Above Rubies (Rockland Ranch) Read online

  After a few more minutes of pestering him, Naomi left saying she’d hold lunch until they had time to eat. Kit was grateful for the crackers. It had been too long since breakfast and the nausea was threatening again.

  It was after three o’clock when they finally finished the report and went to eat. Walking down the hall beside him on the way to the kitchen, she realized she was going to be sick and told him to go on without her. She tried to wait until he was into the kitchen, but she had to hurry. She could tell by the look on his face when she finally made it in, that he knew she’d thrown up.

  He came up to her and rubbed her shoulder and said, “I’m so sorry.” He pulled her chair out to seat her. “I completely forgot that you had to eat sooner. You were such a great help to me and I made you sick.” He pushed her soup over to her. “Come on. We’ll feed you quick and you’ll feel better.”

  It didn’t exactly work that way. She was ill the rest of the day and several times in the night and Naomi brought food to her right in bed to try and get a handle on it from the start of the day.

  Rossen came in looking seriously penitent with a jar full of M&Ms to give her. He looked down at her as she sat at the breakfast table still feeling slightly green. “I’ve brought you a ‘please forgive me’ gift of chocolate. Maybe this will work.”

  Naomi put pancakes and sausage in front of him and said, “Technically, M&Ms aren’t terribly nutritious food, but I guess they can be considered the fifth food group in a pinch.” She winked at Kit.

  Whether it was the M&Ms or not, something helped and she felt much better that day.

  After that, Kit helped Rossen in his office more days than not. He was doing the engineering and paperwork to drill another well on the ranch and it was a lengthy and in-depth process. Kit didn’t always understand what she was working on, but she felt much more useful.

  At the end of two weeks when he came to her with a sizeable wad of cash, she thought he was nuts and said, “I’m living with you, and your family is paying all my bills. This would be too much even if I wasn’t. Don’t be silly.”

  Rossen replied, “No Kit. It’s not too much. We’d have to pay someone this much anyway and you’ve caught on in record time and never make mistakes. Not only that, we know we can trust you to work here in our home and that’s something that can’t be bought at any price. Take the money. It’s important that you have some of your own to get things you need or want, without having to ask for it every time.” He pushed it into her hands. “You’ve earned it Kit. It wouldn’t be right not to pay you. I’m sorry we can’t get you a bank account without some ID. If you aren’t sure you can manage it well, take it to Slade. He’s a financial wizard and handles money for several of us.”

  Again, she was floored by the goodness and honesty of this family. Back home, her foster parents had demanded she hand over the meager amount she'd earned at her job at the school, and made her work as a maid at their hotel without ever even mentioning pay.

  ****

  Her first prenatal appointment was that week and she was nervous about it. She had no idea what it would entail and secretly worried she'd somehow injured the child inside her with her previous malnutrition. Naomi took her into town and as they were sitting in the waiting room she patted Kit’s fidgety hands with her calm ones.

  "There’s no need to be nervous. She’ll probably just talk to you and measure your tummy. Maybe some blood tests, but nothing too scary. You’ll be fine.”

  Kit was still glad when it was over and they could go home. They'd determined she was about twenty weeks along and was due around the end of May. They made another appointment for a couple of weeks out for an ultrasound, then sent her home saying everything looked good.

  On the way out of town Naomi stopped and bought her some books about pregnancy. One was a kind of reference book about what to expect and the other was a book of the most amazing photographs. It was actual photos of developing fetuses in different stages of gestation, Kit was overjoyed with it. Somehow the appointment and books helped her to understand much better what was happening and she began to look forward in anticipation instead of worrying about how she would manage.

  She was in the great room on the couch looking through them that night when Rossen came through. “What are you reading?” He leaned to look over her shoulder. “What is it?”

  She answered, “That is a newly conceived fetus. Look at this one!” She turned over several pages. “This one is about the same far along as I am. Check this out!” They stuck their heads together to study the tiny human being in the photo. “It’s even got finger nails already! And hair! It’s only about ten and a half inches long, but is that cool or what?”

  ****

  Naomi watched them pore over the book together as she made spaghetti and garlic bread. A few minutes later when Slade and Isabel came in, all four of them studied the book in rapt amazement. Naomi smiled as she bustled around her kitchen. It was going to be really fun to be a Grandma and watch all of this unfold.

  Isabel came into the kitchen to make a salad. As she chopped she commented, “Those pictures are incredible! I had no idea it was like that!”

  Naomi just smiled, thinking to herself. “You’ll get an idea what it’s like soon enough.”

  ****

  Slade and Isabel’s wedding was just another ten days away. Kit had nothing dressy enough to wear and they didn’t want to brave the snowy roads all the way to Salt Lake City, so Isabel and Kit got on-line to shop. She ended up with a sapphire blue dress that was almost floor length. It was a princess cut that was flattering, but would hide her tummy somewhat. She could no longer conceal her obvious pregnancy even under her big sweatshirts.

  It was that evening she first felt her baby move inside her. She’d been sitting cross legged on the couch in the dark, quietly playing her guitar and singing when she felt it. At first it almost felt like her stomach growling, but then became unmistakably different. When she realized what was happening, her guitar fell silent and her mind raced. The fact of a small human being inside of her had never been so plainly manifest. She sat deep in thought with her hand over her belly.

  Over the past month she'd gone from constant worry about how she would survive with an unplanned pregnancy and all that it entailed, to looking forward to a precious new life with anticipation, and with sweet feelings of peace. Rossen’s encouragement to picture joy and in some deep sense, coming to terms with the reality of a child combined, to fill her heart with a mother’s love and need to nurture and protect.

  The next day, sitting in Rossen’s office at his computer, she felt it again. She forgot what she was entering and put her hand to her tummy, hoping to feel more, this time thrilled with the life that was growing inside her own body. It was an incredible thing!

  ****

  He heard the abrupt end to her keyboarding and glanced over at her, as she slipped a slender brown hand over her rounded stomach, wonder on her face. He understood she was feeling the baby inside and his own emotions somersaulted in reaction. He tried to look away and focus on his work, but the mother and child across from him owned his concentration.

  He’d been doing better. He’d thought he had. They’d been working side by side most days comfortably, and she‘d been a huge help to him through this project. What he’d thought was a lessening attraction, he now realized was just the fact that he wasn’t frustrated about her when she was right there with him. Their friendship was so easy and comfortable he’d almost decided the overpowering interest would wane in time.

  What he was feeling now, watching her with her baby, was in no way a waning emotion. He’d never imagined in his life this urge to take care of another person or persons. His need to care for them was a primal instinct that left him completely at a loss as to how to deal with it. And that frustration wasn’t even dealing with the fact that when she was close or when he watched her, she truly did make it hard to breathe. He sat at his drafting table almost groaning to himself as he tried to t
ell himself over and over and over that she was only seventeen. Finally, unable to even start to get his emotions under control, he set his work aside, quietly got up and went to his truck and drove home.

  ****

  Slade heard Rossen’s truck pull into the garage and he was surprised. Rossen had left early that morning planning to be gone all day and possibly into the evening to try to finish some sticky government project he and Kit were working on. It was only late morning and Slade wondered what was up. He wandered through the house after a few minutes and saw Rossen through the glass windows in the pool house, furiously slamming away at the speed bag. He heard him out there for most of an hour, his speed intense at first, then eventually slowly winding down to an exhausted stop. He went down into his room and Slade heard the shower start up. Rossen never emerged from behind his closed door before Slade had to leave for an appointment.

  ****

  Rossen had been working steadily beside her all morning, then somehow he was gone and Kit hadn’t even heard him leave. Granted she had been a little preoccupied with the baby this morning, but he’d never just walked out without saying anything before. It wasn’t like him.

  She saved her work and wandered into the kitchen. Naomi and Rob were there with lunch prepared and Kit asked, “Did Rossen come this way?”

  Naomi shook her head. “I thought he was in his office with you. Have you lost him?”

  Kit smiled. “I have. One minute he was there working and the next he was gone without a word.”

  Naomi looked puzzled. “Really? That’s weird. That doesn’t sound like Rossen.” She placed chicken pot pies on the table, and Rob walked back into the hall and up and down the stairwell calling for him. Finally, Naomi called his cell phone but there was no answer. She came back in and sat next to Kit as Rob asked a blessing on the food.

  His empty place at the table worried Kit through the whole meal. Had she somehow offended him this morning while they worked?

  Nobody saw Rossen for the rest of the day. Kit didn’t think he’d even shown up to help feed that afternoon and she went to bed with a troubled heart.

  Late in the night she was awakened and it took her a few minutes to realize that what she was hearing was the sound of the printer in Rossen’s office printing page after page. This was stranger than ever. She’d never known him to work at night. She got up and slipped a robe over her night gown and went in, wondering what was wrong.

  ****

  She was standing quietly at the door when he noticed her. She was wearing a white nightgown with a matching robe over it, belted neatly over her tummy in front. Small brown feet peeped out below. She somehow seemed taller in the floor length gown. She was still obviously sleepy and her dark hair was tousled around her wide blue eyes as she watched him in silence.

  Neither of them spoke for a few seconds after he saw her. Their eyes locked and held momentarily. When he broke the gaze to look back at his papers, she asked him in a soft voice, “Are you okay?”

  He was slow to reply and his voice almost sounded sad when he answered, “Yeah, I’m okay. I just have to get this whole thing finished and postmarked by tomorrow. I’m sorry I woke you.”

  She didn’t move, just continued to watch him from the doorway. At length she asked, “Did I make a mistake on something yesterday?”

  He looked up at her questioning, “No, of course not. Your work has been perfect. Your mind is like a machine. Why do you ask?” She just shrugged and continued to watch quietly.

  Eventually she questioned again. “Did I do something to offend you, then?”

  He got up from his desk and came to her at the door, his voice gentle as he spoke, “You didn’t do anything to offend me yesterday.” He ran a strong, brown hand through his hair with a sigh. “I just have a lot on my mind.” He brushed her dark hair back from her shoulder. “You’re tired. Take the two of you back to bed and get some rest. I’ll try to be quieter. I’m about through printing.” He squeezed her shoulder and nudged her toward the door as their eyes locked again.

  Turning to go, she raised her right hand to gently touch his cheek for an instant. “Good night.”

  ****

  She didn’t go back to bed immediately. He could hear her in the darkened great room playing her guitar so softly it almost seemed like his imagination. The music, sweet and mellow, was soothing to his troubled mind. At last, she switched over to some old James Taylor songs and sang along, the lyrics adding to the web of calm she was weaving in his heart. When the guitar finally fell silent and he knew she was gone, he was able to return to his task with a clear head, knowing somehow he’d get through this. He had no idea how it would work out, but her music left him at peace as he worked through the night.

  ****

  The next morning, Naomi found him asleep on the sofa in the great room, one arm draped over the edge to rest on Kit’s guitar on the floor below. She gently covered him with a throw and decided they’d eat cold cereal this morning so she didn’t wake him cooking.

  When Kit came in a few minutes later, she had great dark circles under her eyes and Naomi encouraged her to go back to bed after she ate. She gratefully accepted and stopped next to the couch to look down at him sleeping on the way out. She asked Naomi, “Did you ever find out what’s going on with him?”

  Naomi shook her head. “No, I haven’t talked to him.” But as Kit walked away, Naomi knew it had to have something to do with the tall, dark haired, seventeen year old beauty who returned to bed. She sighed as she went about her morning. His obvious inner turmoil hurt her heart. She wished she knew how to help him get through whatever was up, but she still was unsure of what to do or say. She decided to see if Rob would take her to the temple when the stock was fed. Maybe she’d find some answers there.

  ****

  Kit had been working with her clay almost everyday and she'd come to the end of the three bags within less than two weeks. Her next prenatal appointment was two days away and she had set up an appointment with Mr. Perkins for the same day. She stood in the craft room looking at the ten or twelve small figurines she'd crafted over the last days, wishing she'd brought four bags instead of just three. Finally, she decided to rework clay from a few of the pieces she liked the least and went in search of a five gallon bucket. She found one in an equipment shed and brought it back to the craft room, which she now thought of as her studio, and filled it partially full of water. She was just starting to put the few pieces down into the water when Isabel walked in.

  “Kit. Your dress just came.” Isabel looked around the room at the free form sculptures sitting on various countertops. “Wow! These are really good! Did you do all these?”

  She turned toward Kit and realized she was breaking one of the pieces and dropping the fragments into the bucket of water, and nearly shouted, “Kit! What are you doing?” Her voice held a note of almost panic. “Why are you destroying them? They’re magnificent!”

  Rossen and Naomi showed up at the door to see what was going on, as Kit answered, “I’m out of clay and was just going to break a few down to rework the clay. I’ll make more once it’s rehydrated again.

  Rossen and Naomi began to walk around the room in wonder, with Isabel right behind them. They looked in silence until finally Naomi whispered, “Oh my.” Kit was almost a bit nervous at their reaction until Naomi turned to her with tears in her eyes and said, “You have an incredible gift.”

  Rossen went over to look down into the bucket with the three works that had already started to dissolve in the water. He looked up with something unfathomable in his eyes.

  Isabel broke in, “Don’t destroy any more. We’ll get you some more clay.”

  Kit was openly surprised at their reaction. “I can’t just keep everything. I’d soon be buried. Reworking the clay let’s me stay occupied without ten gazillion pieces piling up.”

  Isabel looked her in the face and answered, “Kit. I don’t think you understand. This is more than a high school art class. Your work is deeply mo
ving. These pieces are evocative and profound. They’re not something that should be recycled for the sake of space or clay. They need to be finished and placed in a gallery so others can enjoy them and take them home to feel the same deep emotion we’ve felt here this afternoon. It’s almost a responsibility. When you have a gift like this, you can’t not share it. Do you understand what I’m trying to say?”

  Kit started to nod, but it came across as a noncommittal nod, slash shake.

  Isabel tried again, “Do you ever do anything larger? These would be incredible slightly larger. And how do you complete them? I can’t wait to see them finished! I have a dear friend in California who is an art connoisseur. I can’t wait until he sees your work! He’s going to love it!”

  Naomi and Rossen slipped back out the door while they talked. He still hadn’t said a word and Kit glanced at his back as he disappeared, wondering what he was thinking. It mattered a great deal to her. She valued his opinion more than anyone’s. It was probably foolish, but it was a fact.

  Chapter 7

  Two days later Naomi got a phone call in the morning as she and Kit were getting ready to go in to her prenatal appointment. One of their neighbors was having a minor emergency and wondered if Naomi could help her out for awhile. Naomi immediately asked Isabel if she could take Kit in, but she had an appointment that morning with the caterer for her wedding.

  It was Rossen who ended up taking her in and he decided not to stress about being with her for this one day and was thoroughly enjoying her company. He could tell she was nervous again as they drove and she fidgeted nonstop.

  He finally asked her, “Was your last appointment that bad? You look like you’re heading to the principal’s office.” He grinned across the truck at her.

  She smiled back self-consciously. “No. It wasn’t bad at all actually, but today she scheduled an ultrasound. That’s what I’m afraid of. I wish I knew what it would be like.” She continued to pick at her cast. “I have no idea how painful or dangerous it will be.”