Christmas Baby: A Baby Under the Tree / A Baby For Christmas / Her Christmas Hero

“We’re glad you came,” Eva said.

“If you don’t mind,” Shane told Dan, “I’d like to show Jillian around the ranch.”

“Not at all.” The rancher slipped his arm around his wife’s waist and drew her to his side.

“We’ll have lunch when you get back,” Eva said.

With that, Shane took Jillian by the hand, and they were off.

After checking out the stalls, the horses and the office, they walked along the outside corral that fenced a couple of mares. Shane explained that they were working horses—trained to cut cattle out of the herd.

Next they continued on to the pasture, following a path that led to the creek.

The sun was especially bright, the temperature warm, the breeze light. And after a tour that took more than an hour, Shane brought Jillian back to the house and into the kitchen, where Eva was making lunch.

She had bread spread upon the countertops, as well as apple slices and oatmeal cookies. And when she spotted Jillian and Shane, she brightened and gave them her full attention—at least until the kids came running.

“Kaylee, will you and Kevin take the little ones into the bathroom and wash up? I’ll have your lunch ready in a few minutes.”

The older girl nodded, then helped her brother herd the younger twins out of the room.

About that time, Dan opened the back door and entered the mudroom. “Shane, I’ve got something I’d like you to see. Do you mind coming out to the barn?”

“Sure.” Shane turned to Jillian. “I’ll be right back.”

“Take your time. I’ll help make lunch.”

Moments later, Eva opened up the fridge and pulled out lunch meat, cheese, mayonnaise, mustard, lettuce and tomatoes. Then she placed them on the countertop.

“You have beautiful children,” Jillian said.

“Thanks. Things can get awfully hectic around here, and they can be a lot of work, but I can’t imagine my life without them. I’m sure you’ll find that to be the case, too.” She glanced at Jillian’s baby bump, then smiled. “Do you know if you’re going to have a girl or a boy?”

“I’d told the doctor I wanted to be surprised when I had my last sonogram, but that’s no longer true. I’m really curious now. And since I’d like to set up a nursery, it would be nice to know whether I should focus on trucks and cars or butterflies and kittens.”

Before Eva could comment, Kevin dashed into the kitchen. “Mom, can we watch that new SpongeBob movie until lunch is ready?”

“Why don’t you watch that Mickey Mouse DVD until I put Sofia and Steven down for a nap. Then you and Kaylee will be able to watch TV without them bothering you.”

He seemed to think about her suggestion, then said, “Okay” and dashed out of the room.

Eva reached for the peanut butter and jelly. “I’d better get the little ones fed first.”

“I see that there’s a lot of careful orchestrating that goes on around here.”

Eva grinned. “That’s for sure. Dan and I try to stay a step ahead of them whenever we can, but every once in a while, something unexpected happens to really throw us off stride.”

“Like what?” Jillian asked.

“Well, a couple of months ago, Kaylee came home from school sick with the intestinal flu.” Eva blew out a sigh. “It wasn’t more than an hour later when Kevin’s stomach began to bother him, too. And by morning, both Sofia and Steven had it.”

“That must have been awful. Passing germs around has got to be the downside of having a big family.”

Eva chuckled. “You can’t believe what that day was like. Dan and I were moving from one sick kid to the next. And when Shane stopped by the house to check on us, he felt so sorry for us that he spent the morning helping us clean up after the kids and doing tons of laundry. He was amazing. And a real blessing.”

“I can see how having a second pair of hands would be helpful in a family with two sets of twins.”

It was also nice to know Shane had gone above and beyond. And that he hadn’t been scared off by sick kids. That had to be a plus, didn’t it?

“What can I do to help?” Jillian asked.

“You can peel and slice the apples, if you’d like.”

Jillian reached for a knife from the wooden butcher block on the counter, then carried the fruit to the sink. Before turning on the water, she said, “Hank mentioned that you and Dan are expecting again.”

Eva smiled, and her eyes brightened. “We haven’t made an official announcement yet, but it’s true. We hadn’t planned on having another child, but I guess God had other ideas.”

“You seem happy, though.”

“Oh, I am. Babies are a gift, especially the unexpected ones.”

Jillian placed a hand on her tummy. Her baby hadn’t been planned, either, but she considered her pregnancy a blessing.

Before long, Eva brought the children into the kitchen for lunch. After wiping sticky fingers, she took the little ones off to bed for a nap.

Kevin and Kaylee went into the living room to watch the DVD they’d been waiting to see, just as the men returned from the barn.

Lunch was pleasant, and so was the conversation. Jillian was glad that she’d met the Walkers. Shane had been right about them. They were nice people, a loving couple and a wonderful family.

As Shane drove her back to Brighton Valley, she reflected upon her time at the ranch. “Thanks for bringing me today. I had a really good time.”

“I thought you would.”

More than that, Jillian realized that she now had a woman to talk to about pregnancy and babies. Her friend Katie, as sweet as she was, had never been married. So it was nice knowing that she had Eva.

“The Walkers are sure going to have their hands full when the new baby comes,” Jillian said. “I can’t even imagine what it would be like to have five kids. Wow.”

When they arrived back at the apartment, Shane parked in back of the diner. Then they headed for the stairway that led to the rear entrance.

As Jillian made her way up the steps, something pulled low in her belly. Something sharp and painful. She stopped abruptly, gasped and put her hand on her stomach.

“What’s the matter?” Shane asked.

“Something hurts.”

“What?”

“I don’t know.” She stood there a moment, stroking low on her belly.

Deciding to continue on, she took two more steps before it happened again. “Whoa.”

“Was it a cramp?” he asked. “Or maybe a contraction?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never had a baby before.”

They stood in the stairway, not moving up or down.

After a beat—and another painful twinge—Shane clicked his tongue. “That’s it. You need to see a doctor.”

“But he’s in Houston.”

“We’re not making a two-hour drive for medical advice. I’m taking you to the E.R. at the Brighton Valley Medical Center.”

She wanted to argue, to downplay the pain, but the whole baby experience was new to her, and she had to admit she was a little worried herself.

But was this something that required a visit to the emergency room?

“We could go upstairs and wait to see if it goes away,” she said.

Shane reached for her waist. “Don’t take another step, Jillian. I’m going to carry you down the stairs and put you in the truck.”

She wanted to object, to say that she could walk, but as Shane scooped her into his arms, as she caught a whiff of his musky scent, she let down her defenses for the first time since the night they’d met and let the cowboy have his way.

Chapter Nine

Shane drove Jillian straight to the Brighton Valley Medical Center and followed the sign to the emergency room.

“How are you feeling now?” he asked, as he pulled into a parking space.

“I’m okay.” She glanced out the window at the white stucco building, then rubbed her belly. “It’s feeling a little better now. It’s probably nothing.”

“Maybe, but it won’t hurt to have you checked out by a doctor.”

After Shane parked, he slid out from behind the wheel, circled the pickup and opened Jillian’s door. Then he took her hand and held it until they entered the E.R. and Jillian was directed to a triage area, where a nurse determined which patients needed to be seen first.

While Jillian explained her pain and the details of her pregnancy, Shane scanned the waiting room, which didn’t appear to be especially busy today, thank goodness.

He couldn’t count the number of times he’d experienced busy E.R.’s in Houston, when he’d brought a perp or a victim in for treatment. And he knew that some patients waited for hours to be seen.

Shane figured it wouldn’t hurt to remind the nurse what was at stake, what could go wrong. “Under the circumstances, since she’s pregnant and might be in premature labor, she’ll see a doctor right away, won’t she?”

“No,” the triage nurse said. “We’ll be sending her up to the obstetrical floor. They’re better equipped to examine and treat her up there. Just give me a minute or two, and we’ll have an orderly take her upstairs in a wheelchair.”

Shane gave Jillian’s hand a gentle squeeze, hoping she felt as relieved as he did at the news.

“In fact,” the nurse added, “why don’t you take a seat in the waiting room for a few minutes? It won’t be long.”

After a clerk from the reception desk took Jillian’s insurance information, they released her to find a chair with the others who waited with hacking coughs, stomachaches and visible wounds.

It seemed like ages, but was probably only a matter of minutes, before a tall, slender nurse with black spiky hair called Jillian’s name. Five minutes later, after an elevator ride and a trip down several corridors, they arrived in the obstetrical unit, where Jillian was assigned to an exam room. After her vitals were taken, she was given a gown and told to undress.

Thinking she would probably want some privacy, Shane said, “I’ll wait outside.”

He’d hoped she might stop him, which would mean that their friendship—or whatever their relationship was—had made a turn of some kind, growing stronger and more intimate than before. Yet she let him leave.

The nurse followed him out, but they didn’t have to wait long. Once Jillian had changed out of her street clothes, he and the nurse returned to the room.

When the two of them were left alone, he asked, “So how are you feeling now?”

“Better. In fact, I’m afraid I might have made a bigger deal out of those pains than I should have.”

“Don’t worry about that. This is just a precaution.”

Moments later, they were introduced to Dr. Selena Ramirez, the resident obstetrician, an attractive woman of average height. She was young—probably only in her late twenties or early thirties, with expressive green eyes and a reassuring smile.

After asking Jillian about the pain she’d had, the doctor had her lie back on the table while she pressed on her stomach to feel the size of her uterus. Then she reached for a pair of gloves, explaining that she would need to give her an internal exam.

“I’ll be right outside,” Shane said, as he stepped into the hall again, leaned against the wall and waited next to the door.

Being on an obstetrical floor—the smell, the sound of a newborn’s cry, the happy smiles of pregnant women or new mothers walking the halls—caused memories of Marcia’s pregnancy to surface.

Shane had been thrilled to learn he was going to be a father. He’d always adored his many nieces and nephews, and had been glad to know that his child would soon be a part of the happy-go-lucky Hollister brood.

He’d also hoped and prayed that having a baby would make his wife happy and more content to stay married. But by the time Joey had taken his first steps, Marcia again asked for a divorce. At that point, Shane had finally been ready to throw in the marital towel, too. The only thing that had torn him up was the fact he wouldn’t see his son on a daily basis.

To make matters worse, Marcia met another man and moved to Arizona with him, taking their son with her.

Of course, Shane had objected, but she’d argued that a baby needed its mother, and that he had no right to stop her from being happy. So he’d reluctantly let her go and poured himself into his work, seeing Joey as often as he could.

“Code Blue—Neonatal Nursery.”

The overhead announcement of an emergency affecting one of the newborns sent a chill through Shane, along with an unexpected wave of fresh grief.

After Joey’s death, as one day stretched into the next, the only thing that had kept him going had been his family and his job. Then, one day, his temper and his grief had gotten the best of him.

He and Sylvia Dominguez, his partner, had been hunting day and night for Lyle Bailey, a suspected child kidnapper who’d killed his latest victim. Knowing the details of the crime had served to make Shane focus on nothing else but prohibiting the perp from hurting another child, destroying another family.

Following a lead, he and his partner had found him holed up in a woodshed behind a house, and when Lyle had tried to run, Shane had tackled him to the ground. He could have held him there, locking on a pair of handcuffs, but for some reason, Shane had snapped and hit the guy a couple of times, something he’d never done before.

It had been the first—and only—time he’d ever felt so out of control.

Bailey’s attorney had filed police brutality charges against the department, and Shane was suspended from duty with pay. Internal Affairs finally let him off with a warning. But after that incident, his job no longer helped to keep his mind off his troubles and his grief.

So he’d taken a leave of absence, left town and eventually ended up in Brighton Valley, where he found work on Dan Walker’s ranch. “Code Blue—canceled.”

Thank God. He hated to think of any parents having to go through what he’d gone through.

Now here he was, expecting another child and no closer to having the happy family he’d always wanted.

“You can come back now,” the nurse said to him from behind the slightly opened door.

When Shane entered the exam room, Dr. Ramirez explained that there was no sign of labor.

“Sometimes, one of the ligaments that holds the uterus in place is pulled. So that’s probably what happened today.” She turned to Jillian, who was sitting up on the exam table. “Why don’t you go home and take it easy tonight. But give me a call if that pain comes back.”

Jillian seemed to be okay with both the diagnosis and the instructions, so Shane was, too.

Not that he wasn’t still worried about her and the baby.

“There’s just one more thing I’d like to do,” Dr. Ramirez said. “If you’ll lie back on the table, we’ll give you a sonogram and double-check to make sure everything is okay on the inside.”

Shane was about to excuse himself and leave the room, just as he’d done before, but he wanted to see the baby—his baby.

If Jillian had any objections to him staying in the room, she didn’t say anything. Instead, she lay down on the exam table.

As the nurse wheeled in a machine, Dr. Ramirez lifted Jillian’s gown, then squeezed out a dab of gel and smeared it on her rounded belly.

As the sonogram began, the doctor studied the screen. And so did Shane. Just like the time Marcia had the very same test run, he was intrigued by the image of the growing child in the mother’s womb.

“The baby looks good,” Dr. Ramirez said. “Strong heartbeat, healthy umbilical cord.”

“Can you tell if it’s a boy or girl?” Jillian asked.

“It’s…” the doctor said, as she zeroed in on the screen, “…a girl.”

A girl.

As much as Shane had missed Joey, as often as he’d imagined himself coaching a Little League team or taking his son fishing at the lake, the thought of a girl nearly took the breath out of him.

He hadn’t wanted to replace Joey. He’d just hoped to recover those paternal feelings, like pride and love. And with the doctor’s announcement that it appeared as though his daughter was healthy, all those hopes and dreams came rushing back to him.

Without giving it a thought, he bent down, placed his lips near Jillian’s ear and whispered, “Are you okay with us having a girl?”

Jillian looked up at him and smiled. As their gazes met and locked, happy tears overflowed and streamed down her face, convincing him that she wasn’t just cool with it, she was over the moon.

“What about you?” she asked. “Are you up to being the daddy of a little girl?”

He smiled, then brushed a kiss on her brow. “Absolutely. As long as she’s as pretty as you.”

For a moment, everything seemed perfect, and Shane couldn’t help thinking that life would be beautiful this time around.

How could it not be?

At least, as long as Jillian agreed to let Shane be involved in his daughter’s life.

Once Shane had gotten Jillian home and comfortable, he went downstairs to Caroline’s Diner and ordered dinner to go—the pot roast and apple pie that the sign claimed the sheriff had eaten.

Shane had plenty of stuff in the pantry, as well as the refrigerator, to cook for dinner. But he didn’t want Jillian to even think about getting up or helping out. She was reclining on the sofa, with her feet up on a stack of pillows, the television remote in her hands.

Now, as he took a seat at an empty table near the front of the diner, he waited for Margie to bring out his order.

He’d been more than relieved to know that Jillian’s pain hadn’t been an indication of preterm labor and that the baby—a girl, imagine that—appeared to be healthy.

Jillian had mentioned on the way home that she’d really liked Dr. Ramirez. In fact, she thought the Brighton Valley obstetrician had spent more time with her than the doctor she had back in Houston.

Shane wondered if there was any chance she might want to switch obstetricians and stay in town until she delivered. He sure hoped so.

When the front door of the diner opened, he looked up to see Sheriff Jennings enter. He lit up when he spotted Shane, moseyed up to him and reached out his right arm in greeting.

“How’s it going?” Shane asked, as the two men shook hands.

“Not bad.” Sam folded his arms around his ample belly and grinned. “You’re just the guy I wanted to see.”

“Oh, yeah? What’s up?”

“I told you about my buddy Charlie Boswell, the fire chief who just retired.”

“Yes, you mentioned that he was taking his wife on a cruise of some kind.”

“He’s also been getting in a lot of fishing lately, something I haven’t had time to do since last August.”

“Sounds like the life to me,” Shane said.

“Me, too. In fact, Caroline and I were talking last night, and she asked how I felt about retiring. I’d never expected to turn in my badge, thinking they’d have to pry it from my hands. But I thought about it all night long, and when morning came around, I started to make a list of all the things I’d do if I had a little time off.”

“So why’d you want to talk to me?”

“Well, now I’m not saying that I’ve made up my mind. But if I did decide to give up my position here in town, how would you feel about taking my place—even if it was just in the interim?”

“Until a permanent sheriff could be found?”

Sam nodded. “I’d have to talk to the county commission, but they were impressed with the help you gave me on that burglary case. I’m sure they’d appoint you in a heartbeat.”

“I honestly don’t know,” Shane said. Thing was, if he agreed, even for a while, he’d be leaving Dan in the lurch. And that didn’t sit well with him. Besides, he really liked working on the ranch. But there was a part of him that missed police work, and he didn’t want to be too quick to decline the offer. “I’d have to think about it, I guess.”

“You do that,” Sam said, before waving at some people in the rear of the restaurant and heading over to join them, leaving Shane to his thoughts.

If he had reason to believe that Jillian would consider settling in the valley, if there was any future for them together, he’d need to find some kind of job that provided health benefits.

Of course, if she insisted upon living in Houston, he was going to be in a real quandary. Because with each passing day he spent in a small town, he became more and more convinced that he’d never want to return to life in the big city.

But what if Jillian decided Brighton Valley would never be her cup of tea? Where would that leave them?

Right back in the same place he and Marcia had once been. And Shane couldn’t figure out what he’d do this time around.

As Jillian climbed from the shower and dried off with one of Shane’s white, fluffy towels, she glanced at her image in the mirror. Her tummy seemed to be growing bigger every day, but the baby wasn’t anywhere near ready to be born. She was so glad when Dr. Ramirez told her that everything was going well, that the baby wasn’t going to come early and that…

I’m going to have a little girl.

Her heart had filled to the brim with love for the child she’d yet to meet, and Shane seemed to be pleased at the news, as well. In fact, he’d been so supportive during yesterday’s health scare that it was difficult not to believe that he truly cared about her and the baby.

But was he insisting upon being a part of the baby’s life because he hoped their baby would replace the little boy he lost?

She certainly hoped that wasn’t the case.

There were other things to consider when it came to contemplating any kind of life together—love for one thing, and loyalty for another.

Sure, a healthy sexual relationship was important—and it wouldn’t be a problem for them. But there was more to life than sex.

After slipping on her cotton gown, she went into the living area of Shane’s small apartment and waited for him to bring dinner upstairs. While she had the chance, she picked up her cell phone and dialed her grand mother’s number.

“Hi, Gram. I just called to say hello.”

“I’m so glad you did.”

“Are you feeling okay?” Jillian asked, concerned at the hoarse sound of Gram’s familiar voice. “It sounds as though you might be coming down with a cold.”

“I have a scratchy throat and a bit of a cough, but it’s nothing I can’t deal with. How are things going? Are you okay? You really don’t know that man very well.”

“He’s a nice guy, Gram. You have nothing to worry about.”

There was no need to tell her about the visit to the E.R. today, especially since it had proved to be no big deal.

“Is he treating you well?”

“Shane’s been a perfect gentleman.” In fact, he’d been…wonderful.

“He hasn’t tried to take advantage of you, has he?”

On the contrary. “He’s been very sweet and respectful.” In fact, he’d been everything Jillian could have hoped for.

“I’m glad to hear that,” Gram said. “Since the two of you will be having a child together, it’s important that you be friends.”

That was true. And little did Gram know, Jillian would be sleeping with that “friend” in an hour or so.

Of course, the doctor had said to take it easy, so there was no chance that they’d end up having sex tonight. But would they eventually become lovers again while she was staying with him?

Just the thought sent a delicious shiver that pooled low and warm in the depths of her.

It was still too soon to tell if they would pick up where they’d left off, she supposed—even though it would be incredibly easy to succumb to temptation.

Maybe she should make an extra effort to stay strong. Their relationship as friends and coparents was going to be difficult enough, especially with them living two hours away from each other. Trying to be sometimes lovers, too…?

That might be too much to handle.

Would Shane consider moving back to Houston? If so, could something permanent work out between them?

“When will you be coming home?” Gram asked, her graveled voice reminding Jillian that she might be sicker than she’d let on.

“I’d planned to stay two weeks, which is right before my next appointment with Dr. Allan.” Jillian had been looking forward to that appointment, since she wanted to make sure the baby was healthy, that her pregnancy was going well. But she’d just had confirmation from Dr. Ramirez that the baby—her daughter—was growing as expected, that all seemed to be fine.