Revved Up Hearts (37 page)

After being stuck in the house for most of the day Friday and all day Saturday, Dawn really wanted to go to the race on Sunday. Bryan agreed but only after Dawn promised to go to chapel, then prerace ceremonies, but she had to go straight to his coach as soon as the race
started.

Ted was the first to greet Dawn when she got to the track. “Are you okay?” he
asked.

“Yes.”

“Are you sure? I’m so sorry. I told you to be careful and then I knocked the whole thing on top of you. I am so
sorry.”

“It’s okay. I’m okay. Accidents happen.” She smiled at him, and she could see the relief on his face. He even went to chapel, and he had never done that before.
The Lord works in mysterious ways
, she thought as she took her seat for the
service.

“I can get you a golf cart so that you don’t have to walk,” Jeremiah said later as they walked down pit road for opening
ceremonies.

“I’m fine. The walk is good for me and so is the fresh
air.”

“Okay, but let me know if you change your
mind.”

“I will.” Dawn and Jeremiah stopped at Bryan’s pit to say a prayer of safety before the race. Jeremiah kept his hand on the small of her back as they strolled over to Jeremiah’s pit. She was getting a little tired so she leaned against the car while Wes and Jeremiah went over race strategy one more time. Then he walked over to her with a stupid grin on his face. She noticed that all his crew were gathered around watching them. There was a TV cameraman nearby. Was she about to be the target of some joke? “What’s going
on?”

“I need to talk to
you.”

“Okay,” she said, looking into his eyes for a
clue.

“Dawn, I thought my life was good before I met you, but since you have come into my life, I’ve realized how much I have been missing. You helped me reconnect with my heavenly Father. You find the good and the joy in everything. You make me so happy. You complete me. I love you.” Realization hit Dawn like a ton of bricks.
Was Jeremiah proposing?
She got her answer when he dropped to one knee. “Dawn, I know that I haven’t known you long, only a couple of months, but I already know that God brought you into my life for a reason. I can’t promise that I will never make you mad or upset. I can promise that I will spend the rest of my life doing everything I can to make you happy. I am absolutely, positively, head over heels in love with you. Will you spend the rest of your life with me as my wife? Will you marry
me?”

Dawn heard what Jeremiah said, but the tears in her eyes kept her from seeing all of it. She wiped her eyes so that she could see him clearly when she said, “YES!”
I can’t believe this is happening. I thought it might someday but not this soon. This is the happiest moment of my
life!

Jeremiah blinked and wiped a tear from his own eye. “You’ll never regret this. I promise,” he told her as he stood up. He started to lean in and kiss her, but he stopped. Looking up he said, “I knew I’d mess this up.” He reached into the pocket of his firesuit and pulled out a velvet ring box. “I think I was supposed to show you this as I popped the question. You know, as an incentive for you to say yes.” He opened the box and pulled out the most beautiful ring Dawn had ever seen. It had a large square diamond in the middle with smaller diamonds on each side. “I’ll get back on my knee and ask again if you want me
to.”

“No,” Dawn said, “that’s
okay.”

“Good,” Jeremiah said as he slipped the ring on her left hand. He looked into her eyes. They were so blue. So beautiful. They made the diamonds look like plain old rocks. “I love you,” he said again. “I hope you never get tired of hearing it ’cause I’m going to tell you every day for the rest of my
life.”

“I’d prefer to hear it for all
eternity.”

“Consider it done,” he said before he lowered his head to hers. “I love
you.”

“I love you too,” Dawn told him just before his lips touched hers. They had kissed before, but this was the best yet. It was a new beginning. She touched his face, and he pulled her even closer. When the kiss ended, she looked into his eyes. As far as she was concerned, they were the only people on the planet. Sounds from somewhere nearby brought her back to reality. First she noticed the cameraman who had captured the whole thing. Then she turned to see Bryan and Valerie standing with Jeremiah’s crew. They were all applauding and shouting their
approval.

“But Jeremiah isn’t here yet.” Dawn wailed as she was pushed down the hospital hallway on a
gurney.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Jones, but these babies are coming now whether your husband is here or
not.”

Jeremiah was in Talladega, Alabama, where he was racing this weekend. He hadn’t wanted to go, but he couldn’t get out of it. Dawn had reminded him that their twins were not due for three more weeks. She was scheduled to be induced in ten days, so he wouldn’t miss the birth of their children. So when Dawn woke up this morning not feeling well, she didn’t think much of it. She hadn’t felt good in two months. Carrying twins wasn’t easy. Dawn’s mom and dad had flown in from Arkansas to be with her until after the babies were born. Dawn already had a doctor’s appointment for that afternoon. Every other visit had been fine, so Dawn was shocked when the doctor said her blood pressure was way too high, and the babies had to come
today.

Dawn had called Jeremiah immediately but had to leave him a voicemail when he didn’t answer. He had called back ten minutes later, saying he was on his way. That was two hours ago. Unfortunately, there were thunderstorms in Charlotte today, so Jeremiah couldn’t land. Right now he was somewhere 30,000 feet over the city about to miss the most important moment of their
lives.

Dawn was in the operating room ready for the C-section. She was groggy from the anesthesia she had been given, but she was alert enough to know what was going on. Tears rolled down her cheeks at the thought of doing this without Jeremiah. The doctor had just begun making the first cut when they all heard a loud noise just outside the OR. “I’m here,” she heard Jeremiah yell. Dawn was so relieved. Fresh tears formed in her eyes when she saw him through the glass in the scrub room. He tried to come into the operating room when he had finished washing his hands, but a nurse stopped him to make him put on a gown and mask. The doctor paused until Jeremiah was sitting on a stool beside her. “Can I lower my mask to give her a
kiss?”

“Of course,” the doctor
answered.

Jeremiah lowered his mask to briefly kiss Dawn on the forehead. “Father,” he said, closing his eyes after the kiss, “thank you for this wonderful, glorious day and this wonderful, glorious woman in front of me. Be with the doctor, and guide his hands as he brings our children into the world.” He wiped his eyes and looked at her. “I love you.” Then he nodded for the doctor to
continue.

It was quiet in the operating room for the next few minutes as the doctor worked. The only talking was what was absolutely necessary. “And you two have purposely chosen not to know the sex of the babies until now?” the doctor asked Jeremiah, breaking some of the tension in the
room.

“We only know that its twins because our other doctor thought it was best that we prepare for two. But we don’t know if we have boys, girls, or one of
each.”

“Well, you’ll know in just a few seconds,” the doctor
said.

“This is it,” Jeremiah whispered into Dawn’s
ear.

“I know. Our lives are changing forever. Are you
ready?”

“With all my heart,” Jeremiah answered, squeezing the hand he had been holding since he had
arrived.

“Do you have names ready?” the doctor
asked.

“Yes,” Jeremiah replied, sucking in a deep breath as he
waited.

“Baby number one is a…” he paused as he pulled the baby out of Dawn’s womb, “boy!” The baby
wailed.

“Jeremiah Bradley Jones Jr.!” Jeremiah exclaimed. He saw one nurse look at the clock, write down the time, and name as the doctor handed the baby to another nurse. She went over to a table to weigh, measure, and clean up the baby. She then bundled him up in a blue blanket and took him over to show him to Dawn and Jeremiah. “He’s beautiful!” Dawn whispered, touching her son for the first
time.

“Perfect.” It was all Jeremiah could manage as his throat closed up from all the emotion he was feeling. A huge tear ran down his
face.

“Here’s boy number two!” The doctor announced, causing Jeremiah and Dawn to look toward
him.

“Steven Patrick Jones,” Jeremiah called out. Again, the nurse wrote down the name and time while the second nurse took the baby to be
examined.

“We did it!” Jeremiah said, looking at Dawn. “We’re
parents!”

A couple of hours later, after both babies had been examined and declared perfectly healthy, Jeremiah stood in the hospital room. It had been a long day. Both sets of proud grandparents had just left. They had held the babies and taken a ton of pictures. The spoiling had already begun. He no longer feared hospitals. Truthfully, he would probably never like needles, but the bad memories of the past had been replaced by the happy ones of the present. He looked at his beautiful sleeping wife. She was going to be a great mom. Then he looked at the two tiny boys sleeping in their beds. He stood over them and smiled. He touched each of their little heads. Little Stevie stirred at his father’s touch. “Thank you, Father, for all the good things in my life. I am truly a blessed
man.”