Mae Nunn - Texas Miracle

“You can wash your hands later,” she reassured him. His fingertips were surprisingly rough. “Where’d you get these calluses?”

“I play guitar.”

“Really.” It was more of a statement than a question. “Cool.”

“Not well or anything.”

“I’d like to hear you.”

Mac caressed the kitten’s ears. “You probably wouldn’t like it.”

“Why don’t you let me be the judge of that?”

Jacqueline let her hand rest on top of Mac’s larger one while he continued to pet the kitten.

“What are you going to name it?”

“Her. She’s a she.”

“What are you going to name her?” He tousled the kitten’s fur and bent to touch his nose to her tiny pink one. Then he eased Jacqueline’s long fingers between his own, cupping his hand.

“I don’t know. Do you have any suggestions?” Jacqueline squeezed his hand back.

His mouth curved into a crooked grin. “How about Nemesis?”

CHAPTER EIGHT

MAC AND JACQUELINE had been back in the office for only thirty minutes when Mac received a group text—along with his other brothers—from Joiner:

At hospital in Tyler with Stella. Pain came back along with dizziness about 10:00. Left Duane in charge at Stables. Buster here. Stella on pain meds, lots of testing. Think it may be gallbladder. Baby on monitor and good.

Mac replied, Do you need anything?

Prayers.

The brothers texted back.

Cullen: Praying now.

Hunt: Me, too.

Mac: Ditto.

He prayed while he packed up his desk quickly, putting anything urgent into his briefcase. Then, grabbing his MacBook Pro and his keys, he headed for the front desk.

“Is something wrong?” Jacqueline, startled, looked up from her computer. There was fear in her eyes.

“Stella is in the hospital. She had some weird pains over the weekend and they came back today, along with dizziness. The doctor had them go to Labor and Delivery.”

Jacqueline raised her hand to her mouth. “Oh, no! How far along is she?”

“Thirty-two weeks.”

“Oh, Mac, I hope everything will be okay. What can I do for you—and them?”

“Joiner asked us to pray so you can do that. I can’t stay here, though. I need to go and be with them.”

“Yes, go. I can take care of the office.”

“Thank you, Jacqueline.” He stared at her for a long moment, warmth washing over him. “I am so glad you are here.”

She smiled and then rose from her chair, coming around the counter to where he was putting on his coat. Taking him by complete and sweet surprise, she pulled him into her arms. She hugged him tightly around the waist. He smelled jasmine in her hair, which felt like satin against his cheek. For a moment, he closed his eyes and breathed in the comfort of her affection. Then he raised his hand to her face, touching it gently, and whispered, “Thanks,” before going out the door.

He reached Tyler Memorial in record time. Finding the Labor and Delivery area quickly, he parked his truck and ran up the stairs two at a time to the third floor. “Stella Temple?” he inquired at the front desk, and a nurse showed him to observation room number two.

Joiner sat beside Stella, who was lying on a gurney hooked up to several machines. She opened her eyes lazily and greeted Mac. “He needs some lunch.” She motioned at Joiner, her speech a drunken slur. “And Pops.” Then she dozed back off. Joiner, whose face was drawn with worry, broke into a smile at this and released her hand, rising out of his chair to embrace Mac.

“Hey, buddy.” Mac squeezed him hard.

“Thanks for coming. You sure got here fast.”

“Where’s Buster?”

“Gone to the bathroom.” Joiner sat back down beside the gurney, taking Stella’s hand again. Mac sat down in the seat beside him.

“What’s going on?”

“They’ve ruled out the gallbladder. Now they’re saying it could be reflux or possibly something to do with her liver.”

“And the baby?”

Joiner pointed to a screen hooked to one of the monitors. “That’s her. See the heartbeat and oxygen levels? Everything’s great right now. No problems.”

“That’s good news.”

“Yeah. We were really worried when we got here.” Joiner sighed. “It’s a big relief that the baby is fine. But we’ve got to get this pain figured out with Stella.”

“Looks like she’s feeling pretty good right now.” Mac smiled wickedly, nodding at the snoring Stella.

Joiner kissed her hand. “They’ve got her doped up pretty strong. She was in terrible pain when we got here.”

“Poor thing.” Mac smoothed Stella’s hair.

Buster appeared in the doorway with a cup of coffee for himself and Joiner. “Hey there, Mac. You want a cup? It’s right around the corner.” The older man’s overalls were worn in the knees and his boots caked with mud.

“No, thanks, Buster. But I’ve had instructions to go get you men a bite to eat.”

“Stella?” He looked lovingly at his daughter.

“Yes. She doesn’t want you going hungry. Woke up just long enough to give me orders.”

“Ha, ha. That sounds like ’er.”

Stella opened her eyes and stuck out her tongue at them, then recommenced snoring.

“What are you in the mood for, Joiner? Buster? I’ll go pick something up.”

* * *

MAC RETURNED WITH two sandwiches and jalapeno-flavored potato chips, along with lemonades. Joiner and Buster devoured their food like starving men. Buster looked up at Mac between bites and explained, “We eat breakfast early on the ranch.”

Mac took the chair opposite them and waited. It seemed as if the room had a revolving door of nurses, phlebotomists, ultrasound technicians and doctors. Cullen and Hunt arrived just in time after Cullen’s afternoon class to hear the news: blood work confirmed that Stella had HELLP syndrome, a form of preeclampsia. She would need to deliver the baby early. In fact, she’d be admitted, moved to a room and prepped to induce labor—the baby would be born the following morning.

While Joiner and Stella asked the doctor questions, the brothers got on their phones and let wives and families know. Mac called Alma, who, in excited Spanglish, instructed him to text her a list of things Joiner and Stella needed so she could go to their house to pack a bag for them. Then he called Jacqueline.

“What are you going to do?” she asked.

“I think I’ll stay here all evening and then come home, but I’ll need to come back in the morning. I want to be here when the baby is born.”

“Sure. Of course.”

She seemed to understand all he wasn’t saying. “Would you like to have the day off?”

“I’ll do whatever you need me to do, Mac. We’ve had several people bring in their tax stuff today and I imagine it could be that way all week. I kind of hate to close the office.”

Mac smiled. She hated to close the office.

“But I understand if you want me to. I mean, if you want it closed without you here.”

“You are spoiling me, Jacqueline. Not closing never would have been an option before. But your skills have rendered my presence a lot less valuable.”

She snorted. “Not less valuable. Just a little less required.”

He grinned. “Well, thanks a lot. I think.”

She laughed, that musical sound again.

“Don’t work too hard,” he said.

“Keep me posted when you can.” Her voice turned tender with concern.

“I will.” As Mac hung up the phone he felt warm, content. It was nice to have someone to call, to share his news.

* * *

THE ROOM STELLA moved to was sumptuous by regular hospital standards. It seemed pains were taken to make Labor and Delivery friendlier, more comfortable. “It’s the happiest wing of the hospital!” a chipper Certified Nursing Assistant sang out as he brought in extra chairs to accommodate the family. The expression on Joiner’s face, however, was not happy.