The Delivery of Decor (Shiloh Ridge Ranch in Three Rivers #7) - Liz Isaacson Page 0,67

eat. She toed herself back and let the two of them gently rock forward.

“In the bathroom,” he said. “I’m sitting in the hall just outside of it, watching to make sure she’s still alive.”

“I’m still alive,” Ida heard through the line, and she managed a small smile at the sound of Dot’s voice.

“Dot is one of the strongest women I know,” Ida said firmly. “And you’re the best person to be there with her, Ward. You can help her with this.”

“I need to tell everyone,” he whispered. “Then they can pray. But I don’t want to wake up Bear and Sammy. They never sleep as it is. Etta took Stetson last night, in the middle of the night, and she was so tired tonight. We’ve all been working our hands to the bone today.”

“You sound tired.”

“I am beyond tired,” Ward admitted.

“Are you feeling better after your attempt to freeze yourself?” Ida couldn’t believe Ward had tried to go to the shed in a blizzard. It didn’t make sense, because Ward didn’t take risks like that.

“Yes,” he said. “I slept a lot on Christmas Day, and Dot kept me warm and hydrated.”

“It’s two-sixty,” Dot said, and Ida realized Ward had her on speaker.

“That’s going down,” Ida said. “Is that right?”

“I’ve been moving a little bit,” Dot said. “But you’re not supposed to exercise if you think you might be in ketoacidosis.”

Ida had no idea what that meant, but she didn’t have to. She could look it up online later.

“Why would it go down then?” Ward asked.

“Maybe just pure movement,” Dot said, her voice closer. “Can I sit here?”

“Sure thing, sweetheart.” Shuffling came through the line, and Ida could only imagine her strong, somewhat stoic brother sitting in the hallway of their childhood home, right outside the bathroom, his girlfriend snuggling into his side.

“Tell me how the babies are,” Ward said, his voice soft. At least he wasn’t about to stab something or snap at Dot.

“I will if you tell me what’s really going on with you and Dot,” she said, smiling down at her son as he ate.

“She’s on the line, Ida,” Ward warned.

“Maybe she can tell me then.” Ida knew Dot reasonably well. She didn’t live far from Ida and Brady, and they’d gone a double date with her and Ward several weeks ago.

“I’ll tell you,” Dot said. “But you have to promise to keep it a secret.”

“I can do that,” Ida said.

“I’m falling in love with him,” Dot said. “Don’t tell him that though, because he’s already got such a big head.”

Ida blinked in the darkness, shock coursing through her. Then happiness. Pure joy, in fact. She started to giggle, and Dot joined in a moment later. Ward didn’t protest, and while Ida didn’t think her brother had an arrogant bone in his body, she also knew him. She’d known him his whole life, and she knew how pure and good his heart was.

“I’m also going to have to report this little incident to the DLD,” Dot said. “They might make me go get one of those medical certifications that says I can keep my commercial trucking license.”

“Oh?” Ida asked.

“No, no,” Dot said. “You promised Ward you’d talk about the babies.”

Ida smiled to herself, actually hoping Dot wouldn’t remember this conversation once she felt better.

“So I’m feeding Johnny right now,” Ida began. “He’s definitely going to eat me out of house and home when he’s a teenager, because he already takes more than his share of the milk….”

Chapter Twenty-One

Jeremiah Walker didn’t keep his phone on silent through the night. He was responsible for too many animals, buildings, and men for such a thing. So when his phone rang in the middle of the night, he heard it.

Whitney, his wife, heard it too, and she sucked in a breath and sat up.

“It’s fine,” Jeremiah whispered. “Go back to sleep.” He swiped for his phone, knocking his hand against the plate he’d left on his nightstand. He couldn’t go to bed on an empty stomach, and he’d been up late last night helping his brother with a toy ATV he’d bought for his daughter.

Since Christmas had been a couple of days of wind and weather, Liam hadn’t been able to get the ATV out for his daughter. They’d gotten it going—finally—after two trips to town and after the girl had gone to bed.

So Jeremiah had required a bagel with cream cheese for his midnight snack. The plate fell to the floor, and he pressed his eyes closed as a form of