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Jo Ellen clutched her stomach and held in a cringe. All this country hospitality was going to force her to work out triple time in the gym once she returned to Dallas. Everywhere she went, people only wanted to stuff food down her. But she didn’t complain, just followed her brother and his wife into the back and seated herself across from them at the table.
“So, what’ve you guys been up to?” She asked five minutes later as she licked a dribble of iced frosting off her pinkie. When Grady and Amy paused to shift each other a look, she froze. “What? Oh no, are you okay?” Dread settled like a led pipe in her abdomen.
She knew the doctor had told them Amy couldn’t have any more children after her last miscarriage, but what if it was worse than that? What if she had cancer or—
Her sister-in-law beamed. “Yes, we’re both fine. Better than fine.” Then she threw her head back and laughed before covering her stomach. “I’m pregnant.”
Jo Ellen blinked, then frowned, thinking she’d misheard them.
When she glanced toward her brother, he shrugged, not quite as ecstatic as his wife. “We decided to tell you first since you…helped us out so much the last time.”
Her mouth moved, but it took Jo Ellen a moment to sputter, “Oh my God.” Then the realization hit her. “Oh my God, congratulations!”
She sprang to her feet and rounded the table. Amy met her so they could hug and dance around the kitchen. Though jealously nipped at her—everyone and their dog seemed to be popping out babies these days…everyone but her—she ignored the envious burn and rubbed her sister-in-law’s still flat belly before hugging her again.
“And here I thought your doctor said you couldn’t get pregnant again.”
Still sitting in his chair resting his chin in his clasped hands, Grady spoke up. “Doc said she shouldn’t get pregnant, not that she couldn’t.”
Jo Ellen slid a worried glance from Grady to Amy and back to Grady.
But Amy waved a dismissive hand in her husband’s direction. “Oh, don’t listen to the party pooper. This is good news. Great news! I am so excited.”
“Well, then I’m excited too,” Jo Ellen agreed. “How far along are you?”
“Three months. Grady wanted to wait until the biggest chance of miscarriage passed before telling anyone. But I’ve already made—oh! Since you’re here, I’ll just show you. I taught myself how to make booties. They’re adorable. Wait here. I’ll go fetch them.”
As she flew from the room and all her excitement and enthusiasm left with her, Jo Ellen focused on her brother.
Plopping into the seat beside him, she patted his shoulder and forced a smile. “Well, is this family turning into a baby-making factory or what? Pretty soon, Caine is going to show up with a couple of kids in tow and then where will we be?”
Grady glanced at her, but didn’t smile. Deep grooves creased his face.
She frowned and nudged his arm again. “What is wrong with you? After years of bossing me around, you’re finally getting your own child to boss around.”
He shook his head and closed his eyes. “The doctor really is not keen on the idea of her having this baby.”
Jo Ellen sobered. “Is she in danger?”
He opened his lashes and met her gaze before slowly shaking his head. “Doc’s more worried about her not being able to carry it to full term but…I have a bad feeling. You saw what happened to her last time. I don’t want her getting her hopes up again, only to lose this baby like we did last time. I don’t…I just don’t think she could handle it.”
When he sighed and rubbed his forehead, Jo Ellen drew in a deep breath. “What’re the chances it’ll survive?”
Grady shrugged, then winced. “They can’t be good if Doc is already worried. He’s got her on a strict diet and prohibiting her from any heavy lifting. He’s insinuated she’ll go on bed rest in another couple of months.”
Though Jo Ellen bit the inside of her lip with worry, she squeezed her brother’s arm reassuringly. “Well, excited as that little mama is, I think she’ll do everything the doctor tells her to do. She wants this baby, Grady.”
“I know. It’s just...” Suddenly, he reached out and grabbed her hand, gripping her fingers hard. “You’d come back, wouldn’t you? If things don’t…if she needs you again like she did the last time, you’d come back to be with her, right? Because I can’t…I can’t reach her when she’s in that place.”
Jo Ellen’s heart went out to him, wishing she could do more than what he asked, wishing she could keep his baby strong and healthy and alive for him. After she studied him intently, she turned her fingers under his to squeeze his trembling hand. “Of course I would, Grady. But what happened to her last time isn’t going to happen again. Have a little faith, okay.”
Like Cooper had said at the hospital, whenever you didn’t have any control over a situation, you just had to hope for the best and try not to worry about the worst.
His shoulders wilted with relief and he nodded just as Amy breezed back into the room.
“What do you think? Am I a natural or what?”
When she flashed the booties, Jo Ellen immediately made the appropriate noises. “Oh, how adorable. Amy, these are amazing.”
