Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

JANIE

Growing up in the Blue Ridge Mountains I had been immune to its charms. All I could think about was getting away. I had a long-time boyfriend that I hated to leave, but I needed to get out of there to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. So why am I headed back a few weeks before Christmas? When I left, I didn’t realize I was taking a piece of Owen Weston with me. Now here I am eight months pregnant, jobless and scared out of my mind. I have been driving for days coming home from Nashville where I had accepted a full scholarship to Vanderbilt. The problem is my morning sickness is actually all-day sickness. It was so bad that I could not function well enough to keep up my grades therefore losing my scholarship. I have been on the road all day. What should have only been about a five-hour trip has turned into an eight-hour trip because I keep having to stop to pee and get sick. I am hungry and exhausted. Sleep has become a thing of the past. I feel my baby kicking and I am thankful because when I lost my scholarship I lost my insurance as well. I was about ten miles from home driving through the mountains. It was snowing and I was terrified of driving on ice. My car needed new tires and brakes. All I wanted was my mom and dad.

My eyes were heavy, and I opened my eyes just in time to see an eighteen-wheeler barreling down on me I jerked the wheel and knew I was going to die. Everything went black.

I thought I heard my name being called but I couldn’t rouse myself enough to answer. It sounded so much like Owen.

Apparently, I blacked out again. I woke up in a warm bed with something tugging at my arm. My head ached and I was sore all over. Putting my hand on my stomach I started to panic. I didn’t feel any kicking or moving but my abdomen was very tender. I opened my eyes and looked around to see I was in a cabin. Owen was asleep in a chair beside a bassinet and Doc Baker was checking over the baby. I must have made a noise because they both looked at me.

“Well now, it’s about time you woke up. Your little one is hungry, and she is not taking to the formula very well. I need you to try and nurse her. We also need to give her a name.” Doc said as he brought her over to me. Owen walked over and helped me to sit up. He was being very quiet. I opened my gown and took my daughter. This was my first look at her. I saw the shock of red hair on her head just like her daddy. My hair was chestnut brown. I bit my lip as she settled to my breast and started to suckle. I stared in awe at this tiny little human we created together. I felt tears rolling down my cheeks, but I was too tired to care. I glanced up at him seeing the hurt and anger all over his face. I was ashamed that I had not called him immediately when I found out, but I was freaked out. I was coming home to tell him.

“Michaela Eve Weston, I’ll call her Kayla.” I whispered as Owen jerked his head up. His full name was Owen Michael Weston.

“Why Janie? I don’t understand.” He looked devastated. I ran my finger down her cheek and inserted it into her mouth so I could switch breasts. When she started back, I looked up at him.

“It wasn’t you. I didn’t even know about her until I was about four months along. I thought I had a stomach flu. I have been sick ever since. I lost my scholarship and my insurance. My phone gave out on me. My car was on its last legs. I was coming home to tell you and my parents. All I remember was seeing bright lights and swerving then nothing.” Kayla popped off my breast and then laid her head on it. She was using me for a pillow. I smiled down at her leaning over to kiss her. I was so relieved she was okay. “Doc, is she okay, was she hurt in the accident?”

“No Janie, she was protected by your body and the air bag. You on the other hand suffered a lot of bruising and cuts. Nothing too bad but there may be some scarring. I did the best I could, but we are in the middle of a blizzard. How you made it as far as you did, I’ll never know. If Owen had not been coming back from picking up feed for the animals and saw your car smashed into the mountain, we would have lost you both.” Doc leaned over and looked at my face again. “I’ll be by to check on the baby in a couple of days. Owen said you are both staying here. My cabin in a short distance from his so I can take a snowmobile back and forth. I should be able to remove your stiches in about a week.”

I watched Owen as he walked him to the door and shook his hand. He turned around and stared at me.

“You must be starved. Doc said you can have liquids for the first forty-eight hours then we go from there. I have some chicken broth warmed up, I’ll grab it off the stove and be right back.” Owen walked over to the kitchen and poured some broth in a coffee mug and brought it over to me. “It should be a good temperature for drinking. I thought that would be easier.”

I was still holding the baby who had fallen back asleep. She was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my life. I knew if we were going to have this conversation, I was going to need my strength, so I drank the broth. When I finished it, he took the cup, and I closed my eyes.