by Beth Wiseman
“Ruin my life? How can a child ruin my life? I’ve thought long and hard about this, and I want this baby. This child is a part of both Chace and me, and we’re in love.”
“You believe you’re in love, but life isn’t that simple. You think you want this baby, but you haven’t truly weighed all the consequences of having a child at a young age. This doesn’t just affect you, Mia. It will reflect on our entire family.”
Mom’s expression hardened. “Can you imagine the scandal when our friends at church and the club find out you’re pregnant? It will ruin our family’s name. I can’t believe you let this happen. I’m very disappointed in you.”
“It was an accident, but I’m going to make things right.” Mia hated the quaver in her voice. She was stronger than this. “I’m going to have this baby.”
“Now, wait a minute.” Mom wagged her finger at Mia as if she were a petulant child. “There’s only one way to make this right.” She shifted on her chair and crossed one long leg over her opposite knee. “You should live with your aunt Briana in San Diego until after the baby is born. Then you can give it up for adoption. No one will ever know of your mistake. Then you can go back to college and get on with your life like it never happened, and you’ll be much happier.”
“You want me to just give up my child?” Mia gasped and turned to her father. Surely, he would understand.
Dad nodded. “Sweetie, your mom is right. Don’t let an unplanned pregnancy ruin your good name or your future.”
“All your friends from high school are getting their degrees and heading toward a bright future,” Mom chimed in. “Don’t you want to be like them? I’m certain they won’t want to associate with you when they find out you’re pregnant out of wedlock.”
A surge of fury mixed with confidence bubbled up from somewhere deep inside her. “I’m going to marry Chace and have this baby with or without your blessing.”
Mia didn’t want to think about the rest of their conversation that day. She had stuck to her decision and marched out of her parents’ house without their blessing or approval.
But now, as Mia stood in the middle of the cold cabin, her mother’s hurtful words echoed through her mind. Was Mom right? Maybe I’m not capable of being a good mother.
Without warning, a sob escaped from Mia’s throat. She covered her face with her hands as tears spilled down her cheeks.
Strong arms encircled her as Chace pulled her to his muscular chest. She inhaled the comforting scent of his spicy aftershave as she buried her face in his collarbone. She relaxed against him, pulling strength from the sound of his heartbeat.
“Everything is going to be fine, Mee,” he whispered into her hair before kissing the top of her head. “I promise I’ll take care of us. This is temporary. As soon as we pay off all the hospital bills and save up some money, I’ll build us a house. Does that sound good?” He placed his fingertip under her chin and angled her face so she looked up into his eyes.
“Yeah.”
He wiped away her tears with his fingers and then smiled before kissing her. As Chace pulled her close for another hug, Mia closed her eyes and prayed she and Chace could give Kaitlyn everything she needed.
CHAPTER TWO
ANGUISH COVERED CHACE LIKE A LEAD BLANKET AS HE folded one arm behind his head and stared up at the bedroom ceiling through the dark. Mia’s stricken expression after Isaac and his family left the cabin filled Chace’s mind. Each tear that slipped down her pink cheeks had chipped away at his heart. He was grateful he was able to calm her down and convince her to go to bed since they both were exhausted after the stressful day they had endured.
All Chace wanted was to be the husband she deserved and the father Kaitlyn needed, but no matter how hard he worked, the rug had been repeatedly yanked out from under him. He had been mortified when he received the Notice to Quit, but he was certain he could find a way to get a loan to pay the past-due rent and keep their apartment. He had tried to explain their situation to the landlord and convince Mr. Newman to give them an extension, but Mr. Newman insisted he was forced to evict them. Chace had hoped to find them a place to go before today’s deadline, but there weren’t any decent apartments in their price range. Also, the medical bills they had incurred with Kaitlyn’s birth had destroyed their chances of finding a nice apartment in a safe neighborhood.
Mia sighed in her sleep beside him and nestled deeper under the pile of blankets. Chace touched the long, thick, dark-brown hair fanning over her pillow. He smiled as the moment he’d first seen her two years ago took over his thoughts.
Chace hadn’t wanted to go to the party since he wasn’t a student at the college where it was held, but his coworker at the construction company had insisted he go. He felt out of place surrounded by young people who were getting an education and would ultimately make something of themselves—unlike Chace, who had ricocheted from foster home to foster home and barely managed to graduate from high school. While his friend flirted with a sorority girl, Chace leaned against a far wall and sipped a can of soda.
But everything changed when Chace spotted Mia across the crowded room. It had been love at first sight, just like one of those sappy movies Mia loved to watch. She was breathtakingly dressed in a short black skirt and an emerald green sweater. When her milk-chocolate eyes met his gaze, he was certain she’d dismiss him with a haughty glare, but she didn’t. Instead, she smiled and raised her diet soda can in a silent toast. He mustered all his confidence and crossed the room to ask her name. They spent the rest of the evening talking in a quiet corner, and she allowed him to call her the next day. They’d been inseparable ever since.
A quiet snore sounded from the portable crib next to his side of the bed. Chace leaned over and smiled. How he adored his baby girl. Kaitlyn was the greatest blessing in his life, his greatest accomplishment. He often felt the urge to pinch himself to make certain he hadn’t dreamed his family.
When his thoughts turned to Mia’s parents, Chace’s shoulders tightened. Why didn’t they want to meet their only grandchild? How could they so easily throw away their only child and her baby? Guilt filled him as he recalled the biting remark he’d made to Mia earlier, accusing her of wanting to live at the Hilton. That was a low blow since Mia was nothing like her elitist parents, but sometimes his insecurities got the best of him. He had to work harder at curbing his temper. His job was to cherish Mia, not cut her down.
Chace moved under the blankets and shifted closer to Mia, his leg resting against hers. Closing his eyes, he listened to the soft sound of his wife’s breathing until sleep found him.
Mia woke at the sound of Kaitlyn’s first whimper. She glanced at the battery-operated clock on the nightstand. It was six thirty. Since Chace had fifteen minutes more to sleep, she gingerly climbed from the bed, shivering as she pulled on her pink terry-cloth robe and pushed her socked feet into slippers. She tiptoed around the bed and lifted Kaitlyn from the portable crib, holding her close to her body for warmth. Did this little cabin have any insulation at all? She scooped up one of the blankets from the portable crib.
Standing in the doorway, Mia peered over at her husband, snuggled under the blankets as he snored into his pillow. Even with spittle at the corner of his mouth, Chace O’Conner remained the most handsome man she’d ever seen. She grinned as she pulled the door closed.
“Did you sleep well, sweet pea?” Mia carried her baby to the sofa.
Kaitlyn gurgled a response as Mia began to change her diaper. When she was done, she lifted her daughter into her arms.
She balanced Kaitlyn on her hip before heading to the kitchen. She glanced at the coal stove, trying in vain to remember Vera’s instructions for adding more coal to increase the heat in the house. She had no business touching the stove.
Then she turned toward the cookstove and examined it, wondering how she’d ever figure it out so she could cook for Chace. She bit her lip as confusion settled over her. She’d cooked easy meals and warmed bottles with the help of a pot of w
ater when they lived in their apartment, but the stove there had been electric. What if she made a mistake when she tried to light the burner?
Visions of an exploding stove filled her mind as Kaitlyn’s whine transformed into a steady cry. Mia examined the knobs and dials on the stove for a moment longer, but her lack of confidence in her domestic skills won out over her determination. She would figure out how to work the stove later. Right now, she needed to worry about feeding her baby.
She returned to the sofa, covered Kaitlyn with the blanket for warmth, and began to breastfeed her.
A short while later Mia supported Kaitlyn on her shoulder and rubbed her back in an attempt to burp her. The bedroom door opened with a whoosh, revealing Chace clad in worn navy blue sweatpants and a faded, long-sleeved T-shirt featuring a muscle car. Clean clothes were draped over his arm, and he yawned and rubbed his eyes as he crossed the small space to the sofa.
“How are my two favorite girls this morning?” He planted a soft kiss on Mia’s lips before kissing Kaitlyn’s shock of blond hair.
“We’re fine, Daddy,” Mia simpered. “How are you, sleepyhead?”
He shrugged, but she observed dark circles under his eyes as he gave her a crooked grin. “I slept okay.” He jammed a thumb toward the kitchen. “Did you see if the stove needed more coal?”
Mia continued to caress Kaitlyn’s back. “I didn’t feel comfortable touching it. I couldn’t remember exactly what Vera told me about adding coal.”
“I’ll take a look.” Chace touched Kaitlyn’s back, and she responded with a loud belch. “That’s my girl.” He snickered as he walked toward the kitchen. He reappeared a few moments later, rubbing his hands together. “I added some coal. Maybe we’ll finally get some heat in here. I’m going to shower.”
Mia resumed feeding Kaitlyn, and just as she had finished burping her, a knock sounded on the front door. She covered Kaitlyn with the blanket again and walked to the door. Peering out the glass, she saw Adam and Joel standing on the steps.
Mia unlocked the door and opened it. “Good morning.”
“Hi. Our mamm asked us to bring these to you.” Adam held up a basket. “I can set this on the counter for you if you’d like.”
“She also said she thought you could use this.” Joel held up a baby seat. “We cleaned it up for you.”
Mia beamed. A baby seat! This is just what she needed since someone had taken their baby seat from the truck.
Adam put the basket on the counter as Joel put the seat on the kitchen table.
“Please tell your mother I said thank you so much. I’ll try to stop by to see her later,” Mia told the boys before they left.
After securing Kaitlyn in the seat and giving her a pacifier, Mia investigated the basket and found a homemade coffee cake and butter tucked inside. Tears stung her eyes.
Mia was setting two plates with coffee cake on the table when Chace reappeared wearing jeans and a gray Henley shirt. His hair was damp, and his chin was clean-shaven. He was adorable.
“Wow.” He approached the table. “Is that homemade?”
“Yes, it is.”
“Where did you get it?”
“Joel and Adam brought it and the butter, along with this seat.” Mia touched the seat as Kaitlyn gazed up at Chace. “I think the Allgyers are our guardian angels.”
Chace nodded. “I think you’re right.”
As they sat down across from each other to eat, Mia smiled. Mom was wrong. Chace, Kaitlyn, and I are going to be fine.
Chace cast Isaac a sideways glance as he steered his pickup onto the main road. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for my family and me.”
“You’re welcome.” Isaac nodded with his usual pleasant but not overly emotional expression. “Are you comfortable in the cabin?”
“Yes, we are.” Chace refocused on the road ahead. “It’s a little cold, but I think we’ll get used to the coal stove. I added more coal before I left this morning.”
“I can take a look at it later if you’d like. It does take a little getting used to.” After a moment he said, “We want to lend you more of my sister’s baby supplies from our attic. No one in the family needs them right now.”
“We appreciate it. We don’t have much.” Chace stole another glance at Isaac, who was now peering out the passenger side window. He had the overwhelming urge to explain why he and Mia were in such dire straits. “I was working for a construction firm when I asked Mia to marry me. I was making a fairly good salary, and I had health insurance. But I was laid off shortly before Katie was born, and when she came she wound up in the neonatal intensive care unit for five days before we could bring her home. Katie is fine, but we found ourselves drowning in debt. We sold everything we could, but it still didn’t get us caught up.”
Chace slowed the truck to a stop at a red light, and when Isaac didn’t say anything, he continued. “Like I told you yesterday, I never imagined I’d wind up homeless, and I’m embarrassed to admit how bad things became for Mia and me. I’m just so grateful you offered us a place to live. You’ve been so generous to me. You’re the reason my family and I haven’t wound up in a homeless shelter. You gave me a job when I had hardly any experience with cabinetry.”
The light turned green, and Chace accelerated through the intersection as a horse and buggy moved along in the shoulder beside the truck.
“I didn’t do much,” Isaac said. “You’re a fast learner, and you told me you’d learned woodworking in high school. It only made sense for me to offer you the cabin when it’s sat empty since mei dat passed away.”
In the three months Chace had worked for Isaac he’d noticed how humble and self-deprecating the man was. It was just like Isaac to not acknowledge how generous he was. He smacked the blinker as the sign for Allgyer’s Custom Cabinets came into view and then steered into the lot. He parked his truck in his usual spot at the far end of the parking lot, leaving the closer spaces for the customers.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself.” Isaac wrenched open the passenger side door. “Vera and I struggled when we were young. Every couple endures tough times, and you and Mia will come through this stronger. Vera and I will do all we can to help you.” With a quick nod, he hopped out of the truck and started toward the front door of the store.
Chace pulled his keys from the ignition and then leaned back in the seat as Isaac crossed the parking lot. He was so thankful he’d taken a chance and walked into Isaac’s store the day he’d seen the Help Wanted sign. Mia was right—Isaac and Vera Allgyer were their guardian angels. Maybe, just maybe, with their help he and Mia would be okay.
Mia gritted her teeth as she paced back and forth from the small family room to the kitchen, bouncing Kaitlyn as she wailed. Kaitlyn had been screaming for nearly twenty minutes and none of Mia’s usual soothing techniques had been successful. Mia had tried changing her diaper, singing to her, feeding her, and rocking her as they walked, but Kaitlyn continued her tirade.
Mia looked from the kitchen to the family room, where the sea of boxes, suitcases, and bags waited patiently to be unpacked. She had so much to do, but she couldn’t accomplish any of it if Kaitlyn continued to fuss.
Mia thought she heard a knock on the door, but she ignored it, certain she had misheard the noise because of Kaitlyn’s sobs. When the knock sounded again, Mia opened the door to find Rhoda and Susannah.
“Hi,” Mia said, speaking loudly over Kaitlyn’s moans. “How are you?”
“Our mamm sent us over to help you,” Rhoda explained as they stepped into the cabin. She removed her coat and hung it on a peg by the door before holding out her arms to Kaitlyn. “May I hold her?”
“She’s really fussy today, but you can try.” Mia handed the baby over to her.
Rhoda whispered something to Kaitlyn and then held her close. When Kaitlyn continued to cry, Rhoda looked up at Mia. “Would it be all right if I took her for a walk?”
Mia grimaced. “I don’t know. It’s so cold out.”
“
My youngest brother loved to go for walks when he was little,” Rhoda explained, moving her body back and forth to rock the unhappy baby. “Walks seemed to be the only thing that would calm him, even when it was cold out.”
“I remember that.” Susannah cupped her hand to the back of Kaitlyn’s head and murmured something in her ear.
Mia hugged her arms to her chest and glanced around the cabin. She was too embarrassed to admit she didn’t have a stroller either. That was something else that had been swiped from the truck while they were packing up their apartment. She just hadn’t mentioned every item stolen to Vera the night before. Who leaves belongings unattended like that? But they’d been so upset and in such a rush to get out of there.
“We have a stroller,” Susannah offered as if reading Mia’s thoughts. “We have a snowsuit about Kaitlyn’s size too. I can go get them.” She still had her coat on.
Mia sighed. “You are too generous.”
“It’s no problem. Do you need anything else?” Susannah stepped toward the door.
Mia rubbed her arms, recalling how cold she’d been all night. Had Chace added enough coal to the stove? “It’s so cold in here. Do you have any spare blankets? I’ll return them when the cabin warms up.”
Susannah nodded. “I’m sure we have extra quilts. I’ll be right back.”
“Thank you.” Mia turned toward Rhoda, who spoke softly to Kaitlyn while continuing to move her body back and forth. Kaitlyn stopped crying. “You certainly are an expert. You look so comfortable with her.”
“I just have a lot of experience taking care of my siblings and my cousins.” Rhoda shrugged as she lowered herself into the wing chair. “Does she take a bottle? Do you want me to feed her?”
Mia grimaced and pointed toward the cookstove. “I’m breastfeeding, and I’m getting her used to formula in a bottle too. But I can’t figure out how to turn on the burner so I can warm up a bottle.”
