CHAPTER FIFTEEN #2
Amy hated the feeling of being in limbo with Will.
They hadn’t gone out on a date yet, and since it was kind of a trial thing, they weren’t officially a couple.
Yet moments of intimacy kept popping up between them.
It actually would have been much easier if he’d just steered clear of her until their date on Saturday.
Instead, they were working side by side, and she had to keep her nerves and emotions where he was concerned under control. Especially after moments like that.
“So what do we need to do now?” Will asked when they were back at the manor.
“Let me run up to my room and get the stuff I was going to work on.”
Upstairs, Amy sank down on her bed and took a deep breath and let it out.
How was it possible to be excited about her dearest dream coming true and yet, at the same time, be terrified that it actually would?
Conflicted emotions didn’t sit well with her.
She liked clarity and direction in her life.
This current situation promised neither.
Resolved to push it aside from her mind for the time being, Amy gathered up the bags of supplies she’d bought over the past couple of weeks. It ended up taking her two trips to bring everything to where Will waited in the kitchen.
Grinning, she asked, “Ready to get to work?”
~*~*~
If he’d had any idea of what was entailed in helping Amy, Will probably would have.
..showed up to help regardless, he admitted ruefully.
As he stuffed another piece of plastic jewelry into a bag made out of some sort of see-through fabric, he watched Amy out of the corner of his eye.
Once she’d brought all her stuff down, she’d put some music on.
As she worked, she bobbed her head and moved her body to the rhythm of the songs.
Clearly music moved through her veins much the same way it did her brother’s.
He enjoyed watching her work. Preparing for Isabella’s party didn’t appear to be a task for her.
She truly seemed to love what she was doing.
Humming as she worked, he couldn’t help but wonder what was running through her mind.
Was she as excited as he was to see where things might go between them?
When she’d run into him on the walk back to the manor, he had been pleasantly surprised that she hadn’t immediately moved away.
And maybe one day he’d admit to her that he hadn’t been watching the deer as much as enjoying her nearness.
They’d been working for about an hour when Amy’s phone went. She frowned as she looked at the display before answering it. “Lance? Is everything okay?”
The frown didn’t fade as she listened to what he said. A sick feeling took up residence in his stomach as he waited for her to finish the conversation.
“You’ve talked to her already? Okay. Let us know if there are any more developments.”
“What happened?” Will asked when Amy hung up.
She set her phone on the table. “He’s taken Jessa to the hospital.”
“Is she okay?”
“They want to monitor her.” Amy sank down on a chair and propped an elbow on a pile of fluffy fabric.
“The decision to admit her hasn’t been made yet.
I think they’re going to hook her up to monitor her blood pressure, any contractions and the baby’s heart rate.
I know the baby would probably be okay being born now, but it would be so much better for the baby if the pregnancy could continue a bit longer. ”
When her gaze met his, he could see the green of her eyes was intensified by moisture. He got up and took her hand, pulling her to her feet. As he wrapped his arms around her, he felt her relax into his embrace. “It’s going to be okay. They have lots of people praying for them.”
He stroked her head, feeling the silkiness of her hair beneath his fingertips.
It had been a very long time since he’d held a woman in his arms, and he realized now he’d missed it.
But he didn’t want to hold just anyone. Amy was the one he wanted to embrace, today and each day afterward.
She fit just perfectly, her head tucked under his chin.
It felt so right to him. It scared him to think that maybe it wouldn’t feel as right to her.
Amy lifted her head. “But sometimes things don’t work out even when people are praying.”
Will looked down at her and saw sadness in her gaze.
He knew she must be struggling with some of that now after what had happened with her school.
But was there more? His own personal experience had proven that what she said was true.
“Yes, I know, but we need to trust God will work it out for Jessa and Lance.”
A tear slid down her cheek. She sighed and leaned her head against his chest once again. “Lance just sounded so worried. He loves her so much.”
“Their love is strong,” Will agreed.
They stood there for a few minutes before Amy moved back. Will let her go reluctantly. She lifted her hands and wiped her cheeks. “Okay, no more moping around. It won’t help Jessa any, and it certainly won’t get the rest of this party stuff done.”
Before she could turn away, he grabbed her hand.
“Want to pray about it?” He saw the surprise on her face and found that he was a little surprised himself.
He’d withdrawn from his once very vocal faith over the past several years.
He’d struggled so much in the years following Delia’s death that he hadn’t been vocal about his faith because it felt hypocritical.
The emotions that had been slowly coming to life over the past few weeks though had included a desire to share that faith with those around him once again.
“Yes,” Amy said. She took his other hand, so they stood facing each other, hands clasped.
Will stared at her bent head for a moment before he closed his eyes. He paused, gathering his thoughts as he prepared to pray with this woman who was growing more and more important to him with each passing day.
“Father, Amy and I come to You today, thanking You for the many blessings You’ve given us even as we ask for Your protection for Jessa and her little one.
You gave them the blessing of this child after so many years of losses.
We believe that You can, and will, allow this pregnancy to proceed to a point that is safe for both Jessa and the baby.
Please give Jessa and Lance peace as they deal with the uncertainty of today and the days ahead.
We love them very much and know that You do, too.
We also pray for safe travels for all the family members journeying here today.
Thank you for the blessing of being able to be together once again. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
When Amy looked up after his prayer and met his gaze, Will could see that the tumult of emotion had eased a bit.
“Thank you,” she said, a gentle smile curving her lips. She gave his hands a brief squeeze before releasing them. Her shoulders lifted as she took a deep breath and then let it out before turning back to the task at hand.
In that instant, Will knew, even without having gone on a single date with her, that he loved Amy Moyer. Savoring the thought for a moment, he wondered how long he was going to have to keep that revelation to himself. Something told him that Amy wasn’t quite prepared to hear it from him just yet.
Amy took the time to change the music to some upbeat worship songs.
She turned it up and sang along as they continued to work.
Her voice could no doubt have launched a singing career if she’d been so inclined, especially with a brother already in the business.
And yet she’d chosen to teach children instead…
because that was what she loved. It was one more thing that endeared her to him.
“Here, I’m going to need your help to tie these,” Amy said.
“What do you need me to do?” Will eyed the pile of bags that now contained an assortment of items that were sure to delight the hearts of all the young girls at the party the next day.
“Just hold them so I can tie the ribbons.”
“Sounds easy enough,” Will said. “I shouldn’t be able to mess that up too much.”
“You won’t mess it up at all.” Amy grinned as she handed him the first bag. “You haven’t messed up yet.”
True to her word, all he needed to do was hold the bag while she tightened the ribbon and tied it into a bow. They were standing close, Amy’s head bent over the bag, Will’s gaze on her, when he heard someone clear their throat loudly.
Will jerked around. The contents of the bag he’d been holding spilled out on the floor as he took in the sight of his sister and Josh standing in the entrance to the kitchen. Cami’s gaze went from him to Amy, an expression that he could only peg as concern on her face.
Josh lifted an eyebrow and said, “Are we interrupting?”
“Josh! Cami!” With obvious delight, Amy hurried past him and flung her arms around first Josh and then Cami. “I am so glad to see you guys!” She moved on to hug the two little girls who stood with them. “I didn’t expect to see you here so soon. Lance said you wouldn’t be here until after noon.”
Cami looked at Will, and her eyes narrowed briefly. “We were all up earlier than planned so we decided to just head on out. And then Lance phoned with the news about Jessa. I’m glad we are here sooner rather than later.”
“Me, too,” Amy said as she hugged Cami again.
Will moved to give his sister a hug, trying to figure out what was going on with her. He shook hands with Josh. “Glad you made it safe and sound.”
Josh grinned. “Safe anyway. If sound means sane, that’s debatable.”
“Do you need help bringing your luggage in?” Will asked. “I’m sure your rooms are ready upstairs.”
“Sounds good.”
Will turned to Cami. “You can take over my job of holding bags for Amy.”
Again, no response, just an odd expression on her face. Something was definitely up with her, but he had no idea what it was.
When they brought the first of the luggage into the foyer, Amy told them which rooms to put it in. It didn’t take too long to empty their big bus. After they were done, Josh got behind the wheel to drive it around to the side of the manor.
Back in the kitchen, Will found Cami helping Amy straighten up the birthday stuff. It appeared the last of the bags had been tied, and sadly, his time alone with Amy had come to an end.
“Do you want all this up in your room?” he asked. “I’m assuming you want it put away before the girls come back.”
Amy nodded. “But I think I’m going to sneak it all into the library and try to keep the girls out of there. Maybe we can just pile it in a corner and cover it with a sheet or something.” She put the last of the bags into a box. “Let me go see what I can find.”
As soon as Amy left the room, Cami turned to him. “Is there something going on between you and Amy?”
Will’s eyes widened in shock. Had Amy mentioned something about their upcoming date? Since they’d only talked about it the night before, he would have been surprised if that had been the case. “What do you mean?”
“You’re my brother, and I love you, but if she gets hurt again by you, I will be very angry.” Emotion flashed in Cami’s eyes.
Feeling more confused by her response, Will asked, “Hurt again by me? What are you talking about? What is going on?”
“Just don’t take advantage of her feelings for you.” Cami lifted a finger and pointed it at him. “She deserves better than that.”
Will stared at his sister. Were they having the same conversation? Amy had feelings for him that Cami knew about?