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Her Heart, His Home

By Kimberly Rae Jordan

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CHAPTER ONE

Eight Years Later

“I can’t thank you enough for being willing to come help us out,” Lance said as he sank down onto one of the stools next to the counter.

Amy smiled. “I’m just glad the timing worked out for me to be here.”

Lance nodded, exhaustion etched on his face. No doubt the man hadn’t been sleeping well since they’d gotten the news that Jessa’s pregnancy was in jeopardy, and she needed to go on bed -rest.

“I know it will take a huge weight off Jessa’s mind knowing you’re here. Rose has been a great help, but she has a job, and Addy is travelling with some friends down to Florida for a few weeks.”

“Usually I have plans to travel once school is out too, but this year I just never managed to get anything together. I think God knew I would be needed here.”

“Did Rose take Julia with her?” Lance asked, referring to his and Jessa’s eight-year-old daughter. The only child they’d been able to have in the nine years they’d been married.

When Cami had called Amy to ask if she’d be willing to help Jessa and Lance out, she’d explained that since Julia’s birth, Jessa had suffered four miscarriages. They’d occurred at varying times during each pregnancy but had been increasingly devastating for both Jessa and Lance.

“I hope you don’t think Jessa is too demanding,” Lance said, rubbing a hand across his forehead. “It’s just that this is the furthest she’s made it in a pregnancy since Jules was born. She—we—are desperate for this one to get as close to term as we can get it. We’ve agreed that she will do as little as possible, and when she’s moving around, someone will be with her. I realize that might seem a little extreme—“

Amy held up her hand. “I understand completely and have no problem helping with anything she needs.”

“Thank you. Again.” Lance pressed his hands to the counter and stood. “I’m going to run into town and do a little work at the office. I shouldn’t be gone too long, but I need to catch up on a few things that got pushed to the back burner when the bed rest command was given.”

“I’ll give you a call if anything comes up,” Amy assured him. She picked up the small walkie-talkie from the counter. “And I’ll keep this with me at all times in case Jessa needs something.”

Lance nodded. “Just figured it might be easier if she needed you quickly than for her to try and type out a text message or something.”

“It’s perfect. Now off you go.” Amy made shooing motions with her hands. “I’ve got this under control.”

As her cousin left the kitchen, Amy moved around the counter to sit on the stool he’d vacated. She opened the notebook Jessa had given her earlier with information on what needed to be done. In addition to helping with Jessa, Amy had agreed to pick up what she could of the running of the bed and breakfast side of things now that the manor had been converted from just the family home to a B&B. She really hoped that she wasn’t promising more than she could deliver. There was no doubt she wanted to help them out, but Amy didn’t want to cause more work for anyone because of her inability to do something that was required.

The most daunting thing on the list was just over a week away. A wedding. A couple had booked the whole manor for the wedding party and family, and they were going to use the chapel for the ceremony. Jessa had made notes that Laurel and Violet would be helping out, too, so Amy wouldn’t be completely on her own. The only reason the sisters hadn’t been able to help out more with Jessa was because they each had families of their own and couldn’t move into the manor.

Since she’d last seen them, Laurel and Matt had added two more children to their family. Another boy and a girl, which gave them two of each. Dean and Violet’s brood had only grown by one in addition to Addy and Danielle, who had been born just a couple of weeks before Will and Cami’s wedding. They’d gotten their boy so had apparently decided to stop at three. Cami and Josh had two—both girls—and from what her brother had said, they were quite happy with the size of their family. Given that their career required a lot of travel, it made sense they wouldn’t try for a larger family.

In a few weeks, Cami and Josh would be arriving with the girls for their annual summer Collingsworth family get-together. Amy was excited to see them since it had been Christmas when they’d last been together.

In the meantime, the most pressing thing on her agenda was figuring out what she needed to get from the store for the breakfasts for the weekend. Laurel and Violet had already volunteered to help out with suppers for the family, but the breakfasts for the guests she’d have to handle on her own. Thankfully, her mom had made sure she knew everything about running a household—including cooking. It was just that she didn’t have much opportunity to practice since she still lived at home where her mom did most the cooking.

Looking up from the notebook, Amy stared out the window above the sink. It had been just over eight years since she’d last been to Collingsworth. Since Cami and Josh made their home in Nashville, there had been no reason for Amy to return after that heartbreaking visit for their wedding. Cami was still the only one who knew what had happened during that time. She’d apologized more than once for asking Amy to return to Collingsworth when she’d called last week, but Amy hadn’t even had to think twice about it. Though it had taken some time, her teenage heart had healed. She still didn’t completely understand the feeling she’d had that Will Collingsworth was the man God wanted her to marry, she had put it behind her.

Of course, Will was no longer a married man. She remembered the day she’d heard the news of Delia’s death. There had been no joy for her because the circumstances had been just too awful. Pregnant with their first child, she’d had an aneurism and died just a year after their marriage. They had been able to save the baby—a girl—but there had been nothing they could do for Delia. Amy couldn’t even fathom how someone dealt with something like that. She knew it had been difficult for Josh when his first wife had committed suicide, but it hadn’t been a huge shock as she’d tried a couple of times already. What had happened with Delia—

Amy heard the front door open and turned on her stool. Had Lance had forgotten something. A man appeared in the doorway to the kitchen. Though she barely recognized him, her heart skipped a beat. He looked nothing like the man she’d loved with her teenage heart. Short, styled hair had grown out to a scruffier length, and it looked like he hadn’t shaved in a couple of days. The hard, tenseness of his face gave him a somewhat gaunt look, and there was no twinkling in his eyes or smile on his face. Even though it had been almost six years since his wife’s death, he looked as haunted by it now as he must have the day it happened.

“Hi,” she said, standing up from the stool.

“Hello. I’m Will Collingsworth.” He stared at her for a moment. “Are you a guest here?”

Telling herself there was no reason to be disappointed he didn’t recognize her, Amy shook her head. “No. I’m here to help Jessa. My name is Amy.”

“We’ve been away, so I just heard the news. I dropped by to see if there was anything I could do.” He glanced toward the hallway. “Can you wait here, Isabella? I’ll just be a couple of minutes.”

Amy’s gaze dropped from Will to the little girl who moved to stand next to him, and she understood with shocking clarity why he still wore the haunted look all these years later. The little girl was the spitting image of her mother. It was like she had all her mother’s genes and none of her father’s.

Isabella looked at Amy, her big brown eyes wide.

“Is it okay if she stays here with you?” Will asked.

“Sure. I could use some company.” Amy smiled at the little girl. She was rewarded with a small smile in return.

“Be good, please.”

“I will.”

Will rested a hand on her shoulder for a moment before disappearing up the stairs.

Amy beckoned for Isabella to come to the counter. She noticed as the little girl approached that she was dressed in the most fashionable brand name children’s clothes. As a teacher, she was aware of children’s fashions, and Isabella would certainly outshine most in her first grade class.

“My name is Amy,” she said as Isabella climbed onto one of the stools. “Do you want a cookie or something?”

“Yes. I’d like a cookie.” Isabella glanced toward where her father had gone.

“Will you get in trouble if you have one?”

She immediately shook her head. “Daddy lets me have whatever I want.”

Amy tilted her head. She supposed it would make sense that Will indulged his little girl. “Well, I don’t want to spoil your appetite if you’re going to eat lunch soon.”

“It’s okay. I’ll just have one. I love Aunt Jessa’s cookies.”

“Me, too. I had a couple last night.” Amy got up and circled the counter to grab the cookie jar. She picked out two and handed one to Isabella. “I’m going to join you. Any excuse for cookies is good.”

Isabella smiled and once again Amy was tossed back in time. The memory of a similar smile had plagued her for months—years—after Cami and Josh’s wedding.

“What’s wrong with Aunt Jessa?” Isabella asked after she took a small nibble of the cookie. “Did something happen to the baby?”

“No. The doctor just wants her to get lots more rest so the baby can finish growing. While she’s getting rest, I’m going to be helping out around here.”

“Who are you?” Dark eyes gazed at her curiously.

“I’m Lance’s cousin. I have the summer off since I’m a teacher, so I was able to come help them out.”

“You’re a teacher?”

“Yep. I teach first grade. What grade are you in?”

“I just finished kindergarten.”

“Cool. You’ll be in grade one when school starts.”

Isabella nodded. “I did so well that when I asked Daddy for a tablet, he got me one.” She gestured toward the floral bag sitting next to her on the counter. “My favorite color is purple.”

“I know a lot of little girls who like purple.”

“Is that your favorite color, too?”

“One of them,” Amy admitted. “But I also like pink and blue and green. And sometimes red.” She leaned close and with a grin whispered, “I try to be fair to all the colors, so they don’t feel bad. Don’t want anyone to feel left out.”
Isabella giggled as she lifted her cookie to take another bite.

Someone cleared their throat, and Amy turned to see Will standing in the doorway once again. His hands were on his hips, and Amy wondered if perhaps Isabella had been wrong about her dad’s reaction to a cookie this close to lunch.

“Ready to go, Isabella?” he asked.

“Amy gave me a cookie,” she told him as she slid off the stool. Cookie in one hand, Isabella grasped the handle of her bag and pulled it from the counter.

Amy stood up. “I hope that was okay.”

“That’s fine,” Will said distractedly. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. “Here. This is my business card. Please call if something happens with Jessa. And if you’re unable to reach Lance, don’t hesitate to contact me.”

“Will do.” Amy took the card, hating the fact that his nearness was leaving her breathless. She was supposed to have been over him.

Will looked at her more closely. “Do I know you? I mean, have we met before?”

For a moment, Amy wasn’t sure how to respond. There was a tiny part of her heart that hurt when she realized he didn’t remember her. Finally, she nodded. “Josh is my brother.”

Will’s brows drew together for a moment before comprehension dawned on his face. “You were here for Christmas when Jessa and Lance got married.”

“Yes.” Amy wasn’t surprised that he didn’t remember her from Josh and Cami’s wedding. He’d been a little distracted at the time.

“You must have been here for Cami’s wedding, too,” he said.

“I was her maid of honor,” she replied, hoping he wouldn’t delve too deeply into that day. She didn’t think it was a place he’d want to revisit either, although for obviously different reasons.

“That was eight years ago. You’ve changed a bit,” he commented. “I guess that’s why I didn’t recognize you right away.”

“You’ve changed, too,” Amy replied. She was well aware that she wasn’t the thin teenager she’d once been. A love of good cooking and abhorrence of exercise had led to some weight gain over the years. Having gotten to the point where her curves were a few pounds away from pushing her into the “you need to lose weight” doctor lecture zone, she was trying to be more careful about what she ate.

Will nodded and turned to Isabella. “I guess we’d better go. Thank you for watching her.”

“Anytime,” Amy said with a smile. “I teach first grade, so I’m used to kids her age.”

“I may take you up on that. See you around.” Will laid a hand on Isabella’s back, and they left the kitchen.

Amy waited for the door to close before sinking back onto her stool. Well, she’d known that the meeting would come sooner or later, so it was actually a relief to have it out of the way already. And it was also a relief to see that some of the things that she’d loved about him as a teenager were gone. There seemed to be very little left of the young man she’d set her heart on. Too bad there was still something about the man that caused her heart to react. It didn’t bode well for the weeks ahead.

~*~*~

“She was nice.”

Will glanced into the rearview mirror to see Isabella in her booster seat behind him. “Amy?”

"Yes. She was nice,” Isabella repeated, her dark eyes serious.

“I’m sure that’s true.” He flicked on the blinker and leaned forward to check for traffic before pulling from the driveway onto the highway leading to Collingsworth. “She’s Uncle Josh’s sister, and you think he’s nice, too, right?”

“Yes. I like him. And Aunt Cami. And Grace and Jojo.”

“They should all be here in a few weeks, so you’ll be able to play with your cousins again.”

“She said she teaches kids like me,” Isabella said, apparently not ready to let go of the subject of Amy Moyer just yet. “I think I’d like her to teach me.”

“Unfortunately, I don’t think she teaches school here.”

“Where does she teach?”

Will tried to keep his impatience at bay. Isabella had been a curious one since she’d started talking and usually it wasn’t a big deal, but when he didn’t know the answers, it became a little irritating. “I really don’t know. Maybe Texas. I think that’s where Josh’s family is from.”

“Why is she here?”

“She said she’s here to help Aunt Jessa until she has the baby.” Will hit some controls on the dashboard. “Do you want to watch a DVD?”

Even as Isabella’s favorite movie began to play, Will pushed down the guilt. He knew he shouldn’t just shut her down, but he was hanging on by a thread. It was getting closer to Isabella’s sixth birthday. The range of emotions associated with that day overwhelmed him. How did one celebrate a birth one day and grieve a death the next? Six years had passed, and he still hadn’t figured it out. Every year he had to resist the urge to leave Isabella with one of his sisters and go to a remote cabin and just sleep the day away.

And this year was worse than ever. Having just finished kindergarten, Isabella had experienced friend birthday parties for the first time and was expecting nothing less than what her friends had for their special days. Much to his dismay, the days of low-key family only parties were gone.

Remembering what Isabella had said about Amy, Will wondered if he might be able to convince her to help him out. Being a teacher, she’d probably have some good ideas of what might work for a six-year-old’s birthday party. As long as it didn’t take away from what Amy needed to do for Jessa, she might be willing to help him out. He’d even be willing to pay her quite handsomely for her time and effort. Jessa might even let him host the party at the manor, since their apartment wasn’t exactly conducive to entertaining a group of young girls.

Feeling a little better about the prospect of Isabella’s party, Will headed to the restaurant he’d promised he’d take her to for lunch. He knew they ate out far too much, but he just didn’t have the interest in cooking many meals. Laurel had invited Isabella to come over for the afternoon, so once lunch was over, he’d drop her off and then go to the office for a few hours. They’d just gotten back from visiting his family in California, so he needed to put some time into the work that had piled up in his absence.

~*~*~

“Do you need anything, Jessa?” Amy said into the walkie-talkie. “I’m bringing you a sandwich. Do you want some fruit as well?”

“Strawberries? And maybe a glass of milk.”

“Sure thing. Be right up.” Amy placed the sandwich on a tray and then cut up some strawberries and poured a glass of milk. She grabbed a cold water bottle as well and headed up the stairs.

Jessa was propped up against pillows in a large bed. Her red curls were gathered on top of her head, and she wore no makeup which made her look a little more pale than Amy remembered.

“Thank you,” Jessa said with a smile as Amy set the bed tray over her legs. “Did you eat already?”

“Not yet,” Amy told her.

“Why don’t you go get your lunch and come back and eat with me? No sense each
eating by ourselves.”

“Sure. I’ll be right back.”

When she returned a few minutes later, Amy discovered that Jessa had waited for her. “Guess it’s kind of quiet up here.” She set her plate and glass down on the nightstand and pulled a chair closer to the bed.

“Yeah. There’s only so much TV I want to watch and so much surfing I can do. Guess I’m going to catch up on all the reading I haven’t had time for over the past couple of years.”

“I can give you some recommendations if you’d like. I love to read and have several favorite authors.” Amy took a bite of her sandwich.

“I’d like that. I’m sure that my favorites don’t have enough out there that I haven’t read yet to last until the baby comes.”

“How are you feeling today?”

“Less stressed now that you’re here.” Jessa smiled at her. “I really do appreciate you dropping everything to come. I couldn’t believe it when Cami said you were willing to help us out.”

“Not really much to drop,” Amy assured her. “It’s nice to be back in Collingsworth. I’ve always enjoyed my visits here.”

“Did you talk to Will?” Jessa asked.

“Not too much. I had a longer conversation with his daughter.” Amy knew that Jessa was unaware of her teenage feelings for Will. “She’s a beautiful little girl.”

“Yes, she is,” Jessa said. “And the spitting image of her mother,”

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen Delia, but I noticed the resemblance right away. And it seems she’s got a daddy who spoils her.”

“She does have that,” Jessa said, but her brow furrowed. “You were able to tell that from the short time she was with you?”

Amy laughed. “Not from her behavior. I asked if her daddy would let her have one of your cookies before lunch, and she informed me that he let her have anything she wanted.”

Jessa sighed. “That’s how Will loves her.”

“That’s not too surprising, is it?” Amy was a little confused by Jessa’s reaction to how Will spoiled Isabella. “She seems like a nice little girl in spite of being spoiled.”

“Oh, she is, but since the day she was born, Will has seemed to struggle with how he feels about her. Showering her with gifts and anything she asks for is his way of ‘loving’ her.”

Amy swallowed the bite of sandwich she’d taken. “I’m sure it must be difficult to deal with the birth of a baby and the death of a spouse at the same time.”

“Isabella was born a month premature. For the first two weeks after she was born, Laurel, Violet, Lily and I were the ones who stayed with her in the hospital. Once Delia’s funeral was over, Will disappeared for a week.”

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