A Brother's Promise

by Mindy Obenhaus

  “What are you going to do?” Christa was beside him now.

  “Wait. Keep an eye on her. See how she progresses. I may need to call Bum, because if I have to step in, I’m gonna need his help.”

  “Guess I’d better put on another pot of coffee then.”

  “Shouldn’t you be getting ready for church?”

  She puffed out a laugh. “You don’t think I’m going to miss watching this calf be born, do you? I mean, I have a vested interest here.”

  “You do?”

  “Not as much as you, but I’ve been watching her all morning, hoping she’d deliver. I’ve never had the opportunity to see someone or something give birth before. The closest I came was when Laurel had Sarah-Jane. But even then, I had to leave the room for the delivery.”

  He couldn’t help grinning.

  She watched him. “What?”

  “You’re cute when you get all riled up.”

  “Stop.” Placing a hand on his chest, she gave him a playful shove. “I’ve been so engrossed in Bessie here that I haven’t even showered yet.”

  He gave her quick once-over, thinking she looked pretty good to him. “You know, I sometimes forget that not everyone has the opportunity to witness life’s beginning and end. I can see why you’d be excited.”

  “Thank you.” She took a sip from the cup she still held, though the brew was probably cold by now. “Besides, you can’t monitor this cow and keep an eye on Sadie. I’ll keep her busy. You just let me know what’s happening and when.”

  Did she have any idea how wonderful she was? She had a knack for reading his mind and anticipating his needs. And then going out of her way to help him. He could get used to that.

  Except it wasn’t about him. It was Sadie Christa cared about. He was a simple country boy. A rancher with little to offer but his heart. And he’d had that tossed aside enough times to make him quit trying to give it away. So, he’d best pry it off his sleeve and tuck it away. Because Christa was out of his league.

  Just then, the cow bellowed.

  Mick turned to see it puffing. Time was no longer on his side. Whether he wanted to or not, he had to make a move.

  Chapter Ten

  So much for distancing.

  Christa had done her best to stay away from Mick and Sadie since talking with him at the store Tuesday. And it had been one of the hardest things she’d ever done. Even though she knew she’d be seeing them today, she’d missed them more than she expected, revealing a problem she’d never had before.

  She was growing attached. Not only to Sadie, but to Mick. Christa had never met a guy like him. He didn’t seek to impress. He was comfortable with who he was and loved what he did. Sure, his new role as a parent had him feeling a little insecure, but he was coming along, and she had no doubt he would continue to strive to be everything Sadie needed him to be.

  Right now, though, Christa found herself wishing she hadn’t called him about his cow. Maybe it was the fact that she’d been thrilled to have an excuse to do so. Did she not realize she was putting her heart on the line?

  Arms crossed, she trained her gaze on the brindle-colored cow struggling beneath a low-hanging branch of a live oak near the edge of the pasture as Mick called Bum. His deep concern for the cow warmed her and his voice did strange things to her insides. Deep and rich with a country twang that exuded humility and authenticity. Mick was the kind of man she used to dream of, long before reality had jaded her.

  Truth was, she wasn’t the kind of woman guys wanted to marry. Brody said she was too intimidating. Driven to get her way, no matter the cost. Strange how that had never stopped him from pursuing her and leading her on. Though it did explain why he’d made all sorts of plans for his future without ever mentioning them to her until his bags were packed.

  “Bum’s on his way.” Mick dropped his phone into his breast pocket as he addressed her. “I need to run down to my place and get Drifter.”

  She nodded. “Sadie will be fine here.”

  “Are you sure?”

  She all but glared at him. Why did he keep questioning her when it came to Sadie? “Yes, now go.”

  Returning to the house, she found Sadie and Dixie sprawled out on the kitchen floor as Sadie rubbed the dog’s belly. Christa put on another pot of coffee and had just pulled a pan of canned cinnamon rolls out of the oven some thirty minutes later when she heard a noise outside.

  “What was that?” Beside her, Sadie’s eyes were round.

  “I don’t know. Let’s go check it out.” Christa turned off the oven. “Dixie, you stay, girl.”

  Taking hold of Sadie’s hand, she led the girl outside where Mick’s truck was easing into the pasture, pulling a livestock trailer.

  “I thought he was going to get his horse?”

  “Drifter’s in the trailer.” Sadie pointed.

  “Hmm.” Christa had no idea what was going on. This was a completely new experience for her, as it was for Sadie.

  The cow that had been lying down when they first came out stood and stared at the truck. Would she run? Could she?

  Movement out of the corner of Christa’s eye had her turning to see Bum’s green utility vehicle pulling into the drive. He continued alongside Mick’s truck as Mick got out.

  “What are they going to do?” Sadie clung to Christa as they made their way off the porch.

  “Sweetie, I’m afraid I don’t know any more than you do. But I think it’s best we stay on this side of the fence.” Looking down, she saw the girl nodding, her expression filled with wonder.

  She understood just how the kid felt. Her own heart was pounding wildly in her chest. The men seemed to be talking forever, and she wished she could be out there to hear what they were saying. With Sadie in her care, though, keeping her safe had to be Christa’s first priority.

  When Mick moved to the trailer, she noticed he’d changed out of his church clothes. Probably a good move on his part. He opened a door on one side and urged a saddled Drifter out into the pasture. After exchanging a few more words with Bum, he pulled himself into the saddle and gathered a coiled rope in his hands.

  Christa couldn’t help thinking what a handsome specimen of cowboy Mick made. He was the real deal. Not like those guys whose boots would never see any mud and wore hats that were always pristine.

  Mick set his horse into motion, moving in the direction of the cow.

  The bovine watched his every move. She did not look happy.

  Then Mick began to twirl his lariat until he had a wide loop spinning in the air. The cow tried to make a run for it, but Mick sent the lasso flying, landing it squarely around the cow’s neck. He cinched the rope around his saddle horn and waited as Bum repeated the move with a second rope. After a brief battle of wills, the now secured, and probably exhausted, cow relented and lay down.

  While Mick remained atop his horse, Bum hopped into Mick’s truck and moved the trailer until it was positioned closer to the cow.

  Surely they weren’t going to move the poor thing while she was in labor.

  “I can’t see.”

  Christa lifted Sadie into her arms and continued to watch as the two men attempted to urge the cow to her feet and into the trailer.

  “Hold up!” Bum hollered, then motioned for Mick to join him.

  Squatting, Mick seemed to study the unborn calf.

  Bum moved to the cow’s head and grabbed hold of one horn while placing a steadying hand atop her back.

  The next thing Christa knew, Mick took ahold of the calf’s hooves and pulled it out.

  “Yay!” Sadie clapped. “Uncle Mickey gotted the baby.”

  He got it all right, but from Christa’s vantage point, things didn’t look good. The calf wasn’t moving.

  Mick kneeled beside it and vigorously rubbed the wet, furry body. Moving to the head, he appeared to blow into its nost
rils. A few moments passed, then Mick walked away.

  Christa’s heart twisted. Was it dead? Should Mick have tried harder to save it?

  The cowboy motioned for her.

  With Sadie still in her arms, Christa made her way along the fence line, out the gate and around to the other side. Drawing closer, her gaze locked on to the unmoving calf. It just lay there, wet and still with its eyes closed.

  She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat and took two more steps.

  Suddenly the calf lifted its head as though looking right at her and Sadie.

  “It’s alive!” The words spilled out as her heart filled with unexpected joy.

  “Yes, he is.” Mick came alongside them. “It’s a bull calf.”

  “He was so still.” She looked up into Mick’s weary yet smiling eyes. “I was afraid.”

  “Yeah, well, he’s pretty exhausted.”

  Christa couldn’t help looking at the mama. She lay on her side, her breathing slowly returning to normal. “I think they both are.”

  “I ’spect she was in labor for quite a while,” said Bum.

  A pained expression passed over Mick, and Christa had a pretty good idea he was blaming himself. Wondering if he’d ever find the right balance between ranching and caring for Sadie.

  “We’ll need to move them both down to the barn where I can keep an eye on them. Sometimes when a delivery is tough, a cow will reject the calf.”

  “What do you do then?”

  “Either bottle feed or introduce a nurse cow.” He glanced from cow to calf. “I hope she’ll accept him.”

  Christa found herself longing to smooth away the worry lines that creased his brow. “You did a great job.”

  “Thank you for letting me know. I wasn’t aware you paid attention to my cattle.”

  “Are you kidding? That’s one of the things I love most about living in this farmhouse. I get to live on a cattle ranch without having to do any of the work.”

  That made him smile. “Well, if you’d ever like to pitch in...”

  “I might be down for a bottle feeding or two. Should it come to that.”

  “I want to feed it, too,” said Sadie.

  “You do?” Mick gathered his niece into his arms.

  “Uh-huh.” Sadie nodded.

  Christa had never seen a more beautiful sight than the dirty, rugged cowboy loving on the precious child left in his care. Despite his tough exterior, Mick had a tender heart. He worked hard and loved deeply. Sadie was blessed to have him.

  Christa took a step back. They didn’t need her anymore, except as the occasional babysitter, something she was more than happy to do. But her focus needed to be on expanding the store. Growing businesses was her forte, after all. She was driven and independent. The last thing she needed was silly romantic notions getting in her way.

  * * *

  Mick strode down the hallway of the Travis County Courthouse Monday morning, eager to get back to his ranch. He hated the city. Didn’t matter which one it was, he wasn’t a fan. Throw in the reason he’d had to come in the first place, to get Jen’s and Kyle’s wills squared away, and well, his day couldn’t get much worse. And having Chuck and Belita Sanderson there didn’t help. How’d they know he’d be in court today anyway?

  Fortunately, the process had been fairly cut-and-dried. Kyle had put most of his and Jen’s assets into a trust that now belonged to Sadie, naming Mick as trustee until she was an adult. He would still have to deal with their house, emptying its contents and selling it, but that was a job for another day.

  His boots echoed against the shiny tile floor as he continued down the hallway, wondering why on earth Jen had left the old Gebhardt building in downtown Bliss to him instead of Sadie. Granted, the building had been in their family for generations, but he had no interest in it, which was why he’d insisted their mother give it to Jen. She was the one who was all sentimental about the place.

  Who knows, maybe I’ll want to open a shop in Bliss someday.

  He sucked in a breath, knowing he’d give anything to have her here again to do just that.

  Perhaps he’d hold on to it for Sadie, along with everything else. Let her decide what she wanted to do with it. In the meantime, he’d settle for enough lease money to cover the taxes. Meaning he should probably contact the leasing agent and find out why it had been empty for so long.

  As he approached the exit, he saw the Sandersons standing off to one side, seemingly deep in conversation. To his surprise, they hadn’t said a word during the hearing. Now if he could just make it out the door without them noticing him, he’d be home free.

  He picked up his pace, taking advantage of his long strides.

  “Mick.” Chuck’s voice crept over Mick’s shoulder like a weasel.

  Mick thought about making a run for it, but the deputies positioned at the doors would likely think him a criminal.

  Slowing his steps, he turned and faced the well-dressed couple as they approached. Chuck wore a navy sports coat over a pale-blue button-down shirt with khaki trousers, while Belita looked the height of fashion in black slacks, heels and a stylish gray sweater topped with an enormous pearl necklace.

  Fingers tipped with long nails gracefully brushed Belita’s short silver hair to one side as they neared. “Mick, darling, it’s so good to see you.” The words dripped from her red lips like honey. Make that honey laced with arsenic. The woman couldn’t stand him. Thought he was beneath them. A fact she’d made perfectly clear on more than one occasion leading up to the funeral. But here in public, she had to make a good show. Talk about fake.

  “Belita.” He nodded in her direction first, then her husband’s. “Chuck. What are you doing here?”

  “Looking out for our granddaughter, of course.” Hands shoved in his pockets, Chuck rocked back on the heels of his custom Lucchese boots. “We wanted to make certain everything was handled appropriately.”

  Like Mick was going to buy that. Chuck had called the judge by his first name and chatted with him about his family, as though they’d known each other forever.

  Mick willed himself to remain calm, though. “Kyle put everything in a trust for Sadie. And that’s where it’s going to stay until she’s twenty-one.”

  “But you are the trustee, dear.” Belita’s blue eyes had an accusatory look. “And what about their house?”

  “Money from the sale of it will also go into the trust fund.”

  “All of it?” She watched him intently, her false lashes looking like black spiders.

  Mick refused to lose his temper, but he was definitely struggling. “Look, I am perfectly capable of providing for Sadie without tapping into Kyle and Jen’s money.”

  “A child means lots of extra expenses,” said Chuck. “Things like hospital visits can add up quickly.”

  Hospital? Surely they didn’t know about Sadie’s fall.

  “How is Sadie’s arm doing?”

  He glared at the man, wondering how these two conniving people could have possibly been related to someone as giving and kindhearted as Kyle. “How did you know about that?”

  “Where is our granddaughter, anyway?” Belita ignored his question.

  “She’s at school.”

  “Surely you had to leave early to get here.” The woman fingered her necklace, appearing the picture of innocence.

  Still, he refused to give them the satisfaction of knowing they were getting to him. “Yes, ma’am. A good friend of mine took care of her for me.”

  One perfectly arched brow rose. “This wouldn’t be the so-called friend who stayed with you at your cabin, would it?”

  His right eye twitched as his gaze narrowed. “With all due respect, I’m not sure that’s any of your business.”

  “Sadie is our granddaughter.” Chuck puffed his chest out. “That makes it our business.”

/>   Yeah, just like everything else.

  “Chr—” Catching himself, he cleared his throat. “My friend and Sadie have become quite close.”

  “Mick—” Belita shifted her oversize leather purse from one elbow to the other “—do you really think it’s appropriate to have your lady friends around Sadie?”

  “I can assure you there’s never been anything inappropriate. Christa isn’t a lady friend. She’s strictly a friend. Now, if you will excuse me.” Fists clenched, he made his way to the exit, kicking himself for revealing Christa’s name. And furious with the Sandersons for driving him to it. How did they know about Christa anyway? That she’d stayed at his place? And how did they know about Sadie’s arm?

  He sucked in a breath of cool air as he stepped outside. Traffic moved past him as he propelled himself toward the parking lot on the next block. Not once in his forty-five years could he recall being this upset.

  Had the Sandersons been there today for the sole purpose of irritating him? Because if so, they’d definitely achieved their goal. And it infuriated him that he’d let them do it.

  After crossing the street, he located his truck and threw himself inside.

  He would never forgive himself if Sadie was forced to live with those wretched people. He couldn’t disappoint Jen and Kyle like that. And what about Sadie? Her world would be flipped upside down all over again.

  Releasing a guttural sound, he shoved the key in the ignition, feeling as though he might go crazy. He needed to sort through everything that had just happened and calm down. But left to his own devices, that wasn’t going to happen. He needed to talk to Christa. She’d been the calm in just about every storm he’d faced lately. And right now, he longed to hear her voice. To hear her tell him that everything was going to be okay. To know that someone had his back.

  He pulled the phone from his breast pocket, pressed a few buttons to dial her number, then put his truck into gear.

  “Hey, Mick. I was hoping you’d call.” Her voice washed over him like a cool rain on a hot summer day, easing his tension. “How did everything go?”