it was replaced by an awareness of just how tired she was.She felt her head nodding. It wouldn't hurt to put her head down for a moment, she told herself. Just for a moment. She wanted to go stay with her grandmother for another night just to be sure she wasn't needed.
A baby was crying.
She climbed out of bed and padded on bare feet down the hallway to see what was wrong. But when she walked into the nursery there was no baby, no crib. Alarmed, she rushed from the room and went into Joshua's room. It was empty. She ran down the hall and looked into Mary's room, then Annie's but there was no one there.
Sobbing, tears running down her cheeks, she ran back to the room she shared with Matthew but it was empty, too.What was happening? She was in a nightmare but she couldn't seem to wake up. Then she remembered that Phoebe was in the dawdi haus. She flew down the stairs, tore open the connecting door, and ran into her grandmother's bedroom. But it, too, was empty.
Jenny woke, crying out, and found herself sitting at the kitchen table. She sat there for a moment, blinking. There were footsteps on the stairs and Matthew hurried into the room.
"Matthew!" She jumped up and rushed at him, throwing herself into his arms.
He grasped her by the arms and held her back. "I heard you calling out. Is something wrong with Phoebe?"
Shaking her head, she wiped at the tears on her cheeks. "I fell asleep at the table and had such a bad dream." She took a shaky breath. "I need to go check on the kids."
"They're fine."
"I need to see them." She ran up the stairs and went from room to room, making certain for herself that they were safe in their beds. That they were there.
When she returned to the kitchen, Matthew was waiting for her, looking sleepy and rumpled and concerned. "You haven't had a nightmare in months. What brought it on?"
She shrugged. "Who knows? There's not always a trigger. "Picking up her mug, she put it into the sink.
"But there usually is," he reminded her, coming to stand behind her and rubbing her back. "Do you need to talk about it?"
"No, go back to bed," she told him. "I'm fine. I'm going to sit up with Phoebe for a little while and who knows, I might get to go to bed later."
He grinned and leaned down to give her a lingering kiss. "I won't kick you out if you do."
They separated, Matthew returning to bed and Jenny going to see to Phoebe. She found her grandmother sleeping peacefully. When she put the back of her hand to the older woman's forehead it was cool. No fever and no coughing. It was a very good night, she thought.
So she tiptoed out of the room and, after a glance at the stairs that led to their room, she lay down on the living room sofa. She'd told Matthew that she might go to bed but she wasn't ready for that yet and not just because she wanted to make sure Phoebe was okay.
She just wasn't sure she could pretend that everything was okay to him until she sorted out what happened today when she read that letter.
9
J enny walked into the barn and stood, arms folded across her chest.
Not for the first time she thought if only life were easier. If only she could just push a key in an ignition and back a car out of the barn and be on her way. She didn't want to be away from Phoebe for too long even though Matthew had said he'd check on her while Jenny went into town.
Pilot snorted at her and tossed his head. Honestly, who knew that horses could express derision? she asked herself.
When she first met Pilot, Matthew had warned her that he was headstrong and that he'd tried to intimidate Hannah, too. Hannah had let Pilot know right away he wasn't going to get away with it, Matthew had told Jenny.
But Jenny wasn't Hannah who'd grown up around horses the way Jenny had cars. She'd had experience with children, too, and simply dealt with Pilot the same loving but firm way.
And horses served here—they weren't for an occasional pleasure ride. They worked in some manner here as did everyone and
A baby was crying.
She climbed out of bed and padded on bare feet down the hallway to see what was wrong. But when she walked into the nursery there was no baby, no crib. Alarmed, she rushed from the room and went into Joshua's room. It was empty. She ran down the hall and looked into Mary's room, then Annie's but there was no one there.
Sobbing, tears running down her cheeks, she ran back to the room she shared with Matthew but it was empty, too.What was happening? She was in a nightmare but she couldn't seem to wake up. Then she remembered that Phoebe was in the dawdi haus. She flew down the stairs, tore open the connecting door, and ran into her grandmother's bedroom. But it, too, was empty.
Jenny woke, crying out, and found herself sitting at the kitchen table. She sat there for a moment, blinking. There were footsteps on the stairs and Matthew hurried into the room.
"Matthew!" She jumped up and rushed at him, throwing herself into his arms.
He grasped her by the arms and held her back. "I heard you calling out. Is something wrong with Phoebe?"
Shaking her head, she wiped at the tears on her cheeks. "I fell asleep at the table and had such a bad dream." She took a shaky breath. "I need to go check on the kids."
"They're fine."
"I need to see them." She ran up the stairs and went from room to room, making certain for herself that they were safe in their beds. That they were there.
When she returned to the kitchen, Matthew was waiting for her, looking sleepy and rumpled and concerned. "You haven't had a nightmare in months. What brought it on?"
She shrugged. "Who knows? There's not always a trigger. "Picking up her mug, she put it into the sink.
"But there usually is," he reminded her, coming to stand behind her and rubbing her back. "Do you need to talk about it?"
"No, go back to bed," she told him. "I'm fine. I'm going to sit up with Phoebe for a little while and who knows, I might get to go to bed later."
He grinned and leaned down to give her a lingering kiss. "I won't kick you out if you do."
They separated, Matthew returning to bed and Jenny going to see to Phoebe. She found her grandmother sleeping peacefully. When she put the back of her hand to the older woman's forehead it was cool. No fever and no coughing. It was a very good night, she thought.
So she tiptoed out of the room and, after a glance at the stairs that led to their room, she lay down on the living room sofa. She'd told Matthew that she might go to bed but she wasn't ready for that yet and not just because she wanted to make sure Phoebe was okay.
She just wasn't sure she could pretend that everything was okay to him until she sorted out what happened today when she read that letter.
9
J enny walked into the barn and stood, arms folded across her chest.
Not for the first time she thought if only life were easier. If only she could just push a key in an ignition and back a car out of the barn and be on her way. She didn't want to be away from Phoebe for too long even though Matthew had said he'd check on her while Jenny went into town.
Pilot snorted at her and tossed his head. Honestly, who knew that horses could express derision? she asked herself.
When she first met Pilot, Matthew had warned her that he was headstrong and that he'd tried to intimidate Hannah, too. Hannah had let Pilot know right away he wasn't going to get away with it, Matthew had told Jenny.
But Jenny wasn't Hannah who'd grown up around horses the way Jenny had cars. She'd had experience with children, too, and simply dealt with Pilot the same loving but firm way.
And horses served here—they weren't for an occasional pleasure ride. They worked in some manner here as did everyone and
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