Page 36 of Marrying Bonnie

Bonnie was about to comment when her phone rang. She saw Wyatt’s name and answered quickly, hoping it wouldn’t wake Gunner. “Hey, big brother. Are you getting any rain at the stables?”

The line was silent until her brother made a sound like he was clearing his throat. “Hey, Bon. Chrissy needs me, but we could use your prayers. We lost the baby.” The last word came out broken. “There was no heartbeat at our appointment.”

“Oh, Wyatt.” Tears clogged her throat as she tried to wrap her brain around the horrible news. “I’m sorry. I can’t even imagine…is there anything I can do?”

“Not now. Just pray. I’ll reach out in the next day or so.”

“Okay. I love you both.”

Wyatt’s voice was so low, it was hard to hear. “I love you too.” The call ended then.

Woodenly, Bonnie slipped the phone into her back pocket and took in a slow breath, willing herself to keep her emotions in check until Jace headed back out again.

She thought about Wyatt and Chrissy and the loss of her sweet baby niece or nephew and a sob caught in her throat.

* * *

Jace stoodbehind Bonnie as she ended her phone call. Her shoulders drooped and moments later, her chin followed. He’d heard part of the conversation, and it was clear something terrible had happened. “Bonnie?”

She covered her face with her hands as her shoulders shook silently.

Jace stepped around her and gently pulled her into his arms. She resisted for only a moment before letting herself lean into his chest.

He held her close as she cried, breathed in the fresh scent of her hair, and wished he could do something–-anything–-to ease her grief.

“The baby?”

Bonnie nodded.

“I’m sorry,” Jace whispered. To lose a child, no matter what stage of development, would be devastating. He thought of Gunner asleep in the other room, and his throat ached with emotion. “I’ll be praying for your brother and his wife.”

“I appreciate it.” She sniffed and accepted the handkerchief he handed to her. “They desperately wanted that baby. I wish I understood why things like this happen.”

Jace wished he could offer some kind of wisdom to help, but the truth was, he had no idea either. “Sometimes I think it would be good to understand. And other times, I’m not sure that it would make the loss anyeasier.”

Bonnie folded the handkerchief twice in her hand and nodded nervously. “I usually make it my policy not to cry in front of my employer. I’m sure I look like a complete mess right now.”

There were a lot of things Jace could’ve said, but the only thing that came to his mind spilled right out of his mouth. “You have nothing to worry about. You look beautiful, Bonnie. You always do.”

Judging by the surprise in her eyes, he wasn’t sure which of them was more shocked by his words. He’d thought she was beautiful since the first day he met her. But to tell her out loud? He’d never considered doing such a thing before.

Her brown eyes pulled him in. He reached up and gently touched her cheek with the pad of one thumb. She drew in a sharp breath. Her cheeks turned pink, but she never pulled her gaze from his. Instinct drew him closer until their lips were a breath apart.

Gunner started to cry, the sound causing concern for his son to war with his intense disappointment that the moment was broken. All of that punctuated by the realization of what he’d nearly done.

Bonnie moved to get Gunner, and Jace put a hand on her arm to stop her. “It’s okay, I’ll get him. We should check his temperature again. Do you want to find the thermometer?”

“Of course.” She glanced down where his hand still rested on her arm. “Jace…”

Her tone held every cautionary thought that was already screaming in his own mind. “I know.”

Here she’d just received bad news, and he would’ve kissed her had Gunner not started crying.

So stupid.

Gunner was already out of bed and trying to open his bedroom door when Jace got there. He picked up his son and frowned at the heat emanating from his little body. “Hey, buddy. I came to check on you. Did you have a good nap?”

They found Bonnie again at the bottom of the stairs. She ran the temporal thermometer across his forehead and held the reading up for Jace to see.

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