'm right here. What's going on?”

“What do you mean?” Jessie asked, looking very confused.

Seth took the chair that always sat at the storeroom table and held Jessie across his lap. Her face was moist with perspiration and swiftly going from ashen to flushed. Seth stared down at her, willing his own heart to beat normally. Thankfully Chas had chanced to look up and saw Jessie go down. He was at the door without warning, and Seth was able to ask him to run for the doctor. None of this took very long, but in Seth's mind it was the longest ten minutes of his life.

“When was your last menses, Jessie?” Doctor Ertz was asking less than 30 minutes later. After hearing the way she'd fainted, the doctor had wasted little time asking that question. They were in the living room of the apartment without Seth. Jessie had told him she felt better and talked him into going back to the store.

“Let me think,” Jessie said, knowing immediately why he had asked. At the moment her mind was more on the fact that she and Seth had been living as man and wife for only about three weeks.

“Jessie?” the doctor tried again.

That woman worked to gather her thoughts, the past weeks all blurring together, but she eventually answered.

With Jessie's answer the doctor did some thinking of his own and said, “With that date it's a little hard to say, but do you think you could be pregnant?”

Jessie nearly started to have the word said aloud but knew in an instant he was correct. She had never actually fainted with Hannah, but at times she'd been lightheaded while carrying Clancy.

“I think you're right,” she said quietly and worked not to panic.

“I figured as much. It's too hot right now for someone
not
in your condition, so you're going to have to watch what you do until this heat passes.”

Jessie nodded, but was only half listening. The doctor had another question, and she did her best to answer and then take in what he was saying. He left her on her own not ten minutes later, and Jessie sat still on the sofa, panic starting to fill her.

Seth had not seen the doctor leave and was starting to think he'd been crazy for listening to Jessie. He should have put a sign on the door and gone upstairs with her and the doctor. He absentmindedly finished with a customer and then took the stairs two at a time. He found Jessie sitting on the sofa, staring into space.

“Are you all right?”

“I'm pregnant,” she said, her voice expressionless.

Seth stared at her, afraid to look pleased. She was clearly not happy.

“I take it you don't want another child,” Seth said, keeping all censure from his voice.

“Not that I have to raise by myself.”

Seth began to relax. This made sense to him. He didn't rush but moved toward the sofa. He sat down next to his wife and put his arms around her. He didn't speak until she looked into his eyes.

“Then it's a good thing I'm going to be here.”

To her credit she did not look skeptical. Seth waited only a few seconds and then began to kiss her. He took his time about it, and things were growing passionate when Jessie's reason returned.

“The store,” she mumbled.

“Hush, Jessica.”

They continued to kiss and hold each other until a thump sounded downstairs that could not be ignored. Seth made himself stand, but he bent long enough to take Jessie's face in his hands.

“We'll continue this when the girls are in bed tonight.”

Jessie nodded, her eyes closing when he pressed a kiss to her forehead. She watched him head toward the door and heard his feet on the stairs, working with all of her heart to believe him and not panic.