Peg pushed Mama in her chair over to help serve the refreshments. Maxi had never seen her mother look so relaxed and happy. As much as Mama missed Charlie, the constant worry over his drinking had taken a toll, and now that the problem had been removed, she'd settled into her new life rather happily. Peg also benefited from having a roommate, and Jason slept easier knowing his mother wasn't alone.
Clint Hanley stood among the crowd. Maxi smiled at the pleased look on his face as he watched Jason accepting congratulations from the community. Maxi had never been more proud of Jason and the way he'd put the past behind him, helping Clint obtain janitorial work at Nick's church and doing his best to forge a relationship with his father. Now Clint would become one of the volunteer firemen at the new station named after her brother.
Life seemed to have come full circle.
Several hours later, after the festivities were over and everyone had gone home, Maxi finished putting away the last dish. She wiped her hands on the dishtowel, noting the slight tremor as she hung it on the rack. She licked her dry lips and took a deep breath before joining Jason in the living room.
Despite the warm fall temperatures, Jason had a cheerful fire crackling in the fireplace. He looked up from prodding the logs with a poker when she came in.
“Hey, honey. How's the fire?”
“Perfect.” She took a seat on the well-worn plaid couch.
Jason put the poker down and came to sit beside her, his arm draped over her shoulder in casual familiarity. His warmth enveloped her, bringing a sense of calm to her nervous stomach.
“Jason, can we talk for a minute?”
Her voice must have given her away. He turned to look at her, a concerned frown wrinkling his forehead. “Sure. Is something wrong?”
“Not exactly.”
This was coming out all wrong. She'd envisioned the perfect moment, like something out of a romantic movie, but this wasn't turning out as she imagined.
Concern became silent alarm. Jason pulled her hands into his. “What is it? Whatever it is, we'll figure it out together.”
She tried to swallow, but her throat refused to cooperate.
“You're scaring me, Max. Just tell me.”
All her fluffy words flew out the window. “I think I'm pregnant.” Unwanted tears sprang to her eyes. Before her vision blurred, she saw the surprise register on his face. She prayed not to see anything negative, like horror or disappointment. “I know we said we'd wait a few years,” she hurried on, “and I don't know for sureâ”
He framed her face with his hands and silenced her ramblings with a kiss. She reached up and clamped her hands around his arms as if to anchor herself to him. When he pulled back, a huge grin split his face.
“A baby?” As quickly as it appeared, the grin faded and fear settled over his features. Jason jumped up and began to pace.
Her stomach roiled with a wave of nausea. What if he still didn't want children? What if he couldn't get past his fear of being a bad father?
She rose on unsteady feet. “You're not happy about this.”
Jason whirled. He crossed the room in two strides. “No. Yes. I don't know, Maxi. I'm happy. I'm just terrified.”
Her breathing calmed. Fear she could deal with. “You'll be a wonderful father, Jason. I've seen you with Annabelle. You're terrific with her.”
He tugged her hand and led her to the couch. “That's not it. I can't bear the thought of you going through labor⦔ He paused. “â¦like Lily did.”
It all came rushing back to her then. The way Jason had practically shot off Nick and Lily's porch the moment she'd mentioned having a baby. He'd been picturing her in labor.
Her insides relaxed their death grip. “Let's not worry about that now. It's a long way off. In the meantime, you get to deal with my nausea and hormonal mood swings.”
With gentle fingers, he wiped away the moisture off her cheeks. “Not to mention the tears.”
She gave a light laugh. “Yeah, that part's very annoying.” She sobered. “You sure you're OK with this?”
His smile returned. “I'm more than OK. But you'll have to put up with my paranoia when it gets close to the time.”
“Deal.” She reached up to caress his cheek. “I love you very much.”
“I love you more.” He kissed her and then pulled her tight against his chest.
She rested her cheek against his flannel shirt and let out a quiet sigh. For the first time since Drew died, she felt whole again. God had taken the fragments of her heart and healed them with the power of His love and acceptance. Maxi knew that somewhere Drew and her father were smiling down on them, giving them their blessing.
With God onboard for the journey, she was sure the life she shared with Jason would be just thatâone continual blessing.
Â
Â
About the author
Â
Susan is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW)® and the Romance Writers of America (RWA)®. She writes both contemporary and historical inspirational romance, and enjoys creating stories that explore themes of forgiveness, redemption, and healing.
In 2008, she became a Golden Heart Finalist with a Contemporary Inspirational romance entitled
Wyndermere House
. She has been a Genesis Semi-Finalist three years in a row, and recently, Susan's historical
Irish Meadows
won the 2013 Fiction from the Heartland contest.
Susan lives with her husband, two teenagers, and two cats in a busy suburb west of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In addition to writing, she works part-time as a church secretary. You can visit her website at www.susanannemason.com and her blog at suemasonsblog.blogspot.com.
Â
Thank you for purchasing this White Rose Publishing title. For other inspirational stories, please visit our on-line bookstore at
www.pelicanbookgroup.com
.
Â
For questions or more information, contact us at [email protected].
Â
White Rose Publishing
Where Faith is the Cornerstone of Loveâ¢
an imprint of Pelican Ventures Book Group
www.PelicanBookGroup.com
Â
May God's glory shine through
this inspirational work of fiction.
Â
AMDG
Â