Ann straightened. “Jake? Can you put the basket in that corner?” and she pointed to a dimly lit area off to one side of the room. “She’ll feel better, safer, if she’s in a quiet, out-of-the-way area. She’s going to start birthing a puppy about every half hour.”
Jake nodded. “Sure can.”
“How many puppies do you think she’ll have?” Lily asked as she watched Jake carry the basket to the corner. He had dried mud splatters on the jeans that hugged his long, hard thighs and lower legs. He had a quiet, controlled power about him, and she felt he was just as excited as they were about Sage bringing her puppies into the world.
“I palpated six of them, but there could be more,” Ann said.
“Six,” Lily whispered. “And they’re going to need every bit of nutrition Sage has.”
“She’s been on her own for a long time and running on dry,” Ann cautioned, looping the stethoscope around her neck. “Have you fed her anything yet?”
“Chicken broth,” Lily explained, pointing to the five open cans sitting on the kitchen counter.
“Good call,” Ann praised. “Sage is in very poor shape. I want you to keep offering water to her every half hour. I don’t think we can give her bits of chicken right now, but maybe later. I’ll have to monitor her as she births her pups.”
“We have some leftover baked chicken,” Jenna said, pointing toward the fridge. “I’ll pull it out and shred it so she can eat some later.”
“Great,” Ann said. She smiled and nodded her thanks to Jake, who had set the basket on the floor. “I think she’ll feel less exposed there.”
In the next five minutes, Lily picked up Sage and transferred her to the long, oval basket after Jake scooped up the green blanket and placed it inside. She settled the mother dog into it. She had plenty of room and appeared to be comfortable. Jake then retrieved two wooden stools so no one had to kneel on the floor to give the dog water or keep her company. Jenna went to serve everyone dinner. Lily wanted to remain with Sage, who licked her hand, her blue eyes filled with adoration. She felt such a strong kinship with the dog.
Jake excused himself, then, and went up to his bedroom to take a shower and get a change of clothes. When he came back down, the mouthwatering scent of turkey sausage and broccoli pasta filled the air. Even Sage lifted her nose, sniffing the yummy scent. Lily continued to pet the dog and murmur soothing sounds to her. Ann was filling her plate from the steaming casserole and so was Jake. The vet had said it could be any time for the first puppy to arrive. She was so excited.
“Hey,” Jake called softly, offering her a plate, “you need to eat, too. Take this. You can eat here if you want.” He handed her flatware and a napkin.
Surprised, she took the white plate and smiled up at him. “Thank you.” She saw something in his green eyes but couldn’t decipher it, except that it made her feel warm and cared for. “Are you upset I brought her home?” she asked.
“No.” He straightened and moved aside as Ann came over and made herself comfortable on the other stool, near Sage’s tail. “I’d expect you to do this. You have a soft heart.”
Nodding, she choked out, “This reminds me so much of the Afghan villages I tended, the kids, the mothers . . .”
“Did you care for animals, too?” Jake asked, holding her watery gaze.
“Yes . . . sometimes. There were always dogs around, and they were just as thin and scrawny as Sage here.”
“Seeing her brought it all back?”
She pushed her fork around in the pasta, the bright red peppers a contrast to the broccoli. “A lot . . .” and that was all she could say.
Leaning down, he rested his hand on her shoulder for a moment. “It’s all right. I’m here if you need me or want to talk about it at any time.”
Lily gave a jerky nod, unable to meet his gaze. She lamented him removing his large, warm hand from her shoulder. Jake’s compassion was surprising now because he usually was so brusque and unavailable. But not now. He must have a soft heart for dogs, just like all the women did, and that pleased her.
“I’m going to join Jenna at the table and keep her company. If you need anything else, let me know.”
Swallowing hard at his gentleness and understanding, Lily fought back tears. “Y–yes . . .”
Jake forced himself to move away. He knew animals of any kind liked to be left alone when birthing. As he walked across the shining wood floor, he knew Sage was comforted by Lily and Ann’s presence beside her. He knew a lot about animal birthing and Sage was in good hands with those two ladies.
He didn’t want to be moved emotionally by how hopeful and happy Lily looked right now. Animals made her happy, that was for sure. All three women were excited about the coming of the puppies. Hell, so was he. Sage was a pretty-looking dog, and it bothered him greatly that someone had dumped her to die. Wyoming wasn’t a kind place to animals anyway. With snow eight or nine months out of the year, many didn’t survive.
“This is so exciting!” Jenna said as he filled his plate.
He smiled a little. “We go from no dogs to seven?” His mother glowed.
“No one can ignore a puppy, Jake. They’re just so darned cute. You’ll love them, too!”
He chewed his food, his eye on Lily and Ann for a moment, and then he devoted his full attention to Jenna. “We don’t even have a dog kennel built.”
“Well, Son, when you were barely three years old we had a beautiful black Lab, Susie. I don’t think you remember her, do you?”
“Vaguely,” Jake admitted, taking a piece of garlic toast that had been slathered with butter.
“Susie had ten pups! And at six weeks old, we sold every one of them because she’d been bred to a champion black Labrador. But in the six weeks the pups were opening their eyes, getting to know their world and getting acquainted with humans”—she tapped his lower arm smartly, a gleam in her eyes—“we used to set you in with Susie in the laundry room and those puppies would just love you to death! You loved them, too, and you were so happy to be with them.”
“I don’t remember.”
Jenna chuckled and squeezed his hand. “Well, you’re going to get your chance to remember that time again.”
Chapter Thirteen
July 6
Jake stayed out of the way, but he was just as emotionally invested as the women who sat around the wicker basket, tending to the dog. Ann Sharp had been right about the weakened Border collie needing human help to birth her pups. Ann had brought everything she needed, and he’d helped her bring in those items from her van. By nine p.m., Sage had birthed six puppies.
He hung around the edges, listening to the soft but excited voices of the women, the whispers showering Sage with love and praise. Ann took each puppy as it was born and cleaned it off because the mother was simply too weak to do it herself. Then, she passed the puppy to Jenna to dry it off, and she gave it to Lily, who placed it in front of the mother’s nose. Sage would sniff, lick and nuzzle her offspring. Then Jenna would pick up the baby and place her at one of the dog’s milk-swollen nipples. Even though Sage was exhausted, the puppies were in a relatively healthy state, according to Ann. None of the puppies were fat. Indeed, Ann noted they were all about a third less in weight than was normal for their breed, but that was due to the starvation of the mother.
Jenna turned and looked over at Jake where he sat in a nearby chair. “Jake? Come take my place. My leg is aching, and I need to get out of this position.”
Rising, he went over and helped his mother stand. She was growing stiff from being in one position on that short wooden stool for hours. Jenna looked down at her watch.
“Hey, ladies, I need to get myself ready for bed. I’m tuckered out.”
Lily nodded. “Do you want some help?”
“No, I’m fine. I’ll ask Jake to be my crutch and take me to my room. Then, he can come back and take my place.”
Jake saw Lily beam at that suggestion. It made him feel good. “If you want me,” he told the vet.<
br />
“Of course we do!” Ann said. “There isn’t a human being alive who doesn’t want to be around just-born, wriggly, happy puppies.”
He couldn’t deny that. Jenna said good night to everyone and nudged him toward the hall. He cut his stride a lot because she was slow, and he could see she had stiffened up. “Maybe a hot shower?” he asked her as they walked.
“I think so. I was getting good at climbing into and out of the tub for a bath, but my leg is too stiff to do anything like that tonight.”
“Do you want Lily to help you when you shower?” he wondered. Usually, he had nothing to do with their nightly routine. More often than not, he was in the living room reading the news on his iPad before going to bed at around ten.
“No, I’m fine, Jake. Just getting tired,” and she gave him a kind glance. “Age.”
“Glad I’m not there yet,” he teased, opening the bedroom door for her.
“It happens to all of us,” she promised. “Thanks. Good night,” and she squeezed his hand. “Go keep Lily company. She’s enthralled with the puppies. And I know you are, too.”
Jake nodded and left, wondering how his mother knew that. He certainly hadn’t broadcasted it, though he’d learned a long time ago that women had this all-terrain radar, picking up stuff he never thought about. Smiling slightly, he headed to the living room. He liked that Ann had taught Lily how to help a dog give birth and take care of the puppies afterward. His gaze fastened on Lily’s profile as she gently used her index finger, touching each wriggly puppy, worrying the nipple they had chosen to drink from.
“Come,” Lily called, “sit with us. Ann will give you latex gloves to wear.”
Ann handed him a pair. After he struggled into them, she gave him a dry white towel. “Your job is to dry the next puppy. When you’re done, pass it on to Lily so Sage can smell her new baby, welcome it into the world and lick it hello. That’s the bonding moment.”
He sat on the small stool and got comfortable. Lily was about six inches away from him. Unable to get enough of absorbing the joy radiating from her face, her cheeks pink, her blue eyes sparkling, he wished for a deeper connection with her. Tonight certainly wasn’t it, but he wanted quiet, personal time with her.
“Oh, here comes number seven!” Ann said, pleased, her gloved hand catching the next baby.
Lily made happy sounds. “This one is butterscotch and white,” she said. “That makes three of that color, one mixed and the rest black and white like Sage.”
“I’m positive she was bred to another Border collie,” Ann said, working quickly to remove the sac and examining the squirming pup. “This makes four females and three males. And I’ll bet the daddy was this same color. Here you go, Jake,” and she placed the puppy in his waiting cupped hands, the towel across them.
“Thanks,” he rumbled. His hands were so large and the puppy so tiny in comparison. This wriggling little tyke, gleaming wet, was making grunting sounds and moving around, its eyes closed. It made Jake smile. He carefully and gently wiped the puppy off. Handing it to Lily, he asked, “Have you named all of them yet?”
Lily giggled and took the baby. “Oh, heavens no! I want to watch them for a few days, maybe a week, before we start giving them names.” She placed the baby in front of Sage’s nose. They had continued to give her water and Jenna had hand-fed her some chicken earlier, which she’d gobbled down. Ann wanted the dog to have only a little bit of food. Her digestive system wasn’t ready for a large meal after being starved for so long. An hour ago, Lily had given her more chicken broth because Jake had located two more cans for her in the pantry. Sage was able to give her puppies milk and she would lie exhausted between each birth, spread out on her side, relaxed and no longer panting heavily. She was so glad Ann was here to tell them how Sage was doing.
“You’re a good mom,” Jake told her, holding her gaze.
Feeling heat rush to her cheeks, Lily avoided his gaze, feeling how vulnerable he was becoming. Birth had a funny way of stripping everyone’s mask away and allowing their hearts to shine instead. “I guess it just comes naturally,” she said, watching Sage lift her head and lick her baby from stem to stern. “Isn’t this a wonderful moment? I loved helping the women in labor in Afghanistan. They had midwives who knew so much about pregnancy and labor. I always marveled when a baby would take that first breath of air into her or his lungs. It was such a rush.”
“Do you get a rush with each puppy being born?”
“I do.” She took the newly welcomed puppy and placed it down on the soft green blanket and guided its small mouth to an awaiting nipple. She straightened, watching the baby latch on and suck mightily. Sage lay there, her eyes closed, dozing. “Does this affect you, Jake?”
“Sure. It’s a special time.” He tried not to allow his gaze to linger on her softly curved lips. Lately, his last thoughts as he fell into sleep were about kissing Lily. Imagining how her mouth would feel beneath his, if she fit his mouth as perfectly as he thought she might. And other sultrier thoughts he’d never share with anyone. Lily was quietly sexy. Jake had tried to quantify the womanly charisma that called to him. She was never a flirt. And her clothes always covered her body, never revealing much skin at all. He wondered if that was because of her experience in Afghanistan, or if she was just an introvert who didn’t fit into the overloaded world of extroverts, some who bared their bodies proudly, without apology. Maybe he was a prude, but there was something sensual and exciting about a woman fully clothed, allowing him to undress her one piece at a time.
Ann stood up and gently examined Sage’s abdomen, which was now flabby, no longer looking like an overfilled balloon. “I think she’s done. I don’t feel any more babies inside her.”
Lily saw it was midnight. “Why don’t you go home, then, Ann? You’ve had an awfully long day and night.”
Snapping off the gloves, Ann dropped them in a plastic bag for refuse. “I think I’ll do that.”
“Is there anything I need to do for Sage?”
“She’ll probably want to get up soon and go outside to pee. Maybe poop. You should go with her.”
“Do you think she has the strength to walk out there or should I carry her?”
Ann laughed softly. “She just birthed seven healthy pups. She’s stronger than you think. I’d put a leash on her and let her pick the pace. This place is strange for her and she knows you, so she’ll probably feel secure in your presence. I think if you stay with her and let her wander around as she wants to do her thing, things will turn out just fine.”
“What about later?”
“After she comes in? Give her about half a cup of chicken. That will continue to strengthen her and keep nudging her dormant digestion back to life. I’d put a big bowl of water next to her bed so she can drink throughout the night.”
“Will you be around tomorrow in case I have a question or something?”
Ann grabbed her jacket off the arm of the chair. “Sure. Call me anytime, at the clinic or at home. What’s important is that Sage begin to lick and potty them. If she doesn’t do that, let me know early, because you might have to do it for her if she’s too weak.”
Wrinkling her nose, Lily said, “I sure hope she’s up to doing it.”
Snickering, Ann closed her vet bag and stood up. “Sage is probably about three years old by my guesstimate. She’s young and strong, despite being starved. She has heart. My bet is that a good night’s sleep, drinking water and getting some food in her belly will make her a lot stronger tomorrow morning and she’ll take care of her pups.”
“I’ll walk you to your van,” Jake said, rising.
“Sounds good.” Ann came over and patted Lily’s shoulder. “You were terrific and so was Jenna. We did good! It’s a happy ending for Sage.”
* * *
Jake came in and saw Lily down on her knees, gently sliding her hand along Sage’s back. The dog’s fur was in terrible shape, scruffy, dirty and stiff with lack of care. He came over to the basket, remembering to
always come at an angle where Lily could see him coming. She lifted her chin and smiled up at him.
“Do you want to trade places? It’s so nice to be able to lay my hands across all the puppies. They’re dry, their fur so silky smooth. They’re so adorable.”
He knelt, keeping some room between them. He might want many things from her, but he wasn’t going to let her know that. At least not yet. “They’re so tiny.”
“Yes, but so alive, wriggling, pushing and eating.” She straightened, her hands coming to rest on her thighs. “What a day. What a night. Did you get enough for dinner? Did Jenna?”
“Yes,” he said. “Did you?” and he searched her eyes, which were filled with happiness, yet he sensed how tired she was becoming.
“Absolutely.” She gently rubbed Sage’s inner ear. The dog groaned with pleasure, her eyes barely opening. “It’s past midnight. Everything has happened so fast.”
“How are you doing?” he asked, trailing an index finger down the multicolored puppy’s back.
“Tired but happy.”
“Did this whole thing become a flashback for you?” and he held her gaze.
Pursing her lips for a moment, she sighed. “At first I was afraid the blood and other fluids would trigger me. But for whatever reason, they didn’t. I was so glad,” and she pushed some strands of her hair behind her ear.
“Me too. I was watching you for reaction.”
She studied him. “I think you’re slowly becoming my big, bad guard dog. Or am I wrong?”
It was his turn to feel uncomfortable, and he pushed his hands down the thighs of his chinos. “I guess one good thing about having the same symptoms is that we know what to look for in the other person. I don’t know what I’d do, but I think both of us would try to be a support to the other if it happened.”
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