Baby, Our Baby!

Ali’s throat felt raw. She went to her grandmother and placed a kiss on her cheek, careful not to disturb the baby. “Oh, Gran, you have been so good to me and Joanie. I love you.”

“I love you, too,” her grandmother answered with her arm across Ali’s shoulder. “And as long as I live, you can count on my being here for you two.”

I hope you’ll always feel that way, Ali prayed silently. She pulled back. “There’s something I need to talk to you about.”

Gran June frowned. “Sure, honey. Is there a problem?”

Ali hesitated. “No, just something I should have told you long ago. Come with me while I put Joanie to bed.”

Ali climbed the winding dark oak staircase to the second floor. The hardwood floors of the old house creaked as they made their way down the hall toward Joanie’s room.

Ali opened the door and went inside the pink-colored nursery. An animal lamp on the dresser cast a soft glow in the room. Ali went to the dressing table and removed her daughter’s jacket and hat. Already the little one was in her pj’s, and she’d just had a diaper change before leaving the hospital. Ali placed Joanie in the crib and gently patted her back until the baby reached for her favorite blanket and quickly dozed off.

“It’s amazing how she manages to fall asleep without so much as a fuss,” Gran June said. “You were like that. Now, Darcie would let you know how she hated bedtime.”

For a long time, they both stood by the crib and watched Joanie sleep until finally Ali spoke. “I took Joanie to the hospital tonight to see Jake.”

Gran June took Ali by the arm, and they walked out of the nursery. She didn’t say another word until they were downstairs in the kitchen.

“I had a feeling that’s where you went,” Gran said. “A baby should know her father.”

Ali stared in shock. “You knew Jake was…Joanie’s father?”

Seeing her grandmother’s nod, Ali collapsed into a chair at the table.

“I didn’t at first,” Gran June verified. She went to the stove, picked up the kettle and filled two mugs with hot water, then dropped tea bags into the cups and returned to the table.

“You didn’t come home the night Darcie left Jake at the church. When Joanie was born with all that dark hair, I figured out what must have happened.” Gran sat down. “I knew you were never promiscuous. I also knew how much you loved Jake Hawkins.”

Ali gasped. “Was it that obvious?”

“No, honey.” The older woman reached across the table and took Ali’s hand. “But as much as Jake hung out at this house, I could see how you looked at him, and how you’d hang on his every word.” She smiled. “There’s nothing wrong with having a crush on a boy.”

“Yeah, sure, especially when he’s your twin sister’s boyfriend.”

“I’m not condoning what you did, Ali. But Darcie did leave Jake on their wedding day. Jake wasn’t anyone’s boyfriend that night. I was just worried that he talked you into something—”

“No! Jake was never out of line. I was naive, but I knew what I was doing that night. I wanted to love him, and I can’t regret what happened, Gran June. Because of Jake, I have a beautiful baby daughter.”

“Have you given any thought as to what will happen when everyone finds out about you and Jake?”

“I haven’t thought of much else. And what about Darcie? I was going to tell her, but she hasn’t been home since that day. I can’t tell her over the phone. She’ll hate me. She’ll claim that I stole Jake.”

“The only claim anyone can make now is that Jake Hawkins is Joanie’s father. Darcie made her choice. She’ll have to live with that. The only two people you have to worry about are Jake and your daughter.”

Ali went to the hospital before work the next morning. She liked the peaceful time she shared with Jake. As much as she wanted him to wake up, she knew there was a possibility that he would hate her. Would he understand that she hadn’t known what to do when she’d found out about her pregnancy? That she’d been terrified over facing the community’s censure, when everyone in town learned she’d slept with her sister’s man?

A garbled sound made her whirl around and stare at the man in the bed.

Jake groaned, his breathing harsh.

She rushed to the bed. “Oh, God, Jake. You’re waking up.” Reaching for his arm, she shook it. “C’mon, Jake, wake up. It’s Ali.”

She began to pray silently. Please, Jake, open your eyes. Even if it means you take one look at me and tell me to get lost. I don’t care. Just please wake up. Her throat tight, she leaned closer and managed to whisper, “Jake. It’s me. Ali. You can do it. Wake up.”

Jake groaned again and moved his head, as if trying to hear her voice better.

Ali’s heart drummed in her chest as she sat down on the edge of the bed and picked up Jake’s hand. She rubbed the back, then the palm, before lacing her trembling fingers through his.

“C’mon, Jake. You can do it. So many people need you. Your father has been camped out here for days. But the most important of all is your daughter. Don’t make her wait any longer. She needs her daddy,” Ali whispered, staring at his face, hoping for a reaction. None.

Tears crowded Ali’s eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She had to concentrate on Jake. She had to bring him back. Leaning closer to the man she’d never stopped thinking about during the past eighteen months, she spoke softly. “I need you, Jake. I need you so much.” She pressed his hand against her mouth and kissed his fingertips. “You’ve got to wake up.”

Suddenly she felt a slight movement where her lips touched Jake’s fingers. She gasped, then covered his hand with hers. “Jake?”

His long slender fingers twitched again. A jerk of his jaw had her holding her breath. “C’mon, Jake. You can do it. Come back to us.”

Another groan, and her gaze shot up to discover a pair of dazed midnight eyes staring back at her. Her tears pooled, then dashed down her cheeks. “Oh, thank God!”

Jake blinked several times and silently looked around the room, as if to orientate himself to the strange surroundings. “Jake, you’re in the hospital.” Her voice cracked with emotion. “There was an accident. We’ve been so worried about you. Oh, Jake. You’re back. You came back to us.”

Jake opened his mouth, as if to speak, but he only managed a hoarse gasp.

“Here, let me get you some water.” Shaking like crazy, Ali managed to pour water into a glass, then helped him take a drink.

Jake rested his head back on the pillow and stared at Ali. He couldn’t believe his eyes. Although he hurt like hell, the pain seemed to dissipate as her hands stroked him. So many times he’d thought about Ali, and wondered what happened after that night….

Now he knew.

His gaze fixed on her face, her beautiful face. Gentleness shone in her green eyes, and he wondered how she could have kept his child from him.

“Ali?” The words came haltingly past his parched lips. “Where…where’s my…daughter?”

Then the darkness claimed him once again.

Chapter Three

Jake heard her voice again, soft and soothing, willing him from the darkness. But it was so hard to wake up. Damn, not again.

Suddenly there was a different voice. A man’s. His father? Jake began to fight the weakness, refusing to give in.

“Wake up, son,” his father called out. “Wake up.”

“Cliff, maybe we should wait,” Ali said. “Remember what the doctor told us. He needs rest.”

“I know, but I can’t be at peace until I see for myself that he’s out of the coma,” Cliff insisted. “I want him to know I’m here. That I care.”

“He knows you’re here. But he needs sleep,” Ali said.