Page 17 of Bridles and Bribery

Jillian didn’t care that her feelings for Dave were riding in plain view on her sleeve. “His plane is about to take off. He says he’s hoping the rainstorm headed our way doesn’t cause any delays.” She slid off her stool and moved to the window over the kitchen sink to peer up at the sky. “I didn’t realize we were even expecting rain.”

As if on cue, a streak of lightning zipped past, illuminating a snarl of dark clouds. A rumble of thunder followed in its wake.

Jillian’s lips moved in a silent prayer for her husband’s safety. He should’ve been home, listening to the gathering storm from the haven of their great room, settled deep in the leather recliner he loved so much.

With me in his arms.

She glanced over her shoulder at the empty piece offurniture, wishing she could walk over there and climb into his lap right this second.

Eloise stepped into her line of vision, blocking her view of the empty recliner. “I think I’ll turn in now.” Her eyes were suspiciously red-rimmed. A tissue was clenched in her right hand.

“See you in the morning,” Jillian said gently. She lifted her phone to type a message back to Dave.Safe travels to my favorite Texan. I love you!

His answer arrived only seconds later.I love you more.It was their favorite argument, one that never failed to drag a smile out of her.

“You two are so squishy,” her mother-in-law grumbled, turning to leave the room.

“Would you like to join me for church in the morning?” Jillian called after her.

“No, but I will,” Eloise called back without slowing her steps. “Dave would have a fit if he found out I let you go anywhere alone.” Her voice faded as she disappeared down the hallway.

Wow!Jillian stared after her. Inviting her mother-in-law to church had turned out to be much easier than she’d expected. She couldn’t wait to tell Dave. In her excitement, she tapped out another message to him on her way to their bedroom.

You are not going to believe what your mother just agreed to!She added a few celebration emojis and waited.

There was no answer.

Too bad!She lowered her phone in disappointment, knowing his silence meant he must have already boarded his flight.

She entered the master bedroom and headed straight for the garden tub in the adjoining bathroom. It was sunkinto the floor with an ornate railing and mosaic tiled steps. The luxurious details were downright mind-boggling. It was going to take a while before Jillian stopped feeling like she was staying in a resort.

Because of her pregnancy, she was careful not to run the bath water too hot. The baby kicked a few times as she lowered herself into the water. She scrubbed off the sadness and tears and forced her thoughts to happier topics, like the honeymoon she and Dave would be taking next summer.

Hawaii was going to be breathtakingly gorgeous in June or July. Maybe August. She and Dave would have to sit down together and research flights again. Jillian reached for her phone, grateful that she’d splurged on a waterproof case, and opened one of her digital books. Since today had been her wedding day, it only made sense to end it with a happily-ever-after. Though a fictional one wasn’t as good as the real thing, it was better than none at all.

She was soon immersed in a story about star-crossed lovers. The minutes ticked past, and her bath water grew cooler. She didn’t close her ebook, however, until her cell phone pinged with another incoming message.

Knowing it was probably Dave, she hurriedly exited the garden tub and toweled off. She wanted to enjoy their conversation, not remain submerged in the bath water until her teeth started to chatter. She tossed her cell phone on the bed and bent her head over it to read her husband’s latest message while she was dressing.

To her horror, it wasn’t from Dave after all. It was another demand for the ransom of her unborn child. This time, there was an additional detail — a deadline. It was her baby’s due date!

Her breathing grew choppy. Then she started to wheeze.

What is happening to me?She clawed at her throat, trying to gulp more air into her windpipe. Sliding to the floor beside the bed, she sent up a silent prayer.Please help.

It was more of a thought than an actual prayer, because she was too busy fighting not to lose consciousness. As she started to drift, a passage of scriptures swam through her head. She’d been required to memorize them during church camp years ago.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. He is my refuge and my fortress. My God in whom I trust.

She sank against the side of the bed, repeating the verses again and again inside her head. The comfort and hope they contained made her relax in slow degrees. Once she was breathing normally again, or almost normally, she reached for her cell phone and typed out a text message to her husband. He needed to know about the second threat she’d received.

Her fingers were trembling so badly that she kept misspelling words. She finally gave up trying to type and dialed him instead. The call went straight to voicemail. Glancing in frustration at the time on her phone, she realized he must still be in the air.

Since nobody was there to impress with her new white lacy nightgown, she dressed in her favorite fuzzy pink PJs and climbed into bed. Huddling beneath the covers, she drearily watched the time tick past on the clock on the nightstand. It was about as exciting as watching paint dry, but she was too upset to go back toreading the ebook on her phone. Every cell in her body longed to speak to her husband and receive the assurance that the latest text message from the Prophet was yet another prank.

Unless it wasn’t.

Her heart pounded with a fresh wave of dread, which she fought to tamp down by calling Dave again. There was still no answer. She waited another five minutes before hitting the redial button. It went straight to voicemail. The same thing happened ten minutes later and thirty minutes after that.

---