Priceless

Epilogue: Grace Personified

2 Years Later

Nessa pulled Thane's truck to a stop behind the main ranch house, noticing that Kylie's car sat among the rest. The new mom had been coming by quite often while on maternity leave, giving the very-pregnant Reba a crash course in caring for a newborn.

She glanced at the plastic shopping bag on the seat next to her, which contained the test that would tell her if she would soon be among their ranks. She wasn't sure how she felt about it or whether she wanted it to say yes or no.

She had a feeling she knew the answer, but the whole idea came with mixed emotions. She didn't want to stir them up until she had confirmation. She'd been feeling off for over a week now, with nausea, food aversions, and an overly sensitive nose for smells. The past two days she'd asked to stay in the office, as she couldn't handle the smell of the horses or the tack.

It had finally clicked this morning that the only other time she'd felt this way was when she was pregnant. Knowing she wouldn't rest until she took a pregnancy test, she told Dorrie and Reba she needed to run an errand and headed for town.

Time for the moment of truth.

With a deep breath she shut off the engine, reaching for both her purse and the bag before sliding out of the cab. She glanced towards the barns and the office, relieved to see their excursion clients' vehicle still parked outside. The group wasn't due back for a couple of hours and that's exactly how she wanted it. She didn't want to say anything to Thane until she knew for sure.

She hurried around the truck and up the porch steps, the chilly air nipping at her nose and cheeks. Despite the colder weather, riders and hikers continued to make reservations. As long as the trails weren't icy or snow drifted, Promised Land Excursions remained open.

Nessa was glad for the excuse to stay inside. She wasn't a cold weather person.

She pushed through the kitchen door, closing it fast behind her to keep the chill outside. Three sets of eyes looked her way, each woman offering a greeting. Kylie sat at the kitchen table, nursing baby Preston, while Dorrie and Reba worked their magic at the stove and countertops.

"Did you get what you needed?" Reba asked, looking up from her mixing bowl.

Nessa nodded, stepping out of her shoes and leaving them next to the door. Then she laid her bags down before unraveling her scarf and shrugging out of her coat. "I did. Now I need a little moral support before I put it to use."

All three women gave her curious looks, but Nessa didn't say anything. She simply picked up the bag, pulled out the test, and laid it down on the table for them to see.

Kylie understood first, looking up at Nessa with a smile. "No way!"

Reba gasped, drawing all eyes to her. "Do you think you're pregnant Ness?"

Nessa rolled her eyes at Reba's question. "No. I just find it fun to randomly pee on sticks every now and then. Keeps things interesting."

Kylie and Dorrie snickered, but Reba only glared. "Very funny," she huffed.

"Yes, I think I'm pregnant!" Nessa declared. "But I'm a little conflicted about taking the test to find out. I'm not sure what I want it to say or how I'll feel about its answer." She looked up at them all, fighting the ball of emotion forming in her throat. "The last time I took one of these wasn't under the best of circumstances."

Dorrie wiped her hands on her apron and reached out to wrap an arm around Nessa's shoulders. "We get that, honey, but this is a totally different situation. I'm confident you're well equipped to handle the answer."