When Love's Gone Country (Sequel two of the Embracing Love Trilogy)

by Merri Hiatt

  “We really need to read those books about the baby’s development.”

  “We will. We have lots of time.”

  “Only eight months.”

  “Alex, you’re going to have to learn to relax. You’re driving me crazy.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Trust the process. Women have been getting pregnant and having babies forever. It’s going to be okay.”

  Alex nodded. “I’ll quit worrying. I promise.”

  “I don’t need you to quit worrying. I worry, too. I just need you to be a little more patient and allow me to be sick or have swollen ankles or eat pickles and ice cream without trying to fix everything. This can’t be fixed.”

  Alex took a deep breath. “Here I am trying to help you and I’m making things worse.”

  “You’re not, sweetie. I love how much you care about me. I’d much rather have someone around who loves me than someone who just leaves me alone to be sick all by myself.”

  “I guess.”

  “Come on. I’ve got my barf bags and the truck’s all packed. Let’s get on the road.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “I’m positive.”

  “All right then, you’re the boss.”

  “I like the sound of that.”

  Alex smiled, the worry lines on his forehead disappearing with the motion. “I thought you might.”

  When they were settled in the truck and Alex double-checked that the trailer brake lights were working properly, he headed for McDonald’s to get Purity a Diet Coke, then they hit the freeway.

  After about ten minutes, Alex asked, “Your stomach okay?”

  “Fine.”

  He nodded, satisfied that she was feeling okay.

  Purity held back a smile. If he could carry the baby to term, he’d do it in a heartbeat. She wondered how he’d handle morning sickness, cramps, back aches, hemorrhoids and the myriad of other side effects she’d read about.

  “I can’t wait to ride a horse,” Pure said.

  “You’re not riding a horse.”

  “Why not?”

  “What if the horse bucks you off?”

  “The horse won’t buck me off. I’ve been riding for years. I know what I’m doing. Besides, I’m only in my first month.”

  “Even more reason to be careful.”

  “I’m not going to be racing or jumping or anything. Just a gentle walk in an open meadow or something.”

  “It’s not a good idea.”

  “Alex, you can’t seriously think I’m just going to sit in a chair for eight months? Haven’t you heard about the women who work in rice patties? They squat down, have their babies and keep right on working.”

  “I’m not going to discuss this. It’s not safe for you to be riding a horse.”

  “Then I guess roping a steer is out of the question, too.”

  “That’s not funny.”

  “Women don’t have that many restrictions when they’re pregnant. I don’t even have a high-risk pregnancy. Now, if you were talking about Meg, I’d understand.”

  “Women should be taken care of during their pregnancy. It’s just not right.”

  “It’s actually better for the woman and the baby to do gentle exercise and keep active.”

  “I’m not going to discuss this.”

  “Maybe you should come to one of my I’m Going to be a Mommy classes. They’re really interesting and have tons of information.”

  “I’m not going to be a mommy.”

  “Maybe they have an I’m Going to be a Daddy class.”

  “I don’t need a class. I need you to keep yourself and our baby safe.”

  Purity noticed Alex’s jaw was set in a rigid stance. No use talking to him anymore now. Funny, it was that same jawline that sent shivers of chill bumps down her spine. She loved to lay kisses along it until his body began to relax.

  “What?”

  “I was just thinking about how sexy you are.”

  “You were not. You were thinking of a way to get me to change my mind.”

  “No. I was remembering the chill bumps you gave me one of the first times I saw you. It was strange because every part of my body was heating up nicely at your presence, but I still had the shivers.”

  “Now you’re just changing the subject.”

  “Yes, I am. Ever since I told you I was pregnant, we haven’t been close. Does it worry you? Do you think you’ll harm the baby?”

  “Do we really have to talk about this?”

  Purity put her arm on Alex’s. “It’s okay. We talk about everything in class, including sex. A lot of guys get really nervous about doing it once they know the woman’s pregnant. It’s totally natural.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah. There’s nothing you can do to harm the baby. Well, unless you throw me down a flight of stairs or something.”

  “Purity!” Alex’s horrified expression made her regret the words immediately.

  “I didn’t mean that you’d ever do that, just that that would be the only way you could actually do any kind of harm. It would have to be deliberate and pretty violent. Our having sex wouldn’t be enough to do any damage.”

  “I really need to concentrate on the road.”

  A vein in Alex’s forehead was pulsing.

  “Sorry. Are you more worried now than you were before?”

  “As a matter of fact, yes. I really don’t want to talk about this anymore.”

  “Okay. I’m really sorry. I won’t bring it up again for the entire trip.”

  “And after that?”

  “I’m not making any promises after that.”

  Alex sighed. It was going to be a long eight months and he wasn’t sure he was going to be able to handle the stress. If anything happened to Purity or the baby, well, he didn’t know what he’d do. They were everything to him.

  Thirty-five minutes later, Purity texted Meg and Courtney that they would be arriving in Alene in about twenty minutes. Meg’s schedule had them meeting for brunch at the Moon Spirit Lodge. It boasted a buffet that folks came from miles around just to eat. Nestled in the woods next to a waterfall, it was the perfect place to begin their ranch adventure.

  “You did good, Meg,” Courtney said as they piled out of the van and began stretching their legs.

  “Thanks. I have amazing Google-Fu skills.”

  “What’s Google-Fu?” Jeremy asked.

  “It’s like Kung-Fu, except instead of using your body, you use your fingers and your brain to search the internet.”

  “Brad’s pretty good with Diego, does that mean he has Dog-Fu?” Jacob said.

  “I guess it does.”

  “Better than dog poo,” Jeremy said.

  “And now we return you to your regularly scheduled programming,” Courtney said. “Pure and Alex are only about ten minutes away.”

  “I’d love to come back here and stay for a weekend,” Meg said to Bobby.

  Bobby wrapped his arm around her. “It’s so close and an easy drive, sounds good to me.”

  “Oh. My. Gosh!” Jeremy’s mouth dropped half-way to the pavement. “Look at that car!”

  “Now, you’re busted,” Meg said.

  “You rented that, Dad?” Jacob asked.

  “Guilty.”

  “Can we sit in it?” Jeremy asked.

  “Sure, go ahead.”

  “I think we may have just lost our passengers. A convertible tops a dog,” Court said.

  “Once the shine wears off, the dog will be the winner. Boys and dogs are a forever combination.”

  “I think boys and cars are a forever combination, too.” Courtney glanced at Brad and then jabbed him in the ribs good-naturedly. They’d spent the last three weekends in car lots looking for the perfect truck. Court was convinced there was no such thing. Brad seemed to find something that wasn’t quite right with every pick-up he looked at.

  “Boys and their toys,” Meg said. “Do they ever grow up?”

  “I hope not,” Bobby said
with a grin.

  Chapter Four

  “Did you guys stop for ice cream, too?” Jeremy asked.

  “No, why?” Bobby asked.

  “There’s something sticky on the door handle.

  Meg turned her body toward the waterfall to hide the flush creeping up her cheeks. She wasn’t quick enough, Courtney caught the move.

  “Sticky stuff?” she teased her friend. “Just when did you and Bob arrive here?”

  “We were a bit early.”

  Courtney giggled. “And everyone thinks you’re the shy, innocent one.”

  “Keep your voice down.”

  “I’m whispering. My voice doesn’t go any lower.”

  “I knew we’d get caught.”

  “That’s half the fun.”

  “It really was.”

  Brad and Bobby turned their attention to the lodge. “How old do you think these trees are?”

  “Really old,” Bob said. “It looks like they built the lodge right around them.”

  “Roots must run deep.”

  Brad tried to put his arms around one of the bases, but they only made it halfway around.

  Jacob joined them, looking up. “Hey, what’s that up there?”

  “Looks like a tree house,” Bobby said.

  “There’s another one,” Jeremy yelled from the car.

  “We have eight of ‘em. Welcome to Moon Spirit Lodge.” A silver-haired Indian holding a carved wooden cane with an eagle at the top stepped forward.

  “We didn’t see you there,” Brad said.

  “I’m always here. Sometimes you see me, sometimes you don’t.” The man with the weathered face looked down at Jeremy. “You like these trees?”

  Jeremy nodded his head vigorously.

  “I had you pegged for a climber right from the get-go.” He looked at Jacob. “Not you, though. You’re more of a cave dweller, like having something solid at your back.”

  “Are there caves around here?”

  “Sure. Lots of ‘em. They’re hidden. You have to search to find them.”

  “Is there a map?” Jeremy asked.

  Courtney and Meg were intrigued by the man’s tone of voice and mysterious aura. They joined the others.

  “This lodge was built many moons ago to celebrate Chief Atonga’s marriage to lovely Marion Little Bear. You are standing on the boundary that used to separate the two tribes. On the eve of their wedding day, they signed a pact to join together, erasing the divide and becoming a new tribe. That day never arrived.”

  “Why?” Jacob asked.

  “Not everyone wanted the tribes to merge. Factions from both sides found them and drove arrows through their hearts.”

  “I’m not liking this story very much,” Meg said.

  “There is more. A love that strong doesn’t die when blood no longer flows through the body. Their spirits found one another under the midnight moon by the waterfall. They made their sacred vows to love one another and remain together for eternity.

  When the two tribes realized they had not succeeded in keeping the lovers apart, they honored the agreement to merge and the boundary was dissolved.

  They built Moon Spirit Lodge in the shadow of the waterfall where Marion Little Bear and Chief Atonga solidified their vows to one another.”

  “You okay, Mom?” Jeremy asked.

  Tears were streaming down Meg’s cheeks. “Yeah, honey.”

  “You know your Mom always cries at sad stories,” Courtney said. “And happy stories and funny stories and—”

  “All right, leave me alone. I’m a crier, so sue me.”

  Bobby put his arms around Meg and held her close. “I love that you have the biggest heart of anyone I’ve ever met.”

  “Hey, where’d he go?” Jeremy asked.

  They all looked at where the man had been standing. There was nothing there but an old bench made of gnarled tree stems.

  “He was right here a second ago,” Jacob said. “He’s really cool. Wish I could come and go like that.”

  “I wanted to ask him more about the tree houses,” Jeremy said.

  “I’m sure they can tell us more inside,” Bobby said.

  “But I want to hear it from him.”

  “And I want to know where we can find maps to the caves.”

  “Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, guys, but we’re just eating here, then we need to hit the road if we’re going to get to the Double Y Ranch by nightfall,” Meg said.

  “Oh, Mom, come on. We want to go on a hunt. This place is awesome!”

  “It is pretty spectacular,” Bob said.

  “Throw your damn schedule out, Meg. We want to explore,” Court said.

  “If Pure and Alex want to, then I’m okay with it.” Meg shrugged. “Don’t know why I made a schedule in the first place if no one was going to follow it.”

  “We love your organizational skills, but we’re also on vacation. We have to allow room for spontaneity,” Bob said.

  “I suppose. I would like to get a peek at the tree houses. Do you think you can stay overnight in them?”

  “You mean you don’t already know?” Court asked.

  Meg gave Courtney a glance that she was all too familiar with. So were the boys.

  “You’re pushing it, Court. If I were you, I’d zip it,” Jeremy said.

  “Wise advice,” Courtney said with a grin. “Come on, let’s go inside and see if we can find that man again.”

  Purity and Alex pulled up, joining Bobby, Brad and Meg.

  “Hey, you made it,” Brad said, opening the car door for Purity. “How are you feeling?”

  “I’m good. Didn’t puke once.”

  “Glad to hear it.”

  “We met this cool Indian guy and he was telling us about the history of this place. There are caves to explore and houses up in the trees. Look!” Courtney said, pointing up into the trees.

  “Is there time in the schedule to look around?” she asked Meg.

  “We’re making time.”

  “Oh, good. I know it’s hard to be flexible sometimes, Meggie.”

  “Does everyone think I’m a hard-ass?”

  “I think you have a very soft ass,” Bobby said.

  “That’s not what I meant.”

  “I know. No one thinks you’re a hard-ass, but you did make the schedule in fifteen minute increments.”

  “All right, no more schedule.”

  “We need a schedule,” Purity said. “Without your planning, we’d all still be at home twiddling our thumbs saying, ‘Yeah, someone ought to do something about that.’”

  “Beautiful place here. How old is it?” Alex asked.

  Everyone looked at Meg.

  “You’ll have to find out for yourself. Ms. Organization is taking a vacation, too.”

  Courtney laughed. “I love you, Meg. Come on, everybody, let’s go do some research ourselves, then we’ll really appreciate Meg’s gifts.”

  “You can say that again,” Purity said.

  “Let’s go do some research—”

  “No! Don’t say it again.”

  “You said!”

  “Since when does anybody listen to me?”

  They entered the lodge to find handcrafted items placed on shelves around multiple seating areas. Leather couches faced opposite each other to make square conversation areas. Beautiful stained glass lamps were on individually carved end tables.

  “Is everything in here homemade?” Courtney asked.

  “It is,” a gentleman with long, black hair tucked neatly in a braid said. He wore a denim shirt with embroidered trees on the collar and a vest made of suede embedded with beads.

  “Do the beads mean something?” Jacob asked.

  “They do. We wear our story on our bodies, in the clothes we wear, the walking sticks we use, even our footwear. Each piece is chosen with care and customized according to our tribe and the path we’ve chosen for our lives.”

  “I’m suddenly feeling very much like a boring white person with no
history,” Purity said.

  “Our culture is different. No better, no worse.” Courtney said. “It’s all about honoring each person’s journey. That’s why I love art so much, there’s no wrong way to express yourself.”

  “Is it possible to get a tour of the tree houses?” Meg asked.

  “Of course. Most of them are already spoken for, but we do have two left. I’m happy to show them to you.”

  “What’s your name?” Jeremy asked.

  “Michael. What’s yours?”

  “Jeremy, and this is my brother, Jacob. That’s our Mom and Dad, Meg and Bobby. And their friends, Courtney and Brad and Purity and Alex. We’re sort of like a gang.”

  “I can see that,” Michael smiled broadly, his teeth seeming even whiter against his dark skin. “There are quite a few stairs to climb. There are resting places, but if you need to stop and sit, please feel free to do so at any time.”

  “Are you up for this?” Alex asked Purity.

  “Are you kidding? Just try and stop me.”

  Chapter Five

  Lights highlighted each stair and wooden handrails on both sides made climbing easier.

  “How high up are we?” Jeremy asked, looking over the edge.

  “This one is about forty-five feet. The other one is sixty feet.”

  “Seems like we’re up higher than that.”

  “That’s because the land slopes on either side. That adds another ten to twenty feet, depending on which tree house you’re looking at.”

  “You okay?” Meg asked Purity.

  “I’m good. It’s so beautiful up here, and quiet.”

  “We’re about to pass the last rest area, if you’d like to sit down and rest.”

  “I’m going to sit,” Meg said.

  “Don’t sit on my account.”

  “I’m sitting on my account.”

  “Then I’ll join you,” Purity said.

  Meg suppressed a smile. She hadn’t really needed to sit, but she figured Purity might be too stubborn to admit she needed to rest for a minute.

  “Nice ride you and my brother snagged for the trip.”

  “I had no idea he was going to get a convertible until he pulled up in it. When the boys saw it, they went ballistic.”