Chapter 24 Julia
TWENTY-FOUR
JULIA
The next morning found me trudging back to the ATV I used to check on the calving out at Kingdom Ranch. Kent, the foreman, rang me before I was fully awake to let me know that a couple of the cows were having trouble birthing, and asking if I could come out.
By the time I got there, one of the cows had already given birth to a healthy female but the other was struggling with nuchal cord.
It’s the sort of thing that isn’t an issue until it is.
Thankfully, both the cow and calf were doing well now.
The hands managed to get them both moved over to the pasture closer to the breeding area so they could keep an eye on them.
I drove back to my truck and set up an appointment to return in two days. Calving season was well underway and I kept a somewhat flexible schedule for my contract clients in case of emergencies like this.
I managed to make it home and in and out of the shower in record time.
To my relief, I arrived at my first prenatal appointment on time, even if it was with mere seconds to spare.
After filling out the paperwork and answering questions in the exam room, the doctor called in the ultrasound tech.
Since it was still early, I’d agreed to a transvaginal ultrasound.
I could barely breathe in nervous anticipation, but then…
there it was. We heard the baby’s heartbeat.
“Is that the baby?” Jake gripped my hand.
“Sure is,” Dr. Somers said. “Nice and strong. Just as it should be.”
“Is it bad form to whoop in here?” His excitement was so endearing that it broke the wave of emotions crashing over me, and I laughed.
“You wouldn’t be the first father to do that,” Dr. Somers said, laughing along with us.
The doctor assured us that all was well, but given my PCOS, she scheduled a series of ultrasounds to monitor my baby. The nurse gave us each a swag bag filled with books and assorted pamphlets geared toward our respective roles and I was given a starter pack of prenatal vitamins.
We walked out of the office hand in hand. Jake had the bag looped over his wrist like a purse and was clutching his copy of the ultrasound pics like it was worth more than gold. Unfortunately, it was too soon to see anything more than a dark shadow, but he didn’t care.
As happy as I was, Jake was over the moon, he was so excited, and I was feeling buoyant and confident.
When we got to my truck, I opened the door to toss my things in but before I could climb in, Jake wrapped his arms around me and swung me around in a circle, letting out the loudest whoop. He kissed me before setting me back down with a grin.
“I was holding that in because I didn’t want to scare any of the other patients, but I just had to let it out,” he said making my heart flutter. “Meet me at my place later this evening?”
I agreed and drove home, knowing it was time to call my mom and share the news.
I sat on my porch rocker and dialed my mom.
“Hi, sweetie. Great timing. I was going to call you tonight,” my mom, Lisa, said as she answered the phone.
“Something going on?” I asked.
“No, I just haven’t heard from you lately,” she said. “You must be busy.”
“I have been.” I had avoided talking to her since finding out about the pregnancy, knowing that I’d have a difficult time keeping the big news to myself. I’d texted or emailed instead, but now I was ready to talk. “Things have been a little unusual. You might say unexpected.”
“I hope your clinic is going well.” She sounded worried. “It’s not too late to sell the ranch and join a practice in a large city, like Denver. Or you could always move closer to me.”
“Everything’s fine with the clinic, and you know that city life wouldn’t suit me.” My practice was doing decently despite my worries.
“You are so much like your father,” she sighed. “You love that land.”
“I do, Mom. It’s home to me,” I said and then went for it. “I’m going to have a baby.”
There was silence at the other end and I actually looked at my phone to make sure the call hadn’t got disconnected.
“What?” There was another pause. “Oh, my goodness. You’re pregnant? I didn’t think that was possible.”
“Neither did I, so it was a surprise. A good one.”
“A blessed one,” she declared enthusiastically.
“I’m so happy, I can’t even tell you. So happy for you.
And for me. I didn’t think I’d ever be a grandmother unless you adopted or married a man with children.
Are you getting married?” My mother was rushing and gushing.
Her questions tumbling out of her mouth faster than I could answer them.
Here came the hard part. “I’m in a relationship with the father, but I don’t know where it’s going, exactly.”
“Do I know him?”
“You do. It’s Jake Thorne.”
“Oh!” she exclaimed. “Jake. It’s hard for me to think of him all grown up. What am I saying? Of course he is.”
“You’re not upset about it being Jake?” I asked, a little nervous as I waited for the answer.
All of the Thornes were well-liked, but Jake didn’t exactly have the best reputation for being serious when it came to women.
In fact, he’d been known as a player back in high school.
I hoped that my mother wouldn’t hold that against him.
“No, not at all. You know Laura and I were friends for many years. Still are friends, although I haven’t spoken with her in ages.
We bonded over not being ranch women at heart.
In the end, she adapted better than I did, but we were both married to men whose lives and identities revolved around their ranches.
Jake might be like that, from what I remember of him. ”
“He is,” I admitted, unsurprised at my mother’s concern. “But—”
“But he’s a good man, too. I know that. Heart of gold and devoted to his family.”
“Just say it, Mom,” I said, knowing she was holding something back.
“Of the Thorne brothers, Jake reminds me of your father the most. He’d do anything for you, but he’s hardheaded and stubborn, too. And maybe doesn’t understand other people’s perspectives.”
As much as I had loved my father, I knew that criticism of him was valid. “I’m not walking into this blind, Mom. I know what Jake’s like.”
“I’m glad to hear that. I loved your father more than I can say and I still miss him every day, but building a life with someone who doesn’t understand you is frustrating.
It can become fraught with problems if they’re incapable of seeing both sides.
Once there are children in the picture, it becomes even more difficult. ”
I could hear her take a deep breath. “I don’t mean to be negative after hearing such wonderful news.
I’m thrilled for you, and you know I’m on your side whatever you choose to do, whether that means being in a relationship with Jake or not.
Just be careful, sweetie. Don’t rush into anything because you’re pregnant.
If it’s just about needing support, I’m more than happy to come and help you.
As a matter of fact, you won’t be able to keep me away. ”
“Thanks, Mom. I’m counting on your help.
And I’m not rushing into anything with Jake.
We’re both adults and we’re taking our time while we figure things out.
And I know he’s stubborn, but he’s better than you think.
You know I told you about him wanting to buy Twister and refusing to consider anything else?
He changed his mind on that and we’re negotiating a stud fee contract. ”
I went on and told her other ways that Jake had seemed to change, including no longer following the plan set forth by Luke.
From the little I’d seen of it, some of his ideas were decent enough, but the others were clearly designed to cut corners without regard to the health of the horses, such as the cheaper feed.
“That’s good,” she said when I was finished. “Your father would never have changed his mind no matter what happened. Lord, that man was obstinate. I think you must be right about Jake.”
We talked a little longer about the baby and then she filled me in on the book she was reading for book club and her latest quilting project—she was making lap blankets for the local senior center—before saying goodbye. I continued rocking as I looked out over my ranch.
I admitted to myself that I’d cherrypicked the examples that I’d shared with my mom about Jake, focusing on the ones that showed him in a good light rather than the ones that made me want to tear my hair out in frustration. But I felt good about my relationship with him.
When he did turn stubborn, sometimes it had been good. Like taking me to urgent care when I’d hurt my ankle or convincing me to go to the dance.
As much as I’d argued at the time, I knew he’d made the right call with my ankle. I would’ve definitely continued working and walking on it if the doctor hadn’t told me not to. And the dance ended up being a lot of fun and I ended up gaining a couple new clients from there.
Big questions remained, though. Would we live together? In what ways would his stubbornness be an issue? Then there was the fact that he’d yet to have a conversation with me about Twister. I needed my stallion’s stud fees if I was going to build my business and compete against the corporate chain.
Things were good between us, but as I’d told my mother, I wasn’t rushing toward a relationship with him. We had time.