A Bid for Love Read online

  Jared bid three more times, but finally he could stand it no longer. “Four hundred thousand,” he said aloud, raising the bid nearly seventy thousand dollars. People gasped slightly at the jump, but the auctioneer only smiled.

  “I have four hundred thousand. Do I have four hundred thousand and one? Anyone for four hundred and one? Four hundred thousand going once, twice, and sold to number eighty-nine.”

  Jared was out of his seat in an instant and next to Sam. “Where’d she go?” he whispered, ignoring the stares from those around them.

  Sam handed him the piece of paper, and Jared read it quickly, his heart constricting at the contents. He recalled only too vividly when something similar had happened to one of his sisters. Her placenta had come loose at the onset of labor, and the baby was saved only by an emergency C-section. The doctor had gravely informed them that if Trisha had arrived at the hospital even minutes later, the baby would have died.

  Jared was out the door and in the hotel lobby before he realized he was moving. He only knew there was a possibility Cassi’s friend could lose her baby, and maybe somehow he could help.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Cassi looked anxiously around as she neared the main lobby. The elevator dinged, and she whirled to see Renae supported by two women hotel employees. She was disheveled and in obvious pain.

  “Cassi!” Renae said when she looked up. “I’m so sorry. But the baby . . . I’m bleeding!”

  Cassi didn’t know what that meant, but she did know that a woman generally wasn’t supposed to bleed until after a birth. She put her arms around Renae.

  “I didn’t want to get you out of the auction,” her friend sobbed. “I didn’t know what else to do.”

  “I don’t care about the auction.” Cassi fought to keep her voice calm.

  “The ambulance is here,” one of the hotel workers said. Even as she spoke, two men and a stretcher moved quickly toward them. In moments they had Renae on the stretcher and in the ambulance.

  “Why is she bleeding?” Cassi asked, wishing her heart would quit beating so frantically.

  “The placenta is probably pulling away from the uterus,” one of the EMTs explained. “That means we have to get the baby out before it comes off altogether or he won’t be able to breathe.”

  “She,” Cassi corrected. “It’s a girl. But what if she doesn’t come?”

  “Then the doctor will take her by C-section,” the man said. “But don’t worry too much. Her heartbeat’s still strong, and that means we have time.”

  Not wanting to retrieve her own car or worry about finding the hospital, Cassi hurried to one of the taxis that waited in front of the hotel. As the car raced through the streets of Los Angeles, Cassi’s mind was far removed from the auction and all its comparatively unimportant matters. At the hospital, she finally remembered to call Trent while the doctor on call examined Renae.

  “I’ll find someone to stay with the kids and be right there,” he said after Cassi explained the situation.

  “Just bring them. I can take care of them. Renae needs you now!” Cassi’s tears were near the surface. She felt terrible that not only was the baby’s life threatened, but that Renae had to face the situation with a strange doctor and without her husband.

  Cassi filled out the papers she was handed, and then went to sit with Renae as the doctor explained the problem. He was rather short and bald, his demeanor calm, and Cassi liked him immediately.

  “The placenta has come partly loose,” he said to Renae. “That’s why you have the bleeding. But your baby is in no immediate danger. We can keep an eye on you and see if we can’t get the baby here naturally. If his heart rate drops, we’ll have to take him caesarean, though I’m hoping that won’t be necessary. You’re already dilated to a four.”

  “Her,” puffed Renae as another contraction took over. “My doctor said it was a girl.”

  “Well, he may be wrong,” the doctor said with a smile. “Our ultrasound indicates that it’s a boy. I hope that isn’t a disappointment.”

  Cassi had to smile. “She has one boy and three girls. I don’t think she’ll be too unhappy to have another boy.”

  Renae nodded but was too busy breathing through the contraction to answer aloud. When it was over, she began to sob softly. “I want Trent.”

  “He’s on his way,” Cassi said.

  “Would you like something for the pain?” the doctor asked.

  Renae shook her head. “I heard it can slow down labor. I don’t want to risk that.”

  “That is true, but I’m keeping an eye on your baby. Let me know if you change your mind.”

  Renae’s jaw clenched in determination. “I won’t.”

  The doctor left them in the care of several nurses who seemed to know what they were doing. Renae’s obvious pain made Cassi nervous. Birth was something she had never been close to before.

  “Is there anything I can do?” she asked.

  Renae didn’t answer. Her tear-streaked face twisted in a grimace and deep lines etched around her mouth. She panted and writhed on the bed. Beads of sweat dotted her forehead.

  When the contraction was over, she looked up at Cassi. “I’m so afraid. I don’t want to lose my baby. I need Trent. I can’t do this without him!” She gave a long, shuddering sigh, and Cassi patted her shoulder awkwardly.

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s just that I can’t stop this feeling of dread. I think I’m going to lose my baby.” She said the last sentence in a whisper so the nurses wouldn’t hear and jump to reassure her. “Please, go see if Trent is here yet.”

  “Okay,” Cassi escaped gratefully from the room, though she knew her effort was futile. Trent wouldn’t arrive for another hour.

  As she gazed around the hall outside the delivery area, Cassi felt faint. She could never remember being so helpless. Despite the doctor’s apparent confidence, Renae’s fear made her worry for the unborn baby. Please, she prayed. Please help Renae. She thought of her friend lying in agony and knew she would have to return to her bedside, bringing nothing to help her.

  She started to walk down the hall, but from the corner of her eye she saw a familiar figure approaching at a fast walk.

  “Jared,” she whispered, though he was too far off to hear. She couldn’t stop the relief flooding her body at the sight of someone—anyone—she knew, even as remotely as she knew him.

  He came toward her quickly. “Is she all right?”

  Cassi shook her head, not understanding why or how he was at the hospital. “The placenta’s coming loose. The doctor says she may need a C-section. He seems to have everything under control, but Renae’s frightened. She keeps crying and calling for her husband.” Cassi’s voice broke on the last word. She looked up at Jared through her tears. “I’m not sure what to do.”

  “I have an idea,” he said, turning his head around as if searching for something or someone.

  Cassi wondered what he was looking for, but she soon had an answer when the man they had met at church the previous day came hurrying toward them.

  “He used to volunteer in a crisis center,” Jared said. “Plus he’s helped his wife through birth a ton of times, so I called him.”

  “Two times in one day, eh?” Larry Smithy said to Jared.

  Jared shrugged. “Thanks for coming.”

  Cassi didn’t have time to consider the implication of what they were saying, though she filed the comment away for future study. What mattered now was that they were there to help Renae when she needed it.

  She led them to Renae’s room where Larry first offered a heartfelt prayer. Minutes later, he began exchanging stories with Renae about their children’s antics and soon she was smiling and laughing. Calm pervaded Cassi as she noticed that Renae was handling both her fear and the contractions much better.

  “Thank you so much,” Renae told the men. “I feel so much more hopeful now.”

  Larry put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “We’re glad to be of help. You’re d
oing a wonderful thing here. Babies are one of God’s greatest blessings.”

  Renae grinned. “Yes, they really are.”

  “We’ll be in the waiting room if you need us,” Jared added. “We’ll send your husband in as soon as he arrives. That way Cassi can stay with you.”

  Cassi remembered Renae’s children. “He’s probably bringing their other kids. I didn’t want him to waste time finding someone to watch them, so I said I’d take care of them.”

  “We’ll watch them until you come out,” Jared said. “Larry has six kids of his own, and I have nineteen nieces and nephews. We’ll manage.”

  Cassi looked at him gratefully. “Don’t you have other business here?”

  “No.” Jared’s intense blue eyes seem to bore into hers. “I saw you leave the auction and found out what happened from Boader. That’s why I came. I thought maybe you might need some help. I called Larry on the way over.”

  Cassi bit her bottom lip. She was beginning to feel terrible about calling Jared names behind his back and for suspecting him of trying to trick her out of the bidding for the Buddha.

  “What about the Buddha?” she asked.

  “I jumped the bid to four hundred thousand. No one wanted to match it.”

  Four hundred thousand! That was one hundred thousand more than Cassi had been authorized to pay. Had she stayed, she would have lost anyway. “I’m glad you got it,” she said sincerely. “I’m just sorry you didn’t get it for less.”

  Jared shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. I’m quite sure my boss will make more of a profit on it than I’ll make in an entire year. I’m glad we could help your friend.” He turned and followed Larry out the door.

  Cassi stared after him long after the door had obscured him from view. How could she have been so wrong about him? She shook the thoughts away and returned to Renae’s bedside.

  “I told you he was all right,” Renae said between contractions. Cassi marveled at how calm her friend looked now as compared to before the prayer and the men’s visit. Logically she knew that the amount of pain hadn’t changed, but Renae’s ability to deal with it apparently had. The flow of blood from the placenta had also miraculously decreased.

  An hour ticked by quickly. The nurses checked Renae several times and told her that she would soon be able to push.

  “Hurry, Trent,” Renae said under her breath as another contraction began. “Our baby can’t wait for you.”

  As if he had somehow heard her, Trent burst into the room. “Renae!” His brown head was beside hers in an instant. “I’m here, honey.” He held her hand through the contraction, directing her to breathe. Afterward, he rubbed her shoulders gently. He knew exactly how to help, whereas Cassi had felt awkward and useless.

  Cassi sighed in relief. Trent looked up at her with the suggestion of a smile. “Rough day, Cassi?”

  “Does it show?”

  He nodded. “It’s good to see you again. I’m glad you were here with her. Thanks.”

  “I’m glad you’re here.” She hesitated. “I guess I’ll go out and see the kids.”

  “No, don’t go, Cassi,” Renae called from the bed. “I mean, you’re welcome to stay if you want.”

  Cassi did want to stay. She felt she now had a stake in the baby’s life, and she wanted to see him safely into the world. “What about the kids?”

  Trent shrugged. “They’re with your friends in the waiting room. They seem pretty capable. Besides, Scotty’s nine. He’s a good baby-sitter.”

  Cassi smiled. “Then I’d like to stay.”

  “It won’t be much longer,” said one of the nurses. “I’m going to page the doctor now.”

  Renae began to push. Her face went red with the effort, and at times she cried out with the pain. Before long Cassi could see the top of the head, covered in a mass of dark hair. A few more pushes and the baby’s head emerged face down. With the next contraction, the baby’s entire body slipped free, turning as he came. Renae had her second baby boy!

  Cassi stared, almost unable to believe the miracle of life she had witnessed. Familiar longings welled up within her. Those also seemed like miracles in the light of the great pain Renae had suffered. What was it about a tiny, helpless baby that made a woman willing to withstand such agony? Cassi thought she could just barely understand the reasons; her arms ached to hold the baby that wasn’t even hers.

  Since the baby was early, the doctor immediately took him for tests. At Renae’s insistence, Trent went with the him to keep an eye on their child. Cassi stayed with Renae as the placenta was delivered and the bed cleaned. Within a half an hour, Trent and the baby were back.

  “Seven pounds!” Trent said as he came in the door. “Three weeks early and still seven pounds! And healthy as a horse.” He lifted the baby from the rolling bassinet into Renae’s outstretched arms.

  “My last baby was nearly eleven pounds,” Renae reminded Cassi.

  Shortly later, in bounded four towheaded children, eagerly crowding around the bed to see their new brother.

  “Mom, he’s wrinkled!” said four-year-old Janet.

  “So would you be if you had been nine months in water,” seven-year-old Andrea replied in a know-it-all voice.

  “Can I hold him?” Scotty asked, followed by a me-too chorus from his sisters. Even two-year-old Sandy held out her arms for a chance. Trent supervised the two-minute holdings until each child had a turn. They brought to Cassi’s mind the perfect image of the family she herself wanted. She backed away from the bed, determined to leave them to their happy moment.

  Then, to Cassi’s surprise, Trent plopped the baby into her arms.

  “What!” she said, feeling awkward and privileged at the same time. “I don’t know how to hold a newborn.”

  Renae laughed. “Don’t worry. Babies are tougher than they look. Just support his head and you’ll be okay.”

  Cassi cradled the baby, smelling his newness and feeling his warmth. His very existence was still a miracle to her. “He’s so perfect,” she said. She held the baby for as long as she dared, before giving him back to Renae.

  “What are we going to name him?” Trent asked. “We hadn’t thought of any boy names.”

  “Jared,” Renae said without hesitation. “If Jared hadn’t come and brought that nice man from church, I don’t know that things would have turned out so well.”

  “Jared it is then,” Trent agreed. “And what was the other fellow’s name?”

  “Larry,” Cassi said.

  “How about Jared Larry Benson?” Trent proposed. Renae nodded in agreement, and the kids cheered.

  The doctor came in again, looking pleased with all the celebrating. “Everything checks out great,” he said to Renae. “You lost more blood than usual, but I think we can release you tomorrow if you’re still intent on leaving so soon. Of course, you’ll want to report any odd signs to your doctor and take the baby in for a checkup there.”

  “Thanks,” Trent and Renae chimed together. The doctor left, promising to send a nurse with the birth certificate information.

  “Well, kids, I think it’s time for you to all go back with Cassi to her hotel. I’m going to stay here with Mom and baby Jared. We’ll come pick you up in the morning.”

  The kids had seen Cassi a few times each year since their births and loved being with her. The idea of the hotel added measurably to their excitement.

  “Can we watch TV?” asked Andrea as they left the birthing room.

  “Of course. They have cable and everything.”

  “Can we order some food?” asked Scotty, who carried little Sandy in his arms.

  “Sure. Or we can go for some hamburgers on the way home.”

  “Yeah!” the children said together.

  “And some candy?” added Janet.

  “Why not?”

  “Can we play on the elevator and race in the halls?” Andrea asked.

  Cassi knew she was being tested. “Sure. As long as I get a turn to push the buttons and a head start in
the race. I’ll be carrying Sandy, you know.” The children giggled.

  They were still laughing when they reached the waiting room, where Cassi was surprised to see Jared and Larry lounging on the couches. At least she had an opportunity to thank them.

  “He’s beautiful and healthy,” she said. “Seven pounds and twenty inches. They’re naming him Jared Larry Benson.” Both men smiled and slapped each other on the back in congratulations.

  “I thought you’d be gone by now,” Cassi added. “But I’m glad you’re not, so I can tell you thanks. I don’t know what we would have done without you.”

  Jared shrugged, seemingly embarrassed at her words. “We couldn’t go without giving you this,” he said, handing her a diaper bag. He pointed to Sandy in Scotty’s arms. “Sandy here is potty training, and you may need a change or two of clothing. Her father said there were diapers for nighttime.”

  “Great.” Cassi grimaced slightly. She had forgotten that Sandy hadn’t mastered bathroom techniques. How did you even potty train a child? She had zero experience in that field. “Thanks again.” She took the bag and motioned to the children. “Come on, gang.” She started down the corridor with the children and men right behind her.

  “Uh, do you have enough room in your car?” Jared asked.

  Cassi stopped in mid-stride. “Oh, I forgot. I came in a taxi.”

  “I can give you a ride back to the hotel,” Jared said. “I’m going there anyway.”

  “Thanks. That would be great.” Cassi was irritated at herself for not remembering, and for suddenly finding herself dependent upon a person she had claimed to despise only a few hours earlier. “Except I promised them hamburgers and candy.”

  “There’s an In-N-Out Burger just down the street,” Larry said helpfully. “The food isn’t expensive and my kids love it. They’re too young for indigestion.”

  “So are we, right?” Jared asked the kids, winking at Cassi. Happiness seeped into her being, displacing her former irritation. Maybe she was just borrowing Renae’s life for an evening, but she would enjoy it while it lasted.