Amy nodded and followed behind him as he walked down the path to the manor. She kept her gaze on the ground so she didn’t trip on anything on the path, but suddenly she found herself plowing into Will. She grabbed his waist to keep from falling over, glad he was solid enough to keep them both upright.
She peered around Will’s shoulder to see what had brought him to a halt and spotted a couple of deer standing in the woods a little further down the path. Given the racket she’d created when she’d bumped into him, she was rather surprised they were still there. Heart pounding, Amy inhaled the scent of his cologne and reveled in the firmness of his waist beneath her hands. She wanted to slide her arms around him and rest her head on his back, but that wasn’t her right. At least not yet.
Slowly moving her hands, Amy stepped away from Will.He glanced over his shoulder at her before continuing down the path. The deer scampered away as he moved in their direction. Amy waited until he was a few steps ahead of her before she followed him again, and this time she kept her head up.
Amy hated the feeling of being in limbo with Will. They hadn’t gone out on a date yet, and since it was kind of a trial thing, they weren’t officially a couple. Yet moments of intimacy kept popping up between them. It actually would have been much easier if he’d just steered clear of her until their date on Saturday. Instead, they were working side by side, and she had to keep her nerves and emotions where he was concerned under control. Especially after moments like that.
“So what do we need to do now?” Will asked when they were back at the manor.
“Let me run up to my room and get the stuff I was going to work on.”
Upstairs, Amy sank down on her bed and took a deep breath and let it out. How was it possible to be excited about her dearest dream coming true and yet, at the same time, be terrified that it actually would? Conflicted emotions didn’t sit well with her. She liked clarity and direction in her life. This current situation promised neither.
Resolved to push it aside from her mind for the time being, Amy gathered up the bags of supplies she’d bought over the past couple of weeks. It ended up taking her two trips to bring everything to where Will waited in the kitchen.
Grinning, she asked, “Ready to get to work?”
~*~*~
If he’d had any idea of what was entailed in helping Amy, Will probably would have...showed up to help regardless, he admitted ruefully. As he stuffed another piece of plastic jewelry into a bag made out of some sort of see-through fabric, he watched Amy out of the corner of his eye. Onceshe’d brought all her stuff down, she’d put some music on. As she worked, she bobbed her head and moved her body to the rhythm of the songs. Clearly music moved through her veins much the same way it did her brother’s.
He enjoyed watching her work. Preparing for Isabella’s party didn’t appear to be a task for her. She truly seemed to love what she was doing. Humming as she worked, he couldn’t help but wonder what was running through her mind. Was she as excited as he was to see where things might go between them? When she’d run into him on the walk back to the manor, he had been pleasantly surprised that she hadn’t immediately moved away. And maybe one day he’d admit to her that he hadn’t been watching the deer as much as enjoying her nearness.
They’d been working for about an hour when Amy’s phone went. She frowned as she looked at the display before answering it. “Lance? Is everything okay?”
The frown didn’t fade as she listened to what he said. A sick feeling took up residence in his stomach as he waited for her to finish the conversation.
“You’ve talked to her already? Okay. Let us know if there are any more developments.”
“What happened?” Will asked when Amy hung up.
She set her phone on the table. “He’s taken Jessa to the hospital.”
“Is she okay?”
“They want to monitor her.” Amy sank down on a chair and propped an elbow on a pile of fluffy fabric. “The decision to admit her hasn’t been made yet. I think they’re going to hook her up to monitor her blood pressure, any contractions and the baby’s heart rate. I know the baby would probably be okay being born now, but it would be so much better for the baby if the pregnancy could continue a bit longer.”
When her gaze met his, he could see the green of her eyes was intensified by moisture. He got up and took her hand,pulling her to her feet. As he wrapped his arms around her, he felt her relax into his embrace. “It’s going to be okay. They have lots of people praying for them.”
He stroked her head, feeling the silkiness of her hair beneath his fingertips. It had been a very long time since he’d held a woman in his arms, and he realized now he’d missed it. But he didn’t want to hold just anyone. Amy was the one he wanted toembrace, today and each day afterward. She fit just perfectly, her head tucked under his chin. It felt so right to him. It scared him to think that maybe it wouldn’t feel as right to her.
Amy lifted her head. “But sometimes things don’t work out even when people are praying.”
Will looked down at her and saw sadness in her gaze. He knew she must be struggling with some of that now after what had happened with her school. But was there more? His own personal experience had proven that what she said was true. “Yes, I know, but we need to trust God will work it out for Jessa and Lance.”
A tear slid down her cheek. She sighed and leaned her head against his chest once again. “Lance just sounded so worried. He loves her so much.”
“Their love is strong,” Will agreed.
They stood there for a few minutes before Amy moved back. Will let her go reluctantly. She lifted her hands and wiped her cheeks. “Okay, no more moping around. It won’t help Jessa any, and it certainly won’t get the rest of this party stuff done.”
Before she could turn away, he grabbed her hand. “Want to pray about it?” He saw the surprise on her face and found that he was a little surprised himself. He’d withdrawn from his once very vocal faith over the past several years. He’d struggled so much in the years following Delia’s death that he hadn’t been vocal about his faith because it felt hypocritical. The emotions that had been slowly coming to life over the past few weeks though had included a desire toshare that faith with those around him once again.
“Yes,” Amy said. She took his other hand, so they stood facing each other, hands clasped.
Will stared at her bent head for a moment before he closed his eyes. He paused, gathering his thoughts as he prepared to pray with this woman who was growing more and more important to him with each passing day.
“Father, Amy and I come to You today, thanking You for the many blessings You’ve given us even as we ask for Your protection for Jessa and her little one. You gave them the blessing of this child after so many years of losses. We believe that You can, and will, allow this pregnancy to proceed to a point that is safe for both Jessa and the baby. Please give Jessa and Lance peace as they deal with the uncertainty of today and the days ahead. We love them very much and know that You do, too. We also pray for safe travels for all the family members journeying here today. Thank you for the blessing of being able to be together once again. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
