The next month was difficult for Gwenny and Logan. They talked each day about his worries and fears. He finally told her about what had set him back.
She listened and supported him, assuring him she was always going to be with him. He appreciated that immensely. He still had trouble sleeping, nightmares still present but not as frequent.
Now as he once again watched his beautiful Gwenny sleep, he prayed for her and the baby's safety, prayed for strength and courage, and prayed that he would be a good father.
Gwen opened her eyes and smiled, moving up next to Logan, her arm around his waist. "Its alright, Logan. You can go to sleep. I'm right here."
….
Hope Valley
Leah frowned as she tried to button her jeans. How was it possible that the jeans she had always worn were too small?
"What's wrong, Leah?"
"They don't fit. I don't understand. I work as hard as I always have…." Her voice trailed off. "Wait…." She counted on her fingers. "Oh! Whoa. Um, Chris?"
"Yeah?"
"I think I should go see my cousin Meri today after work."
"Why is that?" he wondered, kissing her cheek.
"Well, I'm not sure yet. I'll let you know."
After visiting Meri, she headed to her Grandma's house. "Grandma?"
"In the kitchen, dear," Elizabeth answered. "Hi, there. This is quite a surprise."
"Can we talk?" Elizabeth stopped mixing whatever she was mixing and dried her hands. She sat down at the table. "I'm here, sweetheart. You seem upset." Leah sat down.
"More in shock than upset. I mean, I knew this would happen, but I don't know if I'm ready. Rachel is, but me?"
"Leah? Are telling me you're pregnant?"
"That's what I thought this morning. I mean I'm getting too fat for my jeans and then I counted weeks and….Meri said I am. About ten weeks. I still don't believe it."
"So you and Rachel are pretty much due at the same time?"
"Yes within a few weeks. Early September. I haven't been sick like her at all. Just putting on weight and I guess I've been tired."
"Well, congratulations, Leah. I'm so happy for you!"
"Chris is going to be so happy and I need to tell Rachel and Mom and Dad. Oh and Papa. When is he coming home?"
"Tomorrow. I've missed that man," Elizabeth said, shaking her head.
"I bet you do. I can't imagine being away from Chris for a month."
"Thirty six days," she mused. "Thirty five days too long in my opinion."
"Are you lonely, Grandma?"
"Just for a moment and then I realize I'm surrounded by family so I just walk over to see someone. Or someone comes to see me," she said with a smile. "I love you, sweet Leah."
"I love you too, Grandma."
"Now go see your husband."
"Yes, ma'am."
….
Leah walked to the new house, which would be done in the next week or two, to look for Chris.
Chris, Will, and Lee Jr. were inside finishing cabinets. "Good afternoon," Leah said loudly to be heard over the hammering and sanding and sawing.
"Hi, sweetie," Chris said with a smile. "What are you doing here?"
"I was hoping we could go home early?"
"Um, well, we are so close to being done. I can maybe be home in a hour."
"Go ahead, Chris. Lee and I can finish up," Will told him.
"Are you sure?"
"Of course."
Chris handed his nails and his hammer to Will and followed Leah out the door.
They started walking the mile back to town, grateful it wasn't very cold.
Chris was surprised because his usually chatty wife said maybe three words the whole way back to the café. "Is something wrong?" he asked as they climbed the stairs to their room.
She locked the door behind them and lifted her shirt, placing his hand on her tummy. "Nothing is wrong. Chris, Meri told me why my jeans don't fit."
"Too much dessert?" he teased, chuckling.
"Shush. The reason is because I'm pregnant."
"What? Are you sure?"
"Yes! Meri confirmed it. Chris, we are going to have a baby in September!"
He put his arms around her and lifted her off the ground. He wanted to twirl her around because the occasion called for it but he didn't want to fall over.
She laughed as he put her down and kissed her until she couldn't breathe. "There is just one problem."
"What?"
"I don't have any jeans that fit. What am I supposed to wear to work?"
"Maybe it's a sign that you shouldn't work anymore."
"Funny."
"Well, I mean, is it safe?"
"For a while, yes. I asked Meri and she said once I get further along, I shouldn't ride horses anymore and I shouldn't lift as many heavy things."
He put his hand on her belly again and smiled. "Our baby. Amazing."
"It is, isn't it?" Before, she hadn't wanted to be a mom, but now that she knew it was going to happen, it was wonderful. She knew that Chris would be a great father and she would learn what she could from her mom about being a great mother.
…..
Alberta, Rachel and Josh's house
Rachel tied an apron around her growing tummy, smiling down at it. "Hey, baby. Mama loves you so much."
Her morning sickness had disappeared for the most part so she was now eating more and feeling better.
The telephone rang on the table so she walked over and picked it up. "Hello?"
"Hi, Rachel."
"Hi, Leah! How are you?"
"I'm great! How are you?"
"Doing well. My morning sickness is better."
"That's good. Guess what."
"What?"
"I'm pregnant too."
"You are? I knew you would be soon. Are you happy?"
"I am. I can't believe it."
"Is Chris happy?"
"Very."
"Congratulations, Leah."
"Thank you. I miss you."
"I miss you too."
Leah felt herself tearing up. Her best friend lived hours away and right now she could really use a hug. She sniffed.
"Leah? What's wrong?"
"I'm scared. I don't know if I can do this, Rachel."
"You just said you were happy. What changed?"
"I am but I need you here with me."
"Listen, you are one of the strongest women I know. I can't be there but you have Mama and Grandma there and Em and Chris. You can absolutely do this."
"I don't know what I'm doing."
"You didn't know how to be a wife either but you are doing fine with that. This is just something else new that you will be great at."
"I don't know."
"I don't know how to do this either but this is what's happening. I'm just trying to enjoy feeling everything. The throwing up part wasn't great but I'm looking forward to feeling the baby move."
"Yeah, that will be pretty great."
Leah talked to Rachel for a bit longer and then they hung up, promising to talk more often.
Rachel went back to making dinner, basting the chicken she was roasting so that it would be juicy for Josh when he got home. He had been doing much better with spending more time at home and less at work. Lately he had been getting home around four pm and taking every other weekend off.
"Honey?"
"In the kitchen."
He slipped up behind her and rubbed her belly. "Hey, beautiful."
"Hi. How was your day?"
"Better now that I'm home." He kissed her cheek and then her neck. "How is my baby?"
"Great. I missed you today." She turned around and gave him a kiss. "A lot."
"Oh yeah?"
"Mmhm. I'm glad it's Saturday tomorrow." She slipped her fingers up behind his neck and sighed. "Maybe we can sleep in and have breakfast in bed?"
"That sounds perfect."
…..
Hope Valley, the next morning
Davie took Ruthie out back to his father's land and then over to his. He had wanted to show her for a while. It was their future.
"Is this your land?"
"Yes. This is it."
"Its beautiful."
"I'm glad you like it. I'm going to build our house over there," he pointed. "With a garage next to it. We can plant a garden if you want one and…."
"Davie, what are you saying?"
"I'm saying I love you, Ruthie Flynn. With all of my heart and one day, I want you to share this with me." He got down on one knee and pulled out a gold ring with a small round diamond. "Will you be my wife?"
She smiled as he slipped it on her finger. "It would be my honor to be your wife, Davie." He stood and picked her up, holding her tight.
"I'm so glad you said yes."
"Did you think I would say no?"
He put her down but kept her close. "No. I…well, we just haven't talked about it too much so I wasn't sure of how you would feel."
"I love you, David Coulter. I absolutely want to marry you."
As they walked back, Davie told her how he had promised her father they wouldn't marry for a year.
"A year?"
"Yes. It's going to be that long before I have our house money and then it has to be built."
"That's a long time. We could live above the café like Chris and Leah."
"I made that promise, Ruthie. Maybe at some point he might reconsider but we are young. We have our whole lives ahead of us. A year isn't that bad."
"Alright. I trust you. We will wait a year."
….
The next week, Chris, Lee, and Will finished the new house.
Leah was really excited. She couldn't wait to finally cook Chris dinner in their very own house and eat it at their own table. She had been taking lessons from Clara and her own mother and she was more confident now.
As the men moved their things from above the café to their house, Leah went to the store. She needed food and household things and her dad had loaned his car so she didn't have to figure out how to get all their things to the house.
"Morning Mrs. Kennedy," the storekeeper greeted with a smile.
"Good morning," she said, returning his smile.
"Anything I can help you with?"
"I have a bunch of things to get, but I will let you know."
"Sure thing."
By the time she was done, she and the storekeeper had made several trips to the car and now the trunk was full of supplies.
"Have a great day, Mrs. Kennedy."
"Thank you."
When she arrived home, her uncle Will, Lee Jr, Chris, her Papa, and her parents were all there helping clean up the dust and move in furniture.
Her mom came over and gave her a hug. "How are you, baby girl?"
"I'm good. I'm busting out of my pants but good," she said with a laugh.
"Do you want me to make you some?"
"That would be great. This string isn't going to do it for much longer," she told her, lifting her shirt to show her the temporary fix.
"When we get everything moved in, I will go grab my sewing stuff and come back and we will measure you."
"Thanks, Mom."
"And I will bring James so that you can get some practice in."
"Alright. I'm ready."
Maddie grabbed a box and carried it inside, Leah closely following.
"Honey, let me do that. It's too heavy." Chris grabbed the box from her with his free arm.
"Sweetheart, I am grateful that you are so protective of me but a bale of hay or a new lamb weighs more than this box."
"I don't want you to hurt yourself or the baby." He gave her forehead a kiss and walked away.
She sighed. She needed to get used to the fact that her normal independence had been all but stripped away from her. Now, she was a pregnant woman that wouldn't be allowed to do much more than clean the house and cook dinner.
"What's wrong, Leah?" Nate asked.
"Not much, Dad." She kissed his cheek and headed outside to look for a lighter box to carry in.
Nate followed her. "Let me help."
"I can do this. I am not sick. I'm pregnant!"
"Sweetheart, what's going on?"
"I work hard every single day, and no one wants to let me keep working. This is my life. I don't know who I am if I can't work hard."
Nate pulled her into his arms and held her as she cried. "Baby girl, it's okay. We just want to make sure you are safe."
"I'm…"
"Let me finish," he told her. "You are not defined by the work you do. What is in your heart is what everyone loves. You are a kind, thoughtful, strong woman that Mom and I are so very proud of. If you get to the point where you can't work, than the work you do will be getting your little one into the world safely. Your job is changing. This baby is going to need you pretty much hourly for a year or two. You have to accept that being a mother is going to occupy your time, probably more of it than ranching will."
"This isn't what I planned," she told him, stepping back.
"No, but it's your life. You married the man you love and who loves you back and your baby was created from that love. That's how life works, sweetheart."
"I do love him and this baby." He kissed the top of her head and smiled. "I love you, Dad. Thanks for talking sense into me."
"That's what Dad's do."
"And you are the best."
"Thanks! Now let's get you moved into your new house."