He shook his head, his words seeming to fail him. “It was a freak medical emergency. Under other circumstances, the baby would have lived. They both would have. But there were too many things happening at once.”
“I’m so sorry.” She reached across her waist to where his hand rested. Her fingers intertwined with his, and she squeezed, desperately wanting to offer him some kind of comfort after what he’d been through. She couldn’t even imagine.
He stared straight ahead, not looking back at Hope. His jaw was set, and it almost seemed that if he looked at her, he might break.
“Marissa and I hadn’t sold our first house, the one we’d bought while building our home in the country. But I couldn’t stay in that place, the one Marissa and I had built together. We had everything ready for the baby to come. But things didn’t work out the way I planned, to say the least.”
“So you’re just holding onto it for the memories?”
“I suppose. The memories. The hurt. Maybe I’ve had some trouble letting go.”
“Well, your home is beautiful. I’m sure Marissa wouldn’t want it to sit unused.”
“Maybe.”
She lowered her voice. “I’m sure she’d want you to move on also. Just like I know Clint would want me to in this situation.”
The cornfield ended, and they paused at the end of the path. In the distance, Hope spotted a fence. A gentle sound came from the other side.
“Is that . . . sheep?” Hope asked.
Luke nodded. “The family must have sublet the land for some livestock to graze.”
“A lot of livestock,” Hope added. From where she stood, she could see a sea of white as the animals clustered together.
They skirted past the field, toward the building in the distance. When they got closer, Hope stopped and stared straight ahead. That was no house that they’d seen the roofline of. No, it was a barn. A dilapidated barn that looked like it might fall over if the wind blew strong enough.
As a gust of anxiety swept though her, her entire stomach clenched. She groaned with pain, and Luke’s arm immediately tightened around her.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I can’t be sure, but I think my water just broke.”
Chapter Eleven
“Come on. Let’s get you out of this cold,” Luke said.
He shoved the barn door open and led Hope inside. Instantly, the smell of hay filled his senses. This was no place to deliver a baby. But Jace apparently hadn’t gotten that memo.
Hope groaned again, a touch of panic in her voice. “I’m having a contraction, Luke.”
Another surge of concern rushed through him. How was he going to help her have a baby and fight the men who wanted to kill her? He prayed Joshua would be here soon.
He closed the door behind him, his hands never leaving Hope. He glanced around at the various stalls and the hayloft above. This building was still used. Probably for the sheep. No doubt there were mice and snakes and dung just waiting to be mucked.
This was no place to have a baby. But maybe they could hide out here until Joshua arrived. He prayed Jace would wait until they reached the hospital. First babies usually took hours of labor.
At just that moment, a shout sounded outside. “I know you’re in there, Hope Solomon! Why don’t you come out and make this easy on everyone?”
“Oh no,” Hope muttered, hunching over with pain. Her eyes squeezed shut as her face tightened.
“You know the voice?” Luke asked.
Hope nodded, pulling her eyes open just enough that Luke could see the panic glimmering in their depths. “It’s Raul.”
Even though he’d expected that answer, his heart rate quickened. “You’re sure?”
“I’m sure.” She grimaced, as if biting back a groan.
“Another contraction?”
“Yeah, these are the real thing. Not Braxton Hicks.”
Luke glanced at the door again. What was he going to do? Keep Raul away or deliver a baby? Could he do both?
Dear Lord, help us. Please.
He pushed away the flashbacks of losing Marissa and Harper. That wasn’t going to happen again. Not if he had anything to do with it.
He threw off his backpack and rummaged through the contents inside. Finally, he found what he was looking for and laid out a blanket on the hay in the far corner of the building.
“Why don’t you sit over here, out of sight, for a few minutes?” He led her to the makeshift bed. “It’s going to be okay. You just concentrate on breathing, okay? When the contractions are five minutes apart, let me know.”
“Okay.” She nodded, a little too fast, and began to do her breathing exercises.
Reluctantly, Luke left her. He pulled out his gun and approached the door. How many men did Raul have out there? How far would he take this?
Just as he reached the dilapidated wooden siding near the door, a gunshot pierced the wood only inches from his head. He drew in a sharp breath.
“There’s no need to shoot,” Luke yelled, remaining safely tucked behind the wall. Stepping outside would be a death wish. “No one needs to get hurt.”
“We just need to talk to Hope,” the man outside yelled back. Raul.
Luke glanced at Hope. She grimaced in the corner, holding her stomach, still doing breathing exercises. “She doesn’t want to talk.”
“It’s not a choice. She’s wanted by the FBI, Dr. Griffin.”
So Raul had done his research and he knew who Luke was. That didn’t scare him. He would do what was right, no matter the consequences.
“You’re the only one in the FBI who wants to talk to her,” Luke said.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Raul yelled back.
“Sure I do.” Luke remained by the edge of the door, trying to anticipate Raul’s next move. He held his gun, prepared to use it if he had to. He hoped he didn’t, though. He much preferred mending people’s bodies to maiming them.
Another bullet pierced the wood, and Hope moaned in the distance.
Alarm electrified him. “Hope?”
“I’m okay. I didn’t get shot, at least.”
He wanted to rush over to her, to check her pulse. But he couldn’t do that. He had to keep her alive first.
“Luke?”
“Yes?” he said.
“The contractions are three minutes apart.”
“Three minutes?”
The baby could come at any time, he realized. He had to help her.
Just then, the doors burst open.
Three armed men stood there, a merciless look in their eyes.
Dear Lord, I need You now more than ever before. Be with us.
Hope’s eyes widened when she spotted Raul standing in the doorway. But before she could say anything, another contraction ripped through her abdomen, and she felt like her insides were being torn apart, bit by bit. She couldn’t suppress her moan.
Raul’s eyes gleamed when he saw her. Then his gaze turned to Luke. “You might as well put down your gun. You’re outnumbered. If you take the first shot, I have two other guys who will kill you on the spot.”
Luke’s face tightened. He kept his gun raised, but Hope could see the thoughts—the choices—rushing through his mind.
Finally, he lowered the gun and placed it on the ground. He’d obviously realized he couldn’t take down three armed men. It was the smart thing to do.
But where did that leave them right now? Without a fighting chance?
This wasn’t good. Especially since Jace wanted to make his entrance into this world any time now.
“You have a baby coming?” Raul took a step closer, still smirking.
Hope rubbed her stomach and narrowed her eyes. “You really have to ask that?”
“All you have to do is give me that jump drive, and I’ll be out of your hair.”
“As soon as you get that jump drive, you’ll kill me.”
He took another step, looking entirely too sure of himself. “Kill you? I
’m FBI. I would never do that.”
“Then why are you taking money from a corrupt organization? You had such a bright future with the bureau. You were Clint’s best friend. He thought more of you than this.”
Breathe in. Breathe out. She tried to remind herself of everything she’d learned in her childbirth classes. She had to remain calm right now, for everyone’s sake. But it was becoming harder and harder by the moment.
“The job doesn’t really pay as well as I’d hoped.” Raul paused in front of her, gun still in hand. “Rich people get away with stuff like this all the time. Why shouldn’t I get a cut?”
“Because I thought you had principles.”
“Principles are for the weak.” His eyes narrowed. “Now where’s that jump drive?”
She knew exactly where it was. In her pocket. She could practically feel it burning into her skin, even through the denim. All the evidence anyone would need to put Raul behind bars was on that device.
She glanced at Luke. His concerned gaze fixated on her. But another one of Raul’s men had him cornered. Luke stood with his hands in the air as a gun pressed into him. She saw the apology in his gaze, and she wanted to erase it. None of this was his fault. He’d gone above and beyond.
Yet if he survived this and she didn’t, he would wrestle with guilt for the rest of his life.
Hope couldn’t let that happen.
Before she could say anything, another contraction hit. This time, her groan turned into a guttural scream. She’d never felt pain so intense before in her whole life.
How much time had passed? She hadn’t been able to keep track since Raul stepped into the barn. How far apart were her contractions now?
They were close enough that she knew she had to start pushing. Soon.
Dear Lord, get me through this. I want to see the glass as half full. I’m sorry I’ve blamed You for everything that’s gone wrong in my life. I want to see the good through the bad.
Just at that moment, the doors to the barn flung open.
Hope’s eyes widened.
Was Joshua here with backups? Had help finally arrived?
Instead, sheep rushed inside by the drove, moving so fast they nearly trampled anything and anyone in their path.
Sheep?
Was Hope seeing things? Delirious in her state of pain?
No, this was really happening. Someone had herded the whole flock right to this barn.
She watched as the animals surrounded Raul’s men, throwing them off guard. Luke seized the opportunity and wrenched the gun out of his captor’s hand. He threw the man over his shoulder, and Raul’s minion landed on the ground.
The second man seemed totally discombobulated by the sudden entrance of the animals. He raised his hands in the air, his gaze shooting about madly, and his motions erratic. Raul was the only one keeping a cool head. He took a step toward her when a gunshot rang through the air.
Her gaze shot to Luke.
He hadn’t pulled the trigger.
Chief Haven stepped into the barn behind the sheep. He’d brought four men with him.
Hope wanted to watch whatever was about to happen. She wanted to see Raul get arrested, to do a walk of shame to the police car.
But she wasn’t going to have that opportunity.
Because Jace wasn’t going to stay inside her a moment longer.
Epilogue
Christmas Day, One Year Later
Jace looked up at his momma and then stared back at the gift in front of him. Reaching his chubby hand forward, he pulled a piece of paper from the edge where it was taped. He dropped the scrap on the floor and then tried again.
Hope looked at Luke and they shared a grin.
They’d gotten married six months ago. Six months of restoration had taken place during that time. Though they’d both been through the agony of losing their spouses, they’d somehow managed to rebuild their lives . . . together.
Raul was behind bars. He and his two colleagues had been found guilty of a whole list of crimes. The evidence on that jump drive had helped put them away. Much to her sorrow, he’d also been found guilty of murdering Clint, his best friend. At least he would never see daylight again. That was her only comfort.
Jackie had also been found safe and alive. She’d gotten worried after Hope left, and she’d decided to visit her old college roommate. She’d taken the train there. Not only was Jackie doing well, she was coming to visit for New Year’s Day. Hope couldn’t wait to see her.
“Momma,” Jace said, waving a piece of red wrapping paper.
She giggled and sat down beside him on the floor. “What’s in there, sweet boy?”
He grunted, drool slipping from his mouth. The poor boy was teething. They’d just celebrated his first birthday, and she and Luke had told him the story about how he was born in a barn, surrounded by sheep, while bad guys had been pursuing them. When he was old enough to understand, he’d never believe it had really happened. But Joshua Haven and Brody Joyner would be there to verify the story. Both had helped to apprehend Raul and his men that night.
“Do you need some help?” she asked her precious boy.
In response, he pounded on the top of the box with an open palm.
Hope tugged another corner of paper, loosening it for him. He had no interest in the gift any more.
“Maybe Daddy would like to open it for you,” she suggested.
Luke sat down beside her on the floor. Tingles rushed up her spine. She couldn’t believe she could be this happy. But she was.
And based on the light in Luke’s eyes, he was happy too.
Only a few months ago, they’d moved back into the house he and Marissa had once built their dreams in. She would have wanted this, he said. They’d redecorated and cleaned it up, and now this was their home. With Jace.
“There’s something I want to tell you,” Luke said, pausing with the present in his hands.
“What’s that?”
“I just got notice yesterday that the funding has gone through. The clinic is officially off the ground!”
She threw her arms around him. “Oh, Luke. That’s wonderful news.”
“One of the best Christmas presents I could have received.”
“I’m so happy for you.” She pressed a kiss to his lips, one he easily returned until Jace let out a squeal and bulldozed himself between them. They pulled away and laughed.
Luke ripped the paper off. A plain, brown box waited on the other side. “Let’s see what’s in here.” He leaned closer to Jace. “What is it, buddy?”
Jace’s hand came down on Luke’s face, and he squealed again.
Luke smiled as he pulled the tape off and opened the box. He reached through the tissue paper until he felt something. A moment later, he pulled out a pair of booties.
“Shoes? Very small shoes.”
Hope smiled. “That’s right.”
“Does that mean . . . ?” His eyes widened.
Her smile turned into a huge grin. “We’re having a baby!”
In one fell swoop, he pulled her and Jace into his arms. “Really?”
She laughed. “Yes, really.”
He cupped her face in her hands. “I couldn’t be happier, Hope.”
“Me too.”
“Just last year, everything felt dark, and now the future seems bright. God has brought us a long way, hasn’t He?”
“He really has.” She grinned.
God truly had brought her far. It had taken a little baby to show her the way. But God had also used a little baby to save the world, a little baby that had grown up to be the Savior of the world.
Love had lit the dark places in her life, and love would sustain her through the ups and downs of the future. And, for that, she was eternally grateful.
Also by Christy Barritt:
Carolina Moon Series:
Home Before Dark (Book 1)
Nothing good ever happens after dark. Country singer Daleigh McDermott’s father often repeated those words. Now
, her father is dead. As she’s about to flee back to Nashville, she finds his hidden journal with hints that his death was no accident. Mechanic Ryan Shields is the only one who seems to believe Daleigh. Her father trusted the man, but her attraction to Ryan scares her. She knows her life and career are back in Nashville and her time in the sleepy North Carolina town is only temporary. As Daleigh and Ryan work to unravel the mystery, it becomes obvious that someone wants them dead. They must rely on each other—and on God—if they hope to make it home before the darkness swallows them.
Gone By Dark (Book 2)
Ten years ago, Charity White’s best friend, Andrea, was abducted as they walked home from school. A decade later, when Charity receives a mysterious letter that promises answers, she returns to North Carolina in search of closure. With the help of her new neighbor, Police Officer Joshua Haven, Charity begins to track down mysterious clues concerning her friend’s abduction. They soon discover that they must work together or both of them will be swallowed by the looming darkness.
Wait Until Dark (Book 3)
A woman grieving broken dreams. A man struggling to regain memories. A secret entrenched in folklore dating back two centuries. Antiquarian Felicity French has no clue the trouble she’s inviting in when she rescues a man outside her grandma’s old plantation house during a treacherous snowstorm. All she wants is to nurse her battered heart and wounded ego, as well as come to terms with her past. Now she’s stuck inside with a stranger sporting an old bullet wound and forgotten hours. Coast Guardsman Brody Joyner can't remember why he was out in such perilous weather, how he injured his head, or how a strange key got into his pocket. He also has no idea why his pint-sized savior has such a huge chip on her shoulder. He has no choice but to make the best of things until the storm passes. Brody and Felicity’s rocky start goes from tense to worse when danger closes in. Who else wants the mysterious key that somehow ended up in Brody’s pocket? Why? The unlikely duo quickly becomes entrenched in an adventure of a lifetime, one that could have ties to local folklore and Felicity’s ancestors. But sometimes the past leads to darkness . . . darkness that doesn’t wait for anyone.
Light the Dark: A Carolina Moon Christmas Novella Page 7
